Don't Judge A Book: The Hunger Games

Before I begin my guest post: The Hunger Games edition of Don't Judge A Book, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Meg. I'm married to the guy who writes this blog, and, after reading The Hunger Games, I saw the midnight showing of the movie with him. I'm 28. I write YA fiction. I have a degree in Professional Writing. I have long been a fan of kids and YA dystopian stories, and I also have a habit of sneaking food into movies. The Hunger Games was no exception. As I witnessed this particular flick, my mouth was full of cherry, lemon, pina colada, and strawberry banana Starbursts. You can read more about that here: http://verymuchmeg.blogspot.com/2012/03/starbursts-compatability-and-pain.html

 

 Ah, The Hunger Games... it has taken both cinematic and literary worlds by storm. I wish I could say I've been a fan since their inception a few years ago, but the truth is that I was confused and thought the first book was part of the Ender's Game series (which I did not like), so I didn't read it until I saw the preview for the movie and realized it was a whole different concept: something I would actually enjoy. I hurried up and read the first book the night before the midnight opening of The Hunger Games, and I'm glad I did. I have almost always read the book before seeing the movie. I don't like to be confused if the movie is poorly adapted, nor do I enjoy blindly accepting whatever it has to offer without having perspective on the source material.

That said, if your curiosity was peaked by the preview or the recent buzz, or if you're anticipating being dragged along by a friend, don't worry: you won't be complaining about wanting that couple of hours of your life back. In fact, you should be able to enjoy everything The Hunger Games movie has to offer with only a few small points of explanation, should your movie buddy have already read the book.

As for a breakdown of The Hunger Games on screen, the movie has its own strengths and weaknesses. Please note that from here on out, this Don't Judge A Book contains spoilers... not just from the first book, but from the movie and all of the books.

Movie strengths:

• Seeing it on the screen is impressive. The set, lighting, costume, and makeup designers all did a fabulous job. The sound designer, especially so. My husband (you might know him as the host of this blog) pointed out that he appreciated the lack of overwhelming music where it did not belong: a common movie flaw, to be sure.
• Great casting job.
• Some aspects of the story were difficult to picture when reading the book. I love how imaginatively they were presented in the movie.
• Getting to experience The Hunger Games as part of a crowd or group was especially enjoyable (even more than with most anticipated movies). I have heard a few people point out that it effectively casts audience members as the villain. This is an interesting seat in which to sit.

Movie weaknesses:

• Though Rue was well-cast and the actress certainly did a good job, her death isn't as meaningful as it is in the book, because viewers don't know her as well as readers did. In fact, they barely know her at all. I feel these side bits of information being withheld really detract much from her presence. If they went to all the trouble to include her character, why not really introduce her to the audience?
• A piggyback complaint about the whole Rue storyline: how long would it have taken to show Katniss getting the bread parachute gift from District 11? What a wonderfully powerful and tear-jerking moment The Hunger Games movie-makers passed up! ...and, for what? 30-60 seconds of screen time? If they already felt the film was too long, why not take a chunk of the time Katniss is mourning Rue and put it to better use?
• My husband, who didn't read the book before seeing the movie, was confused by the flashbacks with Peeta and the bread. Since it is such an important scene in the book, it should've been presented more clearly in the movie.
• I'm torn on this one, because I feel this side plot wasn't properly developed in the books, but it disappointed me to see Katniss getting the mockingjay pin from someone other than Madge in the movie, and I was really looking forward to seeing her character on screen. At the same time, because no deeper plot develops about her aunt and Mrs. Everdeen's friendship, and you don't learn any more than just that she was in The Hunger Games, I can see why they might have seen introducing her character as a waste. Still, Katniss being jealous of her possible flirtation with Gale could really highten tensions later. And I'm having trouble figuring out how Katniss will acquire the information she does in the mayor's house without Madge's character being introduced at some point.

Though I have a few complaints (mainly things I was disappointed not to see), I understand why most of the choices were made when the movie was being put together. I trust that, since the author was so involved with the screenwriting process, she has her reasons for signing off on things being included, excluded, or presented a certain way. The changes would have bothered me more if she wasn't one of the screenwriters. To be honest, they might also have bugged me more if I'd been a Hunger Games fan for years instead of a day by the time I saw the movie, though I was deeply impacted by all three books, and I consider myself a fan of them now.

I would definitely say to both readers of The Hunger Games and non-readers of the books that you should go see The Hunger Games in the theater. It may even be worth the extra to pay for an IMAX viewing, if one is available and you enjoy that sort of thing. Upon our return home from the movie theater after the opening showing, I was telling my husband that I would've liked to have seen it in a theater with a curved movie screen—something as close to 360 degrees as possible. I feel it would've facilitated a different experience: one where an audience member feels as if he or she is actually in the arena with the tributes. Maybe being cast as a tribute as opposed to a spectator of The Hunger games would lead to a whole different takeoff on this fabulous movie.

Maximizing on Controversy

Dear Reader,

I am mad. No, I mean like pissed off mad. Before I tell my story, I invite you to find out why I am so infuriatingly angry here: http://jezebel.com/5896408/racist-hunger-games-fans-dont-care-how-much-money-the-movie-made. Understand now? Good.

I have not read Suzanne Collins' epic, bestselling trilogy, but everyone I know who has read the books has said how amazing they are. On top of that, she helped adapt the novel into the screenplay, which means she had at least some say as to what the characters looked like. In fact, it would have been a bigger issue to me if Rue and Thresh were white when the  book so clearly describes them as having dark skin. I don' know how Collins is reacting to this outcry, but I would love to see what her response is.

