What's crackalackin', homeskillets?
(Hmm... that isn't a very good opening, either. I need to work on my catchphrases...)
Today, I'll be talking about reading while writing--but I'll actually be talking about balance, influence, and voice. Reading the work of others influences us while we're writing, but is this necessarily a bad thing?
One of the first how-tos I read as a teenager warned against reading while writing. You see, writers are sponges. We soak up the world around us. I know of writers who work in silence, believing any music they listen to will mess up their pacing. But is reading really so dangerous?
If a writer is a sponge, what good are we without things to soak up? We'll dry out and stiffen--we might even stink after a little while. The hardest part of writing for me is finding my voice. The style in which we write has to be born from somewhere! As an artist, I can say that I learned to draw by emulating artists much more talented than me. Eventually, I found my own style.
Reading is the same way. By reading, our words can find voices.
Reading while writing benefits us in many ways. We learn how to strengthen our sentences. We discover new techniques for describing people and worlds. We find the bricks needed to build clever metaphors. We learn what kind of characters we love and despise, and what about them works and what doesn't. We can learn pacing from other writers, we can learn flow. We can find our voice.
Whenever I feel as if my writing has dried up, I read a book. Any book, really: a How-To, a Non Fiction, a YA. The creative juices flow through me when I'm done, and I feel ready for writing!
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Friday, July 15, 2011
Friday Focus: When Books Hit the Big Screens
I'll be honest: I don't know what to do about Friday Focus. I'm sure we had a goal in mind for titling it that, but I'm at a loss as to what that goal was! So I'll be taking it literally. On this Friday, we shall be focusing on something all of us Writers Aspiring to be Published daydream about: Books on the Big Screen.
Everyone is abuzz with the last of the Harry Potter films finally making it to theaters. Whether you love the books and hate the films, love the films and hate the books, hate the books and films or love the books and films, chances are Harry's been wizarding your brain. For those of us eager to be published, there is no denying that Rowling's success has put a spell on us. (pun intended.)
But the Harry Potter films have brought to light an overwhelming falsehood: the books are always better than the movies. How many times have we gone to see a film that had once pressed its world into the comforting pages of a book, only to hear that statement somewhere at the end? How many times have we muttered those words ourselves?
The problem with comparisons, and why we shouldn't make them:
There is more going on in a book than there can ever be in a film, and vice versa. These are two different art forms, and nothing will translate one hundred percent into the other. Sacrifices must be made.
Many of us leave the theater disappointed in a film that was once a book we adored, but not many of us understand why. We blame the plot changes, the flatness of the characters, the cheesiness of the effects. We blame the all-star cast or the unknown cast, the director's bad decisions, the script's bad dialogue.
When the Twilight movie first exploded on the screen, I was fresh from the series and was curious about the film. I left the theater feeling let down by Summit entertainment, yet I couldn't figure out why. The film stayed true to the book's actions, the characters were relatively the same. So what, then, was the problem?
You can't translate a voice. A book isn't just a story. It isn't just characters. It isn't just a world. Every writer has a voice in mind when she builds a sentence, when she constructs her scene. A painting can have a person in it, but what makes it beautiful? The colors, the paint strokes, the lighting--everything the painter decides to include, to enhance, to hide. A book is the same. The voice is our paint strokes, the voice splatters color on a canvas, shapes the objects we wish to share.
The people who wish to turn your favorite novel into a film cannot bring to life the voice the writer used when writing it. That voice is an invisible character, one that has no name or shape. Without the voice, the film can seem flat. We sense something missing yet cannot pinpoint it. But it's the voice we're looking for, and when our expectations are not met, we're disappointed.
Of course, other elements come in to play: sometimes the characters aren't as we pictured them, sometimes plot points shift and scenes are dropped completely. This, piled on to the missing Voice, can darken how we perceive a film.
How many of you have seen How to Train Your Dragon AND read the book? Completely different plots--even major characters were altered. Howl's Moving Castle is another example of huge plot changes. Yet these are favorites for some--I know they are favorites of mine. But why?
