I think Neil Gaiman said it best in American Gods introduction when he said,

“It goes without saying that all of the people, living, dead, and otherwise, in this story are fictional or used in a fictional context. Only the gods are real.”

Neil Gaiman – American Gods

When it comes to writing, I think that’s actually kinda accurate. And as a writer, our fictional characters are pretty much fictionally contextual (we make them up), but the gods of our stories are real.
But, for me, mythology and gods are a little bit ‘real’ too. I’m both Pagan, and adore mythology. And I love how much you can go looking and find a rich tapestry, with, well, a lot of the same tropes.
There are gods and myths the world over. I’m more familiar with a lot of Western Mythology than Eastern, but in everything I’d encountered and read, I’ve found a great deal if interesting crossovers and similarities, themes and inspirations.

And that’s what makes them real

I think, at the end of the day, that’s what makes the gods ‘real’, as Mr Gaiman put it. We relate to the stories that we’re listening to, reading, learning.

If you’ve been on my Facebook feed recently, you’ll know that I’ve picked up a set of books for my next project, and I’m really excited about the new projects 🙂

Happy Easter for those of you that celebrate.

Kai

Kai is a writer, author and avid reader.  A mental health advocate, Ludosport athlete and coder. She’s the mother of two young adults, owned by two cats, and lives with her beloved in the Cotswolds.