So last Tuesday evening I was flipping channels with my niece when she asked about “scary princesses from old stories.” Got me thinking about those dangerous Greek ladies, right? Dusted off my mythology books next morning.
Where I Started
Pulled all three heavy books off the shelf – thud on the carpet. Index pages crinkled like old parchment. Started hunting names: Medea, Circe, Helen… circled them with my kid’s red crayon. Cross-referenced stories like some mythology detective. Found nine candidates but cut it to three.
The Research Grind
Made instant coffee. Twice. Spilled some on Euripides’ play about Medea – oops. Read how she:
- Chopped up her own brother to slow down daddy’s ship
- Roasted a rival alive in magic fire dress
- Killed her kids just to wreck her ex
Switched to Circe. That witch turned men into pigs literally. My notes got messy here:
- Hermes warned Odysseus about her tricks
- She mixed drugs into their cheese and wine
- Guys who flirted? Poof – squealing hogs
Then Helen. Not violent herself but started wars. My scribbles said:
“Face launched 1,000 ships = chaotic dangerous”
Why These Three?
Cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by papers. Realized they showed different danger flavors: murder rage, magical control, passive destruction. Jotted down modern connections – toxic exes, manipulative bosses, social media troublemakers.
Writing Nightmare
Typing at 11PM. Deleted six openings. Settled on Medea first – most brutal. Wrote sentences, hated them, rewrote. Coffee mug rings on the desk. Fell asleep face-first on keyboard around 2AM.
Woke up with “z” key imprinted on cheek. Edited while eating toast. Cut fancy words. Made it raw like their stories. Finally hit publish. Later my neighbor yelled “Scary stuff!” from her porch. Mission accomplished.
