Indie Week: Day Two- Priya Ardis
Merlin, a Superhero? Top 5 Reasons Why
You’ve
heard the legends. His name pops up everywhere. Merlin. He’s some old
dude with a long white beard, pointy hat, and robes. But does the most
powerful wizard in the world really have to be a cartoon character?
Well, I thought, why not trade in the robe for…tights?
So, how to turn Merlin into a Superhero?
First,
every superhero needs an alter-ego. Okay, no tights yet. Actually I
prefer jeans and a biker jacket. That’s what Clark Kent wore when he was
being badass—under the influence of red kryptonite, of course. The
classic struggle for the superhero is his dual identity. Is he really
Clark Kent/Peter Parker/BruceWayne? Or is he really the superhero? Which
one does he want to be? In My Boyfriend Merlin, Merlin’s
alter-ego is Matt. This is a huge struggle in the book for Merlin…does
he want to be the “Most Powerful Wizard in the World” or does he want to
be plain-old Matt.
Second,
every superhero needs an equally powerful super-villain. Yeah, there
are minion bad guys but there is only one we truly love to hate. Batman
had the Joker. Superman vs. Lex Luthor. When you think about the
legends, Merlin didn’t really have one. The legends say that Merlin was
tricked into defeat by a witch/nymph/girl called Viviane/Nimue. In My Boyfriend Merlin,
Merlin has a very powerful and contentious relationship—his brother
Vivane, aka Vane. After all, brothers can make the best friends but as
archenemies they can be truly devastating.
Third,
every superhero needs a super-power. Well, this was a no brainer.
Merlin is the most powerful wizard in the world and all that. But his
true super-power lies in being able to tell the future. (Not that he can
necessarily stop it!)
Fourth, every superhero needs to obsess over—the girl. Calling Lois Lane. In My Boyfriend Merlin,
Arriane, aka Ryan, gives our hero a run for his magic. Since the story
is told from her point of view, it’s interesting to see what our hero
looks like from her perspective. Also she’s the tipping point…leading us
into the last superhero transformation of Merlin...
Fifth,
every superhero needs a cause in the here and now. Batman saves the
city. Superman saves the world. Think Thor saved the galaxy. In My Boyfriend Merlin, the sword and stone crashes out of nowhere into the middle of London. Why is it here? What does it mean? It can’t be good. Turn on the Merlin-signal, commissioner. We need a hero!
My Boyfriend Merlin is an eBook available through most major book retailers. The next book in the My Merlin series, My Merlin Awakening, will be coming out in April 2012!
Find out more about My Boyfriend Merlin at these sites:
About the Author:
Priya
Ardis loves storied of all kinds--but especially the gooey ones that
make your nose leak and let your latte go cold. Her young adult novel,
My Boyfriend Merlin, came from a childhood of playing too much She-Ra
and watching too much Spock. She started her first book at sixteen,
writing in notebooks on long train rides. While reading My Boyfriend Merlin, she recommends pajamas first and a pumpkin spice anything for taste.
Her favorite Arthurian piece is the poem The Lady of Shalott by Lord Alfred Tennyson. It was turned into a gorgeous song by Loreena McKennitt.
A hopeless romantic, she's a longtime member of the Romance Writer's of America.
Connect with Priya at:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.
Twitter: http://www.twitter.
