The Deathly Hallows and Twilight

Why do some books transition well to the screen and others do not? Is it the printed words or the screenwriter?

I enjoyed the books by JK Rowling but the detail and blather made me skip sentences, then paragraphs until the storyline returned to meaningful action. I liked them and they inhabit the shelf of honor on my antique bookcase.

But *shrug*. They were ‘okay’ and nothing more.

It’s just my opinion. Please don’t yell at me.

But how the movie series gripped me…that is a different story. The Deathly Hallows is Oscar material, fantastic special effects (always a winner with me), and stays mostly true to the books. I love all the movies without reservation.

The Deathly Hallows gave me everything it promised and more.

And then there is Twilight.

Again, this is just my opinion but I am passionate about this subject.

The Stephenie Meyer’s books dwell in my soul. There is no comparison and I will not argue with the critics. Ms. Meyer acknowledges her writing could stand some improvement. Twilight was her debut novel, after all.  

And after a multitude of YA agents and writers hollered about the article by  Meghan Cox Gurdon that appeared in the WSJ concerning the ‘dark side of YA’, Honey Buns I don’t even want to HEAR any fuss about family values or this-is-not-appropriate-for-kids.

To get to the point, and I do have one, the miraculous books did not transition well to the screens. In fact, I would go so far as to say they were Cee R Aaa Pee.

I have other examples of books that did or did not make the transition to the big screen but I want to hear from you.

What examples can you give of books or movies that didn’t trip your trigger?

Seeing Deathly Hallows Tomorrow

HP has a plot so complex

In a genre that's at its apex.

But forewarned am I

To have a supply

And pockets plum full of Kleenix

Two Memes and a Half Dozen Questions

Sure, I’ll play. But I brought my own ball, okay?

Anita and Caitlin mind-melded and hit slapped smacked clobbered anointed me with two Memes (srsly? It rhymes with ‘cream’?).

Anita is author AG Howard, represented by Jenny Bent of The Bent Agency. Her excellent book trailer for Splintered attracted my attention several months ago. Click here to see it.

Caitlin is simply one of the loveliest people in the blogosphere, a welcome visitor and creative writer. Her blog is follow-worthy, a treat that I enjoy like chocolate (I just can’t get enough!).

Okay, mushy stuff is over.

My motto (well, one of my mottos) is to not only color outside the lines but on a different page entirely.

Therefore.

My flavor of questions:

Who is your current crush?

It’s Warren Christie on the Scifi channel Alphas, the newest stud muffin on the planet.

Latest flower photo but not my wallpaper?

Last time you ate a vine-ripened tomato?

Ssssssssssssoooooooooon. Very soon. They are acquiring a light blush. I have to slap my hand away constantly.

All time Fave Song?

No question. Inna-gadda-da-vita by Iron Butterfly. Debate is futile.

What is the weirdest/most disgusting job you’ve ever had to do?

Our sewer pipe clogged. At the end. I cleaned it out.

Have you witnessed a moonrise?

Yes. It was a full moon and exceptionally eerie, like the appearance of something alien over the horizon.

What author introduced you to your genre?

In my long-ago youth, I read The Forgotten Door by Alexander Key, a YA sci-fi/fantasy novel.

Now to hit slap smack clobber anoint a few of my peers:

Charity. Ah, you knew it would happen sooner or later

David Jace. He has incredibly good taste in music. Maybe a little Shinedown??

Elizabeth. She is passionate about her writing and it comes through in her blog.

Donna. Making her mark in the world of writing.

Brooke. A consistent commenter and proficient in all things writing.

L.Blankenship. Writer of hard sci-fi. Nuff said.

Summertime is a busy season with reunions, vacations, and baseball. So (yes, Charity. I do use the word occasionally) no need for the above recipients to respond in kind with a Meme (cream?!). Unless you want to :)

A Writer's Joke

A writer and her husband walked into a dentist's office.

"Doc,” the lady said, “I'm in one heck of a hurry. The storyline for my novel exploded in my head this morning, the characters and battle scene came together, and my mind is buzzing with the protag’s newest conflicts.  While the muse lives, I must write. So forget about the anesthetic, I don't have time for the gums to get numb. I just want you to pull the tooth, and be done with it so I can return to my keyboard.”

My goodness, the dentist thought. What a very brave woman she is, asking to have her tooth pulled without using painkillers. Above all else, writing must be her life.

