Archive for the “Books” Category
Today I am taking the lazy post out by reposting someone else’s post, but I assure you this is better than anything I could have put together myself.
Screenwriter John August writes why it’s important to have a general education before a specialized one and why Ron Weasley is more than likely illiterate.
Follow this link or check it out on my Articles page. And don’t be lazy just because I didn’t post it in it’s entirety for you. It’s one click, dude.
 Tags: Education, Harry Potter, John August
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Posted by: Carrie in Books, Film
On my recent trip to Fiji, I finally sat down and read the first Twilight book.
I’ll give it credit, it actually wasn’t as bad as I was expecting. I can definitely see why people enjoy it. The average girl gets the adonis forever-young boyfriend. We get to feel like it is happening to us, or something similar.
The first half of the book was a decent read. I have seen the movie (though it was certainly not my favorite of the year) and the first ten chapters or so are a blow by blow of movie, but with more character/relationship development. The movie had a tendancy to have things occur with very little explanation, if you ask me. It was nice to see that the book could explain most of the decision it made, opposed to leaving the audience guessing. I almost even bought the sparkle part. (You know the part– that major criticism of the series where the vampires aren’t killed in sunlight so much as they twinkle, like diamonds.) I’ll give Meyer the benefit of the doubt. She needed a reason to have the vamps walking around in the day without them going up into smoke. Something to do with their skin is a logical angle to take, however I can’t help but think that maybe she missed the mark a bit. Anyway, I digress.
After the heroine Bella and Edward decide that they like each other, they proceed to have the same three conversations for the rest of the book. They love each other, but he might eat her, he should leave, no he should stay. Not to mention, for a good five chapters we get nothing but conversations about Edwards backstory. It was like Meyer thought “oh, we’re half way through the book, when things really should start to move forward– I know, I’ll give eighty pages of exposition!” That did get almost unbearable.
I soldiered on and finished though, and I’ll say it’s not the worst book I have ever read in my life, which is something every author wants to hear. Honestly I think the problem mostly was that I am not the target audience. There were hints of cleverness and forethought peppered into the inevitable cliches that I did enjoy, but high school love is not something I’m into. I don’t know about anyone else, but two teens walking around declaring that they will love each other for all eternity just makes my eyes roll back so hard I can see my brain.
I guess it didn’t hurt that the movie was already out and I knew that I was allowed to imagine RPattz as the leading man. Despite that he’s a bit squinty for my tastes, he really seems to stir the ladies, which is the whole point of the Edward character’s existance. I think.
Overall, I don’t understand the phenomenon of the book. But, I guess that’s what makes it phenomenon, ay? However, the outcome could have been a lot worse. I see myself completing the series, just to see how it turns out. Since the series is written for the average high school cheerleader, I think that it won’t take me long to get through them. I’m lucky that the books already exist, because I don’t think I would have to patience and followthrough to wait for the next installment to be published. Team RPattz for the win.
A side note. I also just finished The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs. It was an entirely delightful read about a man who decides he is going to take everything in the bible literally for a year. One can imagine the hijinks that ensue. His poor wife… I know that you would never know by the proportion of my comments of this book to the former, but if you have to choose a book to pick up, pick up this one.
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Posted by: Carrie in Books
A few weeks ago, Demi Moore (or @mrskutcher as she’s also known) posted a link on her twitter feed. It was a list of 50 Banned Books That Everyone Should Read. After having a look at the list, I realized that there are quite a few decent classics on that list that would probably be a good to have under my belt, banned or no. It’s an interesting list to have a look at, sheerly for the fact that people need to be a lot less sensitive about things. A lot of the books listed shaped and/or reflected on the society in which they were written. I, myself, have read several of these books, mostly in school, somewhere in the twenties I believe, but I cannot remember more than mere glimpses about any one of them. I guess that’s why good literature shouldn’t be wasted on teenagers. Anyway, I digress. I have decided to take on the challenge of reading them all. Of course, at the time I made this pact with myself and went out and bought ten plus books, that it would take me around two years to complete this task. Yes, even though a few of these books are children’s books, many are not, and let’s face it I’m not the reader I once was. Even reading one book a week would put me at the year mark. Nevertheless, I’m going to stick with it best I can.
Animal Farm
by George Orwell
Yes, I read it back in the seventh grade, but it was short and about communism, so I thought it was a good a book as any to start with. My first thoughts after finishing: who would think making twelve year olds read this would be a good idea, do they even know what communism and/or allegories are?
In short, Orwell’s classic work is about animals who uprise against their oppressive human masters with the promise of utopia only to be forced back into the tyrannical slavery that they once endured, but only this time, it was by pigs.