I have decided to maximize on this "controversy." I had never given the look of my characters much thought, but now I think I am going to consciously pay more attention, especially in my Regulators book. I haven't talked much about it, but I will say that it is going to be a series that deals a lot with the dream world. The first three books will introduce each of the three main protagonists, collectively known as The Regulators. I have decided that one of these characters will, in fact, be black. Why? Because he is a powerful character who plays a very important part in the story. Upon first glance, this might seem like a "pity-casting." However, this issue made me realize that I wasn't paying attention to the physical appearance of my characters, and once I did I discovered that this character is black.

I'm thinking that this decision will probably cause even more controversy, but that's my goal. We all need to open our eyes and see that there are issues that are alive in our society today that we deemed resolved. The Emancipation Proclamation did not end slavery and the Civil Rights Movement did not end racism. We need to be aware of these horrible things and stomp them out. We need to care for each other the same way Katniss cares for Rue, even after she's dead. I plan on doing my part, however small. What do you plan to do about it, Reader? When you figure that out, let me know. Until then,

Speak freely. Write candidly. Read endlessly.

As Always,

James

Why I Am a Writer

Dear Reader,

I find writing to be invigorating. When the words fall into place just the right way, when that one line pops into my head and I think "this is it," when the character does something that I never would have thought of, when I push past a period of blankness, I get a good feeling and I start to think that maybe being a writer isn't such a bad job. That being said, the real reason I am a writer is because of the people. But, how can this be, you might be asking yourself. Aren't writers typically introverts, immersing themselves in their work and leaving the "real" world behind? In a way, yes. However, there are a few things you should know.

First, I am not a typical writer, in that I am not an introvert. I enjoy the company of other people. This doesn't mean that I don't need my alone time. I'm just more sociable than most writers are portrayed to be.

Second, though writers can be introverted when it comes to "other" people, we are usually quite friendly with each other. We bounce ideas off of one another, critique another writer's work, and listen for their feedback on our own. So, even though we are commonly "loners," we are loners together. It's kind of like that Billy Joel line from Piano Man: "They're sharing a drink they call lonliness/But it's better than drinking alone."

I love other writers. I went to college for writing. My best friend is a writer. I married a writer. I surround myself with writers. This especially helps when dark days come like the one I had this past weekend. Like I said, I love it when I get a line that fits perfectly, and as Meg and I were talking about my Regulators story, she made a quick comment about it and my face lit up. The sentence she uttered would go perfectly in my story. Later that night, I sat down to write more of my story, and something terrible happened: I froze. I remembered the line, and I wrote it down, but absolutely nothing else came out. It was the perfect line, but nothing was happening to it. That's when terrible occurrence #2 happened: I decided I would never be a writer. I wasn't good enough, I never was, and I never will be. Meg refused my decision, but I had already made it...until today.

If you look at the left of the screen, Reader, you will notice I made a couple of changes to My Favorite Links. I removed Robin Parrish (I'll explain why at a later date) and I added a little something called YAtopia. This is a blog by YA writers and it features a fantastic writer named Sarah Nicolas. When I checked my e-mail today, Meg had sent me a link to Sarah's latest contribution to YAtopia: http://yatopia.blogspot.com/2012/03/struggle-with-your-self-esteem.html. Read this and you will see why it helped. Meg introduced me to Sarah Nicolas, and I have only recently discovered how good a writer she really is. Her blog entry came at the perfect time for me, and now I feel better about myself as a writer. Her link is right above YAtopia's. Check them both out. Follow them both. If you are a writer, you will thank me later for that. Which leads me to my next bit: Thank you, Sarah Nicolas, for being an inspiration to all aspiring writers out there. I look forward to reading more of her posts and seeing what enlightening bit of information she has next.

Before I go, Reader, I want to let you know that I will be having a special contributor on here to write up a very special entry of the Don't Judge A Book series. Here's a little hint: it has to do with a major movie that just hit theaters. Until then, Reader,

Speak freely. Write candidly. Read endlessly.

As Always,

James

Observation # 4

Dear Reader,

This week's observation took a few turns before I started writing this. As per usual, I shuffled the cards and picked the one on top: "explore the underside." Upon first glance, I thought about looking beneath the surface, literally. Maybe I was supposed to look under my desk or my bed. I secondly thought of the metaphorical underside, but in a narrow sense. Perhaps I was supposed to look for anything hidden. A hidden object, a hiding place, etc. That was the closest to what the author had in mind, but it was still small-thinking.

Ms. Epel started the chapter mentioning how we should "discover the dark side of your hero, the soft side of your villain." That broadened my idea a little bit more, but it was really the first sentence in the second paragraph that got me. "Every positive characteristic has its negative side." Instantly that reminded me of a television show my wife and I watch that we love. ABC's "Once Upon a Time" is an imaginative look at fairy tales. It interested me recently because of the fairy tales I studied in my Children's Literature class I'm taking. Then, the story became interesting on its own. It intertwines a bunch of well-known tales, and since most (if not all) fairy tales cannot be traced back to the original source and since there are so many different versions, the show is not being disruptive. Anyway, the reason that line reminded me of the show is that the character of Rumplestiltskin constantly reminds the people he gives help to that all magic comes at a price.

What this caused me to realize is that I work so much in the moment when I write that I rarely think about the domino effect. Which is kind of funny, because I usually have an end goal in mind. I now understand why most of my writing becomes so lengthy. I am willing to take my characters through anything for as long as it takes to reach my goal. Either that or I force them into an unfair situation and the writing turns to crap. I'm not an organized person (just ask my wife), and I thought that it wouldn't be a problem for my wanting to be a writer, especially after reading how Stephen King does his writing. He doesn't believe in outlines. He gets the ball rolling and lets the characters dictate the story to him, not the other way around. Of course, he is rarely ever presumptuous enough to decide what's going to happen ahead of time.

