Friday Five: Upcoming movies (based on books)

1.       I’ve never read The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, but since seeing the trailer for the movie I’ve decided that I must. I didn’t get the trailer.  Nothing about it made sense to me. I’m pretty sure it only made sense to people who have read the book.  Like that white house. Clearly something is up with that white house. Because I feel like so many people know what that white house means and I don’t, I am going to read The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.    

2.      Anna Karenina.  I still haven’t finished the book, but have received clarification from my cousin that the ending will do nothing to change my feelings about Anna Karenina (the character not the book); I despise her.  So for two hours, I will despise Kera Knightly.  I dare Hollywood to turn Anna Karenina into a sympathetic character.  No, I double dare Hollywood. 

3.      Snow White and the Huntsmen and The Brother's Grimm: Snow White.  This seems like it might be a Deep Impact/Armageddon situation.  I might skip them both, or at least wait to hear which one is the Armageddon of the scenario. 

   

4.      I can’t decide if I’m excited to see the movie version of Jack Kerouac’s On the Road.  The book was fine – I only somewhat agree with Truman Capote when he said about the novel, “That's not writing, that's typing.” I just hope they cast someone amazing as the ‘Aunt’ who always gave him a place to stay after he ran out of money.   

The Perks of Being a Wallflower – this is on my to-read list as well.  It’s supposed to be quite good.  The cast alone is a major selling point. Hi there, Hermione Granger.  

Landmark moment: the boyfriend agrees to read The Hunger Games

At 10:24 pm, on Wednesday July 27^th, my I-only-read-detective-novels-with-the-exception-of-Brett-Easton-Ellis boyfriend said, "I suppose I could try to read The Hunger Games."

 

To which I replied, “Really?” making my voice sound casual, not too excited.  Didn’t want to scare him. 

“Yea.”

I needed more confirmation.  This didn’t sound like him.  Not that my boyfriend isn’t open-minded when it comes to literature – he did listen to the last half of The Maze Runner with me on a trip to Portland, although because of his long-standing history with mystery novels he ‘solved’ this novel after about thirty minutes through the last half - he just knows what he likes.  He reads what he likes.  Don’t we all?  

He needed to be convinced, so I jumped on the defense – the defense being that the majority of the books I read are targeted towards girls. “Boys read them too.  A lot of boys have read them.”  I proceeded to list all the men I know who have read them – making sure to reference to the fact that most of these men are dating and/or married to some of my best friends.

“I’ll read them.  And then we can talk about them.”

“But…”  I was confused because I’ve already talked endlessly to him about them, “…I haven’t spoiled the ending for you?”

It occurred to me that it’s probably like when he’s talking to me about baseball: he’s been listening without retaining. 

 “Oh, I don’t remember anything you said about the ending.  All I remember is that your cousin thought Peeta was doughy.”

“So you’ll really read them?  All three?”

“Yea.”

And then the subject really did change to baseball. 

This is a big deal.  Mainly because I want him to know that The Hunger Games books are actually good books.  It seems that when books turn into fads, and then into movies, they are often viewed as just fads; a lot of their credibility falls away.  So now he’ll be able to see beyond the Twilight of it all. 

He won’t wear a cardigan, but he will do this.  :) 

Neville joins the rankings – fantastic men who wear fantastic cardigans

The male cardigan - by far my favorite fashion trend of the decade.  

Let's not forget the one of the originals...

And now: 

Friday Five: Good Bye Harry Potter and Tim Riggins

I had to say good bye to two of my favorites last week.  One of my favorite shows:  Friday Night Lights, and one of my favorite books-series-turned-movie-series: Harry Potter. 

1.       Musical montages always make me teary – be it the Lions playing in the state championship game or Harry, Hermione, and Ron fighting at Hogwarts – the results are the same: tears.

2.      I found it a bit odd that the entire theater didn’t stand up, throw confetti, and high-five each other when Neville had his moment – I mean, hello!

3.      I also love a good one liner reminiscent of the very beginning – “Texas Forever” was not said nearly enough. 

4.      CGI creations are always far more impressive than my own imagination: the dragon, the vault, the battle – I was blown away by the visuals. 

5.      I thought Tim Riggins would be the one I’d miss the most, but as it turns out, no-it’s Tami Taylor.  What’s the line? Behind every great man… :)

The Hunger Games movie logo

http://www.thehungergamesmovie​.com/


Not a trailer, but I'll take it!  

Conversation with the Cousin: Drugs

I should preface this conversation by telling you my cousin is currently getting her doctorate in pharmacy. If you thought she was picky about geography in novels, you haven’t heard anything yet…

Cousin: So about this book…

Me: You don’t love it?

Cousin: The main character’s treatment is all wrong.

Me: Her treatment of what?

Cousin:  Her treatment for depression.  The girl is clearly depressed and now she’s getting the wrong treatment. 

Me: …She’s in therapy right? And taking a prescription or two…OH.

Cousin:  The author gets brownie points for making up a drug and putting it in another drug – that was smart, I couldn’t figure out if it was wrong or not.

Me: Great!

Cousin:  BUT she put the made-up drug in a drug class that has horrible side effects and risks for this character’s treatment. 

Me: Drug class?