Many who enjoyed these films didn't read the books, so didn't know to look for that invisible character known as voice. They couldn't make comparisons, and saw the film for what it was meant to be: a FILM. A reinterpretation of an idea--of a story.
A film is not a book, but an interpretation.
Stories have played a huge role in our existence, since before recorded history. Stories have been told and retold and retold and retold, all in different voices, all with different words.
As we develop, new ways of telling stories also develop. No longer are we limited to orally passing tales between one another: We can read them, we can watch them, we can play them. Each is a new voice, each a new retelling.
When we judge a movie because of our experience with the book, we're being unfair to the movie. But how can we work past that?
I stopped thinking of these films as movies based on books, and started thinking of them as reinterpretations. Because a film is an entirely different art form, there are different criteria one needs to set--you can't judge it against the same criteria. By thinking of the films as reinterpretations of story, or as movies based on an idea instead of a previous execution, one can appreciate the film and give an accurate judgement of it.
Expectations:
As a writer, I find myself thinking, "What if someone wants to make a movie out of my story?" Sure, that's a one in a million chance--but we all toy with the idea and have thought of responses to it. Me? My desire is to see it done by Dreamworks, the studio behind How to Train Your Dragon. I decided I don't care what they add or remove from the story, so long as the characters behave how I intended for them to be and the feeling of the story remains the same.
This is the only criteria I look for when I watch a film based on a book--on top of my usual criteria for when I see any other film: good story, good characters, good editing--so it is all I expect for the imaginary day my words are translated to pictures on the big screen. I don't see it as a lowering of expectations. I see it as fair expectations, for any film based on a book should be judged by the same criteria as a film with no preexisting form.
Don't agree?
Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Many would feel that, in order to show respect to fans, the people behind the film need to stay as true to the book as possible. However, what if I were to talk about books based on movies?
I've read many novel adaptations, and the good ones do something that the films do not: they add voice. They dive into character minds. But they leave out things that can only be found in the movie. George Lucas has the funky transitions between scenes. The Sixth Sense uses the color red strategically throughout the film. Whenever a story--despite its origins--finds itself in a new medium, there are additions and there are sacrifices.
Next time you see a film based on a book you once read, try to see it for what it is: a film. This is a new way to enjoy a story you once loved, and while the story may not be the same, that doesn't mean it isn't good. That way you know... if the film disappoints you, it's because the film failed in being a good film.
Some stories are told better by others. I happen to enjoy the film version of The Lovely Bones more than the book, but I enjoy Howl's Moving Castle as a book more than as a movie. Sometimes, the books are better than the movies. But not always.
Everyone is abuzz with the last of the Harry Potter films finally making it to theaters. Whether you love the books and hate the films, love the films and hate the books, hate the books and films or love the books and films, chances are Harry's been wizarding your brain. For those of us eager to be published, there is no denying that Rowling's success has put a spell on us. (pun intended.)
But the Harry Potter films have brought to light an overwhelming falsehood: the books are always better than the movies. How many times have we gone to see a film that had once pressed its world into the comforting pages of a book, only to hear that statement somewhere at the end? How many times have we muttered those words ourselves?
The problem with comparisons, and why we shouldn't make them:
There is more going on in a book than there can ever be in a film, and vice versa. These are two different art forms, and nothing will translate one hundred percent into the other. Sacrifices must be made.
Many of us leave the theater disappointed in a film that was once a book we adored, but not many of us understand why. We blame the plot changes, the flatness of the characters, the cheesiness of the effects. We blame the all-star cast or the unknown cast, the director's bad decisions, the script's bad dialogue.
When the Twilight movie first exploded on the screen, I was fresh from the series and was curious about the film. I left the theater feeling let down by Summit entertainment, yet I couldn't figure out why. The film stayed true to the book's actions, the characters were relatively the same. So what, then, was the problem?
You can't translate a voice. A book isn't just a story. It isn't just characters. It isn't just a world. Every writer has a voice in mind when she builds a sentence, when she constructs her scene. A painting can have a person in it, but what makes it beautiful? The colors, the paint strokes, the lighting--everything the painter decides to include, to enhance, to hide. A book is the same. The voice is our paint strokes, the voice splatters color on a canvas, shapes the objects we wish to share.
