Gregory J. Downs's Blog, page 11
September 13, 2011
My Aversion to Series
I don't like series (series'? serieses? serii?).
Gasp!!!!
Well, I don't. I stand here, staring at all fifteen 800-page novels in my newest favorite series... and I just balk.
But hold up! This may be interesting to watch...
There's something in us, I think, that really enjoys a long, epic, ongoing story arc that spans volumes and volumes. We like to see characters grow, succeed... and sometimes die gruseomely. It's fun and it's inspiring. There's a reason Spidey's still swinging, decades after his first comic run, and why Lord of the Rings is the second best-selling novel of all time... wait, novel? Didn't I just say it was a series? Well, you see... and this is where I get sneaky... Tolkien originally wrote LOTR as a single book. Uno. 525,000 words, one book. The only reason we know it as a trilogy today was because his publisher didn't think people would buy a 2,100 page book (and they were probably right, though the omnibus versions are doing great, now that LOTR is so famous).
So I don't think that having a long story and lots of interconnecting plots is a bad thing. And by no means am I disregarding the fact that there are many, many good series out there. It's just that sometimes I shake my head and think about how I DID NOT need to know that much about the world in Fantasy Series A, and how I really got tired of the dumb hero from Series B. Telling the whole tale in a single, more concise (even if it was a bit bulky) volume could have a lot of good effects, I think. And that's underrated today, in a world where you need a series to sell anything (unless you're Stephen King. He can do whatever he wants and he'll still win. Oh well...).
Reasons why standalones are cool:
I. You don't have an agonizing wait until book 2 (and 3, and 4, and so on and so forth). The storyline is tied up in one part, even if that part takes 600 pages. There's a beginning, middle, and end, and instead of waiting for the next chapter in the same ole' tale to unfold, you get to wait to see what entirely new idea the author has cooked up. OR...
II. Perhaps the author wants to write another book in the same world as the first, though it may not be directly tied to the original. Maybe there are similar undertones, carry-over characters or plot points, but you don't have to read A to understand and fully enjoy B. Someone who does this quite often (so I hear) is Joe Abercrombie... who writes crap, but he does illustrate my point. He has one trilogy and 3 or more standalone novels set in the same world. They have vague ties to each other but they. Each. Stand. Alone.
III. Conciseness and clarity. I see it in heavy-hitters like Wheel of Time. I see it in new-but-potent books like the Inheritance 4-ology. I see it in middle grade series like Heroes of Olympus (and there's only one book in that series!!!!). I like all three, to be sure, but at some point (usually early on), I grunt in frustration... loudly... multiple times. Why? Because I've just read in 500 pages what could have been squeezed down to 100! Sure, it's cool to find out every little detail of the hero's life and journey... but the real art in storytelling is to convey your message and the 'coolness' of your story in the clearest way possible... the shorter, the better, if it's good literature. No baggage, please...
I'm sure there are others, but I can't think of them right now because after #3 I left my computer to do something and my train of thought was interrupted. If I think of more later I'll post. I'm also coming up with a "what I've learned from e-books so far" post, even though I've barely started in that field. It's more of a "what not to do the first time that almost any idiot would know anyway" rant.
Again, I'm not necessarily condemning all series, or even MOST series. I mean, I'm writing a series myself... and it's going to be 9 books long! Talk about hypocrisy.
I guess my disenchantment with series stems from frustration. Frustration that I can't write what I want in a clear, streamlined way... exactly how I want it... the FIRST TIME. You know? If I wasn't roped into my current series, I'd likely try to build my writing off what I've just said, since I like the idea so much. But then again, I'm not Stephen King, so it probably wouldn't work...
Gasp!!!!
Well, I don't. I stand here, staring at all fifteen 800-page novels in my newest favorite series... and I just balk.
But hold up! This may be interesting to watch...
There's something in us, I think, that really enjoys a long, epic, ongoing story arc that spans volumes and volumes. We like to see characters grow, succeed... and sometimes die gruseomely. It's fun and it's inspiring. There's a reason Spidey's still swinging, decades after his first comic run, and why Lord of the Rings is the second best-selling novel of all time... wait, novel? Didn't I just say it was a series? Well, you see... and this is where I get sneaky... Tolkien originally wrote LOTR as a single book. Uno. 525,000 words, one book. The only reason we know it as a trilogy today was because his publisher didn't think people would buy a 2,100 page book (and they were probably right, though the omnibus versions are doing great, now that LOTR is so famous).
