Ever wonder why some books are so good as movies? I sure have.
This year I am taking a Film and Society class and we've been discussing and viewing early films from names like Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. These movies have been enjoyable and I have began to look at the big screen with a more critical eye: how music affects a scene, different camera angles and lighting effects, and even things as simple as costumes all contribute to the ambiance of a movie. I've even had a chance to consider a movie in school outside of film class.
In English class, we have been reading Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and have kept up to date with the 1995 mini-series during class. While watching the installments of this series I've thought about how books can effectively come to the big screen and believe that one issue of books as movies is their ability to be true to the text while remaining enjoyable. The production team of this film battled this issue through installments in a series, a logical and effective approach. Through spaced out clips, the series can remain accurate to the book as it is spread over a period of time and maintains interest through shorter episodes. Because the whole plot is not presented at one time, the viewer is left in suspense and continues to view the accurate depiction of the story. This doesn't seem to be such a bad idea.
Another movie that is using such an approach is hitting theaters in November: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will be released in two separate movies to remain as accurate to the final book in Rowling's series as possible. This is a logical decision for this movie as well; as this book is rather long it makes sense to deliver as much information as possible in the movie to be accurate. The desired accuracy would create a lengthy film to view and cutting it into two parts is a perfect compromise.
Although there are specific directorial decisions which make all the difference in big screen entertainment, simply releasing content in installments may be a feasible solution for this issue in longer novels.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Friday, September 10, 2010
Writers' Workshop
In the spirit of Random Act of Publicity Week for books, authors, and writers, I decided that it would be appropriate for me to discuss some great writing resources. The following list is a group of books/blogs/websites that I have found helpful in improving writing.
-A Teen's Guide to Getting Published: Publishing for Profit, Recognition, and Academic Success by Jessica Dunn & Danielle Dunn. No, this isn't quite about writing but it is about publishing, something that many writers hope will happen to their work. Not only does this book discuss publishing but it also provides advice for editing and receiving feedback. I'd recommend this book as a first to read about writing.
-Writing Magic: Creating Stories that Fly by Gail Carson Levine. I read this book while doing a school research paper about novel writing and it is probably one of the most helpful things that I have read. Levine breaks down different aspects of writing by informational sections like voice, show and tell, and establishing a good beginning. At the end of each section, she provides a related writing prompt or two. One of my favorite prompts of hers is to "[w]rite down twelve new story ideas right now. Don't expect them all to be good. What you want are twelve ideas, good, bad, or blue with pink stripes. If twelve don't arrive immediately, write junk or notes till you're done." I definitely think is a must read for writers of any age even though it is directed at a teenager audience.
-Another prime example of a book aimed to a young audience and writers is Josephine Nobisso's Show; Don't Tell! Secrets of Writing. I went to a workshop of Nobisso's at the spring NE-SCBWI conference and bought the book after her presentation. This book is another must for nailing good descriptions: it gives playful and precise instruction to improve description. She stresses using specific nouns and verbs to describe things instead of unnecessary adjectives and adverbs. This is a fun read with fantastic illustrations as well.
-Breathing Life into Your Characters: How to Give your Characters Emotional & Psychological Depth by Rachel Ballon, PH.D. This book provides a psychological insight into writing characters. Ballon explains that the best way to understand characters is by understanding their psychology and your own; in doing this, characters become more believable. She explains the necessity of character motivation, back story, and differences from yourself and the characters.
-Gail Carson Levine's blog: http://gailcarsonlevine.blogspot.com/. This is a terrific resource for writing. Levine usually does a weekly post regarding writing, provides prompts, and is open to reader comments.
-Cara C's Food 4 Thought blog http://food4thought-cc.blogspot.com/. This blog is a lot of fun to read. She discusses such delectable food that mouth waters when I read about it. Great writing style and content.
Just for fun...
I also enjoy these art websites/web comics.
-Dani Jones has a great web series, My Sister the Freak. http://www.mysisterthefreak.com/
-Will H. does some humorous animation and web comics on his website. This is another fun thing to read, watch, and follow. http://www.crazycrudd.webs.com/
-A Teen's Guide to Getting Published: Publishing for Profit, Recognition, and Academic Success by Jessica Dunn & Danielle Dunn. No, this isn't quite about writing but it is about publishing, something that many writers hope will happen to their work. Not only does this book discuss publishing but it also provides advice for editing and receiving feedback. I'd recommend this book as a first to read about writing.
-Writing Magic: Creating Stories that Fly by Gail Carson Levine. I read this book while doing a school research paper about novel writing and it is probably one of the most helpful things that I have read. Levine breaks down different aspects of writing by informational sections like voice, show and tell, and establishing a good beginning. At the end of each section, she provides a related writing prompt or two. One of my favorite prompts of hers is to "[w]rite down twelve new story ideas right now. Don't expect them all to be good. What you want are twelve ideas, good, bad, or blue with pink stripes. If twelve don't arrive immediately, write junk or notes till you're done." I definitely think is a must read for writers of any age even though it is directed at a teenager audience.
