Michael Offutt's Blog, page 171

Hollywood is screwing up Akira

Akira is one of my favorite movies. It's also one of the first movies that I saw that made me proud to say I was half-Japanese. Godzilla, though cool, just never gave me that feeling.  The Hollywood adaptation for it is gaining steam. I originally was excited to see the movie, but the casting is ridiculous.

1) The kids in Akira are all just that...they're KIDS. Like sixteen at most. That includes Tetsuo, the uber-hero Kaneda, and their girlfriends/friends.  So they go and hire Garret Hedlund of Tron Legacy to play Kaneda. I'm sorry but he's WAY TOO OLD.  Then they hire Kristen Stewart as Kaneda's girlfriend and she's TOO OLD AS WELL.

2) The kids should be Asian. Kristen Stewart and Garret Hedlund ARE NOT ASIAN. They're not even close. This is like old Hollywood hiring Mickey Rooney to play a Chinese man in Breakfast at Tiffany's. I feel insulted.


I think Kristen Stewart gaining the lead female role is the straw that really breaks the camel's back for me. This movie adaptation is going to suck big time. She's like the male version of Keanu Reeves...completely wooden, can't act, is terrible.

I'm feeling so disappointed right now. >,<

For those of you out there that love YA...just so you can relate, this would be like casting Tyra Banks to play Katniss in the Hunger Games.  Imagine that and maybe you can sympathize with how I feel.

Finding the right words

As writers, we have the power of words. How we say something can make all the difference in the world. Watch this video and see it for yourself. It will only take less than 2 minutes of your life to do so.

Have a great Wednesday.

Snow White and the Huntsman

I kinda like this trailer. It's a different take on the whole "Snow White" thing, but I'm sold.  What do you guys think?
I don't think Kristen Stewart is very pretty...at least not to be playing Snow White. However she's so popular from the Twilight films that I guess she can star in anything.  Wasn't Bella "plain"? Seems to me that she was. Interesting that someone "plain" can go to play someone that is more beautiful than the evil Charlize Theron (as the witch).

American Horror Story

I have been watching American Horror Story, and I have to say, this is the most f'd up show that I have ever seen. But I'm hooked. And this isn't only because I'm a huge Zachary Quinto fan (and I'll watch just about anything that has Mr. Quinto in it). The show is completely unlike anything else on television.

Here's what we have in just the first five episodes (they are on Hulu for free if you want to watch them):

1) Mongoloid child that keeps breaking into the house and says, "You're all gonna die" and stuff like that. She's just really creepy. Her mother locks her in a closet filled with mirrors so that she only has herself to look at to remind her of how ugly she is.  Of course, the girl screams at the top of her lungs while the mother goes and has sex with a young man.

2) Ghost/demon in a black rubber suit that impregnates the lady of the house who thinks that she's having mind-blowing sex with her attractive psychiatrist husband.

3) Ghosts everywhere. You don't even know who's a ghost and who isn't. The teenage girl in the show falls in love with one and he's responsible for a terrible Columbine-like murder rampage in a local high school. Yet she's willing to give her virginity to the ghost on a romantic beach on Halloween night.

4) The slutty old woman maid ghost who looks like an attractive vixen that's always trying to get the psychiatrist protagonist to cheat on his marriage with her.

5) The next door neighbor played by Jessica Lange who gives a "twist" to the faded southern belle. She's a cougar, a psychopathic murderer, and delivers her lines with the charm and calm of a female Hannibal Lecter. When she brutally murders her husband and a girl he's screwing, you swear that her pulse barely goes above 60. Plus she puts ipecac into some muffins and has her mongoloid child spit in them and then takes them as a gift to the next door neighbor.

And it goes on and on and on. The writing in this show is amazing, riveting, and compelling. It's exactly the adult fare that I can really sink my teeth into. If you aren't watching it, I suggest that you do. It's plain awesome.

A note on my banner...

I have always loved blue eyes. I blame
where I was raised. No one in Utah looks
like me being half-Japanese.I got a few comments this week regarding the new look of my blog.  I chose the wolf eyes banner up top simply because it's all wintry in Salt Lake City now and the eyes are a pretty blue. I like blue eyes and have since kindergarten. I remember my teacher handed out papers to all the kids. She asked us to take a crayon from a box and write what color we thought our eyes were.  I wrote down blue because I loved blue. Then she passed out a mirror and told us to take a look and see.  I looked in the mirror and saw brown eyes the color of dog dung. I was traumatized. But I'll never forget it. Prior to that time period, I don't even think I was aware of what I looked like really.  Maybe it was the start of my body image disorder. I have no idea.

