Behind Eurydice’s Tale—I am still writing this story and can’t reveal everything behind it yet, as I’m still discovering it myself, but I thought I would share where the idea came from and how it started.
It started when I was trying to decide what story to write and commit myself more to than previous stories. I was looking for something I felt more interested in and passionate about when I came upon this idea for a feminist reimagining of the Orpheus myth, focusing on a version from Eurydice’s point of view.
What happened was this – I was listening to an author talk about how they started writing stories and what they recommended trying out when beginning to figure out how to write stories, specifically novels. So, they said to think of a story you don’t like, for example, and then take it and fix it so that it is how you want it to be written. The first story that popped into my head was the Orpheus and Eurydice myth that had maddened me since I first read it and kept rereading it, hoping it would somehow change one of the multiple times I read it ever since I was around 10 years old.
I was excited and figured it would be simple and fun. All I had to do was rewrite the same myth, but then at the end, or instead at the pivotal moment, I would have Orpheus wait that extra second or two while Eurydice stepped into the sun. Then they could live happily ever after, just like I always wanted. I know you’re probably laughing right now, because if you’re a writer, a reader, or even a creative person, then you know that’s not what happened or has been happening.
Things changed after I tried this simple, fun, and super-easy approach. I couldn’t do this super-easy approach because I kept thinking, “What if this?” and “What if that?” And so began the creation of the story I have in progress because Eurydice and some other characters had other plans for this story. Can you believe I thought I was the one writing the story? I mean, obviously, I’m not because the characters have taken over.