Wattpad Block Party - Summer Edition IV

BethRevis Presents the Inspiration Behind GIVE THE DARK MY LOVE

It all started with Fullmetal Alchemist.

I first saw it when I was in college, and I was immediately sucked into this world where alchemy had consequences. I love my fantasy stories with a hint of danger, and FMA definitely provided that for me. I particularly liked the history of the two main characters. As children, they'd dabbled with power they shouldn't have, and it changed the course of their lives immensely. They were good people trying to do a good thing out of desperation that backfired horribly.

That story sat around in my brain for awhile. Inspiration doesn't always hit like lightning. Sometimes you're inspired by a story or work of art or event, and you don't really see the impact right away.

Nearly a decade after first watching Fullmetal Alchemist, I saw a movie called Snow White and the Huntsman. I'll be honest, the main storyline of the movie—the part with Snow White and the Huntsman—didn't really intrigue me. What I loved? Charlize Theron as the evil queen Ravenna. She was GLORIOUS. 

Later, on tumblr, I saw a clip of Charlize's interview with Elle DeGeneres online, talking about how she embodied the character. Her instant transformation on screen from beautiful actress into evil queen struck me—that one line of hers in that single image sank into my brain, mixing with Fullmetal Alchemist. 

I started working on a book. It was about a girl who had good intentions and was trying to do the wrong thing with alchemy, but it backfired horribly. It was about a girl who started good, but eventually has to walk with shoulders down, neck long, thinking murder.