Writing Advice: it doesn’t matter if an idea has been done before. It’s never been done by you. So long as you do it well, and in your own way, it’s a wonderful contribution.
I think this works for more than just writing. Good artist advice in general!
Books: Dracula, of course. If you dig the epistolary format, I suggest you check The Historian. I am not the biggest fan of the “Stoker’s Dracula is Vlad III” theory/Florescu’s stuff, but the book is still beautiful and the characters are nice and good and very human. Then the “alternate international versions” of Dracula, like Powers of Darkness or Dracula in Istanbul. Let the right one in. This one feels sad, dark and oppressive. I really loved it. After 90 years. It’s a short novella, but you all should read it if you are into folkloric vampires over modern ones. Movies: Shadow of the Vampire, Byzantium… there’s also a load of good versions of Dracula to choose from. Then there’s Van Helsing, which is my guilty pleasure.
Fan artists, we have the largest reach among the youngest voting bracket of all artists on social media. Young people online who’ve just become old enough to vote see our art more than they see any other kind of art.
It would be rad if we used our reach to get young people to register to vote.
So I propose the #artforthevote tag. Fan artists, put the message in the art itself or include it in your caption when you post your next piece. Include a link to https://vote.gov/ and tag your art #artforthevote.
Start out perfect and don’t change a thing. Always accentuate your best features by pointing at them. And conceal your flaws by sucker punching anyone who has the audacity to mention them.
Never too old to learn from the Muppets.
And this:
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it may be necessary from time to time to give a stupid or misinformed beholder a black eye.” – Miss Piggy
*Phone Rings*
Gabrielle: Hello?
Lestat: It’s Lestat.
Gabrielle: What has he done this time?
Lestat: No, literally. It’s me calling.
Gabrielle: What have you done this time?
I-want-my-IWTV 