"Which tooth is it ma’am?" the dentist asks.

The writer turned to her farmer/hubby. "Open your mouth Honey, and show him."

Fifteen Minutes of Fame

That July was typically hot, the growing cornfields, county fairs, watermelon, and sweat blending every summer day into the next.

The year was 1981. But it was anything but ordinary.

Downtown was empty of people, not a soul on the dusty, midday streets. But the whine and choking growl that came from a pickup engine, throttle pushed to the floorboards by a dead man’s foot, made up for the lack of people. The sound permeated the air, building into coughing fits of oil and carburetor until the motor couldn’t take it any longer. Pistons seized and the motor block cracked.

And it was just as dead as the man who sat behind the wheel.

A scene from Hollywood?

Nope.

Called vigilante justice at the time, the so-called bully of the town lost his life in broad daylight that hot summer day. But there were no convictions, no arrests. No witnesses even though moments before the shotgun blast tore through the back window of the pickup truck, a group of people had gathered to escort the bully out of town.

Thirty years have passed to the day.  

Whispers behind hands, grim faces nod and shrug with tales of who took the shots and how the guns were disposed. But deep wells abound in this farming community, too many to count. How can anyone search them all?

It is a mystery that no one around here wants solved, the day a community fought back and ended a man’s life.

Unicorn Bell, Loglines, and Three-Line Pitches.

Contests galore on our writerly blogs and sites for July. Savvy Authors has a month of agent, editor, and publishing house events for writers to submit to, an excellent opportunity for all who are serious about their goals.

Next week on Unicorn Bell -- the critique site of CharityBradford, Marcy, and I -- a two-headed Giveaway and much angst.

And the Dreaded Logline/Three-Line Pitch

Check in on Monday for the details. For now, go to UB for the tools to perfect that first line.

What is it that grabs your attention as you read the first page of a new book? What turns you off in that first line? Some agents hate dialogue as the first line, others like it.

Really, it is what snares your eye. Use what trips your trigger and make that first line pop.

The Difference Between a Mechanic and a Writer

What do you see in this photo? (Btw, for the eddi-cation of my city friends, that is a bale spike at the end)

A mechanic sees a tractor about to be serviced.  Raising the lift-arm makes it easier to access the oil filter and hoses along the body of the engine.

Makes sense, right?

What does a writer see?

Come one, what’s the first thing you thought of?

I’ll give you a better look.

Yeah, I know you want to say it. Go ahead.

Rude gesture, right?

Right.

And THAT, my dear children is the difference between my hubby and me.

Have a Laugh, Take Two...

…they’re small.

Imagine this scenario:

We wake up in the back seat of a police cruiser. The emergency lights are flashing.

What are the first four words you say to me?

Copy and paste the above situation and post on your blog so I can get back at you return the favor and meet your followers. Remember, only four words.

Take time to have a laugh!

Happy Independence Day!

Blog On Fire award

To RJR, the Blog On Fire award.

No strings attached to acceptance. Feel free to 'Pay it Forward' to others if you like.

Visiting the Blogs...

…aka goofing off instead of working on my WIP as I should.

After checking out the amazing Alex Cavanaugh and his wealth of info last Friday, I went on an unintended journey to Google and Amazon to discover a type a music he recommended, a genre unknown to me.

WTH is ‘Viking’ music?

After discovering the answer to that provocative question, I ended up downloading music less, um, screaming.

I found a new – to me – group, Within Temptation. Their latest CD, The Unforgiving, has the exercise beat I like and super lyrics.

(and regarding lyrics. Since My Baby Does the Hanky-Panky hit the airwaves, no tune can get away with repeating the same words over and over and over…)

My downloads:

Sinead. The lead vocalist, Sharon den Adel is A. Ma. Zing

A Demon’s Fate. The title alone is beyond cool.

Iron. I am always on the lookout for a song that describes my protag. Iron describes Shamira perfectly:

You can’t live without the fire

It’s the heat that makes you strong

‘Cause you’re born to live and fight it all away

You can’t hide what lies inside you

It’s the only thing you’ve known

You’ll embrace it and never walk away

Don’t walk away.

The lesson here is, Be Advised! Either visit Alex’s blog and lose yourself for several minutes/hours or continue to lead a superbly meaningless life. *tongue firmly in cheek*

 Sooooo……got any more music suggestions?

*bg*