tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43345714630467508992024-03-21T05:31:19.472-07:00Neverland's Librarybook reviews & morealecwriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07654702598600467969noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4334571463046750899.post-10427330655100710172015-11-02T12:39:00.000-08:002015-11-02T12:39:24.787-08:00How To Encourage Kids To Write<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There are many ways in today’s world to encourage a child to
write. There’s internet communities like Wattpad and Figment, where they can
post their writing, there’s subcultures of writing like fanfiction, there’s
poetry contests, genre clubs and keeping of personal journals. Stories posted
on websites like Wattpad by writers as young as thirteen years old have gotten
millions of hits, and while it may not make that young writer a household name,
it gives them encouragement to write. There’s a whole world of writing today,
and many avenues to publish for young people in non-traditional forms, but how
does one get a young person to write in the first place? A kid who writes will
have better skills for their future college essays, their current school essays
and better skills in general for current and future tasks, which have to do
with communication. However, what do we do to encourage young people to write
now? There are many avenues that could be taken. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I feel the
first important avenue isn’t having the child write off the bat, but having the
child read. Finding a genre to get the child to read, and one they would really
like is the first step. A young person who reads a lot of fantasy, might want
to try to write fantasy themselves, while a teen who has gotten into realistic
teen fiction might want to write fiction reflecting their own experiences. Fiction
writing is a great way to encourage children to write, because they can embrace
a genre and idea that may sound slightly like a book they read, but also be
completely different. Even adult fiction writers draw from the genres they like
to read.<o:p></o:p></div>
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However,
not all kids like fiction, and that’s where another avenue comes in. Young
people might want to write non-fiction, and this can come in the form of
journalism, creative non-fiction and poetry. Poetry has always been a popular
form for young people, as it’s emotional and often reflects how they feel about
anything from a crush to something pretty they saw outside. They may also want
to write for a school newspaper, reporting on the local events at the school.
This provides them with a constant way to write, be instantly published and a
social group around that paper. Another thing young people who don’t like
writing fiction may feel they want to write is essays on topics they are
interested in. If a young person really likes costumes, for example, and also likes
anime, they might want to write an article on Cosplay, the art of dressing up
as Japanese characters, and offering advice on a blog they set up.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Blogging is
another creative option to encourage young people to write. Though, the young
people should be careful, as they don’t want to spill out their life on the
web, they might want to write about their knowledge concerning a topic they
know a lot about, like reviews of books, movies, music or anime. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another way to encourage young people to write
is fanfiction, which in a way, is a way to write about a topic but a bit
different, as it’s fiction itself but about a topic. <o:p></o:p></div>
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A lot of
these websites including Wattpad, Figment, and the originator of fanfiction on
the web, Fanfiction.net, offer places for young people to post fiction of their
favorite existing media. “Harry Potter” is known as the biggest fanfiction
topic on the web, but fanfiction dates back to fanzines, which is a fan produced
magazine or newsletter, of “Star Trek”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Fanfiction offers a creative way for young people to write, and also
express their love for a book, movie, TV show or band. A big misconception of
fanfiction is it’s poor writing, as a lot of it is often well written.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Encouraging
a young person to write can take time, as not everyone wants to sit down and
write. They may feel they have had enough of this in school, and feel it’s like
extra homework to them. However, if you make writing exciting for them, and
make it feel like they are contributing to a community, whether it’s an online
fiction community, an writing group which meets in person, a blog or a school
newspaper, then writing can become an outlet and a good way for them to become
more well rounded people. <o:p></o:p></div>
alecwriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07654702598600467969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4334571463046750899.post-50215776281807833282014-07-20T06:56:00.001-07:002014-07-20T06:56:02.788-07:00What To Do When The Idea is Cool but the Book Sucks?<br /><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLAry3a_eFq1P05yCxXln8hioPF_ULmOk5qhE8nWE6xKnUNq90jwjWwNXKT8-rzcjtM6sdN9E7gsD_XdWJ1j1N7kKukRbC0RzqvtbFZgELcF9RDVx0_Hcj_02j1SXqd_W7HSWAkEY5smE/s1600/Unknown-5.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLAry3a_eFq1P05yCxXln8hioPF_ULmOk5qhE8nWE6xKnUNq90jwjWwNXKT8-rzcjtM6sdN9E7gsD_XdWJ1j1N7kKukRbC0RzqvtbFZgELcF9RDVx0_Hcj_02j1SXqd_W7HSWAkEY5smE/s1600/Unknown-5.jpeg" /></a>You see the new plot to a book. It sounds like the coolest
idea ever. You decide before you go spend twenty dollars, you should go to the
most honest book review site ever: Goodreads. You are surprised to see that
everyone says the book is awful and not worth your time. This begs a lot of
questions. I find this is true most with YA novels. The idea is incredibly cool
but the actual book doesn’t know how to handle it. This is a problem a lot of
writers have. The idea is so cool, and I think most writers get really excited
when they come up with the coolest idea since Harry Potter, but then have to
stretch it to two hundred plus pages, it becomes a real drag. The writer
doesn’t know how to execute it. There’s a lot of skill that goes into the
coolest idea for a book ever. There’s world building and there’s backstory and
there’s characters that still need to be great. It needs humanistic characters
the reader connects to despite this being the coolest idea you ever had.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sometimes I
love an idea for a book that already exists so much I just want to re-write it.
I can already criticize and come up with all the cool places that this idea
could of went. However, it’s really not that simple. The poor author who is
getting savaged on their Amazon page and Goodreads is already feeling the pain
of their cool idea not really working. Now, I’m not saying it’s entirely not
their fault. Of course it is. Some ideas really work better as short stories
and are not meant to be stretched into a whole book. Sometimes you read a book
that is clearly meant to be a series and the second book never comes out at all.
I won’t mention any first books here, but I think you can guess them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is
very true in YA, as there are two types of YA writers. The YA writer who really
is passionate about writing for young people and the YA writer who just wants
to share in the millions of dollars a YA series can bring them. The first kind
of YA writer is the best at stretching an idea because they care about their
characters, young people, as more than just wizards, clones, robots, vampires,
zombies or whatnot. They care about them as young people first and foremost.
The other kind of YA writer just thinks a cool idea is enough to make them a cool
writer. They don’t think deeper than kids with magical powers is cool.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
However,
this happens in adult books too. Like the character, Richard Stark, in Stephen
King’s “The Dark Half”, a literary writer writes a series of books under a pen
name about a serial killer who is really good at what he does. Those books sell
a ton of copies. Also note “Misery”, as Paul Sheldon is a similar character. He
writes cheesy romance novels, which makes him millions, while putting off his
literary works. This illustrates a problem with a lot of books (and lets be
honest, screenplays too). The shiny idea is so freaking cool, you get excited
over it but than once you try to stretch it to a full work, you find it falls
apart.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve had my
share of really cool ideas. I’ve tried to stretch them. J.K. Rowling, Stephanie
Meyers, Suzanne Collins and Rich Riordan are masters at stretching out a cool
idea. Yet many really good YA writers have tried to stretch out a lot of their
ideas outside of their comfort zone and see it fall apart. You can’t write a
cool idea without having good characters readers can connect to, to lead them
through their story. What I mean by this is the character is equally important
to the idea around them. There is a term for the cool idea, more precisely.
It’s called “high concept,” and that means it’s an idea that’s not realistic
but you are going to give it your all.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Harry
Potter is high concept, for example. It’s not the boarding school from a John
Irving novel. It’s the boarding school with magic, but she was smart in not
making her characters too high concept. Despite the magical setting, the actual
characters are really kids, for the most part. However, the high concept trend
is starting to go out of fashion. John Green writes about kids in realistic situations,
and basically, it’s a cycle. High concept trends but realism often stays.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, what do
you do when the idea is cool but the book sucks? Well, it’s really tempting to
want to re-write the idea in your own fashion and try to make it better. I am
tempted to nitpick all the time. I want to take that cool idea and totally
change it up to make it better. However, even if the book sucks, you have to
give the writer credit for trying to make something work that’s totally
interesting in the first place. If you are passionate about your creation and
the world you built, go for it. We all need escapes into something we don’t see
everyday.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
alecwriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07654702598600467969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4334571463046750899.post-12229374674728046452014-01-18T13:45:00.001-08:002015-11-02T12:53:19.644-08:00Some Thoughts on Genre<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I look at the fiction I write, I really have to say
it’s clearly magical realism. I don’t have the intense enough attention to
detail for fantasy, and I get bored with the purity of it when I write.
However, I do love to read other people’s fantasy. The question becomes what
genre should one write? I love science fiction, but I don’t know a lot about
science. The best science fiction, to me, has some element of science in it. A
lot of good science fiction has really no elements of science in it, but the
best has some element of science. I love the idea of magic happening in the
real world but the reaction being mundane at best. Some say that magical
realism is a fancy way of just saying you write fantasy, however I don’t think that’s
true. Fantasy has more of an element of surprise, and I think the success of
books like “Harry Potter” work because of that combination of fantasy and
magical realism. In my stories, things happen, that are magical, that are
unbelievable, yet everyone’s reaction seems to be that they are ordinary. A lot
of the best Twilight Zone episodes are magical realism, because of the way the
people react to these weird situations like they are no big deal. Of course,
genre goes hand in hand in a lot of other areas. Genre goes hand in hand with
audience. “Fifty Shades Of Grey” is erotica and obviously isn’t being written
for teenagers. However, “Fifty Shades of Grey” started out as a fan fiction of
“Twilight”, which some has classified as erotic in nature but obviously Edward
Cullen isn’t going to do the things to Bella Swan that they do in the books of
“Fifty Shades of Grey”.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I think to
pick a genre, you have to look at the kind of story you have. Genre is very
important to the success or failure of a book. Sometimes it works when a book
doesn’t have a genre, but mixes them up into something new. Sometimes a solid
genre really helps a book connect with an audience. It’s obvious that Stephanie
Meyer pioneered paranormal romance in popularity and it connects with young
female readers. It’s also obvious that J.K. Rowling pioneered the popularity of
young adult fantasy and it connected with all sorts of people as an escape. I
write in multiple genres, but my last few stories have all been magical
realism. In some current stories I have written, things that are fantastical
have happened, but what I like about the genre is the reaction to it. In the
universe created in a magical realism story, the idea that something unusual is
happening isn’t treated as a big deal as it might be in a fantasy novel. Magic
just seems like a part of everyday life.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dystopia
has become a big deal in publishing lately, and it’s not all that new of a
genre. Suzanne Collins “The Hunger Games” has taken off and created a whole new
interest in dystopia. The problem with a lot of authors and genre is they often
find a niche in a genre. There’s nothing wrong with that, as it helps the
author put out a lot more content. However, sometimes that can get an author
stuck in one type of story. Stephen King has been criticized as recycling by
some critics. Dean Koontz has been praised for being able to bend genre, often
mixing more than one genre into one book.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
However,
sometimes an author shouldn’t leave their genre as much as they want to. I
tried to read J.K. Rowling’s first adult novel, “The Casual Vacancy,” and I
admire her for trying something new. However, the problem with the novel wasn’t
that she was trying something new. It was that she threw out what made her
novels so successful in the first place. The quirkiness of her style was gone.
Instead, it was mostly unlikeable characters trying to deal with depressing
thoughts. Sometimes an author shouldn’t go too far from their genre or style,
up to the point they are unrecognizable to the reader. However, that’s what pen
names are for.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My favorite
genres of books are young adult, middle grade, magical realism, horror, non fiction, science fiction, cyberpunk, coming of age, romantic comedy, dystopia and good old stories
about people simply being people. I find that magical elements are fun to write
about but also combining it with stories about people who are mundane is also
an appealing aspect to my fiction writing. The question becomes how does one
pick a genre? My advice to pick a genre you feel comfortable in for one’s first
outing as a fiction writer.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Also, let
me say if you want to write in a genre, also read that genre. Don’t read a ton
of horror novels and than turn around and try to write a romance. That wouldn’t
make sense. Often this can be hard for an uneven reader, such as myself,
because we can’t stick to one kind of book and read a lot of genres, creating a
reading list that is all over the place. That’s why often the best fiction
writers are very into one kind of genre. If you read a lot of fantasy, and have
some kind of writing ability, you might be able to write in that genre.
However, that’s why sub genres as they are called are good, because they are
under the umbrella of a bigger genre. Magical realism is under the umbrella of
fantasy, and thus you can borrow elements of fantasy and use it in a more
common story without it overpowering it. So, pick wisely.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Things to remember when picking a genre for your story<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Your audience <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-What lends itself to a single book or a series?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-The type of situation you are writing about?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-What type of things should happen in the genre? (For
example, you aren’t going to have a sex scene in the middle of a young adult
fantasy novel).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-The age of your characters and what kind of situation they
are in? (Kids on a magical quest are a different genre than a couple of adults
trying to figure out who was the one who murdered another person!)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-And your premise, which really applies to both audience and
genre, as some premises do not really lend themselves to an adult book and some
do not to a kids book. <o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->alecwriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07654702598600467969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4334571463046750899.post-11760185063903085862013-09-06T18:24:00.001-07:002013-09-06T18:37:29.425-07:00Wizard Meets World<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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If kids in the 2000s had
“Harry Potter”, then kids in the 1990s had “Boy Meets World”. When I sent out
that observation on Twitter, it got retweeted quite a bit. Not to make us feel
old, but “Harry Potter” is currently celebrating its 15<sup>th</sup>
anniversary. J.K. Rowling was on the
Today Show, celebrating the occasion. Meanwhile, TV writer Michael Jacobs has
been doing some celebrating of his own, with the spin off “Girl Meets World” in
the works, and a reunion of the cast at ATV Television Festival in Texas. It’s
hard to believe that “Harry Potter” is 15 years old and “Boy Meets World” has
been in continuous reruns for 20 years. This brings up some points. For example,
what other TGIF shows have been in syndication for 20 years? The reruns of
“Family Matters” and “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” have floated around cable, but
what was the last time someone mentioned “Step by Step”? “Harry Potter” has had
the same staying power, constantly on the bookshelves in reprints at Barnes and
Noble, and constantly selling.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Before I talk about the power of coming of age stories to
stick around, lets talk about the differences and similarities of “Boy Meets World” and “Harry Potter”. Lets
start with the obvious. Mr. Feeny is Dumbledore of the 90s. Okay, Mr. Feeny
couldn’t preform magic, but like Dumbledore, he always explained the lesson of
the episode to Cory and his friends. He also stayed with them, pretty much
through all 7 seasons. He was a trusted adult, father figure to Shawn and
Topanga and a constant voice of enlightenment and reason, just like Dumbledore.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Another similarity is the
obvious two boys and a girl. Corey, Shawn and Topanga were the three main
characters. In fact, only Corey and Shawn appear in all 158 episodes. In the
Q&A at the reunion, Rider Strong (Shawn) revealed that there was supposed
to be three boys, but they constantly kept changing the boy character, until
they noticed that Danielle Fishel had great chemistry with Ben Savage and Rider
Strong. They decided to keep her on as the third member of that core group. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Now, consider this. Harry and Ron
had Hermione. Topanga and Hermione have a lot in common. Hermione and Topanga
start out the same. If you remember the earlier books of Harry Potter, Hermione
is a nerd that the guys really don’t look at. In the later books, she becomes a
girl the guys want. Topanga is a nerd, in the early seasons, and a bit of a
nerd in the later seasons too. She goes nuts when she doesn’t get straight A’s.