Where does this leave me? I now have to research the idea of outlining my writing, which is a difficult thing for me to do. I have to face the music and force myself to do it. I really think that it will help, as much as I hate to admit it. I don't know if you feel the same way, Reader. How do you write? Do you just let the characters do their thing, like Stephen King, or are you more of a J.K. Rowling type, who was very meticulous in her organization of the Harry Potter novels? I'd really like to hear what helps you best, especially if it's something other than the two things I mentioned. I always look forward to new ways of doing things.

Before I sign off, Reader, I would like to let you know about the new blog I started. The only subject that I am as passionate about as I am writing is teaching. I started a blog about education titled The Answer in the Back. You can get there either by clicking the title or the link on the left under "Favorite links." If you have any investment in education (and most people do), then please check it out. I've only just started it, but I hope to have a lot to say before long.

Until next time, Reader,

Write candidly. Speak freely. Read endlessly.

Yours,

James

An Old Flame

Dear Reader,

Before I really get into this post, I must do something. A while ago I started talking about The Observation Deck cards. My wife thought that I should elaborate on that because I came off as very confusing. So, I will do that now.

The Observation Deck comes with 50 cards. Each of these cards has a word or phrase, otherwise known as observations. The creator of this nifty tool combined ideas from all different kinds of writers and came up with some of the best suggestion to help aspiring authors get started, or really to help anyone who is "blocked." One of the ways this can be done is by simply looking at the book that comes with the cards and finding the chapter you want to work on or feel like needs the most improvement. Another way, the way I do it, is to shuffle the cards and pick one at random. Each time, I leave the current card out, shuffle the deck, pick the card on top, and replace the former observation back in the deck. In doing it this way, I have created a much needed sacred space, started writing letters, and am now on my third (and still eerily spot on) card. I really hope that helps you understand, Reader. If you have any questions, I would be more than happy to try to answer them.

This brings me to this week's observation. After a shuffle and a draw, I found myself staring at a card that simply said "rhyme." I looked at the corresponding chapter, and the author suggested that if you are blocked you should just play around with rhyming. She states that this lets the muse know you are there, and it gets the juices flowing again. This seemed a little infantile to me, but I promised myself I would at least try it. Before I could, though, I had to return to class after my much needed spring break. One of the classes I had was Children's Literature. We started the semester off talking about a few fairytales and moved on to children's novels. We took a break, though, to spend a day talking about children's poetry. The poems were both funny and inspiring, and at the end of the class the professor offered extra credit to anyone who wanted to write a specific type of poem and bring it in. I did not need this enticement. As the class was happening, I found myself playing with words in a way I hadn't since high school. I started writing poetry again.

It felt like I was destined to get that card when I did. I remembered how much I actually loved writing poetry, and since yesterday I have come to a decision. I am going to compile my own book of children's poetry. Every now and then I will post a poem here for you all to read and give me feedback on. I would even encourage you to read them to any children you may know (I will put up disclaimers if I feel it is necessary).

I have not given up on novels. One thing I have always said is that I am going to dabble in everything as a writer. I plan to have books, both fiction and non-fiction, published. I plan to have collections of poetry. I even want to write television and movie scripts, even if only once. I like to think big.

Thank you for listening, Reader. I look forward to the day I can tell you that you should go out and buy something of mine. Until then,

Speak freely. Write candidly. Read endlessly.

Yours,

James

Spring Cleaning

Dear Reader,

Today, I return to school after a spring break that was much needed in more ways than one.

First of all, I needed the rest. I've been anticipating a job where I would work third shift, so I acclimated my sleep accordingly. The problem with this is that two days a week I have a class that starts at 1:30pm. Add in the time it takes to eat, shower, and get ready for class, I don't have much time left for sleep. So, this past week has been great for catching up.

Second, I was able to take a break from reading and writing for classes. I actually enjoy academic reading and writing, but I've been doing so much of it lately that I've felt like a zombie. I admittedly tried to get a little caught up this week, but I was able to be casual about it and not feel rushed. Another plus.

However, the best part of spring break was the increase in my writing. On New Year's Eve, I swore to myself that I would update my blog at least once a week. For more than a month I did not keep that promise. Then I forced myself to update regularly. Finally, when spring break got here, I went on a blogging binge. As I look back on some of my posts from this past week, I notice that they were not necessarily all that good, but upon further analysis I know that they needed to be written. After not writing for so long, I started amassing quite the mental clutter. I couldn't think straight. Thanks to this blog, I was able to update almost once a day and de-clutter a lot of what was in my head. It was my "spring cleaning" so to speak, and I found out how absolutely helpful it was. It also will help me keep my promise to update at least once a week because I don't want to be cluttered up like that again.

I would like to take this time to thank you, Reader, for bearing with me through my not-always-intelligible ramblings and being a part of my return to writing. I love to write, and I always will, but I write to be read, which means that I would have nothing to say were it not for you, Reader. Again, I want to thank you. I would also like to take this time to turn your attention to my sidebars before I sign off. Feel free to follow me by clicking the button under "followers" at the top left of the screen. Also, even though I have a strict list of what I have to read for school, I would like to encourage you to give me suggestions for what to read for review and what to read for fun. The best way to truly know what to read is to pay attention to word-of-mouth reviews. I am always looking for something good to read, and I want you to feel free to participate in this. So, if there is a certain book you would like for me to review, please leave a comment and let me know what it is and why I should read it. Maybe it's your favorite book. Maybe it's your favorite author. Maybe you know who wrote it (or you wrote it yourself). Whatever the reason, I would love to hear your feedback. I can't promise that I will get to every book in a timely manner (or even at all), but I take the suggestions of other serious readers to heart. I can't wait to hear what you have to suggest. Until then, Reader,

Speak freely. Write candidly. Read endlessly.

Yours,

James

A Fork In The Road

Dear Reader,

I am like a rat stuck in a maze. Allow me to explain.

