Wilde Wednesday: How Oscar Helped Shape Dacey Sinnett

I'd like to make this a regular feature on my blog but I don't blog regularly so, I suppose, that would make it relatively a matter of perspective as to how "regular" it is.  It feels apropos to dedicate some time to the inclusion of Oscar Wilde's influence on my own work as he is singly the most pivotal of all my inspirations.  In many ways, he is my muse in both my creativity and personal existential exploration which are incorporated themes in my books.  It's important to me to spread awareness of his life and work and also to carry on the spirit of his ideas and writings.  Thus, I've also become a member of the Oscar Wilde Society in support of precisely that endeavor.

My books are not intended as an echo or mimic.  They are uniquely their own.  They have their own voice and say the things about life and existence that I personally wish to be said.  They deal with a multitude of different topics.  They are, essentially, my own personal revelations shared with the world in the only way in which I feel comfortable being entirely honest and raw with my audience.  I simply enjoy employing the paranormal to help me do that.

That being said, and having had some readers request it, I would love to take time now and again to delve deeper into the ways in which Oscar's work has played its role in shaping the stories that I enjoy writing most.  Think of this as an occasional pit stop of analysis on dissecting my own work with a Wildean filter.

I felt that, with the upcoming Kindle release of The Revelation of Dacey Sinnett, this quote was a great place to begin.  (I can't cover all the ground in one post.  I will simply tackle one angle at a time; which is why a series of blog posts over time makes the most sense.)  Firstly, because The Picture of Dorian Gray is my favorite book.  Secondly, but most importantly, because the sentiment plays heavily into the way that I threaded the relationship that exists between Dacey Sinnett and Marcus von Rottal.  I'll try my best to expound upon this without revealing too many spoilers.

In a sense, there is a bit of Dorian Gray in both Dacey and Marcus.  I would say Dacey better represents the earlier Dorian (though much less innocent) and Marcus the darker version he becomes by the end of the story.  Essentially, they are two men that land on the same path, engage in the same vices, but still manage to retain their own personalities and convictions (Though, they are always magnetically drawn together despite their better judgement.).

This is where the quote and Wilde's personal life begin to weave together in my reinterpretation of an interpersonal dynamic that ultimately forms the, more tragic, basis of my vampires' relationship with one another.

Right now, Wildeans are having an "Aha!" moment.  If this isn't you then, for the sake of not spoiling anything, I will only say to please take some time one afternoon, evening, or preferably night (Night research is always the best, don't you agree?), to look into the history of Oscar Wilde and Lord Alfred 'Bosie' Douglas.  In this regard, the similarities might guide the reader into seeing a parallel of Dacey being like Oscar and Marcus more like Bosie.  Although, it should be noted, there is no definitive outline or boundary for this and both characters are indubitably their own personalities.

Neither were purposefully modeled directly with Oscar or Bosie in mind.  Rather, they were born of the idea of splitting apart who Dorian Gray became and the man he originally was and setting both characteristics against the same obstacles.  The Oscar/Bosie correlation was something that came to me after I'd already outlined the book but then I felt as though it were staring me right in face.  A nuance that I hand't necessarily planned initially but that couldn't be denied once I saw it coming to life in their interactions.

As I stated earlier, my stories are not complete homages to Wilde but he definitely has his place on the color wheel of inspiration that's constantly spinning in my mind while I create.  My favorite muse, indeed.

I hope you enjoyed this feature!  If you have any questions or would just like to discuss this topic further then please feel free to talk to me on Twitter or submit a query on my Goodreads Author Page (that way other readers can get involved).

Also, if you're a fellow Wildean and would like to join the Oscar Wilde Society then please visit their page through the link on my sidebar.

Thanks for reading!

~Dez~

Influences: John William Polidori

As an artist/creator in any medium, you have your own voice but are definitely the sum of various other creative people that have inspired you throughout your artistic growth.  Their works affect us both directly and indirectly and at different times; but you can always look back fondly and say, "I found them so inspiring!"

