Books to Movies

This is a fairly hot topic right now, I'm sure, considering the fact that one of the biggest sensations since Twilight just hit the movie theaters this past weekend. Yes, I'm talking about Hunger Games again.

Interestingly enough, having just finished reading Mansfield Park (and watching this movie rendition of it), coupled with seeing Hunger Games right on the 23rd, the topic of books-to-movies is on my mind, and I have lots to say about it.

I'll begin with this bit of information about me: I love movies.

I'd like to modify that and say I love good movies, and only some genres of good movies, but just in general, from a creative standpoint, a well-done, beautifully photographed movie never fails to captivate me. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that if I didn't want to dance, write, or be a mommy, I'd direct movies happily for the rest of my life.

That being said, you can imagine how I anticipate/dread/feel about books-to-movies.

First off, I think there's not enough knowledge among people about what it takes to make a good movie. The pacing, the acting, the music, the photography-- all of it, so important! In the case of taking a (well known, or not) novel, and putting it on the screen, many people expect to see it done with perfect faithfulness to the book. And it isn't. Once they've been disappointed, they will not have it happen again. After all, movies should match the book perfectly. Every detail should be immaculate. IT SHOULD WATCH LIKE IT READS.

Right?

Wrong.

Fact is, it just doesn't work like that. Hunger Games, as a novel, reads a specific way. It's gripping, it's fast, it's in-your-face... all that jazz. If you tried to take that and put it on the screen exactly as its written, dialogue, descriptions and all, you'd have a long, poorly paced, fairly boring movie. Just think about it. Read a couple pages out loud to yourself, and imagine you see a movie panning out.

At the end of the day, it'd be nothing like your favorite, well-done movies.

This is the point I see so many people missing.

Sure, Peeta's eyes are blue, not brown. (I do confess to bellyaching about that. I mean, in this day and age of technology, couldn't someone have fixed that!?) Prim doesn't have anything to do with Katniss's Mockingjay pin. The muttations are supposed to have dead-tribute-colored eyes. The Avox girl has a role... in the book. But pacing-wise? Importance-wise? These things are details. In a movie, they would slow and clutter. And as we all know, we're an entertainment-obsessed culture, and if it's not fast enough or gripping enough or attention-grabbing enough, we lose interest.

Books are one thing, movies are another.

Movie-makers supply what's in demand.

Anyway, all that to say, before you complain about all the flaws of a director's vision for a book-inspired movie, step back, and view it from their more experienced eyes. Try to look at them as two separate works of art: the book, and the movie. I'm not saying there's an excuse for the sheer awfulness of the Eragon movie, nor am I defending actor-Harry Potter's blue eyes, or the fact that this version of Mansfield Park is so unlike the novel, it shouldn't even have the same title. (In its defense, it only says it's inspired by the book. And it IS fabulous, all this-isn't-true-to-Jane-Austen issues aside.)

All I'm saying is that we need some more perspective. An awareness that novels and movies are two very different things. They're each paced differently, created differently, and often made for a different market and audience. If we can keep these things in mind, we won't be so disappointed when we leave the theater. (Or the TV room, if you're a Netflix junkie, like me.)

That's about all I've got for today. Have a marvelous Saturday!

Best Part of Today: Knocking off ALL my chem homework, thus freeing myself for SPRING BREAK WEEK!
Currently Craving: French Vanilla ice cream.
Music Pick: "Mozart Symphony 29 (2nd movement)" by Mozart (duh!)

I'm Reading: Haven't decided... just finished "Divergent" by Veronica Roth

WIP: Blink re-writes (?? words) ON HOLD!

What You Put In, Comes Out

It's Day 1 of my first week of blogging-at-least-3-times. To tell you the truth, I'm pumped! And I have something on the tip of my fingers for you guys today. A concept I've been thinking about, and learning to use as a strategy to get things done in my life.

What you put in, comes out.

In other words, the more time and energy and focus that you put in to something, the better the product when you're finished. This applies to just about anything you want to do in life. A job, school, writing, and housework are just a few. Because I've had entirely too much Chemistry in my life, I can't help but write out this chemical-reaction-inspired equation as a visual aid:

(For those of you who don't know or remember, the + just means "plus", and → means 'yields')

positivity + will power + time + energy + perseverance → success + completion + satisfaction


Like the pretty colors?


If you can use this method in any area of your life where things need to get DONE, I feel I can safely guarantee you'll have plenty of success, completion, and satisfaction. Try it! I'm off to apply this to my schoolwork. And to have some more of the interesting coconut-milk-based soy-free dairy-free chocolate 'ice cream' stuff I took a gamble and bought. 