I was doing the dishes earlier, minding my own business, when my head got a near violent shock. Don't worry, it was metaphorical, not physical. As I was doing this menial task, I realized that a story I started a few weeks ago needed to be completely scrapped. Well, not exactly. I just had to change the title. This wasn't mecessarily because I didn't think the title fit. Actually, I needed that title somewhere else, and my brain let me know that as I was drying a plate. I almost dropped it, the shock was so big.

My mind is constantly doing this to me. It is always changing. After I finished the dishes, I sat down to start writing this new story. After the first two sentences, I hit my first fork: is the main character animate or inanimate. More specifically, I thought I could tell this story through the eyes of a human or a stuffed animal. I decided to go with human and write another version if I still felt strongly about the stuffed animal idea later.

Okay, so that hurdle got cleared, but it was only two more paragraphs before I hit my next fork. I thought my character was going to be just your everyday, average Joe (Ted, actually), except for the fact that he knew something other people didn't (sorry for being so vague, but I can't tell more until I'm sure of the story). I told my wife this idea, and she found it to be Vonnegut-esque. However, as I was writing, I realized this character could be one of many who has a specific job. This would not only alter my whole story, it would also change my Voice. If I took this new turn, I would be going from Vonnegut to Orwell.

This is a strange perdicament I find myself in. My story is constantly changing as I write it. This is especially interesting considering what my story is about. Oh, how I wish I could tell you more, Reader, but I just don't think we've reached that point in our relationship yet. Don't worry, it's not you. It's me. I am using you. I need somebody to talk to so I can sort out my brain and try to line things up. I hope you don't mind, Reader. I just needd to tell someone.

That is my problem. I hit way too many forks in the road. I've heard that if you find your story diverging in two different paths you should try experimenting with both of them to find out which one suits you best. I don't think I have that kind of time. My story is constantly changing. If I focus on two separate paths, eventually they will each break off into separate paths and so on and so forth. Oh, what do I do. Perhaps this is just my way of procrastinating. I truly believe that once I really get into it, my roots will start to anchor me down and the story will grow itself. I just need to nurture it in the right places and tend to it once its done (if that ever happens).

Thank you for listening to me, Reader. You have no idea how much your ear (or, in the case of a blog, eye) means to me. Feel free to give any advice you may have, though I expect nothing from you. Being there for me is enough. I promise that once I start getting settled and understand where my story is going and feel more confident about it, I will share more with you. Until then, Reader,

Speak freely. Write candidly. Read endlessly.

Yours,
James

What Libra Means to Me

Dear Reader,

I am a Libra. What does this mean? It means I was born between September 23 and October 23. Apparently, it means I am charismatic, gentle, good-looking (hey, I'm not the one who decides these things), kind, stylish, romantic, easy-going, and intuitive. That's what someone else has said. So, what does Libra mean to me as a writer? After all, this is a blog about reading and writing. The symbol of Libra is the scales. This seems simple. Some people see the scales as an example of exact balance, or possibly even trying to make sure good outweighs bad. I can see the lure of those explanations, but as a writer, Libra means something slightly different.

Yes, to me the scales mean balance, but not in the same sense as other people. Writers rely on a few aspects of a story. These aspect include character, setting, plot, voice (in terms of narration), dialogue, action, etc. To anybody who may not be familiar with the world of writing, you might think you need an exact balance of all of these things. You may think that you have to be equally as skilled in one as in all the others. I would like to take this moment to disillusion you. I am not very good at dialogue. My narration is actually pretty good until I try to incorporate too much dialogue. Most of the time I get my characters just right. My setting needs a lot of work. I can (and do) use word games and writing exercises to try and improve in my sub-par areas, but I can't just stop everything to work on improvements. If I did that, nothing would get done. So I have to find my own balance.

When I think of Libra, when I picture those scales in my mind, I almost always picture both scales level with each other. One of these scales, though, has more items in it than the other. That is how I see balance. I know I am not very good at dialogue, so I try to use it sparingly, making sure it doesn't interrupt the flow of narration that I concoct. In order for me to acheive true balance (not to be confused with exact balance, which is where each scale holds the same number as opposed to the same "weight"), I have to know how much of one area to weigh against how much of another. I have to master the scales, which is difficult to do. Nobody can tell me, as a writer, how much of what to put where without different pieces of my work. Nobody can be the master of my scales except for me.

Rereading that last line is actually a bit scary. That means that, as a writer, I have a lot of responsibility. This puts the burden of success on my shoulders alone. One of my biggest fears is that of failure, which is why it is so hard for me to finish (or sometimes even start) a writing project. It's hard for me to try. I understand that failure is part of the business. Stephen King nailed his rejection slips above his desk and amassed quite a few before breaking into the business. All I know for sure is this: my dialogue is shaky, but gets worse when I mix it too much with narration; characters, to me, are the most important part of a story; every time I think I've found my voice, I can't bring it above a whisper before it runs and hides again. How am I supposed to master my scales. The only way a Libra like me knows how: by being charismatic, stylish, easy-going, and intuitive. Now all I have to do is to just jump in the deep end. Thanks for listening. Until next time, Reader.

Speak freely. Write candidly. Read endlessly.

Yours,

James

There's Something About Stephen (King)

Dear Reader,

This is really two posts that I decided to squish into one when I realized they were both about my favorite author, Stephen King. I guess you noticed something different at the beginning of this post. I am now giving you, my readers, salutations. After my last post, I finished creating my sacred space, so I decided to draw a new Observation. I shuffled the cards and pulled the one off the top. It read: "write a letter." Ms. Epel suggested in the corresponding chapter that this means one should start off each writing day with a letter as a warm-up. She gave examples of established authors who do, or did, this activity, including John Steinbeck, who wrote a letter to his editor each time he tackled his manuscript for East of Eden. If you ask my wife, she will tell you that letter writing is not my thing. Not that I'm bad at it, I just don't do it.

