HK Arnold

Tag: Identity

How systems create villains

Writing villains who believe they're right

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The cruelest villains are ordinary people, their thoughts and actions shaped by systems. They haven't chosen violence. They've simply become what is demanded. There are many systems that govern our lives. Sometimes, we operate against them, fighting to break their frameworks. Often we operate within them, and inevitably forget we are even participating, taking each step without thought of the skeleton that keeps us from collapse. Words like systems and frameworks give an

Why I write about power and identity

Using fantasy to reveal the systems we inhabit

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I have an awe-filled fascination with power. I've been on the underside of power systems for most of my life. They've crushed me, shaped me, reshaped and shattered me again. And yet, every time I can't help but step back, awestruck as I watch the cycle run again. Where fantasy exposes power through spectacle, burst of magic and wonder and overwhelming force, the power systems in our lives often linger beneath the surface. They hide in a guise of the mundane, of routine and comfort, stability

Self-Taught Scribe Thoughts

a writerly blog by HK Arnold

About

I'm an Australian writer of the dark and dragon infested, focused on power, identity, culture and belief. I'm currently querying my novel, writing blogs and working on more books.

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