The piece was a bit more transparent than I remember, though I suppose I can see how something like this would be quite controversial back in it’s day. It starts out by siding with the animal’s revolution — where all the animals were equal to one another and if they all put in hard work they would all reap the benefits together. They work for no master, only themselves, but of course, as human nature works (or our animalistic nature works, if you will) someone will always exploit the hardworking people to benefit themselves. Napolean, the dictator of the piece, exploits the dumber, but loyal hardworking animals such as the horses, for his own gain while simultaneously assuring them that it was for their benefit. It makes no difference that he was changing the rules of the game the entire time because no one could remember the original ones, much less prove anything, not to mention, one negative word lead to execution.
There are obvious parallels to communism including Napolean as Stalin down to the flag that was described eerily similar as that of the hammer and sickle. And Orwell makes it pretty obvious where he sits on the matter. There are also some slightly less specific references and allusions to outside forces such as the Nazi Party and the United States. This book actually makes me wish that I was a little bit more up on my modern world history, so that I could take in it’s full meaning instead of merely being able to spot that it’s being referenced.
Overall, I enjoyed rereading this book and even if one isn’t completely up to speed on their USSR history, it is a pretty fair glimpse into human nature and their ability to exploit and be exploited. It’s an easy read, coming in at less than a hundred pages, and involves fluffy animals, so really there’s no excuse not to pick it up and give it a go.
So, onto book number two? Suggestions? I think I’ve narrowed it down to “the abuse of the mental health institution, ” “the inherent racism of the south, ” or “the oppressive society of the 1950′s. ”
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Tags: 50 banned books everyone should read, @mrskutcher, Animal Farm, Demi Moore's twitter, George Orwell
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ACT I
Math class is boring as hell. There are only 10 different numbers that you can put together in various combinations, but there are 26 letters that you can assemble to make much more interesting ones. You fall asleep in History class because, frankly, the stories in your head are a lot more interesting then the one you’re reading about in a textbook. Something deep inside of you tells you that you are destined for something else, but common sense says “shut the hell up.” So, after scratching a many idea onto diner napkins, a few people that hold a certain amount of sway in your book say “Hey, you can write!” To which you reply with a grunt of some sort, nah, but then for some reason you find yourself enrolled in a Screenwriting course of some fashion.
The man lecturing you is a burly man, with mucho body hair, and has a down to earth yet holier than thou aura about him. You feel the need to both reject every thing he says to you while simultaneously soaking it up. He prattles on about the elusive “Three Act Structure.” This is something you must know if you are to ever write a successful screenplay and as he continues on about innercaves and midpoints and elixirs, you think obviously, this does not apply to me, for I am a natural talent not bound by silly mortal rules.
Then you find yourself stuck on page thirty two. So fine, you pick up a book on screenwriting and once again this three act structure dealio comes up. It’s worded slightly different, but you aren’t fooled, you’re a cunning one you are, and it’s most certainly another theory on the the Three Act Structure and to be perfectly honest, it makes no more sense to you than when your writing guru was trying to explain it to you a week ago. Being the persistant hero that you are, you continue reading various books and watching “Hero Journey” movie examples like Star Wars and The Matrix.
Just before you are about to give up and go back to your old ways of writing in circles, this structure stuff clicks. You’re not sure why, but it does. You suddenly understand what that Vogler guy mean by “elixir” and what “Saving the Cat” is all about. You can’t explain it, but now you have all this power floating around in your head, and you are going to use it for good.
ACT II
For all your hard work, you finally get to coast. Planning out stories has never been easier. You know where the story starts and where it has to end up. It’s awesome. It’s like a weight has been lifted off of you. As you flex your muscles, you are able to see the Hero’s Journey in every movie you watch. You can now construct and deconstruct at the same time! Life was never better and you start to think wow, I’m really going to make it as a screenwriter.
Then one day, this three acts thing hit you like a ton of bricks and you can’t get out from underneath it. You start to ask why did you bring this curse upon yourself? You start to long for the days where you could just write a script — or at least watch a movie — without having to think about what step you’re at. You have an awesome first act written but for some reason you can’t figure out how to set up Act II so that you can go into the innermost of the innermost caves. What will be the sword? What will be the ultimate Elixir? You don’t know, and honestly, you have no idea how caves and boons have to do with your romance comedy.
You go back to your burly lecturer and ask him to solve your problems. Well, he can’t. Only you can. He says you must learn and then you must forget. What the… He’s cryptic and annoying. So you take your stack of paper and go back to your laptop.
But you plow through. Then the next three attempts at story you’ve hand in are rigid and formulaic. Just like you expected.
What is a screenwriter to do? You win some, and you lose some. You may be able to write a text book satisfactory story but you seem to have lost all sense of originality.
So you say, screw you three act structure! You betrayed me with your false promises and now I’m going back to how I was. But you can’t. Something is missing. You try to write but there’s always a sense of longing that you can’t get past. And the montage music just won’t shut up.
But then a glimmer of hope…
Act III
You pick up one of the screenwriting books that you have been using as a table leveler for the last several weeks. It brings back good memories of discipline and structure. You smile to yourself as you flip through the pages. And realize, Three Act Structure is not the enemy, neither is the Hero’s Journey.