So I don't think that having a long story and lots of interconnecting plots is a bad thing. And by no means am I disregarding the fact that there are many, many good series out there. It's just that sometimes I shake my head and think about how I DID NOT need to know that much about the world in Fantasy Series A, and how I really got tired of the dumb hero from Series B. Telling the whole tale in a single, more concise (even if it was a bit bulky) volume could have a lot of good effects, I think. And that's underrated today, in a world where you need a series to sell anything (unless you're Stephen King. He can do whatever he wants and he'll still win. Oh well...).
Reasons why standalones are cool:
I. You don't have an agonizing wait until book 2 (and 3, and 4, and so on and so forth). The storyline is tied up in one part, even if that part takes 600 pages. There's a beginning, middle, and end, and instead of waiting for the next chapter in the same ole' tale to unfold, you get to wait to see what entirely new idea the author has cooked up. OR...
II. Perhaps the author wants to write another book in the same world as the first, though it may not be directly tied to the original. Maybe there are similar undertones, carry-over characters or plot points, but you don't have to read A to understand and fully enjoy B. Someone who does this quite often (so I hear) is Joe Abercrombie... who writes crap, but he does illustrate my point. He has one trilogy and 3 or more standalone novels set in the same world. They have vague ties to each other but they. Each. Stand. Alone.
III. Conciseness and clarity. I see it in heavy-hitters like Wheel of Time. I see it in new-but-potent books like the Inheritance 4-ology. I see it in middle grade series like Heroes of Olympus (and there's only one book in that series!!!!). I like all three, to be sure, but at some point (usually early on), I grunt in frustration... loudly... multiple times. Why? Because I've just read in 500 pages what could have been squeezed down to 100! Sure, it's cool to find out every little detail of the hero's life and journey... but the real art in storytelling is to convey your message and the 'coolness' of your story in the clearest way possible... the shorter, the better, if it's good literature. No baggage, please...
I'm sure there are others, but I can't think of them right now because after #3 I left my computer to do something and my train of thought was interrupted. If I think of more later I'll post. I'm also coming up with a "what I've learned from e-books so far" post, even though I've barely started in that field. It's more of a "what not to do the first time that almost any idiot would know anyway" rant.
Again, I'm not necessarily condemning all series, or even MOST series. I mean, I'm writing a series myself... and it's going to be 9 books long! Talk about hypocrisy.
I guess my disenchantment with series stems from frustration. Frustration that I can't write what I want in a clear, streamlined way... exactly how I want it... the FIRST TIME. You know? If I wasn't roped into my current series, I'd likely try to build my writing off what I've just said, since I like the idea so much. But then again, I'm not Stephen King, so it probably wouldn't work...
September 9, 2011
The Art and Science of Ranting
It happens that today is kinda sleepy, wet, and all around boring... just like every other day this week, ironically. I have a lot of thoughts but nowhere to put them, and YOU, my faithful (ish) sudience, are the perfect people to dump them out upon.
Smashwords. One word: help! Being a minor and therefore not-in-control-of-every-aspect-of-my-life is not so fun. Not to demean adults are glorify myself, you realize- I know I'm not ready to go live on my own- but it's irritating to not have such convienient things as payment information, which is essential to do the job right on Smashwords. For those of you who don't know Smashwords sells e-books. Hopefully within a few days or a week they'll be selling MY e-books.
Hopefully.
Writing. All this rushing rushing rushing to prepare Mordred and Brother Thief for various distribution channels (Kindle, Smashwords, oh-my-gosh-why-isn't-this-cover-looking-right!) has left my writing high and dry since... oh, June, perhaps? Sure, I've written several thousand words of extra chapters to round out my already-completed book, Brother Thief. But that's not the same as actually working on an unfinished story. I'm getting rusty, and I know it. When I finally pick up Song of the Aura book 4 again, or the Mordred sequel, I'm gonna pay for neglecting my craft... sigh.... That leads into my next rant:
Projects. I've halted work on the Mordred sequel temporarily. Why? Aside from sheer laziness, not much else... except that there's a possibility of taking Mordred (and therefore any sequels) to a small press I know of. It's not negotiations. It's not even querying. It's just talking, really, but on the slight chance it goes somewhere I'll have wasted time on the sequel when I could be working on...