My first idea was to write a letter to the children I hope to one day have. I would then show them, when they could understand, how I wrote personal letters to them and how it helped me become a successful author (I know, I'm making a lot of assumptions here, but It's not that far off to think I'll have children some day). For some reason, though, I just couldn't feel the energy I thought I would feel. I sat down and thought about it some more, but I couldn't think of any other kind of letter that would help my writing.

So, I started shuffling cards and watching some television online, and as I watched, a scene from the new show I was trying reminded me of Stephen King (I'll explain why in just a bit). It was then that I remembered what my favorite part of a Stephen King book (fiction or non-fiction) is. King almost always writes a foreword or an afterword, and he always addresses them to his readers. More specifically, he addresses each one to Constant Reader. I know I haven't built up much of a following on my blog yet, but I know that there is at least one person who is reading this, and that is all I need. So, Reader (I won't call you Constant Reader, that's Mr. King's thing), I will now be writing a letter to you every time I update my blog. I hope you find it enjoyable, and I hope it keeps you coming back for more.


Speaking of Stephen King, part two of this post explains how that scene I mentioned made me think of him. I am working on a young-adult novel. This is strictly YA. There are no vampires, werewolves, fairies, or any other fantastical creatures. It revolves around a group of five kids in high school, three girls and two guys. I wrote the first four chapters almost a year ago, and I was really proud of them. So proud, in fact, that I did something I try to avoid at all costs. I shared them with my wife.

I have nothing against my wife. In fact, as Stephen King mentions that his wife is the person, if no one else, for whom he writes, I would say that mine is the same. She is beautiful, intelligent, and an even better writer than I am. So, when I say that I avoid reading my stuff to her, just know that it has nothing to do with her talent as a critic. I have this fear that if I share something before it's ready, that's like putting the final nail in the coffin, kiss it goodbye because it's gone forever. I know it sounds ridiculous, but every writer has some sort of superstition, and that's mine.

That being said, I felt it was ready to be shared. I read the first two chapters to her and she loved them, laughing in the right places and giving positive feedback. However, the third chapter started in the girls' bathroom. The scene changed before the chapter ended, but my wife made me stop there. She told me that the scene felt forced. It didn't sound like what a scene in a girls' bathroom should sound like, and it definitely was not as good as the first two chapters.

For those of you who don't know, Stephen King may have never become Stephen King if it was not for his wife. The first novel he ever sold, Carrie, he threw in the trash after only a handful of pages. He, too, was writing a scene that took place in a girls'  bathroom, and he, too, was finding trouble making it work. Really, the main difference is that he knew it was off, whereas it took my wife to tell me something was wrong. Anyway, Tabitha, Stephen King's wife, fetched the pages from the trash, read them, and forced him to finish writing. She promised to help him with the parts he found difficult.

Back to my story, my wife made the same promise. Unfortunately, because of my superstition, I felt like the story was already dead. One of the big obstacles I faced was that each of the first five chapters were to be written in first person, but with someone else narrating each time. Fast forward almost a year, and as I sat watching a scene in a girls' bathroom take place on a television show, I thought that I should pay attention so I would know how to write that scene. That made me think of my wife's promise, which made me think of Tabitha King's influence, which made me think of Stephen King, which cause me to realize that I should write a letter to you, Reader.

There you have it. A crazy, confusing look at my train of thought and how my weird little mind works. Some people wonder how a writer can be working so hard for one day and get so little done. I don't know about other writers, but that is the way I get easily distracted. Ironically, it is also the way I find my way back. It's funny how that works sometimes.

Thank you, Reader, for bearing with me for this long. I look forward to hearing your feedback and, one day, presenting you with my first novel. Until then, I leave you with this quote, this time and all posts in the future:

Speak freely. Write candidly. Read endlessly.

Yours,
James

Observation: Create a Sacred Space

I am a cheater.

A couple of weeks ago, I posted about writing games and exercises. One of the things I talked about is The Observation Deck by Naomi Epel. When I bought this game recently, I got hit with a bout of nostalgia because my high school creative writing teacher had this in her class. I remembered how useful it was then, and I thought it could be just as useful now. I was right. Anyway, I finally started using it. There are a few different ways to use The Observation Deck. What I did was to shuffle the cards and choose one at random. The card I got read "create a sacred space." My wife had chosen this one recently, so I already knew what it meant. But I already had a sacred space. I had a desk in my room that was just for my writing and homework. That wouldn't do. It was then that I did something I am not proud of. I cheated.

I put the card back, reshuffled, and chose a new one. Now, I'm sure most people are expecting read that I reshuffled, but amazingly I got the same card, and that I discovered the deck was trying to tell me something. I am sorry to disappoint you, but the next card I got read "follow the scent." When I read the chapter, it talked about how smells can take us back to previous times in our lives, and Ms. Epel suggested we use that as a way to remember a time when we were doing some great writing. She had other suggestions, but that's the one I went with. I felt satisfied with that card, so I kept it out. Only, I didn't write.

This was a problem. I already knew which smell to seek out. It is the smell of spiced chai tea, something I frequently drank while in my creative writing class. I did not have easy access to it, though. Then I thought I would come on here and write about the smell of chai and what it means to me as a writer, but I kept finding reasons not to. Then I started thinking about the chapter, and I came to a revelation. It was a chapter of going back in time in my mind. I remembered that the "create a sacred space" chapter had the same suggestion. I was supposed to create a space that would remind me of times when I was at the top of my writing game.

That is what I am doing now. My desk is (finally) getting cleared of clutter and my room is (finally) getting organized. And it helped. Now, instead of doing other things to distract myself from writing, I am writing and distracting myself from organizing. It's a vicious circle, but it helps. (sigh) Now I must return to cleaning. I must finish my sacred space and move on to the next card.