(It's not too bad.) 


(But it's kind of wrong without the dairy.)


Happy Monday, everyone!

Best Part of Today: The sunshine!
Currently Craving: One word--CUPCAKE!!!
Music Pick: "Green" by Afro Celt 

I'm Reading: "Mansfield Park" by Jane Austen 

WIP: Blink re-writes (26,803 words)

Appreciating Spring

The (completely un-edited) sky yesterday. BREATHTAKING!

Happy Spring, everyone! I know, I know, it's been spring for a couple days now. But it's never too late to spread the cheer, right?

I wanted to talk about a few things that I'm hoping to change in the future, as well as what's been up, and I figured my latest favorite picture (<= it's right over there...) would compliment it all perfectly. Or at least lend its beauty for your enjoyment.

Firstly, I saw Hunger Games last night. Yes, I did go on opening day, and stood in a line that was sadly empty of fan-gear-clad-people-less (I stood out proudly in my Hunger Games T-shirt), but had no shortage of braids. All I can say without spoiling it for you is that YOU SHOULD SEE IT. I agree with Suzanne Collins that the book and movie complement and enhance each other. It's one of the most well-done book-to-screen adaptions I've seen, possibly ever. Aside from Peeta's brown eyes, I don't have much to complain about.

Secondly, and kind of back on the subject of blogging and being late, I'd like to commit to blogging at least 3 times a week. It struck me the other day talking to Taryn that some people are actually really dedicated to their blogs, and that most of my posts are apologies for NOT blogging. I want this to change. So, starting Monday, you'll hear from me more often. If it ever becomes too much, just tell me to stop. Or you could just not comment. Eventually, I'll get the hint.

Finally, I've been in a very stressful place in my life lately that's made online things of all sorts trickier. Writing, Write On!-ing, Tweet-ing, and Facebook-ing are all being pushed to the bottom of my priority list as my graduation creeps up on me, and as I struggle to get all my credits in a row, and get that diploma. And when I say struggle, I mean struggle. There's a lot to do, on top of trying to adjust to a new work schedule, and unfortunately, the creative things will just have to wait. There will be time in the summer.

SO, that being said, if I've been a bit of a no-show for lots of things (including this blog, for that matter) you know why. It's not an excuse, but it's a reason. I've got to go out with a bang. (And by bang, I mean an "A")

I've by no means covered all the "changes" I meant to talk about, but I'll have to save it for one of my 3 posts this coming week.

Until then, thanks for reading, and have a Happy Saturday!

Best Part of Today: I don't even know. Root beer Zevia?
Currently Craving: A CUPCAKE.
Music Pick: "Secrets" by OneRepublic

I'm Reading: "Mansfield Park" by Jane Austen (STILL! But loving it.)

WIP: Blink re-writes (26,803 words)

What Characters

HI. This is me, posting, NOT a bajillion years after the last time I posted!! I am so proud of myself, hehehe.

Anyway. A few nights ago I had a breakthrough. Two, actually.

First, one of my MCs in Defiance, Varesa. She's supposed to be really awkward. Slightly comical, even. I've been having trouble bringing out that part of her character while writing. There were moments when I thought I had nailed it, only to be disappointed because it would fade again.

Until it occurred to me...I should try to write her like I think when I'm hyper. I am not awkward––I hope...––but I do have a completely random thought process, and it's ten times worse when I'm hyper. If I could channel a bit of that into Varesa, maybe it would work?

YES. It did. I didn't really make her random, so much, but somehow, SOMETHING finally clicked. It was beautiful. I still need to get to know her more, but I'm on the right track. It is happifying.

The second win of the evening come from me procrastinating (SEE, good things DO come from procrastination!). I was googling an actor from an old show I used to love, and instead, I found this picture of a boy. A boy that, given a few shades of auburn in his hair, is my other MC's love interest. I have been trying and trying to find a proper picture for him, because I love having pictures of my characters. If I can't find one, I usually let it go. But with Thane, I couldn't. I would find pictures that had one aspect of him, and they would catch my attention, but they weren't quite right. I needed to find the right one. (It was sort of becoming an obsession.)

And boy, is this one great. I can forgive the hair being off, because the hair is wrong on basically all the photos I find, since I always seem to have unusual aspects. But the rest? Perfect. It has made me a very happy girl, finally having a photo to glare at when Thane isn't getting along.

So, two tiny things––things that have varying degrees of visible importance to the eventual completion of the book––are all it takes to make me feel like I won the lottery of my life. But even if they are small, they are important. It's the little things that keep me excited about writing this story. The little things that remind me that I love it when I want to throw it off the nearest bridge.