So does Hermione. However, Topanga becomes more normal, in the later seasons.
In the earlier seasons, she was considered weird. Hermione, in the earlier books, was also
considered weird. In the later books, she is considered attractive and more
mainstream.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Ron Weasley is Shawn Hunter. J.K.
Rowling hints in the books that Harry Potter has more money than Ron. Ron isn’t
poor, up to the level of Shawn, from “Boy Meets World”. However, Ron does show
some jealousy towards Harry. Him being a star and having money left over from
his parents will. We also say Corey is Ron, because Corey wants to be as cool
as Shawn, but isn’t. Despite everything, Corey and Shawn are best friends, just
like Ron and Harry. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The differences, of course, are pretty obvious. Corey has
a good family, unlike Harry Potter. He has Alan and Amy Matthews. Alan Matthews
is one of my favorite characters on Boy Meets World, because William Russ did a
wonderful job playing him. He also has his older brother, Eric and a younger
sister, Amy. Harry Potter is an orphan, with a horrible family, the Dursleys.
I’m not making the case that Harry Potter and Boy Meets World are exactly the
same, but they do have some striking similarities. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Another similarity is the way the shows and books are
structured. Boy Meets World ran each season as a year in the life of Corey
Matthews, as each Harry Potter book was a year in the life of Harry Potter.
Corey and Harry have such wide appeal, because they aren’t very special, and I
don’t mean that as a knock. Harry and Corey are very every kid. Harry is famous
in the wizardering world, and that subplot is an obvious difference from Boy
Meets World. Boy Meets World is about the regular world. However, the bigger
point is both have staying power because of the coming of age storytelling.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Both have this strange power of being really re watchable
and being really re readable. Both audiences for Boy Meets World and Harry
Potter re-read or re-watch the episodes and books over and over again. I’m not
saying Boy Meets World or Harry Potter is perfect stories. Many say Harry
Potter is stretched out too long, and Boy Meets World was obviously stretching
out too long towards the end of the series. The whole Topanga and Corey get
married in college plot was a bit over the top but hey; Hermione did marry Ron
at the end of Harry Potter. The later seasons of Boy Meets World became a bit
too obsessed with the whole Topanga and Corey relationship. While they did have
great chemistry, keeping them as simply long term boyfriend and girlfriend
would have been more believable than a full marriage. However, let me point
out: isn’t that why people hate Twilight? Don’t they hate the overkill of the
high school relationship between Edward and Bella, ending in marriage, even
though they are kind of young? That’s another essay.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s odd, though, isn’t it? This show and this book
series seem to be coming of age stories that have been in constant reruns or
re-reads or finding new audiences for a long time now. They aren’t one hundred
percent the same but they are similar in their goals, of not just entertaining,
but educating and telling a coming of age story. Now, Boy Meets World, while
dealing with some serious issues, did not have wars or death. It was a Friday
night kids sitcom in the 90s, so of course not. An obvious difference is Boy
Meets World doesn’t have a villain while Harry Potter has Voldemort.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The 1990s and 2000s are different in the way they are
structured. I think the 1990s type of stories that Boy Meets World reflects are
simpler than the magic based stories that Harry Potter reflects. The thing I am
saying are Boy Meets World and Harry Potter having very much the same core,
though. The coming of age story told well through 7 books and Boy Meets World
through 7 seasons. Of course, Harry Potter was ended by J.K. Rowling while ABC
probably canceled Boy Meets World. There was no way J.K. Rowling’s publisher
wanted the series to end. Boy Meets World even joked openly in their show about
ABC changing their time slot in one episode. The kid Cory and Topanga babysit
yells they are trying to kill his favorite show.<o:p></o:p></div>
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That’s another thing Harry Potter and Boy Meets World
have in common. There’s a lot of Meta humor in both of them. Harry Potter has
winks to the audience from J.K. Rowling that kept the adults from rolling their
eyes but the time they got through 700 pages about wizard kids. Same with Boy
Meets World, which made a lot of jokes openly in their later seasons about some
of the more nonsensical elements of their show.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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That being said, the thing that Harry Potter and Boy
Meets World have in common the most is they have really good characters that
grow and change, and are in the great traditions of coming of age stories. The
stories one grows up with, over a series of books or episodes, seem to stay
with one and when they come on in reruns or are found on the bookshelves, one
likes to revisit those stories. They have staying power, and I’m sure TV writer
Michael Jacobs and author J.K. Rowling will be making money for a long, long
time, if not forever from reruns and book sales. We all know J.K. Rowling is a
billionaire, and it’s safe to say Michael Jacobs is probably a millionaire.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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So, Boy Meets World and Harry Potter have obvious
differences but also have a lot in common. I can’t say J.K. Rowling watched Boy
Meets World, but I know when I write young adult fiction, I think a lot of both
series. Maybe I think of Boy Meets World a bit more, because I grew up with
that series, but I also think of Harry Potter. My favorite scene in “Boy Meets
World” is in the finale, actually, when Corey has a hard time saying goodbye to
Shawn, and Shawn goes “Are you nuts? We have to say goodbye for a hour!” That’s
the way many people feel when they grow up with a book series or television
series. The core elements of Boy Meets World and Harry Potter the same,
forgetting the magic or the normal environment.<o:p></o:p></div>
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For a coming of age story to work, the elements are
almost always the same. The growing up part is a formula, almost, that always
works in a story if it’s done well. Now that’s I’ve written this essay, I expect
a Harry Potter/Boy Meets World crossover fan fiction craze to start on the web.
No, I don’t only expect it. I demand it. Now, get writing and make me Internet
famous.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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On a more serious note, though, at the reunion of Boy Meets World cast,
Michael Jacobs made a good point that there is no television that really speaks
to kids anymore. He said it's a audience he cares about. He is right about
that. The closet show I think that speaks to kids in that way is The Big Bang
Theory, which in it's self, is a coming of age story. The Big Bang Theory is a
coming of age story for late bloomers, because the elements the characters
experience in that show are pretty much the same the characters
experience in Boy Meets Wold. It's just they happen to be older and smarter. It
speaks to a lot of younger people, because a shoe like that provides a safe
place were they don't feel ashamed, because if those older guys can experience
it, so can they. I think television is a important medium, and he's right. I
also see, though, that a lot of the charm of Boy Meets World has moved to the
book medium because of the charm of Harry Potter.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLS3kuCwfbLT3fh1LX87LDF0isv2w4MVIgYBORLSD_wsf1K95Nd8j8EKASu4KwqV4GEEXpWO63qJRmiiAsG9tdZMhr0nCMmAUKees8BIY7-dB9bxCBhub_g4aUX6g-BGhjSl6LdkA0ZPo/s1600/1058px-Wikipedia-logo-v2-en.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLS3kuCwfbLT3fh1LX87LDF0isv2w4MVIgYBORLSD_wsf1K95Nd8j8EKASu4KwqV4GEEXpWO63qJRmiiAsG9tdZMhr0nCMmAUKees8BIY7-dB9bxCBhub_g4aUX6g-BGhjSl6LdkA0ZPo/s320/1058px-Wikipedia-logo-v2-en.png" width="278" /></a>It’s a misconception that Wikipedia is some free for all. The
editors of Wikipedia are a very fickle group, actually. For all the criticisms
of Wikipedia, it’s actually a very well protected site. Yes, anyone can edit it
but the truth is that’s not as easy as it sounds. Often a page will have a lock
on it if it’s a very important topic or person, and only certain people can
edit the pages. Also, every page of Wikipedia has a “talk” page behind it, a
kind of message broad where the editors and writers of that page talk about
what’s missing and reasons of why or why not something is added or removed.
Wikipedia is a lot more complicated than people give it credit for. A lot of professors and teachers, rightly so,
say it’s not a good research tool for a paper, and that is true. You should
never cite Wikipedia as your source. Even though Wikipedia has put protections
in place, it’s still too much of a risky, everyman kind of website that anyone
can edit to do so. That being said, it you just need information for personal
use or just curiosity, than it is a great resource. Just to show how diverse
Wikipedia is, one of my favorite pages is when they make a whole page for a
fictional character. Do we really need a whole Wikipedia page for Sheldon
Cooper? Of course not! Is it still kind of cool? Yes, it is. In a way,
Wikipedia celebrates all sorts of knowledge, but how do you get started as a
Wikipedia contributor? There are some useful tips to do so.</div>
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Set Up A Account- Wikipedia warns you that if
you edit the page, without an account, you will have your computer address
recorded and posted publicly on the backlog. The backlog is a list of people
who have added and contributed to the page. While it’s unlikely anything will
happen to your computer, your computer address number is still personal
information and you do not want to have that published on a public log. So, set
up an account, and make up a screen name. </div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Edit What You Know- Save stuff you have to
research for later. As a beginner on Wikipedia, you will want to show people
your knowledge. Don’t be ashamed if your first Wikipedia edit is of Harry
Potter’s personal Wikipedia page. People will appreciate whatever you
contribute, because it shows you at least know something. I edit a lot of pages
of stuff I didn’t even know I knew about. The last page I edited was of Chevy
Chase, adding the amount of episodes he appeared in of “Community” (81
episodes). This information isn’t important, per say, but is a way to start. It
feels good using what you know, adding to what you know, no matter what the
topic.</span> </div>
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Back Up What You Say- Not for every single fact,
but a good amount of them, if you can find a source, add it. The source on
Wikipedia appears as a little number like [8] in a little box like the one I
just wrote next to the fact. The little box will lead to a link at the bottom
of the page, which lists all the links that back up facts. Often if a fact
isn’t backed up with a source, a senior editor will remove the added fact even
if it’s true.</span><br />
<br />
Look For Pages That Need Help- Often a page on
Wikipedia will have a notice on top of it saying there is something bias about
the way the page is written or it has a ton of facts that aren’t backed up or
it says something mean about the person or it’s just incomplete. Those pages
are good starting projects for a new contributor on Wikipedia. These pages need
help of some kind. They need to be edited and re-written up to the point that
Wikipedia points it out in a top banner on the page. So, those are good places
to start. One can become a senior editor fairly quickly on those ones if a good
job is done. A senior editor is someone who can edit the page, even if a lock
is placed on it.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
Start To Expand To Other Topics- Once you master
Wikipedia and the stuff you know, you should start to work on other pages.
Sometimes it’s cool helping putting together a page as a news event unfolds.
When John Edwards admitted he was having an affair, they where already putting
together a page about the affair, and I contributed to it. Affairs of
politicians are not something I am an expert on, but I was sick of editing pop
culture pages and this led to an afternoon of research. I’ve contributed to
many pages of topics I do not have any business really knowing about, but
research can be fun and educational and that is why I expanded to topics that
are out of my comfort zone.</div>
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Keep Your Language In Check- Like writing a
newspaper article, Wikipedia is not interested in how beautifully you write.
Make sure you are writing facts; even if it’s something you are passionate
about. Straight forever writing is something Wikipedia values. Write to the
point (excuse the pun) is something Wikipedia is all about.</span></div>
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And that’s how you can start contributing to Wikipedia. It’s
a great hobby, and a place to share your useful or useless knowledge, depending
on what you know. Wikipedia has a mind for everyone’s mind.<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->alecwriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07654702598600467969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4334571463046750899.post-90704328614485324552013-07-19T10:18:00.001-07:002013-07-19T10:45:14.097-07:00Explaining The Cursed Mary Sue <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSi7JZfnYCI0wl6sHZJHDaonvIB3mqxEZj9q2PEibJzXf0RWggrI6w4gt8Mvw0O9U721U2xs9bY8Xh0LDGSoQ8ru14DU2XMFQ1X8BNPVqhKrkzHUHZEJo5_KI7CaMpIaqZQhEvDB0BkhA/s1600/bella+swan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSi7JZfnYCI0wl6sHZJHDaonvIB3mqxEZj9q2PEibJzXf0RWggrI6w4gt8Mvw0O9U721U2xs9bY8Xh0LDGSoQ8ru14DU2XMFQ1X8BNPVqhKrkzHUHZEJo5_KI7CaMpIaqZQhEvDB0BkhA/s320/bella+swan.jpg" width="258" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A lot of authors write mary sues. Mary sues was a term which
first became popular in the fan fiction world. If you wanted to attend
Hogwarts, but knew that was impossible outside of a book, you could write a fan
fiction where a new student attends Hogwarts, and this character sounds a bit
like you, expect prettier, and attracts all the hot guys at Hogwarts without
lifting a finger. A lot of people have accused Stephanie Meyer’s “Bella” of
being a mary sue, and she probably is. Bella isn’t super attractive, or super
talented, or has anything really special about her. She is described, to a
painful extreme, as plain and clumsy. Yet, this perfect guy, Edward Cullen,
seems to be very attracted and in love with her. If that wasn’t enough, another
hot guy, Jacob, also seems to be totally in love with her. Heck, they start a
supernatural love triangle and war over her. It’s a perfect example of wish
fulfillment. What teenage girl wouldn’t want this to happen? I’m not talking
about the 18 and over set; I’m talking about the 14 and over set. However, I
don’t blame older women if they don’t kind of think it sounds kind of cool. If
grown men can look at magazines of beautiful women and think to themselves, if
only I had five minutes with Emma Watson, I could impress her, then women are
allowed to have a bit of fantasy too.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
However,
the problem is writing whole novels and works around a mary sue can become a
bit much. People see right through that hot, young guy or girl with magical
powers who’s perfect, or that really plain guy or girl who happens to attract
the hottest guy or girl around. It might make for a bestseller, but people do
grow tired of people who write wish fulfillment. To an extent, all fantasy
novels are wish fulfillment. Harry Potter and Twilight are both wish
fulfillment, as are other countless clone books. However, how do you make sure
you aren’t writing just wish fulfillment, and are focusing on stories that are
good stories. Just because you wish it doesn’t equal a good story.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mary sues aren’t
new. You can say they’ve been around for a long time. Scout from “To Kill A
Mockingbird” is obviously Harper Lee; Paul from Hunter S. Thompson’s novel, “The
Rum Dairy” is obviously Hunter S. Thompson. Kilgore Trout from Kurt Vonnegut’s
books is obviously Kurt Vonnegut. However, the thing that is a bit different
from today’s mary sues from mary sues of the past is that they aren’t just
autobiographical. They are close to perfect. They are a perfect version of the author
or the audience, and if they aren’t perfect, they sure as heck attract the
perfect guy or girl despite that. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are
different kinds of mary sues. Sometimes the mary sues is the author and other
times it’s the audience. Penny, in “The Big Bang Theory” isn’t only the love
interest across the hall. She is the audience surrogate. She represents the
audience’s flustered reaction to the world of nerds and science she, along with
the audience, is encountering. On the
other hand, Leonard represents the nerdy people watching the Big Bang Theory,
making him a male Bella in a way. Despite him not automatically winning Penny,
he does over time win her over, representing a mary sue-ish fantasy for many
nerds in the audience. Last guys finish last, and it’s worth waiting for,
according the laws of the CBS sitcom, The Big Bang Theory. Harry Potter was a
big success because of his role as an audience surrogate. He’s every boy, and
is new to this wizading world he has never encountered before. He, along with the books audience, is
discovering and peeling away the secret world of wizards in training. Now, this
does start to fade with later books, as he becomes more used to that world, and
becomes less the audience and more his own character. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Early Harry
Potter has a lot in common with “every boy” Cory Matthews from “Boy Meets
World”. One of the reason the show has become a smash in syndication long after
it probably should of gone the way of many hit 90s sitcoms, and be remembered
by a select few but mostly forgotten. Creator Michael Jacobs was smart to make
Cory Matthews such an audience surrogate that we feel like we are Cory
Matthews. He isn’t a totally developed character, but the audience feels like
they are in his shoes.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
However, if
we are looking for a character in the Harry Potter books that is a pure Mary
Sue, that character is obviously Hermione Granger, whom J.K. Rowling says
openly is based on herself as a little girl, except better. While not
breathtaking and beautiful in the books, like her movie counterpart is in Emma
Watson, the character is a brilliant person. She gets great grades, raising her
hand for everything. She’s sort of like Tracy Flick, from the novel and movie,
“Election” but she isn’t nuts. She is insecure, sure, but she’s also got what
it takes to be at the top of her class.
Being only a half-blood, she is half muggle. That gives her even more to
prove. J.K. Rowling is kind of a half blood herself, as you can argue as the
creator of the universe, she is half wizard. So, Hermione Granger really is
J.K. Rowling’s alter ego.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In a way,
the alter ego is mary sue. Mary sues have a shelf life, though. People started
to get sick of Bella as Twilight went on, as she never developed out of her mary sue shoes. People want to see their characters evolve from mary sues into
their own. Mary sues tend to work better on TV shows, because the format is 22
minutes and also they usually will stop around 200 plus episodes. People get
sick of reading thousands of pages of a character obviously fulfilling the
fantasies of the author. That’s why there is a rather big backlash after
everyone started to analyze Twilight.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mary sues,
though, work better in young adult literature than in adult literature. Adults
are more likely to want to read a good piece of literature, or if not that,
simply a good page-turner. Kids want to step into the shoes of those
characters. That’s why an adult novel can be written about a kid but a kid
novel can never be written about an adult. With the exception of romance
literature, which is often mary sue central for the author and the reader. Ever
look at the back cover of a romance novel? Most romance novelists are nerdy
people who write great looking characters and want to be held in the arms of a
great looking guy. That also doubles as an audience surrogate. There are two kinds of mary sues in romance
literature. The kind that is a better looking heroin or hero getting together
or simply a person like the reader and the writer, a nerd who somehow wins the
heart of the supermodel.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some rules
of mary sues are as follow. Mary sues have to be fiction. If you are going to
write a memoir, you need to be honest. No making up anything about yourself. Hugh
Grant, for example, has played mary sues of the screenwriter Richard Curtis.
“Notting Hill” is a great example of mary sue. The Hugh Grant character is
obviously the screenwriter, who imagines he scoring a movie star.</div>
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Mary sue is a new term but not a new idea. A lot of people
write for the sake of living in the shoes of someone with their qualities,
except a little better. A lot of fictional character resemble their creators
but they have something a bit better about them or they are exactly like their
creators but somehow score a perfect mate, than you are probably reading a mary sue character. Some ways of identifying a mary sue includes the book being in 1<sup>st</sup>
person. A lot of mary sues are at the movies, actually. A lot of screenwriters
are nerds typing away an action hero at their laptops, imaging themselves as
the heroes, and finally, if the book is titled “The Nerd and The Showgirl”, you
should probably know this romance paperback is a mary sue. </div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->alecwriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07654702598600467969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4334571463046750899.post-61644523492411887182013-03-09T08:19:00.000-08:002013-03-12T08:25:40.082-07:00Orson Scott Card: Were Do You Stand?<div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7skL8H-eAFC-78hsDE8ZLWNv2jFbrGPPSJS4VPP6D-B6MPR4kcYXLlqBpqlEoFI7aT5dg8YaqprWwPEQXhPyBhyphenhyphenPMS97YkHVMKI08PjJGXu4h0md7k2m1PKb8ymuwQJBQxQSYnbgBj3c/s1600/orson+card+scott.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7skL8H-eAFC-78hsDE8ZLWNv2jFbrGPPSJS4VPP6D-B6MPR4kcYXLlqBpqlEoFI7aT5dg8YaqprWwPEQXhPyBhyphenhyphenPMS97YkHVMKI08PjJGXu4h0md7k2m1PKb8ymuwQJBQxQSYnbgBj3c/s1600/orson+card+scott.png" /></a>Recently Orson Scott Card, the bestselling science fiction author of the modern classic, “Ender’s Game” has been in the news. With the movie of “Ender’s Game” coming out, and his gig writing a couple issues of“Superman”, people have been crying foul because Scott is an active campaigner against gay rights. He is also on the board of the National Organization of Marriage. Often, when I read Dean Koontz, for example, I roll my eyes at the“morality” he slips into his books. However, I still really admire him as a good storyteller. So, I’m wondering if anyone here thinks an author’s moral stand and politics should stop a person from enjoying the work of this author. There’s a saying the personal is political and what’s more personal than writing? We’ve all seen Clint Eastwood embarrass himself as the RNC as he yelled at a chair, but does that mean we shouldn’t bother with his films? He is a really good filmmaker. However, back to Orson Scott Card, who people are crying foul at his involvement in writing Superman comic books.</div>
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DC Comics has been under such pressure from activists that they have put Orson Scott Card’s story on hold, and the artist quit. I understand Orson Scott Card’s politics are way out of line with mine. He is a devout Mormon, and has spoken out against homosexuality on the internet, columns in his local paper and on his website. However, when Orson Scott Card writes about writing, he is right. His views on using accessible language, and his belief that J.K. Rowling was wrong to go after a guy publishing an unauthorized encyclopedia fall in line with my views. However, I do not agree with his views on politics. He is very outspoken about everything and his political comments have left people scratching their heads, asking how could a homophobe and right winger write such great science fiction? Well, the question I have to ask is what does a science fiction novel and a Superman story have to do with personal beliefs?</div>
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Science fiction is well, fiction, and so is Superman. So, do I have a right to protest Orson Scott Card's books, upcoming movie and Superman script because his political views are not in line with mine? Well, I’m not a big fan of political correctness myself. If someone is a racist or homophobe, why make them pretend they aren’t? We will just not hang out with them. His novel, “Ender’s Game” is bestselling, beloved and has a Hugo and Nebula Award. However, when “Ender’s Game” came out, it was before Orson Scott Card could blog about his views or his local newspaper columns would spill out on the internet. It was 1985. That being said, Orson Scott Card’s involvement in the Superman comics and his upcoming movie adaptation is causing a stir on the internet. He says that his book signings have become protested by local activists.</div>
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“Ender’s Game” is a science fiction novel, and not a political rant. I believe we do not have a right to deny Orson Scott Card employment because his views do not fall in line with many people. Some people share his views and some do not. I do not but I will not let his political views make me boycott his involvement in“Superman” comics or a movie adaptation. If this was J.K. Rowling instead of Orson Scott Card, would we throw out all the good work she has done to get kids to read because of a personal view? J.K. Rowling, let me be clear, has been very supportive of gay rights, but what if she wasn’t? Rowling’s work has done a world of good, but should we turn a cold shoulder to that if her personal views were not in line with ours? Personally, I am not a fan of political correctness, as preached by people on the left who often say they support free speech. If someone isn’t in favor of equality, than why make them pretend they are? Using the right words is silly. People have a right in this country to be politically incorrect, if that’s how they really feel. </div>
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However, Orson Scott Card's politics aren’t the same as his work. Yes, some of his fiction has gotten political but not all of it. “Ender’s Game” is a science fiction novel, and it sounds silly to boycott “Superman”. I think we shouldn’t go after D.C. Comics for hiring what is really just a popular science fiction author to write a couple of issues. His book, “Ender’s Game” has been a bestseller for a lot of years, and a movie adaptation was bound to come. So, his politics aren’t in line with mine, but we shouldn’t throw away his good work as a science fiction writer because we think his views should be fictional too. Orson Scott Card has a right to his views, and I have a right to mine. However, Orson Scott Card is not running for office. He is a talented guy who writes science fiction novels. His talents should not be overlooked because of his personal and political views.</div>
alecwriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07654702598600467969noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4334571463046750899.post-67620392499971518792013-01-26T17:53:00.002-08:002013-01-27T05:33:26.064-08:00My Literary New Year's Resolutions<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj25_BrJZRUgTSnkqwPQzi6qnX2yX5Dlmr-TIj1R4pjGnaMEP3EktBR7uQQoJ7AATKHlh5wYP-COoSpYsdlLcpsBvMt3y3nEeQVIewKSWIZkczKQqBu2JjBsoVJ7PjdqOsgmsa6ulo1F0Q/s1600/dean+koontz+books+24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj25_BrJZRUgTSnkqwPQzi6qnX2yX5Dlmr-TIj1R4pjGnaMEP3EktBR7uQQoJ7AATKHlh5wYP-COoSpYsdlLcpsBvMt3y3nEeQVIewKSWIZkczKQqBu2JjBsoVJ7PjdqOsgmsa6ulo1F0Q/s1600/dean+koontz+books+24.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, it’s 2013, and I’m going through my new year’s
resolutions. I have a lot of bad habits as a reader that I’m going to try to
break this year. What could I do to have a better relationship with my literary
habits this year? Well, it’s time to make some new year’s resolutions as a
reader and lover of literature that I’m sure I’ll break really early on in the
year.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I Will Finish A Series of Books- In the Time
Magazine profile of George R.R. Martin, as the author last year on the Time 100
list, they claim that if you didn’t read A Game of Thrones, you should be
ashamed of yourself. I guess I am ashamed of myself, because I’ve had a paperback
of A Game of Thrones with the old fantasy cover (not the cover George R.R.
Martin repackaged it with, you know, to make the public feel less ashamed that
*gasp* they are reading a fantasy novel), you know, the cover with the good
looking guy on a horse, for years even before the HBO series made the series
hot. It’s a long book, and I have kept putting it off. I don’t know, but often
I have a problem caring about people who lived hundreds of years ago in a
fantasy land. However, my goal this year is to make my reading more popular.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I Will Read More Popular Books- This isn’t to
say I don’t read bestsellers, but I never keep up with the popular books.
Often, by the time I get to the book of year, the year has passed. I guess I
don’t read the water cooler book that everyone is going ga-ga over at the
moment. It took me awhile to get to Harry Potter, The DaVinci Code, Twilight
and The Hunger Games which isn’t to say I didn’t read them. I did. However, I’m
always late to the party on the hottest books. I honestly, am also cheap, when
it comes to books, and that’s why I guess I’m so late to the party. I buy most
of my books used, and a lot of these books have a million holds on them in the
library, so by the time I read them, people have moved on from vampire novels
and are now reading books about people with weird sexual hang-ups acting out
their fantasies (I’m looking at you, 50 Shades of Grey).</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I Will Quit Dean Koontz- Too late, I’m already
reading the 3<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">rd</span></sup> Odd Thomas book. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I Will Start To Get Angry At Authors People Say
I Should Be Angry At- I know a lot of literary people I know take out their
anger on Stephanie Meyer, and maybe I should start to deeply analyze her work
and take out my anger on her too, but when I see a 14 year old reading a book
the size of a doorstop, I could really care less if the book is about sparkly
vampires or dueling wizards. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">5.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I Will Read John Green- I know, “The Fault In
Our Stars” is probably brilliant and people worship author John Green but…this
Dean Koontz book is titled “Velocity!” The title alone promises well, Velocity!</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">6.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I Will Start To Hang Around Barnes and Nobel-
Until I look at the price tag on a brand new book and realize I could buy the
same book for less, used, online. Oh, and browsing the paranormal teen romance
section makes me uncomfortable, even if it’s just for research.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">7.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I Will Read Another Stephen King Novel- 2011 was
the first year I didn’t read a Stephen King novel, which just feels wrong.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">8.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I Will Be More Mature- In all seriousness, I
know John Green’s book is about a hard topic (teens with cancer) and I really
need to give it a shot. Author John Green is considered like brilliant.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">9.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I Will Write My Own Book- Easier said than done.</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">10.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And Finally, I Will Continue to Update My Book
Blog- To tell you all about my criticisms, thoughts and stuff concerning the
book world and writing. I have a large stack of books, ready for a new year. I
will re-read some classics (Pride and Prejudice), I will read some new ones,
and I will read some used paperbacks I bought cheap. So, pretty much like last
year. It’s year two of Neverland’s Library, so let’s make it a good book year.
Cheers!</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">11.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And oh, let me add one more thing- This really
isn’t about books but because this is the New Year, I want to say this: why
does my life resemble The Big Bang Theory more than Girls? These shows are both
about twenty something’s and my life is nothing like Girls. I know, off
subject, but maybe that will change this year. </span></div>
alecwriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07654702598600467969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4334571463046750899.post-47544669481227269822013-01-04T08:28:00.002-08:002013-01-04T13:13:20.529-08:00How To Write For A Younger Audience<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmo514QBQfIb3R0QNJnNgbl0c5BmJF7R3QIw_ArrQlkSYtyG2AUFn3PwoW5tnCPzhUYbK5bZ3vCc6Eg9Qy4F0TxiHqiZk4Llje3Ko-gxc-Uy-BKZF513B-zJYTIyacr_fkflVJyKS0ewTB/s1600/2_jkrowling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmo514QBQfIb3R0QNJnNgbl0c5BmJF7R3QIw_ArrQlkSYtyG2AUFn3PwoW5tnCPzhUYbK5bZ3vCc6Eg9Qy4F0TxiHqiZk4Llje3Ko-gxc-Uy-BKZF513B-zJYTIyacr_fkflVJyKS0ewTB/s320/2_jkrowling.jpg" width="204" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">There are a lot of benefits to writing for a younger
audience. Adults tend to read page turners, airplane reads, and novels as time
killers. However, when kids read a book, they often really connect with that
book on a deeper emotional level. Look at the response to “Harry Potter” as
both an escape and an expression of the world around them. Judy Blume, for
example, helps kids understand their changing world through her realistic
novels. Blume is an interesting example, because even though she has sold millions
of copies, adults still want to ban her book. I read an article in the New York
Times recently about an author named Lauren Myracle, whose series of novels
written in text message style, has sold 1.5 million copies. The article starts
with names she has been called, such as a “pedophile”, “Satan” and “a corrupter
of youth.” Yet, she makes the case she is just writing honesty about things
young teenagers go through. The fact that adults want to ban young adult
literature so badly but don’t have a problem with toy commercials screaming at
kids during a commercial break is really ironic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet, it also speaks to the power of young
adult literature. Kids really connect to the books they read, and there are a
lot of benefits to writing for the younger crowd. One of the big benefits for a
prospective author is that kids are a really loyal readership. Unlike a
novelist for adults, who may or may not see an adult pick up the next book, kid
readers will often read an entire author’s work. Also, introducing reading to a
kid is a really great feeling. So, what does one need to know about writing a
young adult story or novel? Here’s my advice.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Read Young Adult Novels- As much as I cringe at
adults who read nothing but young adult novels, because I think adults should read
everything, not just one genre. However, I do think it is important to read
young adult novels so you do get to know the language and kind of characters
young adult novelists write about. “Harry Potter”, for example, is a must read
for people who want to write for young adults. Study what J.K. Rowling did
right. She is a perfect example of a balance between what kids actually go
through and escapism kid’s love. On one end, kids love gritty realism. A novel
that reflects their actual world, but on the other hand, kids also love to
climb into a book. They love the idea of a book being a world that’s theirs,
much like their rooms at home.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Your Main Character Has to Be a Young Adult-
This is kind of non negotiable. Your main character can’t be an adult. It has
to be a kid, teenager or someone who is eighteen. Eighteen is the age limit for
your characters, because a young adult novel is not a young adult novel if it’s
about adults. “The Hunger Games” is a good example. They can send anyone into
the terrain of the Hunger Games, but they send teenagers. So between the
action, and the dystopian problems of the future world, we get teen romance,
teen issues, and teenagers trying to deal with youth-based issues. If one
thinks about it, it would make a lot more sense for an adult to be sent to the
Hunger Games, but Suzanne Collins set out to write a young adult novel dealing
with these issues, so she made them teenagers.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Choose a Genre- I’m all for writing in multiple
genres, but it really helps for a young adult novel to stick to one. Kids
aren’t dumb, but if you’re young adult novel is going to be a fantasy novel,
than you need to deliver a fantasy novel. Remember what I said about J.K.
Rowling. It’s important also to make the issues of the kids fit the genre. A
realistic novel about teenagers might deal with abuse, drugs, and family.
“Harry Potter” touches on abuse, in the form of the Wesley’s, Harry’s aunt,
uncle and cousin, but Rowling knows she’s writing a fantasy novel, so the abuse
isn’t overly intense. However, if you read a novel by Judy Blume, she has no
problems being realistic about the issues teens face. Rowling is, too, but in a
different way. Another thing that works with writing young adult fiction is not
just a genre, but a series. It’s easier to write a series targeted towards
young adults because they often want to follow the characters, and will often
follow them as they grow up.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Write What You Knew- One of the things about
writing for a young adult audience, isn’t writing what you know. It’s writing
what you knew. Try to put yourself back into your teenage years. What did you
know when you where a teenager? Were you an alienated teenager? Where you a
popular, good looking teenager? An outcast or a nerd? What did you know? If you
where bullied, than write about that. If you where a good looking teenager who
got the girl, but had a bad home life, than write about that. If you where a
teenager who was professionally modeling in New York City or a teenager stuck
in a small town in Iowa, with nothing but a stack of books, than write about
those experiences. Sometimes the best way to write about these unique teenage
experiences is to add a twist that really makes them more intense. You might be
a nerdy kid who wasn’t popular, but that’s because you can do magic, and you
belong in another world. Really, what that is saying, is I was an alienated
teenager who didn’t feel like I belonged. If you think about, that’s what
fantasy novels are really about.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">5.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Create A World- Weather that world reflects a
magical home (like Hogwarts), a scary one (like District 9) or simply a
realistic one, like the novels of Judy Blume, you need to make the book one a
kid can climb into. One of the things about young adult literature is that kids
have plenty of hours to read, as they are well, kids. An adult has a job, or a
time limit, often. They are on a plane, or reading bits and pieces between
working hours. A kid can sit in his or her bedroom, for a long time, and really
turn those pages. A kid wants to be totally engulfed in the book, because a kid
has a lot more time to kill. So, make sure you do a little world building. Make
the world the novel portrays, even a realistic one, a world the reader can
inhabit. A kid doesn’t just read a book, they climb into it.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">6.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Keep Your Language In Check- Okay, this is
important on a craft level. When I read Harry Potter, I noticed that between
the made up words, and the occasional harder words, there was also a lot of
simple language. Stephanie Meyer, of “Twilight”, is very good at this too. Keep
the language at a mid-brow level, and also keep the language readable. Don’t go
all intense with your language. Don’t aim for intense prose that will be
unclear and hard to read. You are still writing for a younger audience, and
don’t forget that. I’m not saying you should write down to them, but remember,
no cursing, no intense language, and keeping language clean, straight forward
and relatable. A kid doesn’t want to read a description that goes on for twenty
pages.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">7.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Keep Your Themes In Check- Kids love darker
themes. Plenty of characters die in the Harry Potter series, and The Hunger
Games takes that a step further. However, do be careful. Sex and violence
should be on the table, but knowing this for a younger audience, you do need to
temper yourself. A lot of young adult novels have more intense events happen
off camera, as they alluded to, or taken as an issue. The novel “Speak” is about
a girl who is raped, and the aftermath, yet the author is very clever. The rape
happens before the novel opens, and we see the aftermath through the main
character’s inability to speak, through her poor grades and through her
problems with her other classmates. There are ways to take larger themes, but
at the same time, not totally scare off your reader base. You are still dealing
with young people, and to an extent, a book should be a safe zone for
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you do have issues of rape,
abuse, violence, death and other issues, you should handle the carefully and in
a way, the reader can understand. I would say this for an adult novel; too, as
I really believe in not turning off your readership but with kids, you really
need to be even more careful.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">8.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Crossover Appeal- The difference between Harry
Potter and Twilight is crossover appeal. A lot of adults roll their eyes at
Twilight (even though a lot of adults did read Twilight too) but it really
helps to have crossover appeal. As in, adults can love it too. It really helps
if an adult can use the book as a way to talk to their kids about an issue, or
a bonding experience. As in the adult and the kid both read and like the book.
To make that work, you are going to need some winks at the adult audience.
“Twilight” takes its self a little too seriously, at times, while “Harry
Potter” actually does take some time to wink at the adult audience. Sometimes, Rowling
really had a great sense of humor concerning her work. Don’t forget, you are an
adult. Don’t forget that you might be more mature than your characters. Some of
the issues your characters will deal with, you, I would hope, are over. That
being said, you still need to take those issues seriously, because your
readership definitely does. Don’t be that character from the movie, “Young
Adult”, who is a young adult author who is just as immature as her own
characters in her books. An occasional wink or a little humor helps a novel be
enjoyed by both adults and their kids. Of course, though, a good story is the
main part of the crossover appeal. Tell a good story, and even the adults can
get into it.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">9.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Don’t Do It For The Money- Yes, J.K. Rowling,
Stephanie Meyer and Suzanne Collins made good money writing for the young
adults. Now, I totally understand thinking it’s a great market place for publishing,
and it totally is. A bestseller and a movie rights deal? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, I want that. However, if you do it for the
money, you will pander to your audience, sound like an adult trying to sound
like a kid and you will totally turn off your audience. Rowling, Meyer, and
Collins totally sound like real teenagers, and that’s why teenagers love their
work. Another thing you might notice is they didn’t write knock offs. Rowling
started the wizard trend, Meyer started a vampire trend and Collins started a
dystopia trend. Start something new.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
you write the book, because you want to contribute to young adult literature,
as opposed to just trying to make a ton of money, than your book is more likely
to be a bestseller, because you wrote a book that really transcends marketing
and connects with the kid.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">10.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Don’t Forget You Are an Adult- Seriously, that’s
important. Don’t hang around a high school, trying to pick up teen slang,
unless you want to be arrested. Instead, going back to point one, read young
adult novels to get the young adult language down. However, still write well.
Don’t write a young adult novel that really sounds like a teenager up to the
point that they are using words like “Yo!” and “True that!” The book still
needs to make sense.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, that’s my advice concerning
young adult novel writing. Good luck to all the people doing this noble
endeavor, writing a book that connects with young people. There really is
nothing better than a teenager or kid reading a book. If you can get them
reading young, than you can get them reading for life. Good luck. </span></div>
alecwriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07654702598600467969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4334571463046750899.post-6184340484366959362012-11-18T08:18:00.001-08:002012-11-18T08:19:07.423-08:00Beloved Book Becomes Beloved Film<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Note: Because this review is based on the beloved novel, I have posted it on both blogs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Four Stars</span></div>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuG9f9GwhBlXk8mlz3bQDMX3tJwFM2zhEXn1YGYdi6CmS0nH3fFVR57rk18UpzlH7eV_BIyDQcUnVYELN-PkBTuO26nBfT6e6LDzrY1nEPjO-4wvR6c589wsr6aXzNPSuW-tuMrLQumv0/s1600/perks-of-being-wallflower-featured.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuG9f9GwhBlXk8mlz3bQDMX3tJwFM2zhEXn1YGYdi6CmS0nH3fFVR57rk18UpzlH7eV_BIyDQcUnVYELN-PkBTuO26nBfT6e6LDzrY1nEPjO-4wvR6c589wsr6aXzNPSuW-tuMrLQumv0/s320/perks-of-being-wallflower-featured.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">John Hughes had a saying that you are more serious at age 16
than you are at any other time in your life, and I’m suppose that’s true. Reading
a novel like “Perks of Being a Wallflower” as a teenager, you walk away with an
intense emotional experience. It would be easy for me as an adult to shrug off
this book and movie as easily the case of overly dramatic teenagers, despite
how serious their problems are. I have read the bestselling young adult novel
the movie is based on, and I always thought that “Perks” was a story about
closed doors. The problem with me as an adult is that “Perks” packs a lot of
teenage problems in a novel that’s about 206 pages. Rape, pedophilia, coming
out of the closet, bullying, drugs, sex, mental health, depression, and all
sorts of stuff that teens deal with. Between all the typical teenage scenes in
the book and movie, someone says something that sticks out like a sore thumb,
often an admission of some kind that doesn’t sound quite right.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This brings me back to John
Hughes’s saying, that everything is more serious when you are a teenager. It would
be really easy for me to talk on and on about all the issues this novel brings
up in such a short space, but on with the movie review. Charlie is a shy kid,
who is just starting high school. On his first day, he meets a wonderful English
teacher (Paul Rudd), who sees how smart he is, and starts giving him extra
books to read. He starts to read books like “A Separate Piece” and “Catcher in
the Rye”, which in this story is almost foreshadowing of the actual story we
get. Angst ridden teen novels, in an angst ridden movie based on an angst
ridden teen novel, I’m starting to get the picture. It helps that this movie is
written and directed by the author of the actual book, which is very rare,
Stephen Chosky. Charlie is a wallflower, which means he sits back and observes,
doesn’t get involved and has an unusual way of thinking. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Soon he
meets some older kids, Sam and Patrick (Ezra Miller). Emma Watson and Ezra
Miller have wonderful chemistry as step brother and sister, and are obviously
good matches for the shy Patrick. They are quirky and it’s hard not to like
them as they go on and on about good music versus bad music. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ezra Miller is very good here, as Patrick, the
gay kid who has some secrets of his own. Emma Watson is also very good, with an
American accent. As Charlie, the beloved character from this beloved novel,
Logan Lerman does a wonderful job, and I’m (probably foolishly) hoping he gets
an Oscar nod. There are a lot of hints in this movie (and in the novel) about
his obsession with his dead aunt. Obviously, something was going on between him
as a kid and this aunt that wasn’t exactly normal. Often, victims of abuse in
the way Charlie was, become obsessed with the abuser.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Despite
all the issues this film brings up, it works, because with all the underlying darkness,
there’s a lot of sweatiness to these characters. Charlie’s shyness, and his two
outcast friends, Sam and Patrick bring a lot of great friendship that helps
them get through their traumas. Scenes like when Sam gives Charlie his first
kiss, saying that the first person who kisses him should be someone who loves
him, we get the sense that she means she loves him as a very good friend loves
another. The scene where Patrick buys Charlie a suit because of Charlie’s great
desire to be a writer or the scene where after Charlie admits that his best
friend shot himself, they raise their glasses to Charlie after Sam tells
Patrick what happened.</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Perks”
would be easy for me to dismiss as I am no longer a teenager, and maybe I don’t
have that intense nature anymore that I once had as a teenager, but a lot of
teenagers have an intense nature and this film brings us back to that. I know a
lot of kids will be waiting on line to see “Twilight”, and believe me, I have
nothing against that. I think we all need an escape, but it is kind of a shame
that more kids won’t be on line to see “Perks of Being a Wallflower”, which
they might actually take something away from. One of the great accomplishments of
the writer Stephen Chbosky in both the film, and this, his so far only novel,
is just some of the lines alone, like “We feel infinite” or “We get the love we
think we deserve.” Writing for teenagers often allows a writer to go for a line
that perhaps some adults would roll their eyes at, because a teenager feels
that seriousness John Hughes was talking about. However, a lot of Chobosky’s
lines have become iconic and have great truth to them. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A lot of the lines from the book (and now the
move) raise this story from a normal young adult novel. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Perks of Being a Wallflower” might require
the viewer to get in touch with their inner adolescence, and remember a time
that the world did feel that serious. However, the issues these teenagers deal
with aren’t exclusive to only teens, as many adults have problems with the same
things.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What I would
suggest is that if your kid is begging to see the finale of “Twilight”, make a
deal with them that they also see this. I always think it’s important for
younger movie goers to not only go to movies that feed them entertainment, but
also give them something personal and positive to walk away with. As I said
earlier, I have nothing against escapism for younger viewers, but I think “Perks”
might also balance that out with something they might hold onto. “Perks of
Being a Wallflower” is that book that teens probably pass along to each other,
and this movie is the kind of movie that might actually help teens copes with
some of the very serious issues they deal with. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Perks of Being a Wallflower” is one of the
year’s best films, and a testament to being able to create characters for
teenagers and adults alike. On a personal note, I’ve been waiting to review the
movie version of this book ever since I’ve read the wonderful novel, and I wasn’t
disappointed with the film. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Often
smaller movies that are geared for teenagers are the best films for them to
see. “Perks of Being a Wallflower” is one of the year’s best films, and
hopefully one of the best attended. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
alecwriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07654702598600467969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4334571463046750899.post-32276331780223113242012-11-02T09:20:00.002-07:002012-11-02T09:30:11.820-07:00What’s A Good Storyteller Worth: The Pros and Cons of “Twilight”<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFMJ9DXsn5d0jio2WFojjFzPFQOjrUXx5RK4fsE0HCJhuVzHKX5NvWghht8F0LK315OsfLbDoRsNIIn9SodUbIininjJ2agQJ2BCbCJ4vtCVyQskUnL-7USgrbQXGMyOJsvgij7u0VlG4/s1600/twilight+saga.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFMJ9DXsn5d0jio2WFojjFzPFQOjrUXx5RK4fsE0HCJhuVzHKX5NvWghht8F0LK315OsfLbDoRsNIIn9SodUbIininjJ2agQJ2BCbCJ4vtCVyQskUnL-7USgrbQXGMyOJsvgij7u0VlG4/s1600/twilight+saga.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now, I’ve read the first “Twilight” and instead of simply
saying it’s good or bad, I think it would be interesting to write a review that
weighs the pros and cons of “Twilight”. On one hand, Stephanie Meyer is a
wonderfully good story teller; on the other hand, she’s not a great writer.
What are the pros and cons of a popular book? Should we be happy with anything
that gets a teenage girl to read? I vote yes. Should we criticize her writing?
I’m not really sure that’s worth doing. Are her characters and situations kind
of ridiculous? Yes. “Twilight” is an interesting book, not because of what it
is. It’s a fairly standard romance novel with some supernatural stuff thrown in
that teenagers love. Now, I’m not saying Stephanie Meyer is J.K. Rowling. She’s
not. J.K. Rowling is both a great storyteller and a great writer. However,
“Twilight” brings up this interesting point. I am a great believer that not
everything needs to be masterful (if it was, we all go nuts!) Some things need
to be just good escapism, and “Twilight”, if not a great book, is great
escapism. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now,
I’ve heard the critics of “Twilight” bash it for reasons that are serious
concerns. I will give the critics that, but I think “Twilight” deserves a mixed
reaction, not just a plain bash fest. Reviewing “Twilight”, the book, I think
there are pros and cons. Bella isn’t a strong enough female character, Edward
is kind of a stalker, they fall in love too fast (yet, a lot of teenagers in
real life do, too) and Mayer’s prose are standard, if not subpar at best.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All true statements, yet on the other hand, a
reader needs to know what they are walking into. “Twilight” is for teenage
girls, who are at an age where every boy who looks the least bit attractive is
one for their hearts. An argument I don’t buy is, which I’ve heard from friends
who are critics, “Twilight” somehow promotes older men and younger girls
getting together. Yeah, Edward has been seventeen for a thousand years, but
that’s part of the appeal and escapism. He’s a vampire, and vampires do not
age. Anyone who has read better vampire novels knows this.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Twilight”,
for those few who do not know, is about a teenage girl named Bella who is new
to Forks, a town near Seattle. She goes to a new school, where boys take notice
of her. She meets a new boy named Edward, who quickly becomes her boyfriend.
They get together, and well, they fall in deep love. I’m already cringing at
this as a twenty five year old male, but I know I will have to put my ego at
the door while reading this. I am a book critic, sure, but I’m also not a
fourteen year old girl. I have no plans on becoming a woman or a girl or
whatever. So, yes, this book wasn’t written with me in mind. So, let’s start
this interesting review. I present the pros and cons of Twilight.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Let’s start
with the pros. The pros are Meyer’s talent at creating escapism. It’s so
ridiculous what we are reading. The romance isn’t set up well enough, and we
see that. I mean, these two characters really are hormone driven teenagers, and
Meyer pretty much knows this. A simple glance across the lunch room pretty much
sets up a big romance between this vampire and this teenage girl. However, the
characters she creates are so compelling; she does a good job of selling this.
I found myself turning pages, really fast, wanting to know what happens to
these characters. I found her introduction of the Cullens sitting at the lunch
table compelling. Who are these great looking teenagers who have somewhat pale
skin and keep to themselves? They are great looking kids with something
mysterious about them! It’s not an original hook, but that doesn’t make it a
bad one.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Bella’s
narration, too, is a plus. Yes, to me, a 25 year old male, it sounds like a
whiney teenage girl. Teenage girls complain a bit, and I think that’s a natural
thing. Yes, there’s a limit, but let’s remember who we are following in this
story. Bella is a sixteen year old girl, who’s selfish mom ships her off to the
dad she’s hasn’t seen since she was a little girl, because she wants to have a
romance with a baseball player. She has to adjust to a new town, and new
friends. She has to learn to obey a new parent who she hardly knows. A teenager
like that in real life has a right to be a bit of an emo kid. Teenagers have a
bit of a right to be emo. People criticize Meyer for sounding like a whiney
teenager, but they forget, she isn’t narrating this story. Bella is. Being a
bit whiney is true to this character. I would think a teenager in her situation
would have a right to whine. Heck, I would expect her to. People say Bella is a
martyr. I think she’s just a frustrated teenager.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Teenagers like that have a right to
feel a bit rejected, have a right to complain a bit. She can write bad poetry
about her situation. An unfair comparison people make is between prose in Harry
Potter and Twilight. Harry Potter is told in the third person, and Twilight in
the first person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bella is narrating the
tale, not Meyer. If Harry Potter was told in Harry’s point of view, instead of
Rowling, he would sound like Bella. Harry, like Bella, would sound like a mistreated
teenager, who doesn’t feel in control, and considering neither is in a great
situation, they have a right to complain. Understanding where a character is
coming from is important, and besides, she’s not trying to connect to an old
foggy like myself, she’s trying to connect to a teenager trying to figure out
their raging hormones and puberty. How many times have you looked back on your
teenage years and can’t believe what you wrote in your dairy? How whiney did
you sound? It’s the same thing. </span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Another
pro to “Twilight” is its sales. Like Harry Potter’s sales, anything that sells
books to kids is a good thing. I rather my kids read both “Twilight” and “Harry
Potter”. Heck, they are reading. That’s never a bad thing. Is “Harry Potter”
better than “Twilight”? From a literary point of view, yes! Does kid’s
literature have to be held up to the standards of the New York Times Book
Review Section? No. If we hold young adult literature to a standard that high,
kids will never read. Most kids, first and foremost, want to be entertained,
not enlightened by some deep, Pulitzer Prize worthy prose piece. However, I was
talking to a librarian and she noted that a lot of adult writers are now
writing young adult novels, and they often aren’t very good at it. Meyer is
good at speaking to the teenagers in a language they can understand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I however, when I was younger, I did read
some books I found rather deep (Perks of Being A Wallflower is great, but
looking back, is a bit melodramatic in places), and that’s a skill. I’m not
saying give Meyer (or Rowling) the Pulitzer. No way, but respect their talent
for being able to do what a Pulitzer Prize winning novelist might not be able
to. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now,
onto the cons. “Twilight” is poorly written at times, and on a rather low
level. One of the merits of “Harry Potter” is that it doesn’t talk down to
kids. “Twilight”, at times, does feel like it’s pandering to its young female
audience in the writing department. The book uses a bit too many terms that
sound like an adult trying to sound like a teenager. Seriously, Meyer sometimes
sounds really ridiculous in the phrases she uses. We know this is a teenager
narrating, but we also know this is a grown woman writing it, and sometimes a
little self awareness would pay off. This would also have helped the book have
some of the crossover appeal “Harry Potter” had. “Harry Potter”, at times but
not so much that it ends up being like an episode of “Community”, really did
have this self awareness to it. One of the reasons I think adults read Potter
so much is because it did wink at the audience sometimes. Rowling has this dry
humor Meyer doesn’t. I don’t know if that’s a British thing, because Meyer is
American. However, “Twilight” does lack that self awareness which might have
made the book better. At times, the book takes itself a bit too seriously.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Another
con of “Twilight” is the fact that Bella isn’t really the strongest female character.
Hermione Ginger, in “Harry Potter” is a strong female character that Bella Swan
isn’t. Bella is in love with Edward to the point of it being a bit ridiculous.
Like, too much of her not being able to live without him is really silly
sounding. Like, they do fall in love way too fast, but her strong desire to be
with him forever sounds a bit silly. I don’t look forward to the day I have to
tell my future daughter (if I have one), after her breakup with a first
boyfriend, that no dear, you and him are just misunderstanding hormones.
“Twilight” sells the idea a bit too strongly that you and your high school
boyfriend are meant to be eternal souls. I can see this book making it harder
for parents to explain to their kids that no, you and your boyfriend, are both
in high school, and will probably move on in college. Bella, in book two,
doesn’t even want to go to college or turn eighteen, because of her eternal
love for Edward. Yeah, I understand this is a fantasy, but eternal love in your
high school years is often a fantasy.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">An aspect of their love I do like, though, is
the sexual tension but the decision they constantly make to wait and not do the
deed. Too much media is focused on teenagers getting it on and acting like it’s
not a big deal, and in Twilight, it’s a very big deal and Meyer’s conviction
(could also be due to the fact she’s a Mormon, but that’s not really fair),
that teen sex is dangerous (and in this case, would result in a bite from a
vampire) is actually not a bad message for teenage girls. A bite from a vampire
is a really good metaphor for the unhealthy results of teenagers doing it a bit
too early. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">However, she keeps describing Bella
as a plain girl, up to the level that we really don’t understand Edward’s
attraction to her. Edward is like a teenage model, and Bella is a plain looking
girl. That big gap in the way they look makes the book feel a bit too much of a
fantasy. Meyer didn’t need to make Bella look amazing, but she could have added
a detail like beautiful eyes or Bella is a star athlete. I don’t want to sound
shallow, but everyone, not just teenagers, thrive on some kind of attraction
that’s physical. Bella never really gives us something about her that would
attract the hottest guy in school. That makes the book seem like a fantasy for
teenage girls that’s a bit unrealistic. We don’t really understand why Bella is
dating this guy. This guy can have any girl he wants, and Meyer doesn’t really
make anything stand out about Bella. She’s not super smart or attractive in any
special way. I’m not trying to be shallow, but the guy with model looks is
going out with the girl with model looks. This is high school, and yes, I know,
Edward has been in high school for a thousand years, but still.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Another con I feel is Meyer’s
unreliable writing. She doesn’t know how to incorporate back story the way
Rowling does. The story of the vampires, with Edward talking about Paris and
his past, and his parents dying, and the bite that changed his life, feels kind
of pointless, and should have been something the editor should have either cut
out or something Meyer should have left as a mystery to the reader. A more
mysterious back story would have created some mystique around the character.
Also, the Cullens are way too successful. Even their adopted father looks like a
model, and he’s a successful doctor. That’s kind of a plot hole too. A vampire
can’t be a doctor. They go insane around all that blood. Also, they own nice
cars. Sorry, I just don’t buy vampires being this successful. They have way too
many issues to do this well in society. I haven’t even started on the other one
who tries to win Bella’s heart yet, either. Jacob, her Native American friend,
who can transform into a werewolf, is also vying for Bella. Meyer puts too much
of this supernatural stuff without proper pacing and mystery around it which makes
the book come off as cheesy. Also, Edward and Jacob, these two great looking
guys, sorry I’m just not buying that they are battling for this very plain
human girl.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, what do we make of “Twilight”,
and if I were to grade it, what would I give it. I think it’s better than a
“C”, but not quite an “A”. I would give it a B. Meyer deserves credit, because
if she wasn’t a great storyteller (which she is), no one would buy this story.
However, her storytelling is really compelling even if her writing isn’t really
that great. I think writing a compelling story is a real skill, though, and
it’s always valuable to write to a younger crowd. What critics don’t get about
books like “Twilight” is that “Twilight” isn’t a great book by itself, but more
of a waiting station for kids to get hooked on reading. The language is easy,
the story is simple and entertaining, and also, what critics don’t get it that
not everything needs to be masterful. “Harry Potter” is a masterful story, as
is “War and Peace”. Yet, do we need everything to be a masterpiece? No,
sometimes we just need brain candy. If an adult is reading “Twilight”, then
it’s just brain candy to them, simple as that. Sometime to help them escape their
everyday life. If a kid is reading it, then it’s just a fantasy for them
crafted perfectly for them. Stephen King criticized Meyer as “not being able to
write a darn”, and that might be somewhat true. He went to praise J.K. Rowling.
However, Meyer and Rowling are in the same business. They are in the escapism
business because no one is going to Hogwarts and no one is falling in love with
a vampire. Both are fiction, but fiction is important, because society needs
theses stories. After all, what is a society without stories? It’s real life,
and lets be honest, at times, it isn’t much fun. </span>alecwriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07654702598600467969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4334571463046750899.post-51585998303777933032012-09-14T15:05:00.000-07:002012-09-14T15:05:23.702-07:00Neil Gaiman at Bard: A Report<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihYxjI-ou9gHDaI8qg7I82w6t3RcknE_HvzCOmInJngvpapWYKmGOne2Duif7Sis4tdIvR-hC6X5H4Mrah9yHUjVwRpnUJidyseK_KVAV0iX83hXXph3ZzqCp-DJDweSj5YfVpjr5qEH4/s1600/NeilGaiman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihYxjI-ou9gHDaI8qg7I82w6t3RcknE_HvzCOmInJngvpapWYKmGOne2Duif7Sis4tdIvR-hC6X5H4Mrah9yHUjVwRpnUJidyseK_KVAV0iX83hXXph3ZzqCp-DJDweSj5YfVpjr5qEH4/s320/NeilGaiman.jpg" width="320" /></a>Neil Gaiman is one sincere man. He's been a literary rock star for years, and as he took to the stage at Bard College, he said that he was expecting a classroom of about 30 people, not the 700+ people who showed up to simply hear him read a new short story he had written. Through Twitter he asked if people wanted to come out and hear him read, asking them to be his "guinea pigs." Well, people came from all over. A woman drove all the way from Maryland to see Gaiman read. Another said he came from California, and his family would like to think he came to see them, but he really came for Gaiman.<br />
<br /> Gaiman emerged on stage in his trade mark black jacket and seemed shocked at how many people showed up. Gaiman, one of the best known storytellers of out time, is a bit if a fantasy legend. His best known books include "American Gods", "Neverwhere", Good Omens", and of course "Coralline."Writing children's books, fantasy novels and acclaimed graphic novels Gaiman has had a great career as a writer.<br />
<br /> I won't give away too many details of the story he read to the audience. I will say it was an honor to be one of the first people to listen to a Neil Gaiman story. After the story he told us that he would edit the story based on our reactions, including playing up one of his characters. That is really cool that we could have an effect on one of this master's stories. He got a well deserved standing ovation from which he humbly asked if we stood because the story was that good or were we just wanting to stretch due to sitting so long. In addition to the story he read two wonderful poems. Before he started the reading he promised the audience a gift afterward. Naturally the gift he gave us was a cool and quirky one. The gift was a performance by his wife, Amanda Palmer. She took out her ukulele and and enchanted us as Neil Gaiman looked on lovingly.<br />
<br />All in all, it was a delightful evening, and an honor to be in the presence of a literary God. Maybe I'm sounding a bit like a hero worshiper as I write this loving tribute to the great Neil Gaiman. And even tho I only had to travel a few miles to get there I would of strapped on the mileage for this experience. Now, if only I could be in the same room with Stephen King, my life would be complete.--- alecwriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07654702598600467969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4334571463046750899.post-60536904881809657292012-08-03T11:35:00.001-07:002012-08-03T12:24:00.032-07:00Fictional Teachers We Had<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkwIWB_oZX2mfE4E5Z4MIi0CNQ9uormHdt5pm6OyMpnLRGTUDhObpbwytxPdx3LnSaM4mL4iOKKw38L7p0fpgIQJd9EBjleEdDWps_HFb79_RloT4eo0TiZqDbJNodXs8Yxyy4fglUr1c/s1600/bnw202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkwIWB_oZX2mfE4E5Z4MIi0CNQ9uormHdt5pm6OyMpnLRGTUDhObpbwytxPdx3LnSaM4mL4iOKKw38L7p0fpgIQJd9EBjleEdDWps_HFb79_RloT4eo0TiZqDbJNodXs8Yxyy4fglUr1c/s1600/bnw202.jpg" /></a>Good morning, class. Today we are going to discuss teachers
who shaped who we are. Those educators who taught us important life lessons,
and used the classroom to make us the people we are today. Of course, we all
have real teachers who have done this in our lives. I remember two English
teachers, Mr. Sealand, who inspired me to read, and Miss Governale, who
inspired me to write, and an art teacher, Mr. Marvell, who inspired me to think
deeply. These were all great teachers, and I feel l need to pay my due respects
to them, however this article is about the teachers we all had. I’m talking
about fictional teachers. So, here’s the list of the most respected fictional
teachers from movies, books and television.<br />
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<br /></div>
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10. John Keating (Dead Poets Society)</div>
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Stand on your desks, everyone, and rip out a page of your
textbooks. Well, okay, that’s exactly what annoyed Roger Ebert, in his review
of “Dead Poets Society” as he described Mr. Keating as a “delicate balancing
act between restraint and shtick.” However annoying Robin William’s portrayal
of a teacher is to the modern viewer, we would all lie if we said we didn’t
want him as a teacher. He’s been both spoofed and celebrated, but Mr. Keating
did think outside the box and inspire his students. Humor is often a good quality
found in real memorable teachers, too.</div>
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<br /></div>
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9. Miss Honey (Matilda) </div>
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Give this women teacher of the year. From the Roald Dahl
novel, and the movie by Danny DeVilo, Miss Honey doesn’t only share Matilda’s
love of reading, she also ends up adopting Matilda, from her nasty brutish
family. Together, they make a very smart team. Not only does Matilda have a
better life with Miss. Honey, but she gets those darn powers of hers under
control. Bravo.</div>
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<br /></div>
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8. Mr. Balding (Saved By The Bell)<br />
Yes, he’s the principal who hung out a bit too much with the kids (and in real
life, that would be kind of creepy, but this is a TV show, so let’s give it a
pass.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, you can’t deny that Mr.
Balding cares about his school and his students a lot too. He seems to always
be there for Zack and the gang when they needed an adult to talk to. Even when
he’s a total goof ball, he’s also a caring adult.</div>
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<br />
7. Mr. Miyagi (The Karate Kid)<br />
Mr. Miyagi is a great teacher. The only character to appear in the entire
series (not counting the remake); Mr. Miyagi is also there to teach kids
discipline and fighting. He is a good listener, teacher and a caring older man.
Ok, so the plots to “The Karate Kid” movies didn’t always make total sense but
Mr. Miyagi always taught kids to both understand and kick butt at the same
time.</div>
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<br /></div>
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6. Yoda (Star Wars)<br />
Yoda isn’t human, but he’s caring, wise and taught generations of Jedi’s how to
do it. He is there for a young Luke Skywalker, and cared enough to take on the
role as mentor. He’s a great whatever he is, and you can’t get that experience
from just any teacher. Yoda is always there to teach you how to have a firm
grasp on the light saver.</div>
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<br /></div>
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5. Professor Leonard Haffsteader (Big Bang Theory)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Okay, so he spends more time lusting over Penny than
teaching a university class but we did see him teach a class a couple times in
the series. However, I do think he make a very good teacher to have, because if
he has proven anything, Leonard is an understanding and patient guy. You try
having Sheldon as a roommate. Not only does he have him as a roommate, but he
voluntarily considers him his best friend.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
4. Professor Robert Langdon (The Di Vinci Code)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Okay, this book isn’t a masterpiece of literature, but
still, Langdon would be a pretty cool professor to have. Not only is he full of
conspiracy theories, but he went on great adventures to prove them. Think of
the cool stories he can tell in class (fact checkers need not apply. Chances
are, you can get an “A” on your paper doing as much fact checking as author Dan
Brown did.)</div>
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<br /></div>
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3. Professor Snape (Harry Potter) </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You know, he’s a grouch. He’s also rude and not an easy “A”.
Not the nicest guy in the world but there he is something good underneath that
all. He is actually on your side, and does a lot you don’t know about to keep
you alive. I’m not going to give away details, but let’s just say, Harry Potter
named one of his kids Snape for a reason.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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2. Dumbledore (Harry Potter)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He is the father figure to Harry Potter, keeper of the
secrets and the leader of Hogwarts. He is someone who cares deeply for his
students and believes very much in them. He is an old wizard, and has had a lot
of life experiences, and he is always there to give a speech, explaining not
only to Harry Potter and friends the lesson of this installment, but also to
the reader, as well.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"></span>1. Mr. Feeny (Boy Meets World)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
Make the Feeny call! Yes, “Boy Meets World”
isn’t exactly one of the greatest sitcoms ever made, but Mr. Feeny is one of
the best fictional teachers to ever grace the television screen. I mean, he
cares so deeply about his students, he teaches them from elementary to college.
He always has the speech at the end to explain the lesson of the show, and has
the last line of the series, “I love you all. Class dismissed”. Sounds like a
certain other teacher (J.K. Rowling ever watch Boy Meets World?) Mr. Feeny is
played wonderfully by veteran actor William Daniels. Yes, this show got crazy
towards the end, and even started to acknowledge it openly with a ton of meta
jokes. However, Mr. Feeny is always there in syndication to explain to us
life’s journey because Mr. Matthews needs to be guided, and Mr. Feeny guided us
all.</div>alecwriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07654702598600467969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4334571463046750899.post-19753911087367609332012-07-17T13:25:00.001-07:002012-07-17T13:27:10.411-07:00"Odd Thomas" is a Standard Koontz, but A Good Page Turner<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOdDA4h0s5aNCFoqj-Mnzz-4nYMH1KyBvNU2PWyqQPpDp2yuNIHQVisjNbBP-o5CMn5f7gKof18opqxOut1SMKcSRCdgqzQb37zyXzRvx8sFPBxj62AHUjuR9bQuwwWjnV_v_1XWB41sw/s1600/oddthomas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><em><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOdDA4h0s5aNCFoqj-Mnzz-4nYMH1KyBvNU2PWyqQPpDp2yuNIHQVisjNbBP-o5CMn5f7gKof18opqxOut1SMKcSRCdgqzQb37zyXzRvx8sFPBxj62AHUjuR9bQuwwWjnV_v_1XWB41sw/s1600/oddthomas.jpg" /></em></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Odd Thomas”, by Dean Koontz, is another page turner. However,
I refuse to dismiss Dean Koontz as a bestseller factory. I often think that
while it’s not the best literature, authors like Koontz create memorable
characters and are able to speak to a wide readership. That’s a skill, despite
what literary snobs say. A lot of people who criticize those who sell a lot of
books are often just jealous, or think that it’s somehow undermining
literature, when it’s really not. Stephanie Meyer is the best example of that. Having
a lot of people read helps literature, even if the book in their hands has the
byline “James Patterson.” Another thing I would like to note is that we can’t
always read masterpieces. I’m feeling a bit of literary guilt at the moment
because I’m reading an old paperback of “Phantoms”, another Dean Koontz
thriller instead of the best reviewed book of the year, “The Fault in Our Stars”
by John Green. I’m sure John Green is a fine writer, but I don’t want to read
about kids who have cancer. It’s the summer time and I just want to read
something that’s totally not happening in the real world. When someone dies in “Phantoms”,
it’s almost like a horror movie instead of a thought provoking exploration of mortality.
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">So, Odd
Thomas lives in the desert town of Pico Mundo, California. He is fry cook. Basically,
Pico Mundo is a little nowhere town with a mall. He is a seemly normal twenty
year old guy, except for the fact he can see dead people. They talk to him, he
sees them all over the place, and even hangs out with Elvis’s ghost occasionally.
One of the things Koontz does well is throw in humor. However, with this story,
he also throws in a sense of mystery. One day a guy comes into the restaurant,
that Odd feels weird about. Oh, I should mention his actual name is Odd. He starts
to become concerned that the mystery man is up to something. So, after work, he
follows him back home, and sneaks into his house. He finds files on murderers. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">He goes
to the local police chief, Wyatt Porter, and tells him about what he found. The
chief isn’t totally convinced, but he says he’ll keep an eye on the man,
because he trusts Odd and they have a father/son relationship. Another thing Koontz
does well is mix genres. This is a bit of a supernatural tale, romance and a mystery
wrapped into one. The romance is with Stormy, who is the manager of an ice
cream shop. One of the things I like about Koontz is his characters are often
not people we would consider interesting right away. When you read Stephen
King, often his characters are doctors or novelists, and of course, they are
going to be interesting. They have cool jobs. Koontz, more often, likes his
characters to be fry cooks or work at the mall. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">So, we
get the usual dose of suspense and action that we expect from a Koontz novel. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s a bomb in the mall, suspense and chase
scenes. The book, no surprise, opens on a chase scene. Odd chases down a
murderer/child molester after the ghost come to him and tell him what the guy
did. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the things Koontz loves to
do is weave in morality into his stories. Koontz said in an interview he never
gets on a soap box, but I see plenty of things that are a bit of a morality
tale. In real life, Koontz is pretty religious, and it can be seen in his
novels. The villain in “Odd Thomas” trashes a church. One of the things Koontz
does is throw in sappy stuff. There’s a scene towards the end that was really
sappy, but he redeems himself by giving it a twist I didn’t really see coming.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Towards
the second half of the book, it gets to be a bit long with a lot of characters
showing up like Odd’s crazy mother and immature dad. However, the book isn’t
overly long. It only runs about 400 pages, but I felt that some of the people
Odd does go to visit towards the end were kind of just filling up back story. Like
Koontz figured we needed to know about Odd’s family through more than just
detailed dialogue. I’m all for back story, and I actually think it’s useful
that Koontz has us visit Odd’s mom and dad, who are crazy. However, it should
have been a bit earlier in the book.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">As I said
earlier, Koontz is good at writing page turners, and there’s really nothing
wrong with that. He does tend to repeat himself at times, but a lot of writers
do that. I can forgive Koontz for sometimes being a bit sappy and preachy,
because the man does know how to write good characters and keep the reader
turning pages. That’s a skill any good writer of stories must process, and
Koontz is very good at that. Oh, and there’s also a lot of characters in his
books. They are all pretty quirky, but I don’t see people complaining about
J.K. Rowling have a lot of characters in her books. I read online there’s going
to be a movie. My ticket’s already bought.</span></div>alecwriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07654702598600467969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4334571463046750899.post-34651989917407108722012-07-16T12:34:00.001-07:002012-07-16T12:34:31.056-07:00The Books Are Open<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ0BZXTe9SYdDgMhTrx1a7ulawzZY1bRXyF12B17g0nDVd9VMGKo-NO8XK17j9HFF_MiQb7bdpFRCBBZ4FbIhuiPUOsOUSheIBV8SwbYJVv-mCZHc698gPEVjWg7QBQTxyi44OivBw0jc/s1600/the_simpsons_111120_neil_gaiman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ0BZXTe9SYdDgMhTrx1a7ulawzZY1bRXyF12B17g0nDVd9VMGKo-NO8XK17j9HFF_MiQb7bdpFRCBBZ4FbIhuiPUOsOUSheIBV8SwbYJVv-mCZHc698gPEVjWg7QBQTxyi44OivBw0jc/s1600/the_simpsons_111120_neil_gaiman.jpg" /></a>So, I saw this episode of the “Simpsons”, “The Book Job”,
and I have to tell you, it was the funniest “Simpsons” episode I’ve seen in
years. Man, did they nail the writing life in that episode!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Homer and Bart trying to put together a team
of experts to write a young adult novel that will sell a ton of copies while Lisa
trying to write only to totally herself distract her from writing at all. We’ve
all been there. And Neil Gaiman shows up! Wow! This episode had everything. Ok,
I don’t usually write gushing, cliché reviews like this one, but sometimes you
need to just enjoy something and I really enjoyed this episode.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, being a bit more serious, “The Book
Job” does bring up some points about publishing. All writers are in a rush to
try to come up with something, ever since Harry Potter came on the scene.
Before J.K. Rowling and Stephanie Meyer, we would write page turning horror
novels, hold our breath and hope for the best. Don’t get me wrong, I really
love the pre-young adult era literature as well as young adult literature. I’m
a sucker for Dean Koontz. He can make me roll my eyes, and I’ll still sit there
turning pages upon pages, and that is a skill.</div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span>I
laughed at the beginning of the episode where Lisa finds out that the women who
wrote her favorite fantasy novel series, a la J.K. Rowling, is made up. I’m not
saying J.K. Rowling is made up, but her story is so inspiring, it might of well
be. My brother once told me when he’s a millionaire that he will give me a
million dollars to write my novel somewhere. I scoffed at him, because I didn’t
have my coffee yet, but most of all, I scoffed at him because I want an
inspiring story too. I don’t want to say I wrote a novel because money gave me
time. I want to say I became rich off the novel. J.K. Rowling had that
inspiring single parent story about how she became a millionaire, then
billionaire, author after sitting in a coffee shopping writing away. We all
want that story. Dean Koontz, as well, survived much. He had a really bad
childhood.</div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span>I think
it’s in the fabric of writing to have a back story of our own that led us to
writing. Writing is a curious profession, even though I love the explanation
they gave on the Simpsons episode. The idea that the publisher made up the
story of the made up author to sell books and the books are really written by a
bunch of starving English grad students. However, if the author can tell an
inspirational story to go with the book, I guess in a way that does help sell
copies. A part of that is due to the internet. I doubt Dean Koontz sold a
million copies because people knew about his back story. Actually, his first
two books to sell millions of copies where written under pen names, and one of
them was actually a novelization of a movie. The movie flopped but the
novelization sold a million copies. “The Funhouse” is still republished today,
as a straight Dean Koontz novel, with no mention of a movie on the cover.</div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span>However,
the side effect of the current publishing environment is that with young adult
novels being so popular, everyone thinks they can do it. They think to
themselves, well, these are novels for a younger set; therefore they should be
easier to write for. The Simpsons episode “The Book Job” touches upon by this
idea by having Homer setting up a group of experts to put together the novel.
Everyone’s a writer now. The only two characters really qualified to write a
novel in that episode are Patty, who is well read in the genre, and Lisa, who
we know is smart and well read. However, like most people who are smart enough
to write, Lisa is her own worst enemy. She spends all her time distracting
herself from actually writing the novel she wants. She spends time playing
internet games, and changing her settings. Lisa goes to a coffee shop, like
J.K. Rowling, but distracts herself by buying a big cup of coffee and sipping
at it.</div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span>I know
what that’s like. I go between a library and a coffee shop, trying to get
myself inspired somehow. I have good days and bad days. My current profession
is freelance writing, and The Simpsons episode really nails what it’s like.
That feeling of wanting to accomplish something, as Homer and his crew
represent the part of the writer who wants to be successful and make money.
Lisa represents the other part of the writer who is passionate about books and
wants to see their name on a book jacket. However, the thing that’s always a
problem with any industry that deals with the creative is that there’s a thin
line between the business side and the creative side. We watch a TV show
someone wrote, then we cut to a commercial break.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The beauty of a book is that it is a more
pure form of media. There is no commercial break in a book. We don’t have to
wait through a bunch of trailers to get to the book. We just open the cover.</div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span>However,
in this episode, the publishing industry is also lampooned. While Homer and his
new put together staff try to put together a children’s fantasy novel that will
sell, they go through all the ingredients of what will sell. They come up with
an orphan, a magical school and a vampire. They look around the bookstore and
see that vampires are kind of overdone at the moment. “Twilight” knock offs are
everything. So, of course, and a lot of writers in real life are currently trying
to do this, they try to come up with an alternative. The next big thing that
will be knocked off and such, and the premise they come up with actually isn’t
half bad. They come up with a teenage troll living under the Brooklyn Bridge.
However, they do get it to the publisher, but they need an author. Lisa,
desperate to see her name on a book, sells out and takes the deal.</div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span>I’m not
saying that any of this is exactly true. I’m sure J.K. Rowling is a real
person, and wasn’t made up by a marketing guru. In real life, “Harry Potter”
was rejected all over the place. However, it’s interesting to know that when
something is successful in publishing, than there is kind of a dash among
publishing companies to figure out how they can get something similar. It’s a great
thing that children’s literature is being read by kids, and adults, and believe
me, if I wrote a successful young adult novel, I be thrilled. Going back to the
Simpsons episode, though, it’s really a funny episode and a good view at the
cultural landscape of publishing today. Oh, and the end where Neil Gaiman cons
himself back on the bestseller list, despite the fact he can’t read, is great.</div>alecwriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07654702598600467969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4334571463046750899.post-68395753736724982132012-06-30T12:50:00.000-07:002012-06-30T12:50:07.282-07:00Creative Ways To Get Your Kid To Read<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdBoDR_mQkxwJHVf_zv8SPMyF98IR6ObSBBB_MN5y-toy8l_b34GHLvevCfxDo59aYMn6dySBpTtEvlRfvpDBNoJLSTkIBbMKPQUwLA7ADsSeRySUmq-RS3OM0G5g5H84bHfg06wsiCIg/s1600/potter_2101887c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdBoDR_mQkxwJHVf_zv8SPMyF98IR6ObSBBB_MN5y-toy8l_b34GHLvevCfxDo59aYMn6dySBpTtEvlRfvpDBNoJLSTkIBbMKPQUwLA7ADsSeRySUmq-RS3OM0G5g5H84bHfg06wsiCIg/s320/potter_2101887c.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once a kid enters the
halls of Hogwarts, the cabins of Camp Half-Blood, the doorway to Narnia, meets
a boyfriend like Edward or are chosen for The Hunger Games, then they will go to
the magical world of reading. However, how do you get them to take that first
step? Reading is really important, but how do you get them reading during their
formative years? Here are some creative ways to get your kids to read. Before
they enter a world, you need to make reading a part of theirs. Here’s how you
can do that.</div>
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Rent The Movie- Don’t be ashamed to rent the movie first.
The movie can act as a commercial for the book. If the book is a movie, and
your kids aren’t so eager to read the book, then show them the movie. After
watching the movie, the kid might go “Wow!” and grab the book.</div>
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Buy a Series- Kids love characters they get to know, and
they love to go on adventures with them book after book. They will anticipate
the next book coming out in the series, and the celebrations that come with it.
Bookstores and libraries often throw parties in honor of each new book in a
series. </div>
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Pick a Genre- If you can get a kid into a genre, then they
will follow that genre. It’s about getting a kid comfortable with a certain
kind of story. Fantasy is often a very popular choice among young readers,
because that provides an escape and an adventure. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Don’t Judge Their Choice of Books- Of course, you don’t want
your kids reading “Fifty Shades of Gray”, but there is something that should be
known. You shouldn’t be a snob at the first things your kids read. You might be
a dad who doesn’t understand the appeal of “Twilight”, and why should you? But
your daughter or son might love reading about handsome vampires, and if that
keeps her (or him) turning the pages, that’s great.</div>
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Encourage Their Writing- J.K. Rowling has said publicly that
she loves reading fan fiction of “Harry Potter.” Fan fiction is when people
write original stories about characters or place their original characters in
the world of the novel. Encourage them to write, and share their fan fiction in
groups or online communities like Fanfiction.net. There’s even whole websites
dedicated to certain types of fan fictions like Fiction Alley, which is
dictated to Harry Potter fan fiction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of
course, make sure your kids are posting fan fiction on a safe site. The ones I
just mentioned have a safe reputation. </div>
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Make It a Group- Kids love to belong, and what better thing
for them to bond over then a book?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>See
if your local library has a reading club for kids. If you can make reading a
book into a group activity, then kids will have fun discussing the books
together or playing the board game that goes with the book. They will make new
friends, and bond over the book. This will be good when the movie comes out,
and they go see it together. </div>
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Turn The Book In to A Play- This goes along with the group
idea. Maybe the kids could put on a play, acting out chapters and characters
from the book or perhaps they make their fan fiction into a play. Once again,
kids love entering a world, and this brings that world to life.</div>
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Buy Them a Bookshelf- At first; be willing to buy them books
instead of simply taking them out from the library. Kids love to collect
things, and when the books can become a part of their room, it becomes a part
of their world as well. That doesn’t mean you have to spend twenty dollars on
brand new books. Check out your library and local bookstores for used books.
That being said…</div>
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Take Your Kids to the Library- Take them often. Make it the
place they want to hang out at.</div>
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Those are my suggestions to get your kids to read. A kid who
reads will do better later in life. So, don’t just make reading a chore. Make
it a celebration. Make it a recreation. Make it theirs. </div>alecwriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07654702598600467969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4334571463046750899.post-38135455103424722742012-04-30T08:55:00.000-07:002012-04-30T11:53:24.673-07:00What Kind of Reader Are You?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjABz54iA1DWnyKBqDXhoBG-3h_4zjMK2UhwSipjxg01iv841jTBINj-4ahSfRvcnez-d0PTdcgpFXzIwNllBVDXJnDy41N9JlAf4e2aa6vlR53FIqM4xc36SG-IAsPonzW570p8jowLiQ/s1600/books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjABz54iA1DWnyKBqDXhoBG-3h_4zjMK2UhwSipjxg01iv841jTBINj-4ahSfRvcnez-d0PTdcgpFXzIwNllBVDXJnDy41N9JlAf4e2aa6vlR53FIqM4xc36SG-IAsPonzW570p8jowLiQ/s1600/books.jpg" /></a>Ok, so a lot of people go to the library, and try to figure
out what to take out. What people do not know is that there isn’t one type of
reader. There are many types of readers, and it helps to figure what kind of
reader you are. What kind of reader are you? Well, let me give you examples of
readers.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span><br />
<br />
The Genre Reader- This is the type of reader who
picks a genre and dedicates their reading life to it. A genre reader fills
their shelves with fantasy, science fiction, thrillers, mystery and sticks with
it. Some of the best readers I know are genre readers, because they often read
more than all of us. Going to the library or bookstore isn’t a problem for
them. They go to the fantasy or science fiction or mystery section of their library
or store and stack up on them. They know the authors and the upcoming authors
of their respective genres. They already have a path for what they are going to
read.</div>
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<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span>The Picky Reader- This is the type of reader who
only reads the best. No Twilight or James Patterson for this reader’s list.
They don’t want to turn pages; they want the Pulitzer Prize winning novels, the
literary novels and the classics. They don’t want bestsellers, and they don’t want to just turn
pages with a good story. They want to be affected, and think deeply about the
book. They want strong prose and details. The total opposite of that is…<br />
<br />
The Bestseller Reader- This reader does not want
to read a book no one has ever heard of. They want to read a bestseller.
Something they can talk to other people about around the water cooler (do they
even have water coolers anymore? I don’t know) but the point is they want something
that’s popular. Something that’s known and something that won’t look weird when
they are reading it. The one catch to the bestseller reader is that just
because something’s popular doesn’t mean it’s the best, and they often miss out
on some great books.</div>
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<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span>The YA Reader- There’s nothing wrong with
reading YA novels, even when you are an adult yourself. However, I don’t think
an adult should only read YA novels and nothing else. The Harry Potter
generation is growing up, and YA novels are still as popular as ever. Some of
our most iconic and best written books are YA novels, but don’t be a YA reader
who reads one bestselling series after another. Don’t just jump from Potter to
Twilight. “Harry Potter” and “Twilight” are great, but also be sure to read new
YA novels no one ever heard of because often those are the next “Hunger Games.”
It’s important for a YA novel reader to keep up with the new authors coming out
there. This brings me to another reader who needs to keep up with the newest
information.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span>The Writer Reader- Every writer needs to be a
reader, and there’s no excuse for you as a writer not to read. For a number of
reasons, including you will need influences; you need to like books to write
them. It helps to know what’s going on in the writing world. How are you going
to be a successful writer if you don’t know what’s going on? A person who doesn’t
want to read but wants to be a writer is like a musician who doesn’t like
music. </div>
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<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span>The Page Turner Reader- Basically, this isn’t
the biggest type of reader. This is a person who reads to be entertained, and
there’s nothing wrong with that. This is the opposite of the picky reader. This reader just wants to pass some time. James
Patterson will have plenty of books for you.<br />
<br />
The Passionate Reader- This person will read
anything, and everything. Reading Twilight and reading James Joyce is not above
this person. In my opinion, that’s a really good kind of reader because they
are open to enjoy a good story and get serious about an affecting one. Appreciate
Edward Cullen and Lizzie Bennett. Stephanie Meyer and Jane Austen all have a
place on your shelf. So, I say any of these readers are good, but it’s the
passionate reader that keeps the books moving. And finally, the most important
reader…<br />
<br />
The Young Reader- Getting a kid to read is important,
and that’s where it all starts. Remember to bring your critical judgment down a
notch, and let them read “Twilight” or “Harry Potter.” The best children’s
books are entertaining and magical ones. Remember, if you can get a kid to be a
reader, that’s where it all starts. I remember being at the library and seeing
a little girl with a bag of books. A kid who spends a lot of time reading will
be better prepared for life. Also, a kid who spends their time reading will
probably not get into as much trouble as a kid who doesn’t. With all the
outside influences today, a kid with their head in a book will be more likely
to ignore them. How much trouble can you get if you spend all your time buried
into a book? A library is hardly a place where trouble happens. You want your
kid to hang out at the library. That’s the most important reader of all.</div>alecwriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07654702598600467969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4334571463046750899.post-86394418811585480022012-04-19T13:48:00.005-07:002012-04-19T14:09:32.674-07:00How To Write On The Web<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9c5M-CFcDhq_fS-bW0z3taNoQRsvmPFBcbgInqsBgMmK1qMPCgaeAHYCE6FR_81CGbKUiEAKW32QeWKdb5V3fLEfVfJSNvl2d6wTFopHUCpRyQNnQWcNWskdYxowckGC48rBsPBRsv6I/s1600/writing+online.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9c5M-CFcDhq_fS-bW0z3taNoQRsvmPFBcbgInqsBgMmK1qMPCgaeAHYCE6FR_81CGbKUiEAKW32QeWKdb5V3fLEfVfJSNvl2d6wTFopHUCpRyQNnQWcNWskdYxowckGC48rBsPBRsv6I/s320/writing+online.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We all know the story of Stephen King living in a trailer,
and how he finished the manuscript to “Carrie.” He threw it away in the trash,
thinking to himself, that he knows nothing about teenage girls. He must be
nuts, until his wife fished it out, read it and said “You really got something
here!” So, against his own thoughts, he submitted it to publication, and it
sold millions. Now, he is Stephen King, one of the great storytellers of our
time. However, things are different these days. You don’t need to guess with
your manuscript. Take the story of Amanda Hockings, a young woman from Minnesota.