The people who wish to turn your favorite novel into a film cannot bring to life the voice the writer used when writing it. That voice is an invisible character, one that has no name or shape. Without the voice, the film can seem flat. We sense something missing yet cannot pinpoint it. But it's the voice we're looking for, and when our expectations are not met, we're disappointed.
Of course, other elements come in to play: sometimes the characters aren't as we pictured them, sometimes plot points shift and scenes are dropped completely. This, piled on to the missing Voice, can darken how we perceive a film.
How many of you have seen How to Train Your Dragon AND read the book? Completely different plots--even major characters were altered. Howl's Moving Castle is another example of huge plot changes. Yet these are favorites for some--I know they are favorites of mine. But why?
Many who enjoyed these films didn't read the books, so didn't know to look for that invisible character known as voice. They couldn't make comparisons, and saw the film for what it was meant to be: a FILM. A reinterpretation of an idea--of a story.
A film is not a book, but an interpretation.
Stories have played a huge role in our existence, since before recorded history. Stories have been told and retold and retold and retold, all in different voices, all with different words.
As we develop, new ways of telling stories also develop. No longer are we limited to orally passing tales between one another: We can read them, we can watch them, we can play them. Each is a new voice, each a new retelling.
When we judge a movie because of our experience with the book, we're being unfair to the movie. But how can we work past that?
I stopped thinking of these films as movies based on books, and started thinking of them as reinterpretations. Because a film is an entirely different art form, there are different criteria one needs to set--you can't judge it against the same criteria. By thinking of the films as reinterpretations of story, or as movies based on an idea instead of a previous execution, one can appreciate the film and give an accurate judgement of it.
Expectations:
As a writer, I find myself thinking, "What if someone wants to make a movie out of my story?" Sure, that's a one in a million chance--but we all toy with the idea and have thought of responses to it. Me? My desire is to see it done by Dreamworks, the studio behind How to Train Your Dragon. I decided I don't care what they add or remove from the story, so long as the characters behave how I intended for them to be and the feeling of the story remains the same.
This is the only criteria I look for when I watch a film based on a book--on top of my usual criteria for when I see any other film: good story, good characters, good editing--so it is all I expect for the imaginary day my words are translated to pictures on the big screen. I don't see it as a lowering of expectations. I see it as fair expectations, for any film based on a book should be judged by the same criteria as a film with no preexisting form.
Douglas Adams had many versions of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy--the film, the radio shows, the books, and the television show--and each had a unique quality to them that made them different than the rest. Where's the fun in telling the same old story all the time? Even Stephanie Meyer changed stuff up when she was rewriting Twilight from Edward's point of view. (And I have to admit... when I read the bit she released, it was actually much better than the first book.)
Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Many would feel that, in order to show respect to fans, the people behind the film need to stay as true to the book as possible. However, what if I were to talk about books based on movies?
I've read many novel adaptations, and the good ones do something that the films do not: they add voice. They dive into character minds. But they leave out things that can only be found in the movie. George Lucas has the funky transitions between scenes. The Sixth Sense uses the color red strategically throughout the film. Whenever a story--despite its origins--finds itself in a new medium, there are additions and there are sacrifices.
Next time you see a film based on a book you once read, try to see it for what it is: a film. This is a new way to enjoy a story you once loved, and while the story may not be the same, that doesn't mean it isn't good. That way you know... if the film disappoints you, it's because the film failed in being a good film.
Some stories are told better by others. I happen to enjoy the film version of The Lovely Bones more than the book, but I enjoy Howl's Moving Castle as a book more than as a movie. Sometimes, the books are better than the movies. But not always.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Weekly Wednesday Reviews: The Writer's Idea Book
Hey homies,
I bought my first Writer's How-To when I was about sixteen years old, and I thought I'd share the title with you. The Writer's Idea Book by Jack Heffron has been in my possession since my teenage years, serving as a constant companion through my writing life. The book includes something like 400 to 500 writing prompts, most of which go over the study of characters, voice, and the expansion of ideas. Every chapter touches on the basics any aspiring writer should know: from preparing your words to the enemies that stand in your way, to point of views and various forms and building worlds.
