The 300 (above pic is Gerard Butler as the Spartan King Leonidas)
I saw the new movie, The 300 today. I really liked it and thought the filmmakers did a great job. There’s a good reason that the story of the 300 Spartans has survived for over 2,500 years. It was visually stunning and very intense. As a writer I thought they did a good job putting out the back-story of King Leonidas. We’re often tempted as writers to give the full history of a character, but it’s better to mete out little details as the plot unfolds.
I really liked the movie and the message that sometimes you have to sacrifice yourself for an ideal. That message of freedom is worth dying for is as powerful today as it was back in ancient Greece. The battle at Thermopylae was like the Alamo in the United States. It turned into a rallying cry for all of Greece. Leonidas succeeded in death by helping to create an alliance of the Greek city-states.
I actually visited the battle site, Thermopylae, in Greece five months ago. The memorial to Leonidas and the 300 was good, though the electrical power lines above and behind it took away from the beauty of it. The site is totally changed from 2,500 years ago, but it was still cool to see it and to go there. It’s just a short stop, but thinking about the history when we there made it all worth while.
In honor of seeing The 300 and my schedule opening up, I’m back to writing my novel set in ancient Greece, Medusa’s Daughter. I’d put it on hold for the past four months as I finished up my first novel, The Golden Cord, which was due January 1, and then writing a short story, plus a 60 page book promo plan.
Enough excuses. The movie has helped me get excited again and get to work. I wrote part of a new chapter tonight and read over my outline, character bios, and the 10,000 words I’d written for the novel previously. Things are good and my goal is to finish by November 1, 2007.
Sometimes we writers need something to get us writing. Fantasy art, good books, movies, and cool soundtracks get me going. Find out what makes you want to write and surround yourself with that thing.
Good luck writing and remember the 300 Spartans. Without their sacrifice, western civilization might have been dramatically changed. Who knows, maybe that would be a great alternate history novel?