...Song of the Aura, book 4! Wait, you say, isn't book 1 the only one that's out? Yes, Brother Thief is the only one available right now. But books 2 and 3 (can't tell you their names just yet, though I have named them) are already finished (I finished them back in June, see: it all ties together ;-), and in the throes of editing/preparing/formatting.
Originally I was going to release each SotA book 2 months apart: book1 in September, book 2 in November, book 3 in January... But now I figure, what the heck, they're so short, people won't wanna wait even that long. Why not just release 'em as soon as they're ready? DUH. The only downside is now there will be a big gap of a few months between book 3's release and book 4's release, since book 4 isn't written yet.
Books. I'm reading The Wheel of the Time series, book 2: The Great Hunt. Book 1 was good, but this one is way better (neither is flawless, and some of the characters make me wanna SCREAM, but still it's a great fantasy series). Also I'm scraping together funds to buy Theft of Swords in November, Son of Neptune in October, Inheritance in November, and John Locke's How I Sold 1 Million eBooks in 5 Months as soon as I can. Pant. Pant. Pant.
Wow, this dumping thoughts on blog readers is feeling very thereapuetic. I should do it more often.
Smashwords. One word: help! Being a minor and therefore not-in-control-of-every-aspect-of-my-life is not so fun. Not to demean adults are glorify myself, you realize- I know I'm not ready to go live on my own- but it's irritating to not have such convienient things as payment information, which is essential to do the job right on Smashwords. For those of you who don't know Smashwords sells e-books. Hopefully within a few days or a week they'll be selling MY e-books.
Hopefully.
Writing. All this rushing rushing rushing to prepare Mordred and Brother Thief for various distribution channels (Kindle, Smashwords, oh-my-gosh-why-isn't-this-cover-looking-right!) has left my writing high and dry since... oh, June, perhaps? Sure, I've written several thousand words of extra chapters to round out my already-completed book, Brother Thief. But that's not the same as actually working on an unfinished story. I'm getting rusty, and I know it. When I finally pick up Song of the Aura book 4 again, or the Mordred sequel, I'm gonna pay for neglecting my craft... sigh.... That leads into my next rant:
Projects. I've halted work on the Mordred sequel temporarily. Why? Aside from sheer laziness, not much else... except that there's a possibility of taking Mordred (and therefore any sequels) to a small press I know of. It's not negotiations. It's not even querying. It's just talking, really, but on the slight chance it goes somewhere I'll have wasted time on the sequel when I could be working on...
...Song of the Aura, book 4! Wait, you say, isn't book 1 the only one that's out? Yes, Brother Thief is the only one available right now. But books 2 and 3 (can't tell you their names just yet, though I have named them) are already finished (I finished them back in June, see: it all ties together ;-), and in the throes of editing/preparing/formatting.
Originally I was going to release each SotA book 2 months apart: book1 in September, book 2 in November, book 3 in January... But now I figure, what the heck, they're so short, people won't wanna wait even that long. Why not just release 'em as soon as they're ready? DUH. The only downside is now there will be a big gap of a few months between book 3's release and book 4's release, since book 4 isn't written yet.
Books. I'm reading The Wheel of the Time series, book 2: The Great Hunt. Book 1 was good, but this one is way better (neither is flawless, and some of the characters make me wanna SCREAM, but still it's a great fantasy series). Also I'm scraping together funds to buy Theft of Swords in November, Son of Neptune in October, Inheritance in November, and John Locke's How I Sold 1 Million eBooks in 5 Months as soon as I can. Pant. Pant. Pant.
Wow, this dumping thoughts on blog readers is feeling very thereapuetic. I should do it more often.
September 6, 2011
My New Book Is OUT!
It came out a few hours early. But who cares?
Like Mordred before it, Brother Thief is only available for Kindle/Kindle-for-PC at the moment. You can buy it HERE.
The last, oh, seven months of my life have centered around preparing this. I FEEL POWERFUL! Okay, that's enough. Now go check out my books (yes! more than one!). Download the samples if you want. If you like the samples, buy the e-books. Don't have a Kindle? Download the free app for PC, or for your iPhone or iPod Touch, or for your Blackberry, or for your iPad, or even your Android!