This book doesn't go over anything new, but it goes over everything every other book offers in a funny and concise way. I own several how-to books on writing, and The Writer's Idea Book has always been a favorite of mine. I highly recommend it to everyone eager to build up their collection!
You can buy it here!
-Courtney
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Tricky Tuesdays
I just finished reading "Chapter after Chapter" by Heather Sellers and found (yet another) interesting point.
Sometimes as writers we like to read about writing, or even think about writing, and not so much do the whole writing thing.
This can be tricky for me because I want - no, I need - to be able to think my stories out before I write them out. Sometimes it feels like I've done my daily writing because I've spent so much time thinking about what I want to write. Or, because I've spent so much time reading other writer's works, it feels like I've done my daily writing.
Sometimes as writers we like to read about writing, or even think about writing, and not so much do the whole writing thing.
This can be tricky for me because I want - no, I need - to be able to think my stories out before I write them out. Sometimes it feels like I've done my daily writing because I've spent so much time thinking about what I want to write. Or, because I've spent so much time reading other writer's works, it feels like I've done my daily writing.
But in all reality, we need our daily writing just like we need water. We need to actually put the pen to the paper and write it out. It can be tricky at times, and sometimes the line is blurred, because we do need that time to reflect, and re-focus.
It's hard.
How do YOU strike a balance in your writing life?
Cheers!
L Finch
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Saturday Surprise... Dan Wells on Structure!
Hey Everyone! Courtney here!
I wanted to write a blog on structure today, but I had a better idea... why not share a video on it?
A little background:
Dan Wells has recently released a trilogy known as The John Cleaver Books, the first book titled, I am Not a Serial Killer. I have had the pleasure of reading the series, and I find his writing style to be... well... pretty darn awesome. He held a workshop where he went over how he does story structure, and I loved it! I'm sure all you Writers Aspiring to be Published will enjoy this short series on crafting an outline as much as I have.
I wanted to write a blog on structure today, but I had a better idea... why not share a video on it?
A little background:
Dan Wells has recently released a trilogy known as The John Cleaver Books, the first book titled, I am Not a Serial Killer. I have had the pleasure of reading the series, and I find his writing style to be... well... pretty darn awesome. He held a workshop where he went over how he does story structure, and I loved it! I'm sure all you Writers Aspiring to be Published will enjoy this short series on crafting an outline as much as I have.
Enjoy!
Friday, July 8, 2011
Friday Focus
So basically - what are your goals for this weekend? If you're like me, you have to work, but hey! You can still get some writing done!
My weekend goals:
- Outline Ava and Finn, my favorite characters in the book
- Read Dynamic Characters
- Free-hand write for 20min a day
- Outline Novel so I can start writing it on Monday!
Yea, I know, my first draft is supposed to suck... no big surprise there! I just need to do some re-writing, and work on it some more...
What are YOUR weekend goals?
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Weekly Wednesday Reviews
So I had nothing for weekly Wednesday reviews. Except this one book that I just finished that was excellent. Enter - Green Angel by Alice Hoffman. (So I guess, in a word, I don't have nothing...)
For starters, Publisher's Weekly calls it "Achingly lovely... in lean, hypnotic prose, Hoffman constructs a post-apocalyptic fairy tale leavened with hope".
I think that sums it up perfectly, but to give you some more idea of what it's about -
Green is a 15 year old girl who only dreams about turning 16 and blossoming - going into town and having everyone look at her and see how she's changed. How she's no longer just Green who works in the garden - she's someone special. But when her family is killed in a tragic accident, Green has to move though the stages of grief and learn to cope on her own. The writing is tight and the pose is excellent. This is the best book that I've read in a long time, and I can't wait to read more from Alice Hoffman.
Cheers!
L Finch
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