So yeah...it has nothing to do with my book. I wanted to make a banner that could reflect my book. Then I realized how impossible that seems without custom artwork. In one sentence I would pitch my book as Schrodinger's cat only with hockey sticks, glass spiders, and monsters from the id. Only no one knows what that means.  Maybe the wolf eyes might work in one aspect. They're more serious than goofy penguins. If I had to rate my book with MPAA ratings, it would get a R-rating.  The penguins that I used before might make people think, "Oh Mike's book is great for kindergartners!"... which is a resounding..."ummm noooo."  I have the goofy penguins banner on my computer hard drive if I ever want to resurrect it. But I think I'll try the wolf eyes for a little while. Who knows...maybe when spring rolls around I'll switch to bunnies.
My story has been as challenging as this for me to define.Also I finished my final edits on my book and sent it back to DDP. I say final because I've read through it twice (in the last two weeks) and fussed and fussed with it and it really needs to just get out of here. If it stays here more, I'll start changing some things.  I'm really happy at this very instant with the way it looks. I can't say that I'd feel that way tomorrow or the next day. So I'm not ever going to reopen it. I'm just going to let it go. I don't want to edit anymore. Not on this project. To give you an idea of how much editing this book has gone through I will tell you. I wrote a first draft in 2008. A beta reader that I trust pointed out glaring things wrong with it.  So I rewrote 3/4 of the book. Seriously. Then I hired a private editor and edited it line by line. Then I edited it myself. Then I went on query and submission. DDP picked it up. Then I edited it again with a professional full grade editor line by line. Then I just now edited it again on my own as a final look through. And then I re-read it twice in two weeks and changed more stuff.  Last night, I rewrote the opening paragraph fifteen times.  I think everything is perfect. So I'm done. I'm letting go.
As writers, there can be a point where we edit something to death.
I think I've gotten close to this point with my current manuscript.In a few weeks I may have some advanced reader copies that I can give out on my blog. They'll be paperback with no cover art.  Paperback with cover art won't be available probably until summer 2012. Ebook release will come first in May. That's just how DDP does business. I know I've got some people who have been extremely loyal to the blog so if they want a free copy of said book with no cover art to read before the release date, I think I can make that happen.  Plus I can start querying some of the sites that review Fantasy & Sci-Fi stuff and see if I can get in their queue.

Have a great weekend. I'm off to see Immortals!

When you feel stressed...

A little song goes a long way.
Happy Thursday :)

Wow

My Reaction That is so NOT HAND DRAWN!!!! O.O

Prometheus is coming...

One month after my book comes out in 2012, I will be going to the first available showing to see this movie.  For those of you unfamiliar with Ridley Scott's roots, the Academy Award winning director made a name for himself by teaming up with legendary artist H.R. Geiger to create the most original science-fiction alien probably ever to grace the screen.  And now, he's returning to those roots to give us a science fiction fable that speaks to the originality of the Weyland-Yutani universe that brought us such quotes as, "I think we should nuke the site from orbit; it's the only way to be sure."

Here is a synopsis.  The film is set in space for the most part, similar to that of "ALIEN"; the jumping off point to this project. The film's name "Prometheus" is that of the space vessel used by a crew of select individuals who set off to explore and investigate fragments of "Alien DNA" that provide tantalizing clues as to the origin of mankind on earth.
This is the Space Jockey creature from the original Alien ship
where the crew of the Nostromo reported seeing "thousands of eggs".
The film itself revolves around the Space Jockey creature; as seen in the original film ALIEN (1979). When a team of scientists embark on the aforementioned journey, they get stranded on an alien world which tests their limits; both mental and physical.  In Ridley Scott's own words, the human crew ends up in the darkest part of the universe in a chilling battle of life and death that some describe as absolutely "terrifying".

Prometheus involves a team of scientists known as "The Company".  Their representatives and robot/synthetics investigate and search for keys to unlock man's ultimate mystery. But in the process, they threaten the future existence of mankind and are faced with unimaginable horrors.

The Aliens themselves are said to be much larger than the original "Xenomorphs" we are used to. However, their overall construction will be easily noticable to that of the original Alien canon.
The genius, Ridley Scott.  I humbly bow before you sir. You are a true visionary.Prometheus will be much more than just an Alien sci-fi horror. Ridley Scott is digging deeper for this project and Prometheus will unlock many questions and will touch on many aspects of life and existence. A true masterpiece.

Filming has already finished. I bet a trailer will be here soon. I did a YouTube search for one because the Wall Street Journal article I read hinted that there was one that got pulled by 20th Century Fox, but all I could find were fakes.

A story of gay love?

I love this book and give it five stars out of five.

Okay...what to say about Alex's book because my mind is circling. If you read it casually through from beginning to end, there is nothing new here. A great pilot gets trained and blows up a huge military weapon at the end. But if you go one layer deeper (which I always do), this book is about unconsummated gay love between an older man who is all alone and a young, handsome man who has yet to find himself. Disclaimer: Alex has not said his protag is gay. But I totally think he is. If I made this into a movie, I would want Chris Colfer to play Byron. Chris plays Kurt on Glee. Here's a picture of him:
My vote for the
actor that plays Byron
First: Byron is completely closeted. In this society, men have telepathy and are constantly thrusting each other's minds into one another. Byron keeps his "shields" up most of the time but occasionally lets Bassa (the older man) penetrate him. It's really quite sexual and invasive.