Cousin: It’s important. Trust me. If the character is going to be on anti-depressants, she shouldn’t be on TCA’s*.  And she shouldn’t be on anti-depressants at all if she has hallucinations – which she claims to have. Oh, and nobody starts anti-depressants therapy with Drug X** these days—FYI. When was this book written?

Me: Pretty sure it came out last year.

Cousin: Drug X has a short half life, so if the patient misses a dosage they could go into withdrawal and since teenagers are notorious for being poorly compliant – and this patient is so horribly compliant – it would make more sense to start with a different drug.

Me: Well, what if it turns out that the character goes a little crazy towards the end? Would that justify her mistreatment?

Cousin: If she goes crazy, she was probably crazy to begin with, not the drug’s fault.  Although if she really is crazy the drugs aren’t going to help her; they will probably make her symptoms worse. 

Me:  I don’t think she’s supposed to be crazy….eh, maybe a little bit. 

Cousin:  What’s crazy is that the author would prescribe her patient…I mean character…a drug from such a risky drug class.

Me:  That is crazy…  

Writers be warned: always, always, always check the side effects and risks of the drug classes of the drugs you prescribe your characters. 

*Pharmacy acronym I don’t understand
**Drug I don’t want to name for fear of getting Blog spam advertising it.

How does Cassandra Clare do this?

This.

If you’ve read the Mortal Instruments Series, at least the first book, this deleted scene from City of Ashes is a MUST read.  It’s from the scene at the Seelie Court.  I know.  Jace and Clary’s predicament made me as uncomfortable as the next person (that next person being Simon Lewis), but this deleted scene told from Jace’s point-of-view breaks my heart.  Because that’s what Jace does.  
Tell me what you think.

(The last paragraph – really?  REALLY?  My heart hurts.)


*Spoilers in link and comments

Friday Five: Random Writing Resources

Has it been an entire week?  Oh geez…I have been online, just not on my blog.  I’ve been reading and researching and laughing.

1.       I read a ‘grown up book’ for the first time in probably two years and LOVED it (although I doubt it will become a habit).  Ironically the book was called THE ADULTS. The main character was a teenager through most of the book and the book ended when the main character was my age, so I’d say it was the perfect transition read for me, since I don’t do adult books very often and this book was no more ‘adult’ than I am.  This interview with the author is wonderful.  This New York Times review isn’t bad either. 

2.      I have a conference coming up in August (PNWA) and I am nervous, nervous, nervous.  Mainly about my pitch.  This helps. 

3.      I have also been attempting to write a query letter and a synopsis that I am happy with.  I’m beginning to think this is impossible and that I should just hope for this kind of a query experience. 

4.      I’ve been spending a lot of time on YA Highway because it’s there and oh so informative. 

5.      Also, getting really excited about Harry Potter.  Really, really excited!

Friday Five: Common doubts and misconceptions of the writing life

1.       Blog?  Will people read my blog, I’m not published?  Other writers?  What could they possibly have to say on a blog?  

2.      Twitter?  But I don’t care what Ashton Kutcher had for breakfast.  Literary agents are on Twitter?  But Ashton Kutcher isn’t a literary agent.  Agents and writers on Twitter ‘talking’ and exchanging advice in an organized format?  Did Ashton Kutcher trend this?

3.      Revising for the millionth time?  But if it takes you a million times to get something right, shouldn’t you just move on?  Revising for the five hundredth-million time is when it finally gets good?

4.      Critique group?  But won’t other writers just be biased? Will they even care?  Will they even be able to edit?  

5.      Query Letter research?  So you can’t just pretend you’re writing the back cover of your book, or a movie trailer? Lots of hypothetical questions should do the trick.  Agent research?  You mean even within genres, they have different wants?

Anything you were glad to be wrong about?  

Seriously learning to take writing seriously

Remember the day when you decided to take your writing seriously?  The day you thought, I think this could be more than a hobby; the day you made it your goal to be published in the near, but still very distant, future?

How long ago was that?

For me, the day I decided to become serious and the day I actually became serious span each other by about four-five months.  It took me a while to learn what being serious actually meant.   I’m still learning in fact. 

Just last week I learned that sometimes when you send out a query and sample pages, the agent wants a synopsis too.  Not that this is a huge lesson, I’m well aware that all agents want different things, I’m just still learning what it means to have all my bases covered before I start sending out submissions. 

What have you learned lately?  

Friday Five: Palette Cleanser Books

This phrase was used by my PR-pro friend when describing to another friend, books to be read after finishing The Hunger Games series. 

The books she recommended were books by Chelsea Handler and Adam Corolla.  I’m guessing Tiny Fey’s new book would also qualify as a good ‘palette cleanser’.

Palette Cleanser Books:  books that promise to be funny and happy; where you can fall in love with the characters without worrying about them getting brain-washed, possessed, killed, brought back from the dead, exiled by the government, eaten by a zombie, abandoned by their one true love, or sacrificing themselves for the greater good, and get swept away by the story with no fear that the ending will be much more bitter than sweet, or that you’ll be left with a jarring cliff-hanger that won’t be revealed until the next book comes out in 2012. 

Coming off of an intense dystopian series, or suffering from a Cassandra Clare Coma or a Mockingjay Hangover, here are some good YA palette cleanser books:

1.       Anna and the French Kiss

2.      Mostly Good Girls

3.      The Six Rules of Maybe

4.      Something Like Fate

5.      The DUFF

What palette cleanser books do you recommend?