Don't Judge A Book: A Call For Help

This is a very special post. Typically, in the Don't Judge A Book series, I would compare and contrast a few books and their film adaptations. However, this is about a series of books that are very dear to me, and the movie (and possibility of its sequels) that resulted. As to why I titled this post A Call For Help, I will address that at the end. For now, here is my review:

 

A few years ago, before we were married, my wife and I tried a little reading experiment. We decided we were going to introduce each other to books and read them together. I don't remember the first one she introduced to me, but I showed her Stephen King's The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon. Eventually, we evolved from individual books to book series. Once again, I chose from Stephen King. Together we read his Dark Tower series. She, however, changed my life forever by introducing me to an author named John Marsden and his wonderful Tomorrow series.

Tomorrow, When the War Began is about 7 teenagers in a town in Australia called Wirrawee who go on a camping trip before school starts back up. They decide to go during a big festival, wanting to take joy in each other's company rather than join in on the festivities. While camping in a remote, hidden area (they call it Hell), their country is invaded. Let me pause here to make something very clear (and I apologize in advance for the all-caps, but some people need to understand this): THIS IS NOT RED DAWN. Red Dawn is a Hollywood movie about Russians invading the US and a group of teenagers fighting for the country. Yes, it sounds similar, but Tomorrow, When the War Began has much more depth and deals with more issues than just kids at war. This book is a YA book, and anyone who knows anything about YA literature knows what kind of issues it deals with. Marsden finds a way to magnify these issues without it feeling forced. On top of all that, he does it in a female voice, something most men cannot do at all, let alone with the grace he uses. Anyway, these kids eventually must decide whether they want to stay safely put or to stand up and fight. The characters are fresh and funny when they need to be, while taking on the necessary responsibility of a war they did not want. Not many books can compare to the genius that is Tomorrow, When the War Began and its sequels.

After being in print for over a decade, the first book finally got made into a movie back in 2010. It was directed by Stuart Beattie (Who also directed Pirates of the Carribean: Curse of the Black Pearl). As much as I like my books just the way they are, it would be stupid of me to not understand that sometimes changes are necessary. For instance, in the novels, Ellie Linton, the main character, is writing the story of what happened, while in the movie she is telling it to a camera so she can narrate. I understand. What really shocked me, though, was that this novel actually transferred quite well. The casting was spot on. The kids they got were phenomenal. What's more, this film was produced in Australia, giving it some heavy advantages. First, it wasn't dilluted by Hollywood. Second, the actors could really portray the characters very well. Third, and most important, being from the US, it was hard for me to visualize what Marsden described in the books. This isn't a fault of his. I just didn't understand Australia. The movie helped me to do so. The film was fresh and the writing was crisp (especially a metaphorical scene near the end that epitomized a transformation from childhood to adulthood). Overall, this is the best movie adaptation of a book I have ever witnessed, and I would definitely rate this movie: TO SEE.

This is a call for help. The major disadvantage of this movie being filmed in Austrailia is that it doesn't have much of a chance to make money. It was one of the highest grossing films of that year, but it wasn't enough to secure the sequel they were hoping for. Only recently has it come to the US, and that is where I need your help. I think these movies deserve to be made, and I believe that if you see them then you will agree. Starting tomorrow (Tuesday, February 28, 2012) Tomorrow, When the War Began will officially be available on DVD in the US. I think it may still be in some theaters as well. If you see a theater that is playing it, give it a chance. I ask you also to buy the DVD, and help support these amazing actors and this awesome series so we can see it continue. It deserved to be made, and with your help, that can happen. Tell your friends to buy the DVD also. Spread the word on Facebook and Twitter. Just don't forget to let everyone know that THIS IS NOT RED DAWN. Do your part to make sure that many people are able to see this amazing story. And while you're at it, give the books a chance. I think you'll thank me.

The DVD can be purchased at http://www.amazon.com/Tomorrow-When-Began-Rachel-Hurd-Wood/dp/B0073JF4ES/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1330330660&sr=1-1 while the first book can be purchased at http://www.amazon.com/Tomorrow-When-War-Began/dp/0439829100/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1330393391&sr=1-1-catcorr

Get Fit: A Writer's Guide to Exercising

Many people believe a writer's job is simple. All we have to do is write. This, however, is not the case. Take any other job, for example. A cop must enforce the law. Even though there are those who can make a cop's job a challenge, it actually isn't that hard. The rules are laid out, and cops are often thrust into the difficult situations. They don't sit around trying to decide how to do their job today. They just do it. A bartender's hardest job isn't making the drinks. It is keeping the drinkers in line. A worker in an automobile factory has a list of jobs he or she knows must be done in a certain order. For a lot of professions like these, the ins and outs are laid out for the professionals, and often the main part of the work, the part that defines a certain profession, isn't the hardest. Writing is a task that defines a writer, and yet it is the single most difficult aspect of being a writer.

The first, and probably most obvious, solution to this problem is to hit the books. You should read books that deal with the actual mechanics of writing. The more well-known, and to some the more useful, is The Elements of Style, written by William Strunk and E.B. White. Yes, that E.B. White, the one who wrote Charlotte's Web. He studied under William Strunk, who taught the basic elements of plain English style. White then converted the teachings into a small book, adding his own little bits here and there. If you want something a little more punchy, try Lynne Truss' Eats, Shoots & Leaves. This book deals specifically with punctuation and revolves around a joke about a Panda Bear: A panda walks into a cafe. He orders a sandwich, eats it, then draws a gun and proceeds to fire it at the other patrons. “Why?” asks the confused, surviving waiter, as the panda makes towards the exit. The panda produces a badly punctuated wildlife manual and tosses it over his shoulder. “Well, I'm a panda,” he says, at the door. “Look it up.” The waiter turns to the relevant entry in the manual and, sure enough, finds the explanation. “Panda: Large black and white bear-like mammal, native to China. Eats, shoots, and leaves.” Books are great for learning (or re-learning) the basics of writing, something many people overlook.