Don't want that app junk? Have a Nook or Kobo or Sony reader? Want to read it in iBooks? Well, sadly I don't have versions available for those yet- but I will. The formatting obstacles that stopped me before are now gone, gone, gone, and I expect to release both Mordred and Brother Thief for all those formats within a few weeks.
The legend starts here and now.
- - - - - - -
You can find out everything about everything I write HERE, in my bitly link bundle that has all my writing links.
Like Mordred before it, Brother Thief is only available for Kindle/Kindle-for-PC at the moment. You can buy it HERE.
The last, oh, seven months of my life have centered around preparing this. I FEEL POWERFUL! Okay, that's enough. Now go check out my books (yes! more than one!). Download the samples if you want. If you like the samples, buy the e-books. Don't have a Kindle? Download the free app for PC, or for your iPhone or iPod Touch, or for your Blackberry, or for your iPad, or even your Android!
Don't want that app junk? Have a Nook or Kobo or Sony reader? Want to read it in iBooks? Well, sadly I don't have versions available for those yet- but I will. The formatting obstacles that stopped me before are now gone, gone, gone, and I expect to release both Mordred and Brother Thief for all those formats within a few weeks.
The legend starts here and now.
- - - - - - -You can find out everything about everything I write HERE, in my bitly link bundle that has all my writing links.
September 3, 2011
Guest Post: The Fifth Element
My brother sent me an email recently that I just thought too hilarious not to post. I guess this says something about my humor.
He gave his permission for these original images and content to be used. (c) and all that...
The Fifth ElementBY J.I. DOWNS
First there was Air.
Second there was Earth.
Third there was Fire.
Next there was Water…
Then there was FERNANDO!!!
He gave his permission for these original images and content to be used. (c) and all that...
The Fifth ElementBY J.I. DOWNS
First there was Air.
Second there was Earth.
Third there was Fire.
Next there was Water…
Then there was FERNANDO!!!
September 1, 2011
Eeeek! (in several different ways)
EEK! Blogger changed up its layout on me. O_o It's like when Facebook screws around with the chat settings and everyone hates it... only it may actually be better. I don't know. It looks interesting but I'm annoyed I have to re-learn stuff. Anyway...EEK! ARC time! Advanced Reader Copies! Comment/message me any time before Sept. 7th, the release date for 'Brother Thief', and we'll work out the conditions... example: I give you a free copy, you post a review on Amazon within two weeks (it's a short book, don't whine). I'm open to different deals, but that's the gist of it.EEK! School started for me, finally, which means almost zero progress on my writing projects (other than releasing what I've already written). However, that by no means should be taken to mean (wink wink wordplay) that I'm giving up writing utterly. In fact...
EEK! I'm stuck stuck STUCK right now on a story sequel to Mordred, which I want to finish before moving into books 4 through 6 of The Song of the Aura (books 1 through 3 are complete and in various stages of editing/release). So I'd like to throw down some options before you all to see what you think. Version 1. One of King Arthur's closest allies is murdered and Excalibur is stolen. Only Mordred can hunt down the thief and bring him to justice... but when he learns the thief's identity, will he really want to? Treachery. Sacrifice. Love. Rome.
Version 2. After a year of princehood, the court intrigue is too much for Mordred, and he takes leave of Camelot to go on an errant quest. Bad idea- things soon go very wrong, and the young knight is captured and forced to fight for his life in a sadistic series of gladiator games hosted by an old enemy of the Pendragons who has taken on a new form.
Version 3. I don't have one. If you don't like either of the above, comment with YOUR ideas! I'm open, very, very open at this point.
PS. ARC may actually mean Advance Review Copies. I can't remember. The point's the same x)
UPDATE: I found the answer! I know how to continue! Just thought you should know, I had a breakthrough last night ;)... your thoughts on the story are still welcome, though...
August 30, 2011
Brother Thief... two steps away
Why is it that I post nothing forever here, then in one day do 2 or 3 posts and clog up your feeds? I don't know.
Anyhow, tonight I did some preliminary setting-up for Brother Thief (Song of the Aura #1) on the Kindle Direct Publishing website where I control all my kindle books (2, now! haha!). Soon I'll post the official description to the Official Release Event Page.
This is what the product description looks like right now:
The city of Ymeer is crawling with all manner of lowlifes and rogues. Among these, Gribly the thief is considered to be a rising force of destiny: he always wins, always gets what he wants, and never, ever gets caught.
Most people think it's skill, and some think it's just dumb luck... but everyone is wrong. Gribly has a talent that no one knows about- not even the old gypsy who raised him. It's because of this talent that he's so good at burglary, and he makes sure no one knows his secret. Should it ever become known, he knows, his life would be imperiled...
The Dunelord, ruler of Ymeer, will brook no equals. Gribly's talent makes him an equal, and that makes him a threat. This boy can control the power of sand... but even in a city built from it, that may not be enough.
Into the scene stumbles a mysterious young messenger named Lauro. When Gribly finds him dying from exhaustion outside the city gates, Lauro claims he bears a message from Larion, King of Vastion in the south, to the Dunelord. Helping Lauro could be Gribly's way out of trouble... but do messengers carry royal swords? Do they control the power of the winds?
Both lads soon realize the other has something to hide, but neither one knows the titanic role they will play in the world-shaking events that will soon grip Ymeer... and the entire continent of Vast.
Become a legend... or die trying.
Now, as the more attentive ones among you may realize, this description is largely a combination/rip-off of my previous two character bios. Why did I do this? A: it was easy. B: it fit really well and was about the right length. C: Gribly and Lauro are the two main characters, so why not make their super-intense personalities into the description? D: I like jello. E: The color blue.
That's about it... September 7th is almost here! Get... ready... world...
PS. At the end of the product description for Mordred, I said "Step into the legend... if you dare." At the end of the new one, I said "Become a legend... or die trying." Notice the similarity? I'm thinking it'll become tradition for all my books to have something like that at the end. Cool, huh? I hope...
Anyhow, tonight I did some preliminary setting-up for Brother Thief (Song of the Aura #1) on the Kindle Direct Publishing website where I control all my kindle books (2, now! haha!). Soon I'll post the official description to the Official Release Event Page.
This is what the product description looks like right now:
The city of Ymeer is crawling with all manner of lowlifes and rogues. Among these, Gribly the thief is considered to be a rising force of destiny: he always wins, always gets what he wants, and never, ever gets caught.
Most people think it's skill, and some think it's just dumb luck... but everyone is wrong. Gribly has a talent that no one knows about- not even the old gypsy who raised him. It's because of this talent that he's so good at burglary, and he makes sure no one knows his secret. Should it ever become known, he knows, his life would be imperiled...
The Dunelord, ruler of Ymeer, will brook no equals. Gribly's talent makes him an equal, and that makes him a threat. This boy can control the power of sand... but even in a city built from it, that may not be enough.
Into the scene stumbles a mysterious young messenger named Lauro. When Gribly finds him dying from exhaustion outside the city gates, Lauro claims he bears a message from Larion, King of Vastion in the south, to the Dunelord. Helping Lauro could be Gribly's way out of trouble... but do messengers carry royal swords? Do they control the power of the winds?
Both lads soon realize the other has something to hide, but neither one knows the titanic role they will play in the world-shaking events that will soon grip Ymeer... and the entire continent of Vast.
Become a legend... or die trying.
Now, as the more attentive ones among you may realize, this description is largely a combination/rip-off of my previous two character bios. Why did I do this? A: it was easy. B: it fit really well and was about the right length. C: Gribly and Lauro are the two main characters, so why not make their super-intense personalities into the description? D: I like jello. E: The color blue.
That's about it... September 7th is almost here! Get... ready... world...
PS. At the end of the product description for Mordred, I said "Step into the legend... if you dare." At the end of the new one, I said "Become a legend... or die trying." Notice the similarity? I'm thinking it'll become tradition for all my books to have something like that at the end. Cool, huh? I hope...
True Grit and True-to-the-Book
This is basically like my last post about The Eagle of the Ninth and its movie adaptation, only probably shorter. Why? Well, you'll see.
THE BOOK...
I had meant to read the True Grit book before I saw the movie, but opportunity came calling when I was only on page 13 or so, so Jeff Bridges became my image of Rooster Cogburn and Matt Damon my LaBeouf (spelling?) early on. A few days after the movie, I sat down and plowed through the remainder of the book, which wasn't hard to do for two reasons: one, the book was almost identical to the movie and therefore really easy to follow, and two, the book was simply a joy to read.
I'd never heard of Charles Portis (the author) before reading, and to be honest his other 4 books don't look very interesting to me. I'll probably never read them. That being said, I have full confidence in his writing ability from this sample alone. True Grit is told in first person (a hard thing to make great literature out of) and from the POV of a 14-year-old girl (another point against it, I thought), yet it is precisely these two things that make it worthwhile.
Mattie Ross's father was murdered by a cowardly farmhand named Tom Chaney. Two days later, the girl's already on his trail, haggling enough money out of her father's former business partners to hire the county's best marshal to aid her. That marshal is Rooster Cogburn, a cold-blooded, one-eyed former bushwhacker with deadly aim and a fondness for drink. He's known to have "true grit," and a total fearlessness Mattie knows to be essential in her quest for justice- especially now that her father's killer is reported to have joined up with the outlaw gang led by Cogburn's old nemesis, Ned Pepper. Throw in the mysterious Texas Ranger named LaBeouf, also on Chaney's trail, and you have a recipe for bloody vengeance, true Wild West style.
(INTERRUPTION: Ok, I admit it, this'll be a long post... don't know what I was thinking)
I'll leave the rest of the story up to you to learn. I will say, though, that even having seen the movie beforehand it certainly kept its impact for me. The cowboy heroes and outlaw villains were tough, sure, but the author makes it very clear that it is Mattie, not Cogburn or LaBeouf, who has true grit. Her voice gives the novel its, uh, novelty, as well as its gritty (so many puns...) feel and steel-hard morals.
Definitely, definitely worth a read.
THE MOVIE...
Some movies are terrible adaptations of a book as well as badly made film (Dawn Treader, anyone? Percy Jackson?). Some movies are terrible adaptations of a book, but they're well-made films and therefore cool anyway (Prince Caspian, The Eagle, Inkheart). Some movies, though, are both great film and great adaptation. True Grit falls into this rare category (along with Narnia LWW, LotR, etc).
Both the beginning and end of the movie are almost word-for-word identical to the book, but the resemblance is strong throughout... a rare thing in itself, because- as a cinematically inclined friend mentioned to me- in some cases it's not a good idea economically or practically to stick to the book. Luckily, as he also stated, True Grit as a book "lends itself to film." I have to agree all the way. Most books just wouldn't work transplanted exactly onto screen. True Grit does.
So if you like one, you'll probably like the other. If you hated the one, don't waste time on the other. And be forewarned: it's not for everyone, by any means.
But I liked it. I really did.
THE BOOK...
I had meant to read the True Grit book before I saw the movie, but opportunity came calling when I was only on page 13 or so, so Jeff Bridges became my image of Rooster Cogburn and Matt Damon my LaBeouf (spelling?) early on. A few days after the movie, I sat down and plowed through the remainder of the book, which wasn't hard to do for two reasons: one, the book was almost identical to the movie and therefore really easy to follow, and two, the book was simply a joy to read.
I'd never heard of Charles Portis (the author) before reading, and to be honest his other 4 books don't look very interesting to me. I'll probably never read them. That being said, I have full confidence in his writing ability from this sample alone. True Grit is told in first person (a hard thing to make great literature out of) and from the POV of a 14-year-old girl (another point against it, I thought), yet it is precisely these two things that make it worthwhile.
Mattie Ross's father was murdered by a cowardly farmhand named Tom Chaney. Two days later, the girl's already on his trail, haggling enough money out of her father's former business partners to hire the county's best marshal to aid her. That marshal is Rooster Cogburn, a cold-blooded, one-eyed former bushwhacker with deadly aim and a fondness for drink. He's known to have "true grit," and a total fearlessness Mattie knows to be essential in her quest for justice- especially now that her father's killer is reported to have joined up with the outlaw gang led by Cogburn's old nemesis, Ned Pepper. Throw in the mysterious Texas Ranger named LaBeouf, also on Chaney's trail, and you have a recipe for bloody vengeance, true Wild West style.
