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I got this idea for this (original) story that happens to involve unicorns, and I rather like it because it's different, quirky, a little dark and creepy and I think I could have a lot of fun with it. But the reputation of unicorns has become this big, cutsy, fluffy rainbow-pooping, My Little Pony thing that I can't get it out of my head. Seriously, every time I sit down to ponder this story idea stuff like My Little Ponies, The Last Unicorn, Legend, The Adventures so Unico and every cute, fluffy, delicate unicorn related thing keeps popping into my head and it's getting in the way of me pursuing this idea. It's driving me crazy.
I've always been somewhat of a sucker for unicorns. Not as much as dragons - probably not even quite up there with dragons - but enough that I do try to work them into my stories now and then if I can (very rarely, but I try), and I've always wanted to do something unicorn centric.
But these days unicorns have become the stuff of horse-loving little girls and satire, of rainbows, butterflies and cuddly pink bunnies or whatever. Don't get me wrong, we had some great unicorn stuff like The Last Unicorn and Legend but even then they were these dainty, innocent things meant to be protected but mostly sucked at defending themselves. And it keeps tainting my thoughts every time I attempt to plan this story.
And I'm not sure where I'm going with this except to get the frustration of it off my chest. It's not really something I need help with - that is, unless anyone knows any stories that takes a different spin on unicorns? Not evil!unicorns, just... something else, something that isn't the cliche unicorn. I just need to keep tweaking my own story until it finally reaches a point where the cliche unicorn quits trying to jump in and take over.
I've always been somewhat of a sucker for unicorns. Not as much as dragons - probably not even quite up there with dragons - but enough that I do try to work them into my stories now and then if I can (very rarely, but I try), and I've always wanted to do something unicorn centric.
But these days unicorns have become the stuff of horse-loving little girls and satire, of rainbows, butterflies and cuddly pink bunnies or whatever. Don't get me wrong, we had some great unicorn stuff like The Last Unicorn and Legend but even then they were these dainty, innocent things meant to be protected but mostly sucked at defending themselves. And it keeps tainting my thoughts every time I attempt to plan this story.
And I'm not sure where I'm going with this except to get the frustration of it off my chest. It's not really something I need help with - that is, unless anyone knows any stories that takes a different spin on unicorns? Not evil!unicorns, just... something else, something that isn't the cliche unicorn. I just need to keep tweaking my own story until it finally reaches a point where the cliche unicorn quits trying to jump in and take over.
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no subject
Date: 2011-09-01 02:10 am (UTC)From:I find this topic of great interest.
Although they are definitely a part of fantasy, I still remember them from Legend, I have never have seen them as something cute and fluffy......
I guess it is why I am able to envision them in an entirely different light in a piece of ff.....similar to how Tolkien depicted elves in his LOTR saga
I am sure some were surprised given the normal depiction of them in literature etc.
no subject
Date: 2011-09-01 02:59 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2011-09-01 03:04 am (UTC)From:It was why I offered the analogy to Tolkien's elves, who in my mind was fully acceptable, but I know some were astonished. I guess they had visions of the little munchkin type beings in other literature.
Fantasy has always been part of my life, and it all was due to a childhood full of stories etc. but I do not recall cutesy depictions, but more like what you cite and what Tolkien cited in his books.
no subject
Date: 2011-09-01 02:34 am (UTC)From:The only fictional unicorn I can think of off the top of my head that isn't all sweetness and light is in a Roger Zelazny short story ("Unicorn Variations") in which the unicorn is playing chess with the main character for the fate of all humankind. It's been so long since I read it that I don't remember how it ended, but I do remember that the unicorn was basically just a regular person, albeit unicorn-shaped.
Anyway, I imagine none of that is useful at all, but I hope you do write this! Clearly there is an open market niche for it. The only book I can think of with a unicorn protagonist is The Last Unicorn, and that was ages ago. I'd love to see more books that step outside the vampire & werewolf thing that is so popular right now ... there are other mythological creatures out there, after all.
Oh, and you might check out the Wikipedia article on unicorns for inspiration; it talks a lot about the historical origins of the unicorn myth, and different versions of unicorns that might be useful to you.
no subject
Date: 2011-09-01 03:44 am (UTC)From:Interesting :D
I'm pretty much making up my own mythos for the unicorns I have in mind. I've made them black unicorns, which helps a little with my association issue. But they're fighters (not aggressive) and reserved and basically not the kind of unicorn I'm used to. Since I'm so visual, it's been hard for me to keep the unicorns I want in mind without the unicorns I've seen (on TV, movies, etc) from bleeding over. For example, one unicorn is meant to have a creepy-little-girl vibe but every time I think of her my mind goes straight to My Little Pony :/
I think it may be a matter of tweaking until I'm finally able to stop making these associations. I think I may have to do the shape-changing thing as well, which I'm already doing with one unicorn but may have to extend it to all the unicorns.
no subject
Date: 2011-09-01 04:19 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2011-09-01 04:20 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2011-09-01 03:21 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2011-09-01 03:50 am (UTC)From:This is my problem since what I have in mind doesn't jive with what I've seen and it's created this conflict of images that keeps getting in the way of the story.
no subject
Date: 2011-09-01 06:18 pm (UTC)From:It seems to me that there's also a unicorn in Neil Gaiman's novel Stardust, but I can't remember too many details.
no subject
Date: 2011-09-01 06:35 pm (UTC)From:I saw the movie Stardust. Sadly the unicorn's scene was rather short, but I really liked that it was both a competent character and quick to rush into the fight. I wish it had had a longer role.
no subject
Date: 2011-09-01 09:48 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2011-09-02 03:13 am (UTC)From:Re: Another Kind of Writer's Block
Date: 2011-09-01 10:27 pm (UTC)From:http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004NIFSTS/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_Tk5fob1WY3JC7
The Unicorns in it are definitely not fuzzy.
Re: Another Kind of Writer's Block
Date: 2011-09-02 03:13 am (UTC)From: