If you've ever heard of LARPING (live action role playing), this is LARPING on steroids. Real life larpers are taken from their everyday lives and drawn into a medieval fantasy world to battle bad guys and monsters alike. Of course my books are historical, not quite fantasy (although there are some legendary and supernatural elements), but this show is a great place to get a feel for medieval settings, dress, and weaponry. The Quest features plenty of real life valiant heart heroines that are tough, brave, and strong. I thoroughly enjoyed the first installment and can't wait to watch more. "Part reality, part fantasy, pure adventure"--check out the trailer video below!
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Inspiration from "The Quest"
Yes, it's true, television CAN rot your brain. But you know what else is true? Television can supply great inspiration for fiction writers while also letting overworked brains chill and reboot. For this series I've found inspiration from the BBC's Robin Hood and Merlin, and even from the feisty real life heroine of American Ninja Warrior. My latest inspiration comes from yet another reality show, The Quest.
If you've ever heard of LARPING (live action role playing), this is LARPING on steroids. Real life larpers are taken from their everyday lives and drawn into a medieval fantasy world to battle bad guys and monsters alike. Of course my books are historical, not quite fantasy (although there are some legendary and supernatural elements), but this show is a great place to get a feel for medieval settings, dress, and weaponry. The Quest features plenty of real life valiant heart heroines that are tough, brave, and strong. I thoroughly enjoyed the first installment and can't wait to watch more. "Part reality, part fantasy, pure adventure"--check out the trailer video below!
If you've ever heard of LARPING (live action role playing), this is LARPING on steroids. Real life larpers are taken from their everyday lives and drawn into a medieval fantasy world to battle bad guys and monsters alike. Of course my books are historical, not quite fantasy (although there are some legendary and supernatural elements), but this show is a great place to get a feel for medieval settings, dress, and weaponry. The Quest features plenty of real life valiant heart heroines that are tough, brave, and strong. I thoroughly enjoyed the first installment and can't wait to watch more. "Part reality, part fantasy, pure adventure"--check out the trailer video below!
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Meh, I know I'm am incorrigible pedant, but to me Fantasy dramas like this are not the best thing to watch if you want to get a 'feel' for the Medieval period, as the costumes and armour/weapons tend to be a mashup of items from various periods with a fair helping of invention which seem to be designed more with the purpose of looking cool than being realistic.
ReplyDeleteI mean why would you fight with bare arms? That's one of the most vulnerable areas- OK so a wound there probably wouldn't be fatal, but it could put your sword hand out of action- which you do NOT want in a battle setting. Hence why most forms of armour such as hauberks or a shield gave protection to that area....
Yes, it is a general medieval fantasy realm rather than a specific historical time and place. But it certainly is a lot of fun. The actual medieval characters don't leave their arms bare, only the 21st Century Americans, but in defense of bare arms, some of the American Indian tribes fought naked to avoid fabric scraps infecting their wounds.
DeleteYeah, the ancient Britons are supposed to have done that too (at least the men) though not for the same reason- it seems to have been a religious thing with them- showing that they trusted the gods, or so I hear....
DeleteThe Native Americans certainly had a sensible idea there though- infections from fabric were a big problem.
I honestly don't mind light and slightly silly fun sometimes, but it can be hard to suspend disbelief, I mean was it really so easy to cut through chain mail as some movies depict...surely if it was it would have been pretty much useless for protection...
Personally, when I briefly dallied with the notion of writing Medieval fiction a few years ago I looked to the 1989 version of Shakespeare's Henry V for 'inspiration and education- and maybe an excuse to watch one of my favourite ever movies again in the name of 'research'. OK so its old- but in had Brian Blessed, and Kenneth Branagh in his 20s was so watchable- aside from being the bestest version ever.
ReplyDeleteOther goodies were Cadfael and a 1997 adaptation of Ivanhoe, which was surprisingly good for the most part.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVoaP-AMfMM&list=PLEQKlEp1Wz-YOh75HXYwm3_nP7XtRAXZF
For me it is about catching a spirit and a tone. But I'm going to have to be honest and say, while I appreciate your recommendations, as this blog grows, it will be aimed to American teenage girls, and really isn't the venue for master's level historical rants or arguments. The main point of this series is to be entertaining and provide solid life lessons for teen girls.
ReplyDeleteI know, its hard to switch out of that 'mode' sometimes, I will try to tone it down. I just personally find thongs like the above to be of greater use in depicting the spirit of the a specific time than total fantasy- especially considering the Bard was not really so far removed from it.....
DeleteThat said, perhaps what I do is not so entirely irrelevant- I'm writing about one particular woman right now, named Ethelfleda who her army and ruled a kingdom, 600 years before Elizabeth I- and in the process I find out something about other women in similar positions throughout the Middle Ages. Sometimes reality can be just as fascinating as fiction or fantasy....
Well, I certainly do appreciate your passion and love for this era. And I love learning about strong medieval women, obviously!
DeleteYes, though I hate it when to make women strong, men are made out to be fools or incompetent idiots. What's wrong with both having skills and intelligence in their own right and complementing each other, rather than making out one sex to be better than the other?
DeleteI understand its its good to have stories that send good messages- but please no potatoes, tomatoes, turkey, skunks, chipmunks or hickory trees in 12th century England. Pleeeeaaasseee these American species threaten to drive me (and I think some other Brits) to distraction in shows that are meant to be set in Britain before Columbus.
DeleteI think on the issues of having believably strong women and also having strong, intelligent men, you and I are on the same page. Both my men and women have realistic strengths and weaknesses. At least I hope so.
ReplyDeleteYes, it is much more realistic that way- and I was not directing anything at you there. Nobody's perfect and having characters who just have a point to prove, or can only be smart or good looking because everyone else is stupid or ugly is just an insult to the intelligence of the audience IMO.
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