What little things keep you in love with your story?

On a side note, I saw The Hunger Games movie last night. Ooooh my GOODNESS. If you've seen it, did you like it?? (No spoilers :P) And if you haven't...you should do that. Nowish.



Twin Moment of the Day: Hunger Games movie. We loves it. (That is presumptuous of me, since she hasn't seen it yet so I *could* be wrong. But I seriously doubt I am.)
On my Mind: Latin homework.
Listening to: Someone is sweeping in the other room.
Grateful for: Sleep. Sleep is nice sometimes.
Wanting: The weekend!
Writing: Defiance! (41,830)

Lucky 7

After being tagged twice and peer-pressured by Amanda, I'm giving in and participating in Lucky 7 Meme. Cue picture!

The rules are as follows:


1. Go to page 77 of your current MS
2. Go to line 7
3. Copy down the next seven lines as they're written--no cheating!
4. Tag 7 other writers
5. Let them know

Well, first off, I'm not going to tag 7 writers, just to get that out of the way. Most of the bloggers I consistently "follow" (and by "follow", I mean check and comment on their posts at least once a month) have probably already been tagged.

After going back and forth and back and forth between 7 lines from page 77 of Blink and 7 lines from page 77 of Aqueous, I settled on Aqueous. It's more fun, anyway.

Without further ado.

==

“What time was your accident?” Addi asked.

“It was… late. At night.”

“They’re primarily nocturnal. They’re also extremely good at keeping out of sight.” There was something unreadable in her voice.

“But he was up on the beach with me!”

“And yet your cousin didn’t see him.”

“Because he wasn’t there!” I was shouting now. 

==

This is where I'd normally tag 7 people, but I'll just use it to say hi to everyone (since I haven't blogged in a while) and say "feel free to participate in the Luck 7 Meme, and just say I tagged you, even if I didn't."  

Thanks for reading, and Happy St. Patrick's Day!

The Lucky 7 Meme!

So, I'm not crazy about blog awards––I love them, I think the idea is awesome, but as far as actually doing them, not so much. But Lyla tagged me in this "Lucky 7 Meme" one, which involves finding 7 lines from page 77 of your WIP. I was curious, so I found the lines. And since I did it anyway, I figured I would share it. I'm going to be cheatsy and not tag 7 other people, though. *cheatsy*

So! Here are the 7 lines from page 77 of Defiance:

"Broken. You are broken," Zierin's smug tone murmured in her head. "You let this happen, and it's gone and broken you."

"No," Lexa protested, stumbling to the ground and cradling her hand. "No, no, I'm not."

"Oh, but you are, Lexa love. Sure, I'll give you your defiance in the quiet of abandoned corners. But in front of anyone? You're like one of the humans' little lambs, going where you're told."

 She rubbed her skirt across her knuckles desperately, doing nothing but making them burn and spreading red everywhere.

Heh. The little voice in Lexa's head isn't being very nice.

Have a lovely day!

Twin Moment of the Day: Good weather is happifying!

On my Mind: To-do list I am avoiding

Listening to: Birdies outside. They are tweeting like CRAZY. (Hah. Tweeting.)

Grateful for: Spring Break!!

Wanting: Breakfast...*glances at clock* Make that lunch.

Writing: Defiance! (40,620)

Happy Blogoversary to Kaye!!

Pretty flowers! FOR A PRETTY BLOG! ^_^

Guess whose blogoversary it is!! My uber-awesome friend Kaye's, that's who! Her blog, Watercolor Moods, turns 2 years old today. You should definitely go over there, because in celebration she is giving away a brand-new copy of Cinder and cool swag! (On...on second thought, don't go over there. I wants it for myself. ALL MINE. *cough*)

Kaye is awesome. I loves her. She is always so encouraging, and she's a crazy-good writer, too.

AND HER BLOG. Watercolor Moods is home to some of the best book reviews I've read––seriously, if Kaye's review is 5-star, chances are I will love the book. They're always very fair, too (besides, you know, the part about how book reviews are very subjective by nature). So go check out her blog! Follow it! READ IT EVERY DAY. EVERY MINUTE.

And have a wonderful day! More posting coming soon, just as soon as the post idea I have cooking is properly formulated.