Another thing you can do to improve your writing is to play word games. Everyone knows Scrabble, a game that involves creating words out of a set of randomly picked tiles. If you like that idea but don't like the limitations of its rules, check out the more laid back Jargon, where slang and proper nouns are encouraged, or Bananagrams, a fast-paced, Scrabble-like game with no board. Try the game You've Been Sentenced, the object of which is to create sentences out of randomly picked cards. Another great one is Boggle, where you have three minutes to find as many words as you can in a grid of 20 letters. Then there's my personal favorite, Apples to Apples. This is a game of comparisons. The judge, a different person each round, presents a card that has an adjective on it (a descriptive word), and the players then lay their nouns face down in hopes that the judge will pick their card as best described by the adjective. Some pick funniest or weirdest. It all depends on the person.

A third, and very important, source for help with writing is a support group. These come in various forms. You could form a writer's group (or join one already started). Everyone in the group would share what they write, critique each other's writing, and bounce ideas off one another. If you can't find or start one locally, try looking online. There are whole networks of writers online. You can also seek information about writing from established writers. This is where books would come into play again. A prime example is Stephen King's On Writing. It is partly autobiographical, talking about how he came to be a writer, but it also talks about the craft of writing itself. And, of course, for more support you can scour the internet for blogs about writing, such as this one. Just google writing blogs and see what you come up with. Time can also be a support group. Maybe you don't write as much as you used to. This happened to my wife. However, when she started re-reading a book she first read when she was writing a lot, it took her back to that time and place and re-ignited the desire. That day she wrote almost fifteen pages worth of new material.

All of this is good and helpful, but it doesn't have you doing the one thing you really need to be working on: writing. That is where my final bit of advice, what I've been building up to, comes in. In order for you to truly better your craft as a writer, you must write. To put it another way, you must get in shape. Like a person who does physical exercises to improve his or her health, you must do writing exercises. And lucky for you I have a handful for you to try right here. Give these a chance and see if your writing improves:

The Observation Deck
This is a tool kit created by Naomi Epel, a literary escort from San Fransisco. Her job is to make sure authors get where they need to be when in town. She has had the pleasure of meeting many great literary minds. That, along with intelligent research on her part, contributes to the brilliance that is The Observation Deck. This is a deck of 50 cards, and on each card is a word or phrase connected to a chapter in the accompanying book. These explain the exercise to perform. They range from “Zoom In and Out,” advice about closing in on the details of a scene or pulling back to see the big picture, to “Ribe Tuchus,” the idea that you set aside a certain amount of time each day to just sit down and allow yourself to do nothing but write, even if it means doing nothing at all. These are inspiring exercises that give you the choice to either choose what to work on or pick a card at random. I believe The Observation Deck is one of the most useful tools a writer can have. (You can purchase your own copy from http://www.amazon.com/Observation-Deck-Tool-Writers-Present/dp/0811814815/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330145552&sr=8-1).

The Game Exercise
If you enjoy playing the word games I mentioned earlier, you are going to love this. After playing a game (whether for just one round or for a whole game), use what you gained as a jumping off point. For example, if you played a round of Boggle and got 13 words, turn the timer back over and use those three minutes to write something utitlizing the 13 words you acquired. Three minutes may not seem like a long time, but that is what really helps. You don't have the time to just sit and think. You economize your time. Maybe you will never use what you write, allowing the exercise to get your creative juices flowing instead. Maybe what you start will be the beginning a new story for you. You never know. You can even come up with your own methods of using games to get you writing, although giving yourself a time-limit is a good idea. Try them out and explore your options.

Event, Effect, Motive
A friend of mine taught this exercise to me, and it was actually very useful. It is best when utilized in a group. Three things must be determined. First, an event of some kind. This could be something small like a homework assignment to something big like political assassination. Second, somebody effected by the event. This can be general, like a dog-owner, or more specific, like Brad Pitt. It can even be a group of people (like PETA). Third, somebody who wants the event to take place. Again, this can be specific or general. The reason this works best in a group is because everyone creates one or two of each of these determiners. They are then put into a hat or box according to their category (event, effect, or motive) and shaken up. Each person then draws one thing from each hat or box, creating a random situation. These may end up being silly or they may become quite serious. The point is, as the writer you now have the authority to decide how much of an impact the event will have (it may not even happen, you may have your character prevent it), how the character will react to the event or the threat of the event, and what motivation the person or persons have who want the event to take place. This exercise puts writers in an active role so they are not passively waiting for ideas to come to them.

First Line/Last Line
I learned this one when in creative writing in high school. Pick up a book, any book, and look at its very first sentence. Now write it down. It doesn't matter how long or short it is, or how broad or narrow. Now do the same with the very last sentence. These are now the first and last sentences of your story. The story can be as long or short as you want, but you must coherently get from the first line to the last in your own words. Don't recreate the book you got them from. Make a brand new story. Some people find that getting started is the hardest thing, while others don't know what to write until they know how it's going to end. If you are either of these types of writer, than this exercise should help you.

Change the Mood (Genre)
This one is pretty simple. All you have to do is to take a familiar story, Romeo and Juliet for instance, and re-write it as a different genre. Shakespeare's play is dramatic and romantic, so you might make it light and silly. Keep the characters, the basic idea of the plot, and if you want, the setting. You then add your own dialogue and narration to make it a different story. This will most likely not turn into a story for publication, but it will get you to look at things in multiple ways so you don't overlook anything. Another variation of this is to use your own story. Maybe your stuck and can't write anymore on a specific piece. Try turning your comedy into a thriller or your mystery into a sappy romance. You might find that genre fits better, or you might just find that a character is not who you thought he or she was. Either way, this is usually a good help.