(INTERRUPTION: Ok, I admit it, this'll be a long post... don't know what I was thinking)
I'll leave the rest of the story up to you to learn. I will say, though, that even having seen the movie beforehand it certainly kept its impact for me. The cowboy heroes and outlaw villains were tough, sure, but the author makes it very clear that it is Mattie, not Cogburn or LaBeouf, who has true grit. Her voice gives the novel its, uh, novelty, as well as its gritty (so many puns...) feel and steel-hard morals.
Definitely, definitely worth a read.
THE MOVIE...
Some movies are terrible adaptations of a book as well as badly made film (Dawn Treader, anyone? Percy Jackson?). Some movies are terrible adaptations of a book, but they're well-made films and therefore cool anyway (Prince Caspian, The Eagle, Inkheart). Some movies, though, are both great film and great adaptation. True Grit falls into this rare category (along with Narnia LWW, LotR, etc).
Both the beginning and end of the movie are almost word-for-word identical to the book, but the resemblance is strong throughout... a rare thing in itself, because- as a cinematically inclined friend mentioned to me- in some cases it's not a good idea economically or practically to stick to the book. Luckily, as he also stated, True Grit as a book "lends itself to film." I have to agree all the way. Most books just wouldn't work transplanted exactly onto screen. True Grit does.
So if you like one, you'll probably like the other. If you hated the one, don't waste time on the other. And be forewarned: it's not for everyone, by any means.
But I liked it. I really did.
August 26, 2011
Movie and Book: Two Sides of the Same Coin
Just today I finished The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff, and I enjoyed it in a way I haven't enjoyed a book for... well, a while. Turns out it's first in a trilogy, so now I've got to get the newer ones.
I read it for two reasons: one, because I was banned by higher powers from reading any fantasy until I'd read some more 'normal' books... heh heh... and two, because I'd recently seen the movie The Eagle, which is based off the book. Luckily we one of the older copies of the book (see my first link).
Well, the book blew the movie out of the water- though not for the reasons you might expect. The movie was cool, don't get me wrong. It was a total, 100% guy film: two guys on a desperate quest to reclaim the honor of guy #1's Legion. Weapons, hunts, quests, blood, chariots- what could go wrong? I think there were maybe 3 women in the entire thing, and they were extras. Apparently real men don't stop for love interests WHICH I'VE ALWAYS WANTED IN MY WRITING but anyway...
I sat down to the book expecting to read much of the same, only with more details and plot development (the movie moved really reallllly fast). I. Was. Wrong.
Where the movie was fast-paced, the book was leisurely. Where the movie was bare-bones in terms of acting and emotional development, the book laid on a more human, inside-a-bonfire-tale element that I soooo enjoy when done right. Some books do it well and some don't, but Eagle of the Ninth did it almost flawlessly. I mean, no book is without blemish, this one included, but the blemishes were few and far-between (just a few awkwardly-placed sentences).
The relationship between the two main characters was totally different- they were friends instead of rivals bound together unwillingly. The book included a love interest- BUT it was a teensy part of the book, and tastefully sculpted to reflect the time period and personalities of the characters. Great stuff.
To sum up the book-versus-movie thing, I'll say this:
-The movie is for lovers of adventure and action, hard and fast, with strong morals and a plain-yet-deep look at the differences between Roman and Britton, master and slave, soldier and warrior. Ages? Probably 14+
-The book is for lovers of a good yarn about real, touchable people in a far-gone period of history, every one affected by their differing senses of honor and loyalty. Action is there, but it's secondary. Ages? 11+
Next on my reading list? True Grit.
The Eagle
True Grit
Heck yes...
I read it for two reasons: one, because I was banned by higher powers from reading any fantasy until I'd read some more 'normal' books... heh heh... and two, because I'd recently seen the movie The Eagle, which is based off the book. Luckily we one of the older copies of the book (see my first link).
Well, the book blew the movie out of the water- though not for the reasons you might expect. The movie was cool, don't get me wrong. It was a total, 100% guy film: two guys on a desperate quest to reclaim the honor of guy #1's Legion. Weapons, hunts, quests, blood, chariots- what could go wrong? I think there were maybe 3 women in the entire thing, and they were extras. Apparently real men don't stop for love interests WHICH I'VE ALWAYS WANTED IN MY WRITING but anyway...