-Another prime example of a book aimed to a young audience and writers is Josephine Nobisso's Show; Don't Tell! Secrets of Writing. I went to a workshop of Nobisso's at the spring NE-SCBWI conference and bought the book after her presentation. This book is another must for nailing good descriptions: it gives playful and precise instruction to improve description. She stresses using specific nouns and verbs to describe things instead of unnecessary adjectives and adverbs. This is a fun read with fantastic illustrations as well.
-Breathing Life into Your Characters: How to Give your Characters Emotional & Psychological Depth by Rachel Ballon, PH.D. This book provides a psychological insight into writing characters. Ballon explains that the best way to understand characters is by understanding their psychology and your own; in doing this, characters become more believable. She explains the necessity of character motivation, back story, and differences from yourself and the characters.
-Gail Carson Levine's blog: http://gailcarsonlevine.blogspot.com/. This is a terrific resource for writing. Levine usually does a weekly post regarding writing, provides prompts, and is open to reader comments.
-Cara C's Food 4 Thought blog http://food4thought-cc.blogspot.com/. This blog is a lot of fun to read. She discusses such delectable food that mouth waters when I read about it. Great writing style and content.
Just for fun...
I also enjoy these art websites/web comics.
-Dani Jones has a great web series, My Sister the Freak. http://www.mysisterthefreak.com/
-Will H. does some humorous animation and web comics on his website. This is another fun thing to read, watch, and follow. http://www.crazycrudd.webs.com/
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Still Reading After All These Years
I might not be crazy, but I have definitely found solace in reading since I learned from the simple Bob-books. I find that there are some books that no matter what your age is, you can't help but love them. So today's post is designated to those special favorite books. Here it goes...
-The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. I read this book once for summer reading and I loved it. I like it's different puns like how Milo searches for Princesses Rhyme and Reason.
-I like Chris Crutcher's books like Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, and The Sledding Hill. I found his books at a middle school book fair and was intrigued. His books are highly realistic: they focus on real and serious themes and use accurate adolescent language. I have a bunch of his books on my shelf that I can't wait to read.
-Percy Jackson and The Olympians Series by Rick Riordan. I came across these books in middle school as well. Riordan grounds fantasy in reality as Percy Jackson, demigod son of Poseidon, fights monsters around Manhattan and Camp Half Blood. The characters are believable and I found that I cared for them from the beginning of The Lightning Thief and beyond the last page of The Last Olympian. This is a fast-paced read and I'd recommend it to people who enjoyed the following book series...
-J.K Rowling's Harry Potter series. This is one of my all time favorite book series. I grew up with these books and began reading in elementary school. I even went to the midnight release parties for the sixth and seventh books at the bookstore in my town. Rowling captures the reader in the Harry's Wizarding World, which is now a theme park nonetheless, and the reader is left stunned after reading this fantastic series.
-Agatha Chirstie's books like And Then There Were None, Murder on the Orient Express, and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. I love a good mystery and Christie's are the best that I've read. Her books contain every slightest detail which at first, readers, like myself, may ignore but later end up kicking themselves as they find that they brushed by the solution to the mystery without giving it a single thought. Christie throws many red herrings and curve balls at the reader and most often, the murderer or criminal is in the place that you'd never look but clearly should have. Read this with a pencil and sheet of paper to keep track of suspects, clues, and details to solve the mystery.
Do you have any of these favorite books? Leave a comment and talk about them.
-The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. I read this book once for summer reading and I loved it. I like it's different puns like how Milo searches for Princesses Rhyme and Reason.
-I like Chris Crutcher's books like Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, and The Sledding Hill. I found his books at a middle school book fair and was intrigued. His books are highly realistic: they focus on real and serious themes and use accurate adolescent language. I have a bunch of his books on my shelf that I can't wait to read.
-Percy Jackson and The Olympians Series by Rick Riordan. I came across these books in middle school as well. Riordan grounds fantasy in reality as Percy Jackson, demigod son of Poseidon, fights monsters around Manhattan and Camp Half Blood. The characters are believable and I found that I cared for them from the beginning of The Lightning Thief and beyond the last page of The Last Olympian. This is a fast-paced read and I'd recommend it to people who enjoyed the following book series...
-J.K Rowling's Harry Potter series. This is one of my all time favorite book series. I grew up with these books and began reading in elementary school. I even went to the midnight release parties for the sixth and seventh books at the bookstore in my town. Rowling captures the reader in the Harry's Wizarding World, which is now a theme park nonetheless, and the reader is left stunned after reading this fantastic series.
-Agatha Chirstie's books like And Then There Were None, Murder on the Orient Express, and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. I love a good mystery and Christie's are the best that I've read. Her books contain every slightest detail which at first, readers, like myself, may ignore but later end up kicking themselves as they find that they brushed by the solution to the mystery without giving it a single thought. Christie throws many red herrings and curve balls at the reader and most often, the murderer or criminal is in the place that you'd never look but clearly should have. Read this with a pencil and sheet of paper to keep track of suspects, clues, and details to solve the mystery.
