Paranormal Perceptions ~ Revelations and Fantastical Elements
The Paranormal Perceptions series was created to gather some of the most interesting authors that are using paranormal elements in their stories. Every author has their own perceptions and provides their own insight on all things paranormal, ranging from urban legends and paranormal research, to myths and inspirations. This week on the guest series is author of Apocalypse Rising author Eric Swett. (@EricSwett)
Whether you are a believer or not, the Bible is filled with incredible stories of the fantastic, and is an excellent resource for paranormal fiction. Almost as soon as I started my first attempt at Urban Fantasy, the idea of Angels and Demons walking amongst us came to mind, so I read through some passages in the bible to give myself a frame of reference to work from.
Most modern translations are the most accurate, and the easiest to read, but when you read a King James Version...well it borders on poetry. Of all the stories in the Bible, Revelations was the one that drew my attention the most. A vision of the end of the world filled with Demons, Angels and monsters with all of the mile high view of Tolkien's Silmarillion.
A couple weeks spent fleshing out the details and adjusting the setting provided a good portion of the inspiration I needed to get the ball rolling, but it was not the only source I used. I melded some of what I read in the Bible with some concepts I loved in one of my favorite books of all time, On A Pale Horse, by Piers Anthony. If you have not read it yet, you should.
In the near future world of that book you see Heaven and Hell actively trying to recruit souls. Gone is the passive game of otherworldly espionage that seeks to convert the people of earth; it has been replaced with billboard advertising and outright marketing campaigns. Heaven and Hell amongst the people, in a story centered on the Grim Reaper himself, makes for fantastic reading.
Somewhere in between the blatant openness of Piers Anthony's modern era and the occasional directness of biblical times is where I decided to stay for this first book. I am a big fan of H.P. Lovecraft and much of his writing is predicated on the idea that people are terrified of the unknown, to the point of avoiding it if they can help it. In my book, Apocalypse Rising, the supernatural exists, and hides just below the awareness of normal people. Even when confronted with the truth, most people rather turn a blind eye to the reality that worries them, than acknowledge there might be monsters in the dark.
Inspiration can be drawn from any number of places when it comes to the supernatural and the fantastic, but using it in your writing requires a certain amount of modification to make it something of your own. Who knows, maybe someday someone will list my books, characters and worlds as inspirations of their own. Whether you are a believer or not, the Bible is filled with incredible stories of the fantastic, and is anexcellent resource for paranormal fiction. Almost as soon as I started my first attempt at Urban Fantasy,the idea of Angels and Demons walking amongst us came to mind, so I read through some passagesin the bible to give myself a frame of reference to work from.
Most modern translations are the mostaccurate, and the easiest to read, but when you read a King James Version...well it borders on poetry. Of all the stories in the Bible, Revelations was the one that drew my attention the most. A vision of theend of the world filled with Demons, Angels and monsters with all of the mile high view of Tolkien'sSilmarillion.
A couple weeks spent fleshing out the details and adjusting the setting provided a goodportion of the inspiration I needed to get the ball rolling, but it was not the only source I used.I melded some of what I read in the Bible with some concepts I loved in one of my favorite books ofall time, On A Pale Horse, by Piers Anthony. If you have not read it yet, you should. In the near futureworld of that book you see Heaven and Hell actively trying to recruit souls. Gone is the passive game ofotherworldly espionage that seeks to convert the people of earth; it has been replaced with billboardadvertising and outright marketing campaigns. Heaven and Hell amongst the people, in a story centeredon the Grim Reaper himself, makes for fantastic reading. Somewhere in between the blatant openness of Piers Anthony's modern era and the occasional directness of biblical times is where I decided to stay for this first book.
I am a big fan of H.P. Lovecraftand much of his writing is predicated on the idea that people are terrified of the unknown, to the pointof avoiding it if they can help it. In my book, Apocalypse Rising, the supernatural exists, and hides justbelow the awareness of normal people. Even when confronted with the truth, most people rather turn ablind eye to the reality that worries them, than acknowledge There might be monsters in the dark.
Inspiration can be drawn from any number of places when it comes to the supernatural and thefantastic, but using it in your writing requires a certain amount of modification to make it somethingof your own. Who knows, maybe someday someone will list my books, characters and worlds asinspirations of their own.
Eric Swett started writing a story at 100 words a day in the spring of 2011 as an exercise while he worked on his novel. One year later and that exercise turned into his first novel, "Apocalypse Rising."
He is the husband of Tracy and the father of Zachary and Connor. He works in the
IT industry and is a recent transplant to North Carolina. He loves all things science
fiction and fantasy and openly claims the title of geek.
Facebook: Http://www.facebook.com/ericswettauthorinprogress
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ericswett
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/EricSwett
Blog: Http://mywriterscramp.com