She wrote a dozen novels, only to see them get rejected from one publisher after
another. Instead of simply giving up, she took them to the web, and now she is
a millionaire author. She started by selling them as downloads for ninety nine
cents. Now, her books are selling from a major publisher, and she is raking it in.
Not bad for a self described “John Hughes mourner, Muppets fanatic.” The point I
am trying to make is that if Stephen King had the internet, he might have not
thrown away the manuscript to “Carrie” so fast. He would have maybe posted a
sample of it online and seen if it had gotten any hits. All the readers are now
online, and it’s often the internet that determines what breaks out of its
digital box and right onto the page. Traditional media is still the goal. We all
want to still be on TV, movie screens, syndicated to newspapers and in a book
you can hold. However, that doesn’t always happen right away, so we turn to the
internet to see if we can get any reception there. It’s often as a last resort,
but none the less. So, here are my tips for people beginning to write online.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Keep a Blog- That’s very simple. You set up a
blog on Blogger or Word Press or any of the dozen free servers out there. However,
there is a catch.</span></div>
<br /><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2. Make Your Blog Quality- No one wants to read
about what you had for breakfast or how great your boyfriend or girlfriend is. People
want to read about a topic: books, movies, or if you are going to write about
your life, make sure it’s interesting or funny or relatable. However, your blog
shouldn’t be a place you post everything that pops into your head. Start each
blog post like it was an article. Write it on a word document and not
automatically on a blog. This is good for two things. First of all, it’s good
because it leaves a backup copy on your computer’s local server and second of
all, it makes you feel like it’s an article. Don’t think of these as blog
posts. Think of these as articles.</span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3. Stories- If you aren’t doing reviews, columns or
articles, and you want to write fiction, I suggest you set up a account on a
fiction website, or submit to the dozens of online fiction magazines. Fiction isn’t
really in print anymore as far as magazines go, unless you are trying for the
Paris Review, which only accepts the most top notch quality. There are great
online fiction magazines like Word Riot or 3AM Magazine. However, Figment.com
is good too. That’s a bit more for the teenagers out there writing, but I don’t
see the harm in it.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">4. Decide Your Name- Decide if you want to use your
real name or a pen name. A lot of people use pen names on the internet. However,
that doesn’t mean you post up something embarrassing online even if it is under
a pen name. Remember, the internet doesn’t really go away. It just kind of sits
there. Don’t say something online you wouldn’t say in real life.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">5. Don't Comment On Stuff That's None of Your Business- A lot of people online comment on stuff they don't know about. If it's something that you aren't a expert on, don't comment on it. It makes you look bad, and know just because you can doesn't mean you should.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">6.Keep Your Accounts Separate- Your stories of
fiction, your reviews and columns and your Facebook. Don’t mesh them together. It’s
easy to mix personal and professional online. Try not to.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">7. And finally, Good Luck- May we all be Amanda
Hockings. </span><br />
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span></div>alecwriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07654702598600467969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4334571463046750899.post-50875287298828469342012-03-31T07:19:00.005-07:002012-03-31T07:24:15.316-07:00A Girl Scout’s Field Guide to Books<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ4zOkU8DHVjNALhacGPPzJgNSWvgbLmynsdx7liBVNWC14z1cb0Bwst40C0-a1smJfB_TKK1-gzz2SLxoLUBhLwsNUFtyWqQPWz-Czf4mzUqbnREtvf9HisIGZ0b9QySo53ZCgmuWj1c/s1600/hunger+games+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ4zOkU8DHVjNALhacGPPzJgNSWvgbLmynsdx7liBVNWC14z1cb0Bwst40C0-a1smJfB_TKK1-gzz2SLxoLUBhLwsNUFtyWqQPWz-Czf4mzUqbnREtvf9HisIGZ0b9QySo53ZCgmuWj1c/s1600/hunger+games+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ4zOkU8DHVjNALhacGPPzJgNSWvgbLmynsdx7liBVNWC14z1cb0Bwst40C0-a1smJfB_TKK1-gzz2SLxoLUBhLwsNUFtyWqQPWz-Czf4mzUqbnREtvf9HisIGZ0b9QySo53ZCgmuWj1c/s320/hunger+games+2.jpg" width="218" /></span></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My family and I sat down to watch director Joe Wright’s wonderful
adaptation of Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice”, and of course my family fell
asleep and played with the dogs. However, if they did pay attention, they would
of noticed that “Pride and Prejudice”, both the book and the movie, is a
wonderful piece that was way ahead of its time. Lizzie Bennet, the main
character, out of all her sisters, is the only one who has the crazy notion
that a women can be strong enough to marry for love instead of protection or
money. I agree with film critic Roger Ebert, when he says in his review of that
film that these two people, Lizzie Bennett and the man she loves, Mr. Darcy are
good people. Ebert says his heart leaped for joy when they got together. Mine
did too. Yes, maybe I would have a girlfriend if I watched football instead of
“Pride and Prejudice”. Life is ironic, isn’t it? However, if anything,
literature is important because it provides a strong base for female characters.
Strong female characters are important and often in young adult literature like
Hermione in J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” novels to Lyra Belacqua in Philip
Pullman’s “His Dark Materials” novels,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>they outsmart the boys. Heck, even Bella Sawn in the “Twilight” books is
a strong female character. Now we welcome Katniss Everdeen, of Suzanne Collin’s
bestselling novels “The Hunger Games.” A strong female character is something
literature provides. Going back even to earlier works; we had Miss. Dalloway in
Virginia Woolf’s novel “Miss. Dalloway”. Watching the movie, and reading the
novel “The Hunger Games”, Katniss often outsmarts her male counterparts and
carries a bow and arrow.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I guess it
helps that the outcrop of authors of young adult literature are female. J.K.
Rowling, Suzanne Collins and Stephanie Meyer, however, the popular young adult
author, John Green, is coming out with a book about a strong female character.
“The Fault in Our Stars” is about a teenage girl with cancer, and her strong
willed reaction to her situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
interesting to note before the current crop of young adult novels came out,
Japan was already ahead of us. Look at the movies of master animator Hayao
Miyazaki. Most of his films are about strong willed women, and a lot of them
are based on novels. “Howl’s Moving Castle” is about a strong woman named
Sophie, who under the witch’s curse, transforms between an older woman and a
younger woman. It’s based on the novel by the beloved fantasy author Diana
Wynne Jones. How about “Kiki’s Delivery Service”, which is about a young witch
setting out on her own? That is based on the novel by Japanese fantasy author
Eliko Kadono. His original films also sparkle with strong females, like
“Spirited Away”, “Princess Mononoke”, “Ponyo”, “My Neighbor Tororo”, and his
most recent “The Secret World of Arrietty.”</span></span><br />
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<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">However, this
isn’t about film. It’s interesting to note that as I was looking through the
young adult section of my library, I stumbled upon an old favorite writer about
a witch who goes out on her own. Famed fantasy and science fiction author Terry
Pratchett is writing a series about a young witch who sets out on her own after
studying at a school for witches. The witch is named Tiffany Aching, and not a
surprise for the 65 million copy selling author, his new series has sold well.
Drawing from my own reading, I’m a big fan of the father of cyberpunk, William
Gibson, and his reoccurring character, the female half android, half human,
Molly Millions. She constantly outsmarts her male counterparts in “Necromancer”
and its squeals. However, it’s also interesting to note that William Gibson had
a strong female character at the center of his novel, “Pattern Recognition”,
the first novel to ever address 9/11. Cayce Polland, in “Pattern Recognition”
is a strong woman who works as a “cool hunter” for major companies. She has to
hunt down the mysterious footage on the internet. </span></span></div>
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<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I remember my
first encounter with a strong female in literature. That had to be Lyra
Belacqua in Philip Pullman’s fantasy series “His Dark Materials.” An orphan
living in the halls of Oxford, she sets out to the North Pole after her best
friend is kidnapped by a mysterious institution called the Church. Forgetting
the unfortunate name, she is a strong girl who can make friends with a polar
bear and find her best friend, even when her life is in danger. Later on, she
is joined by a boy named Will, in book two. However, that doesn’t take away
from her status as the hero of the story. Another example would be Scout, from
the Pulitzer Prize winning “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, a strong
willed girl who refuses dresses, who stands up to her town, and makes a speech
against prejudice. </span></span></div>
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<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Even today, when I do pick up a book
with the boy as the title character, it has become important for a strong
female character to often take the lead. Take the cleaver Harry Potter knock
off, “Percy Jackson.” While Percy is the main character, his friend Annabeth
Chase is often the smarter one. And while we are on young adult literature,
take Hermione from the “Harry Potter” novels. She is, throughout all seven
books, smarter and more resourceful than Harry and Ron. As much as Harry is the
hero, there is no way that Harry would have survived without Hermione. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">And now we
have Katiniss Everdeen who volunteers in her sister’s place to meet certain
death. We could say this is a golden age for strong females, but as Jane Austen
proves, it’s really not. It’s always been there. Lizzie Bennett was a strong
female, going back to “Pride and Prejudice.” Pixar, ever the fan of Miyazaki,
is coming out with their first female centered story “Brave”. That’s an
appropriate title because our fictional heroines reflect what we hope our real
life daughters will be. Brave, indeed. And going back to “Pride and Prejudice”,
my heart leaps for joy when Lizzie and Mr. Darcy get together. Lizzie is a
strong female. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today, with the debate
over women’s health care and having men make judgments about something that
isn’t any of their business, it’s more important than ever to have strong
female characters. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Strong female characters
are important because they help even the playing field and give women role
models they can aspire to.</span> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>alecwriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07654702598600467969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4334571463046750899.post-81575835031869353352012-02-15T11:47:00.000-08:002012-03-31T07:25:53.583-07:00"The Borrower" Is A Little Hard to Buy<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709805901772077826" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZh_GUaviNGzStr_LX85PomFOiWGCrC_A4-AMKNhuAyR_eBrJRon63cTWAiYkh7TfEOvM8e0hdM1mJiismBjRGtlSPHRqT6CFKd9vzKCSPssRzmZhGAT-l2DPAze92ikgjKSPk4XN71ws/s320/the-borrower.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 320px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 278px;" /><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I don’t know if ten is old enough to classify someone’s sexual orientation. My personal belief is that being gay isn’t a choice. However, I’m not sure if age ten is really the age where you can tell what the kid is going to be. Kind of seems to be a little early for that. That being said, everyone who works at the library at Hannibal, Missouri, seems to think that ten year old Ian is probably, well, gay. He’s a smart kid, constantly taking out books. His parents however have different ideas. They too see something in him. They too think he’s gay. They happen to be bible thumpers. That’s the predicament the children’s librarian Lucy finds herself in, as she starts to care deeply for the boy. Ian’s mother sees the stuff that Ian is taking out from the library, and hands Lucy a list of books that Ian cannot take out. Harry Potter is out. Anything with what she calls “the breath of God” is in. Lucy starts to become a bit obsessed with Ian, and decides that she needs to save Ian, who has been enrolled in a class to teach him how not to be gay taught by a man named Pastor Bob. That’s the moral problem at the center of Rebecca Makkai’s debut novel, “The Borrower.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The tone of the novel is mostly light, as it’s narrated by the young librarian, Lucy. She informs us she did really well in college, but she had no desire to really do anything amazing with her life. She thought just being a librarian is a nice profession. So, the book starts out pretty normal. Trying to meet a boyfriend, holding reading groups, reading to the kids and attending fundraisers for the library is some of the normal stuff librarians do in a small town. However, one night she sees’s Ian camping out in the library stacks. She at first is going to take him home to his house. Then he coaxes her into not taking him home, and instead they hit the road. Along the way, they meet up with some characters. The more charming is Lucy’s father in Chicago, who is a Russian immigrant who delights telling us stories about his adventures in the USSR.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The political commentary throughout the novel sometimes works and something makes the reader roll his or her eyes because the tone of the voice in the book is funny, and the novel feels like a light read. So, when the narrator mentions a ton of times her thoughts about America and acceptance, it can be a bit much. The novel tries very hard to be quirky and charming, and it often is. Ian is a charming kid, in that he doesn’t take his kidnapping all that seriously. He seems to see it as a big adventure and constantly says they have to stop to see landmarks and see Canada. Lucy constantly worries throughout the novel she is going to get caught. That’s what makes the novel a little unlikely.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">She doesn’t seem to get caught. However, the novel does seem to bring up the question of if parents should be able to raise their kids anyway they want? I don’t think so. If your son is gay, you shouldn’t be allowed to try to somehow make him not gay. I understand Lucy’s concern, and her trip doesn’t end with that big of a bang. The novel is right with the assumption that often the type of kids who turn to books are those who are the ones who are a little quirkier than the rest. Not to say that all kids who pick up a book aren’t fine, but a lot of kids who do pick up the books are looking for escape and validation. I felt bad for both Lucy and Ian in the novel, and they aren’t bad characters. That being said, this is very obviously a first novel. There’s some going back and forth between genres as a road trip novel, a light novel and a novel about bigger issues.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I don’t think Lucy would have gotten away with this in real life. The ending doesn’t quite tie it all together. However, I was happy to accept the ending, because Lucy did the wrong thing for what appears to me to be the right reasons. That being said, you can’t just take a kid because you don’t like their parents. That’s where the novel’s fault lies. So, it becomes a bit hard for the reader to accept that. I don’t think the novel comes off as realistic with that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">She tells us she would like to think books can save. I too would like to believe that. Throughout the novel, Lucy makes references to other books. She references mostly children’s book, including the famous trilogy “His Dark Materials” by Philip Pullman, towards the end of the book. That’s an interesting choice. If Ian’s mother wanted Harry Potter out of her kid’s life, because she assumes it has some kind of anti-Christian message, than she hasn’t seen anything yet. Here’s hoping Ian sneaks "His Dark Materials" out of the local library sometime.</span>alecwriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07654702598600467969noreply@blogger.com0