21 Minus Blog Tour!

Hey, guys!! For those that don't know, I'm Constance. Welcome to Twin Moment, a (delighted) participant of 21 Minus! (Hehe. I am so excited about this, you have no idea.) 21 Minus is a blog tour comprised of a bunch of uber-cool bloggers who are 21 or younger. There is a giveaway to be had––with so many amazing prizes I'm going cross-eyed––over here at Anna Waggener's blog. Check it out! (**Don't forget to write down that one-word answer to question #6, you'll need it for the giveaway!) But first, here is an interview Maggie and I did with the entertaining Ella at Musings in Ink:



1. If you could write your life like a novel, what would the jacket flap say?
Well, what do you know! This was actually a writing prompt I did a few days ago, in which I took whatever significant detail I could find in my life and gathered it into a blurb:


Fifteen year old Ella lives a hidden life.


In fact, her name isn’t even Ella. Raised in a society where math and science are encouraged and the arts squashed into a bloody pulp*, Ella takes on a pen name and finds refuge in her writing, an unrecognized form of creativity that many people in her school view with eye rollings and scoffs. In order to avoid embarrassment and possible emotional-wrecking humiliation**, Ella works in secret, driven to beat the odds and prove her worth to a rejecting public. But with this goal comes three things: unexpected friendship, theoretical enemies, and a daunting deadline that will decide the rest of her future.


Inspirational and heart wrenching***, It’s Really Not What You Think It Is will make readers sympathize with this young writer and egg her on as she approaches the most crucial period of her teenage life: high school graduation, and what comes afterwards.


* Actually, although no one really cares about the writing, there are just so many people who love drama and music. I mean there's nothing wrong with that at all...but still.
** Most likely not.
*** All right, I have to admit; I highly doubt it will be like this.


2. Have you ever written sushi into a story?
No, I haven't... o.o
Hey...that's actually a pretty good idea. Hmmm.


3. As a failing multitasker, I'd love to know––what is your secret to writing multiple WIPs at a time?
Lots of scheduling and brainstorming, where I try to squeeze as many ideas as I can onto paper about all of the WIPs. A whopping amount of writing-during-class in a secretive fashion (where you do the whole, "hunched over your notebook" routine, peering suspiciously at the people around you). And, of course, being inspired and open to writing down ideas, and planning, and connecting them to the various WIPs. All of these help motivate me to take on multiple projects at a time. When I realize I have something to work towards, some goal to achieve (like putting all of those said ideas into proper story-format), I write.


4. What are some of your biggest pet peeves?
Ah, well...I really do not like shallow expressions...as in, "Oh, my gosh, that guy is soooo hot, he must be amazing." Or, even worse, "Ugh, that girl's so ugly. Man, I'm definitely not talking to her." I love writing. I also love the whole "Don't judge a book by its cover" phrase.


I am also extremely sensitive to guys who act like jerks because they think it's "cool". I'm still in high school, so I witness plenty of that every day. It just...sets me off.
That's it, really. ^-^


5. When did you decide books were the bomb?
Probably when I was way younger, and my dad would read my sister and I the Magic Tree House books as a bed time story. Then I got into Harry Potter...and everything else just followed.


6. If you had to describe your latest WiP in one word, what would it be?
Assassins.
(first word that popped into my head ^-^)


7. Lastly, if you could have one superpower, and ONLY one, what would it be and why?
Ahhh...this is a hard one...but I would probably choose invisibility. I'd get to go anywhere I want, whenever I want to, and no one would know. Like, if I can't fall asleep at night or something, I could go outside and take a walk, and I wouldn't even have to worry about getting mugged or attacked because--hey--no one would be able to see me. 
It would be a fairly peaceful life, I think.


I hope you enjoyed it! If you want to check out the interview Maggie and I did, it's over at Mariah Irvin's blog.

I Am a Finalist!

Just wanted to blog quickly about some exciting news I learned today. My short story "DIVE" is among the 60 finalists of the 17 Magazine Fiction Contest on Figment. I wrote and entered the 470-word story about a girl whose sister drowns in the ocean back in December, not sure what to expect, except an adventure. Because of all the hearts it's received since then, it's come as far as this.

I feel a little overwhelmed with the love and support shown by the Figment community to me and my work. DIVE is not perfect. Every time I read it I find a new fault with it. But I like it, and it makes me incredibly happy to see that other people do, too. That I was able to evoke emotions in my readers. For me, this is no small thing.

No matter who wins (the $5,000, I might add with a cough), I'm glad for the chance to participate. And for those of you who are interested in joining future writing contests on Figment (and they have a lot), you can start on my page (and maybe give a heart to any current contest entries you see? Hint, hint.)

Yay for writing! Yay for contests!

Love you all, and have a super Happy Thursday!

Best Part of Today: THE SUNSHINE.
Currently Craving: I'm actually not craving anything. Weird moment.
Music Pick: "Blue" by Big Bang

I'm Reading: "Mansfield Park" by Jane Austen

WIP: Blink re-writes (1,065 words)