Second: Bassa tells Byron that he can't tell people who he really is. He's afraid that if Byron "comes out of the closet" that other pilots may try to repeat his piloting maneuvers and would die because they just aren't as special as he is. But in the end, Byron has no choice but to "come out" and when he does and succeeds, he gets a standing ovation.

Third: This book is a complete "sausage hang". There are no women. But they aren't needed as this is a "gay" love story in a science-fiction setting.

Fourth: If you think I may be full of crap, then take a look at these sample quotes:

"Despite the vast number of partners and friends over the years, Bassa had never connected with any of them...Byron felt confused and betrayed...He didn't matter to Bassa at all..."

"He felt Bassa's grip on his arm tighten and the sound of movement reached his ears. Byron hesitated, afraid to open his eyes. Reaching deep for the courage, he lifted his head and met Bassa's gaze. Bassa squeezed Byron's arm and released his grasp, stretching his back as he leaned away. Byron moved his arm, stiff from resting in one position for so long."

"He struggled to swallow without losing any of the valuable liquid." <== ?????
Bassa chuckled. "It's probably stronger than you're used to," he offered as Byron gasped for air.
A little, Byron admitted.
"You'll sleep good, I promise."  <==== mmmhmmm

These two are just sharing "Telepathy""He caught his breath as the liquid slid down his throat, its warmth causing him to wince. Byron coughed once, unaccustomed to a drink so robust. However, he could feel his muscles relax...He would indeed sleep well tonight."

"He'd protested their pairing at first, but now he was grateful for Bassa's presence. The man had taught him many things, most of which extended well beyond their time in the cockpit." <=== makes you wonder, doesn't it?

This book is pretty damn steamy and is full of homoerotic tension. It's extremely interesting and shows that Alex is really writing two stories here which makes him a great writer . What happens near the end is kind of heart-breaking.

If Alex ever consented to an interview, I would ask him for certain if Byron is a gay man. If he said no, then I truly would be surprised because then all of this would just be a coincidence with an "aww shucks...I just wanted to write a story about a pilot" and I honestly wouldn't be impressed by that at all. But as it stands now (without knowing that)...I'm awarding this book a perfect 5. :)

Get your short story published, enter a contest and win $500 for Christmas

I grabbed the following post from the Double Dragon Publishing blog.  BTW, my book is now on Goodreads with no cover art . If you have a goodreads account, even if you never intend to buy it or read it, a click on the "to read" button would feel like Christmas :) because I could pretend people liked me :). I also haven't set up the author portion of it yet. I'll do that this weekend when I'm drinking coffee and have time. It won't come out 'til May 2012.
From the DDP website ==>TALES OF FORTANNIS: A BARD'S EYE VIEW was published last year by Double Dragon, and features a number of excellent fantasy stories in the magical world of Fortannis.

The sequel is being prepared now, and submissions are open for short stories of under 10,000 words.

Unpublished authors are encouraged to submit, but will still face the same standards for submissions as the published authors.

All stories should be double-spaced in word or rtf format with 12 point Times Roman font. There should be no spacing after the paragraphs. The first page must contain the name of the story, the word count, and your name, address, email, and phone number. Your cover letter should list any previous publications.

Keep in mind that although these are fantasy stories, you are not limited to telling tales of adventure, with knights fighting dragons and wizards casting powerful spells. The world is merely the setting for the stories.

The first book, while containing plenty of adventures, has much more. There is one story about someone trying to steal the recipe for his favorite pie. Another concerns three goblin children spying on the curious humans. A third involves a con artist trying to mislead a nobleman. The theme of the TALES OF FORTANNIS series is the fantasy world, not the type of story.

Proposals and inquiries must be emailed to michael.ventrella@gmail.com.
Also... there's a short story contest being run by Lulu.  Here's the details from their blog:

Throughout the month of November, Lulu is offering big prizes for quick creativity. All you have to do for a chance to win $500 cash, a professional review, a Barnes and Noble NOOK™, free distribution to the iBookstoreSM and Barnes & Noble NOOK Bookstore™, and free mentions in upcoming Lulu publicity is submit a 600-word short story.

Pretty easy huh?

To find out how you can play just visit the lulu blog.

Winners will be selected by a panel of Lulu judges and announced mid-December after review of all submissions. Bring on your remarkable stories for a chance to win some amazing prizes!

==> My words... if you are sitting on a short story...send it in. Get published. Don't let it sit in a drawer. The worst that could happen is a "no" and a rejection. It's not like we don't suffer through those already on a daily basis.
Have a great weekend.