Do you have any of these favorite books? Leave a comment and talk about them.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
The Dog Days of Summer
Although the temperature outside may slowly be decreasing, there is still plenty of time for dogs this summer and I've read two perfect books about man's best friend.
The Dog Gone Mystery by Bryan Gatley is for children ages eight through twelve and features siblings Colin and Verity as they search for their missing dog, Strags. This story "takes place in the northeast corner of America a long time ago," and reflects tidbits of local history. The character Ruth B. Thistletip is one such example as she was inspired by Ruth Buck, a suspected witch from Westborough. Colin and Verity use their sleuthing skills and resourcefulness to find their dog and face the terrifying Ruth B. Thisteltip. This would be a great story to read with a class or aloud with an audience.
White Dog Haikus and Things We've Learned from our Westie by Kathy Troidle Jackson is another great book for all ages. This books contains several haikus about the Westie, Islay Bear, in different situations like facing the different seasons, finding mice and chipmunks, seeing other dogs, and eating. There are great pictures of Islay Bear, a cute Westie, decorating the pages. There is even a list of advice, "The Things I've Learned from my Westie," with items like "Hold no grudges," "Live in the moment," and "A little bacon makes everything taste better." This a light-hearted read that I'd recommend to any dog-owner.
These dog books may be purchased through the following sites:
The Dog Gone Mystery
White Dog Haikus and Things We've Learned from our Westie
The Dog Gone Mystery by Bryan Gatley is for children ages eight through twelve and features siblings Colin and Verity as they search for their missing dog, Strags. This story "takes place in the northeast corner of America a long time ago," and reflects tidbits of local history. The character Ruth B. Thistletip is one such example as she was inspired by Ruth Buck, a suspected witch from Westborough. Colin and Verity use their sleuthing skills and resourcefulness to find their dog and face the terrifying Ruth B. Thisteltip. This would be a great story to read with a class or aloud with an audience.
White Dog Haikus and Things We've Learned from our Westie by Kathy Troidle Jackson is another great book for all ages. This books contains several haikus about the Westie, Islay Bear, in different situations like facing the different seasons, finding mice and chipmunks, seeing other dogs, and eating. There are great pictures of Islay Bear, a cute Westie, decorating the pages. There is even a list of advice, "The Things I've Learned from my Westie," with items like "Hold no grudges," "Live in the moment," and "A little bacon makes everything taste better." This a light-hearted read that I'd recommend to any dog-owner.
These dog books may be purchased through the following sites:
The Dog Gone Mystery
White Dog Haikus and Things We've Learned from our Westie
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
An A+ for The Alphabets
Wow! Cecelia In Lee's The Alphabets is quite the read. This story follows ten different seniors in high school. The reader realizes how they relate to each other and is left hanging with suspenseful twists and serious issues like divorce, drug addictions, and secretive scandals with this rich young adult group in the city called The Alphabets. As this group goes through several parties and hangovers they realize how important they are to each other.
This book has very dynamic characters. They really pop off of the page and each deal with their own issue in a distinct way that reflects their strong personalities. I felt like I was among them when I read and I really cared about the people. Cecelia also creates a clear image of their relationships with each other with both comical and serious scenes. I definitely recommend this book to somebody who is looking for a fast-paced, action-filled read.
To purchase, visit the book's website. See http://www.authorhouse.com/Bookstore/ItemDetail.aspx?bookid=72671
This book has very dynamic characters. They really pop off of the page and each deal with their own issue in a distinct way that reflects their strong personalities. I felt like I was among them when I read and I really cared about the people. Cecelia also creates a clear image of their relationships with each other with both comical and serious scenes. I definitely recommend this book to somebody who is looking for a fast-paced, action-filled read.
To purchase, visit the book's website. See http://www.authorhouse.com/Bookstore/ItemDetail.aspx?bookid=72671
Friday, September 3, 2010
NaNoWriMo
School has once again resumed and it is time for new beginnings. I've decided that this fall I will try something new and participate in National Novel Writing Month.
From November 1-30, people from all over the world compete with themselves to write a 50,000 word novel. The mission of this month is to simply write: not to worry about quality or meticulous details, but to simply get words down on paper and pump out a novel. This seems like a tough challenge. The website has all sorts of motivational pep talks and even a procrastination station. NaNoWriMo is just less than two months away.
For those interested, more information can be found at http://www.nanowrimo.org/
From November 1-30, people from all over the world compete with themselves to write a 50,000 word novel. The mission of this month is to simply write: not to worry about quality or meticulous details, but to simply get words down on paper and pump out a novel. This seems like a tough challenge. The website has all sorts of motivational pep talks and even a procrastination station. NaNoWriMo is just less than two months away.
For those interested, more information can be found at http://www.nanowrimo.org/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)