A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words
This is a familiar exercise. Find a picture, it can be one of yours or someone you know or it can be one in a magazine, and write a story about what is happening in the scene you see. However, I will add a little twist to this. The saying is “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Your story must be around a thousand words. This makes it so that it isn't so short because you didn't have anything else to say, but it also isn't too long, keeping it nice and concise. It doesn't have to be exact, but try to be within 50 either way.

Magnetic Poetry
Even if you don't write poetry, this is a good tool to have. It should be accompanied by a dictionary, though. Magnetic poetry usually has a lot of words most people don't use, and even some that many people didn't even know existed. Find these words, look them up if you need to and incorporate it into a story somehow. If it is a noun, just drop it into the story and see what develops. An adjective can be used for describing a character or town. Find a verb to get the action going. Or you can just grab a handful of words and make a story from that.

Exercising is a very important part of getting in shape as a writer. Try out each of these ideas, or find the one that you feel like you need to focus on the most. You should create a routine, though. If you find that you write better in the morning when you first wake up, put aside an hour or two each day to practice. Perhaps you do much better at night. Tell yourself to get at least two or three exercises in before you go to sleep. Maybe you have a hectic schedule and can't find a specific time to write each day. That's okay. Just make sure that you ARE writing each day, even if it is only for 15 or 20 minutes. If you do this, you will see your writing improve, and on the days you have more time you might find yourself working on a longer story. Hopefully you will get to that place soon, but until you do, remember to stay in shape. Good luck.

Words and Phrases

Let me start this post by apologizing for breaking my New Year's resolution in the first week of the year. I wanted to post on here at least once a week, and this is my first post in 2012. I've been busy with school work, reading for school, looking for a job, and side writing projects, not to mention personal drama, but that's no excuse. I know I can find time to write here once a week, and dammit I'm going to do it.

That being said, I would like to say that, no, the title of this post has nothing to do with Wheel of Fortune. As an aspiring novelist, I find joy in words of all kinds, and I find even greater joy in the combining of said words into interesting, if not thought-provoking, phrases. So, I would like to take a moment to share some of my favorites with you and hopefully get your feedback on them as well as see which words and phrases you enjoy.

Your dreams are manufactured:
I guess I'll start with the name in the address bar. For a while now (at least ten years) I've been working on a fantasy series that has recently become more serious to me. One of the main plot devices is a dream world. So, when I went to use the restroom at a truckstop one day and saw this written on the inside of one of the stalls in permanent marker, I knew I had to incorporate it into my story. Now I have a character who manufactures dreams and I am one step closer to getting this story off the ground.

Ride the lightning:
Once again looking at this blog you will find a favorite phrase of mine, and once again it has to do with my fantasy series. My wife helped me think of this phrase when I read a passage to her that took her breath away. She said she felt like she just went on a roller coaster ride, and I thought of a ride called the Lightning. I also thought of a Stephen King short story, "Riding the Bullet." The phrase "riding the lightning" just jumped out at me and I've loved it ever since.

Future yesterday:
When staying up late at night, there's typically not a lot of television to watch. Having grown up a bit, I've found myself becoming more fond of late night talk shows. One of my favorites is Craig Ferguson. He's funny, unorthodox, and just obscure enough that I don't feel like a follower when I watch his show. He has a theme song, and one of the lines in the song is "Tomorrow is just a future yesterday." This is one of those phrases that really gets me thinking. After 48 hours, tomorrow will be in the past. It's something I wanted to play around with, and after much deliberation, I found the perfect use of this phrase. It is the title of a short story I'm currently working on, and it's going to be a doozy. I'll keep you updated as it nears completion.

Infinite:
I have always loved this word. I don't know how it does it, but it really captures the true essence of endlessness. There are a lot of big, flashy words that are just fine, but it is the small words that most often pack the biggest punch. I can't see or hear the word "infinite" without imagining the sideways eight. It is also great for coming up with awesome ideas, lyrics, etc. like when popular Jewish a cappella group the Maccabeats (covering a song by another famous Jewish artist, Matisyahu), referred to infinite as "one more than you know how to be." The use of infinite has endless possibilities (pun intended).

Heist:
Like I said, the small words are the ones that pack the biggest punches, and "heist" is no different. Dictionary.com defines the noun "heist" as "a robbery or hold up." However, for those of you who are writers and/or enjoy these types of movies and books, the word "heist" means so much more. Traditional heist stories involve a group of people all working together to steal something. Some examples include The Perfect Score and The Italian Job. These are appealing to me because there is more than just stealing going on. There is a sense of togetherness and a sense of identity. Everyone knows his or her role, and they all must work together perfectly to pull the heist off. I can't hear the word "heist" and not smile.

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious:
Just because small words are mighty oes not mean I do not appreciate the big, flashy ones. For those of you familiar with this word, I don't really think I need to say more. For those of you who aren't...where have you been? This word was made popular as a song by the same name sung by Julie Andrews in 1964. It was written by the Sherman Brothers specifically for the movie/musical, which is based on a book by P.L. Travers. In the stage version, Mary Poppins and the kids walk into a book shop in search of a good conversation, only to find out the lady who runs the shop is fresh out of conversation. She does have, however, some letters left. Mary helps the children to form the word which then leads into the song. As she states in both the movie and the stage version "It can mean exactly what you want it to mean," making supercalifragilisticexpialidocious the most useful word of all. It is pretty much the American version of the French, jena se qua, which means that something special you cannot explain.

Being a writer and a reader, words are my life. I love word games such as Apples to Apples, Boggle, You've Been Sentenced, and Scrabble. I have so many more words and phrases that I would love to talk about, but then this post would be way too long. I hope you can tell me what you think of these words and phrases and tell me some of your favorites as well. And you don't even need to splurge to buy a vowell.