It is because of a sense of kindred spirit, I presume.  We see ourselves- our own beliefs, passions, and perceptions- mirrored in their work.  This leads us to admire it, internalize it, and- very often - it becomes a silent part of our own creative thinking.  These inspirations build the atmosphere and backdrop of our own imaginary worlds.  They represent to us a set standard and become a stage to bring to life the characters that we have then created to perform from our own unique perspectives.

In the past I've shared some of my musical influences but I'd like to expand that and share others as well.  John William Polidori feels like a fantastic place to start.

Most of you are probably familiar with the Regency era English physician and writer, Polidori.  If not, he was part of the Romantic movement and published the first modern English vampire story "The Vampyre" in 1819.

Polidori was Lord Byron's personal physician and traveled with him across Europe.  He stayed at the Villa Diodati in Switzerland with Lord Byron, Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin (pre-marriage to Shelley), Percy Shelley, and Claire Clairmont.  I'm certain that you know this story.  During that summer, Lord Byron proposed that they all write horror stories of their own (after having read "Fantasmagoriana").  This was where Mary Shelley's story "Frankenstein" originated and also a story that Bryon began and abandoned.  However, Polidori took the basis of Byron's tale and fabricated his own story which became "The Vampyre".

If you've not had a chance to read this short story, I greatly recommend it.  I feel as though more people run to Dracula than to Lord Ruthven (the vampire in Polidori's tale) in search for the origins of the modern vampire.   And that, honestly, makes me a bit sad.

Other than "The Vampyre", Polidori's published works include some diaries, medical essays, a few short stories, and poems.

Polidori suffered from depression and struggled with a gambling habit.  He died at the age of 25; committing suicide by ingesting cyanide, though the coroner gave a verdict of natural causes.

 

Side Note:  If you're ever looking for an interesting film that features Polidori, Alex Winter (of "Bill & Ted" fame) gives a great performance in "Haunted Summer" (he's pictured above on the far right).  I'm not really sure where you can get a copy of this.  I bought a DVD of it on Amazon a while back but it was obviously bootlegged when I received it.  If you do get a chance though, it's definitely worth watching. 

Clearly, "The Vampyre" has inspired all of us that write in the genre.  It's the backbone on which our beliefs of the handsome, aristocratic, sexually charged version of the creature are based.  I find that I've not only been inspired by the vampire in the story but of the main protagonist, Aubrey, as well.  He was a very relatable character- optimistic, ambitious, and naive.  I think, in many ways, he's shaped my own renderings of protagonists.

After all, a vampire story is only as good as the humanistic elements at its core; and at this, Polidori understood more about the possibilities of the creatures and their prey than anyone that had ever come before him.

Thanks for reading!

Music Monday - The Killing Moon

A huge part of my creative process is listening to music. Either as a way to get me into the mood of a scene that I'm writing or as inspiration for certain characters and storylines. There have been many times when I've heard a song and thought, "Oh, that's definitely a Grady song." or even heard certain lyrics that sparked an idea for where I want a plot point to go.

So, I thought it would be fun to include a 'Music Monday' feature here to share some of the songs that have had a lot of influence in my stories or the creation of certain characters.

The first song I'd like to share is 'The Killing Moon' by Echo & The Bunnymen. I'm aware this song has actually influenced a lot of great stories/films (most notably, 'Donnie Darko') and it was most assuredly a huge inspiration for me. The mood of the song sets a great tone and the lyrics speak for themselves. It's also the most obvious of my inspirations as it's actually referenced in a subtle way in 'ROAM'.

This song spoke to me for two reasons. One: The idea of Ethan facing his destiny and, Two: The depth of emotion in the vocals, I feel, matches Ethan's emotions as he struggles with who he is and the way that Grady makes him feel.

I love this song so much. It's definitely one of my favorite 80's tunes and I hope you enjoy it as well!

Thanks for reading!

~ Dez