I sat down to the book expecting to read much of the same, only with more details and plot development (the movie moved really reallllly fast). I. Was. Wrong.
Where the movie was fast-paced, the book was leisurely. Where the movie was bare-bones in terms of acting and emotional development, the book laid on a more human, inside-a-bonfire-tale element that I soooo enjoy when done right. Some books do it well and some don't, but Eagle of the Ninth did it almost flawlessly. I mean, no book is without blemish, this one included, but the blemishes were few and far-between (just a few awkwardly-placed sentences).
The relationship between the two main characters was totally different- they were friends instead of rivals bound together unwillingly. The book included a love interest- BUT it was a teensy part of the book, and tastefully sculpted to reflect the time period and personalities of the characters. Great stuff.
To sum up the book-versus-movie thing, I'll say this:
-The movie is for lovers of adventure and action, hard and fast, with strong morals and a plain-yet-deep look at the differences between Roman and Britton, master and slave, soldier and warrior. Ages? Probably 14+
-The book is for lovers of a good yarn about real, touchable people in a far-gone period of history, every one affected by their differing senses of honor and loyalty. Action is there, but it's secondary. Ages? 11+
Next on my reading list? True Grit.
The Eagle
True Grit
Heck yes...
August 23, 2011
Well, well, well
Well I'm stranded at the library and forgot to put the right file on this laptop I'm using, so I can't write as I'd planned. Instead I'm going to blog about whatever comes to mind.
I. Update on Brother Thief
It's almost ready for release. Once I get back a set of edits from a friend, the manuscript is all ready to get put through the meat grinder of mobipocket (the formatting program I use to prepare my eBooks). I still have to learn how to add pictures to the product, though... it's harder than you'd think, and I need the skill so I can include the awesome map I drew on the computer :P
Want to be notified when the book comes out? There's a Facebook event for it.
II. Mordred Sequel(s)?
A little while ago I posted on the Mordred facebook page that I would eventually do a Mordred sequel of unknown length. I still plan to... sorta... but not for a long while, it looks like. Song of the Aura is taking up too much of my time. I might write and release a short story before school starts in September, but no promises.
In other Mordred news, I'm re-formatting the original novel with help from my dad. Hopefully the refurbished version will go out for not just for Kindle, but for Nook and Smashwords etc. etc. as well.
III. LotRO
Another time-killer for me lately has been Lord of the Rings Online... you know, like World of Warcraft, only free-to-play and deliciously Lordoftheringsy. I finally got an account and am hopelessly addicted within a week. I'll probably quit for a while when I need to crunch down on the next few SotA books. In the meantime, though feel free to get the game and join me in the Vilya world ^_^
That's mostly it. I'm reading The Eagle of the Ninth now, which the movie The Eagle was based off of. Great movie, if a bit simplistic. Hopefully the book will be even better. Oh, and Thor comes out on dvd next month!
I. Update on Brother Thief
It's almost ready for release. Once I get back a set of edits from a friend, the manuscript is all ready to get put through the meat grinder of mobipocket (the formatting program I use to prepare my eBooks). I still have to learn how to add pictures to the product, though... it's harder than you'd think, and I need the skill so I can include the awesome map I drew on the computer :P
Want to be notified when the book comes out? There's a Facebook event for it.
II. Mordred Sequel(s)?
A little while ago I posted on the Mordred facebook page that I would eventually do a Mordred sequel of unknown length. I still plan to... sorta... but not for a long while, it looks like. Song of the Aura is taking up too much of my time. I might write and release a short story before school starts in September, but no promises.
In other Mordred news, I'm re-formatting the original novel with help from my dad. Hopefully the refurbished version will go out for not just for Kindle, but for Nook and Smashwords etc. etc. as well.
III. LotRO
Another time-killer for me lately has been Lord of the Rings Online... you know, like World of Warcraft, only free-to-play and deliciously Lordoftheringsy. I finally got an account and am hopelessly addicted within a week. I'll probably quit for a while when I need to crunch down on the next few SotA books. In the meantime, though feel free to get the game and join me in the Vilya world ^_^
That's mostly it. I'm reading The Eagle of the Ninth now, which the movie The Eagle was based off of. Great movie, if a bit simplistic. Hopefully the book will be even better. Oh, and Thor comes out on dvd next month!
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