So, I’m working on a story for an upcoming anthology that specifies a Lovecraftian bias. Of course, in these circumstances, the goal is to tie into the existing mythology while maintaining my own voice and ideas, so long as they respect the rules and established mood of that mythology. However, that’s a heck of a balancing act, especially since I‘m using a specific story as a general basis.
I want to have cues in there that fans can pick up on without spending too much time winking directly at them and I definitely don’t want to be a thieving little bastard. I guess that’s what I’m struggling with. No matter what I do, it is still stealing in some sense. The original idea came from someone else’s head, after all. But I’m manipulating it into something new, I hope. Something that has been processed through my own experiences and worldview and manipulated into a new beast instead of a boring retread.
How the hell does anyone do that?
it's not easy. I did it for my story ENOUGH TO MAKE A DEVIL and it was hell getting it right. If you'd like I can shoot you the story, so you can get an idea. Good luck with yours.
ReplyDeleteThomas