As it turns out you had the message all wrong. Three Act Structure is a only a tool. When examining a draft (or writing one) you look at it and think hm, something is missing and that’s where the Structure is comes in. Allow me to explain. It dawns on you that in the middle of your script, there needs to be a change of some sort. A big kick in the nuts. Otherwise what are you building too? You always want your story to be taking new and unexpected turns, and halfway through seems to be a good a place as any. So what’s the best middle of your story? Take a step back. Look at your story as a whole. Where is the story most likely to end up? Take your cue from there, because as Michael Hauge asked in his Screenplay Mastery seminar, “How do you know if you’re halfway done with a marathon if you don’t even know where the finish line is?”
Story structure isn’t a template, it’s a guide. Use it as a tool to help you when you’re stuck or to get the ball rolling, but don’t rely on it solely to tell your story. Ultimately your instinct is what’s going to make the best story possible, but there’s nothing wrong with asking for help along the way.
So there, you return to your world, having it changed forever… and hopefully for the better.
The End. Roll Credits.
If you are interested in learning a bit more about the Three Act Structure and/or The Hero’s Journey, there are so many talented people with their own takes on the idea(s). Browse and see which one is most accessible to you. And if you don’t like any of them 100%, that’s fine, do what I do, and mix and match.
Joseph Campbell started it all with his book Hero with a Thousand Faces. Though, when he wrote this, cinema wasn’t around yet, but it’s where most of the other story-tellers get their ideas from.
Chris Vogler took Cambell’s book an rand with it and adapted the Hero’s Journey in The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers.
Syd Field has THE go-to book on screenwriting. Screenplay is one of the first and still most widely used book on the craft.
Blake Campbell has an interesting and accessible take on the Hero’s Journey in his book Save the Cat (and followup book Save the Cat Goes to the Movies). This book takes out a lot of pretension and puts the How-To book in Laymen’s terms, which I find helpful to newcomers.
These days good advice isn’t just limited to the dead tree variety. John August and Alex Epstein both have incredibly helpful and informative blogs about screenwriting, most of which are inspired by reader’s personal questions. Epstein has also written two books Crafty Screenwriting and Crafty TV Writing.
Last but not least, Michael Hauge is worth checking out if he is ever conducting a seminar near you. He also has authored a couple books and has videos of his presentations available at his website.
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Tags: Alex Epstein, Blake Snyder, Chris Vogler, John August, Joseph Campbell, Michael Hauge, Screenwriting, Star Wars, The Hero's Journey, The Matrix, Three Act Structure
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I’m tired of writers out there wanting to write their life stories.
There are people out there who deserve books, people who do incredible things, hurdle through insurmountable odds, break down barriers… or at least attempt something mildy interesting. People who spend six, seven, eight, twelve hours of their day in front of their word processors are not those people. Not usually anyway. I find that if someone is out doing something that’s worth writing a book over, being a writer is usually the farthest thing from their mind.
Fiction writers, including but not limited to, screenwriters and novelists, are usually fairly boring human beings. I find that most of them are white, middle class, somewhere in the age of thirty and fifty who live fairly domesticated lives. What would be so exciting in their lives worth sitting through an hour and a half of? Or paying twenty bucks to read?
My biggest obstacle today was mowing the lawn. It’s conflict was that I have Barbie’s Dream Mower and it chokes if it comes near grass. I persisted on, and mowed that grass, fulfilling my ultimate goal. My human flaw: I didn’t edge and the grass around the edges are still bordering on knee height. The ingredients were there, I had the challenge, the conflict, the antagonist, etcetera, but it would have made a lousy recipe. A metaphorical rice cracker, if you will.
Now, I’m not saying these fairly-boring-lifed writers are not talented, I’m just saying that maybe they should keep their life story (or a story “inspired by” their life) in their back pockets until they inadvertently cure cancer with Spell Check.
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Tags: Books, life story, reading, writers, Writing
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I grew up watching television. What American kid of my generation didn’t? However, I remember as a kid I read so much more than I do now. I mean, I read a lot back then, sometimes a book a day and I could always find time to read AND watch all my shows. Now, I’m not really sure when the last time I just sat down with the sole purpose of reading a book. Occasionally, if I go into the city on a more frequent basis I will take a book along and read it over the course of a month as I commute to and fro. Though that’s far from impressive and I can’t say truly in the spirit of enjoying a book to it’s fullest.
My father, on the other hand, is a reader. Growing up, I swear he was constantly reading about fifty books at a time. It was just something he did. He still does. One time he gave me an interesting theory on his reading, which I will share with you now.
Dad makes a habit of reading four books at a time, each serving a different purpose.
One just for fun.
If you’re not going to enjoy reading, what’s really the point? Read a book that offers you a sense of pleasure. It doesn’t have to be classic literature, just something thrilling. It can be a romance novel or an anthology of WW2 guns.
Being a big fiction reader, this one isn’t too hard for me to choose. I either go one of two routes with this, I either pick up a Sci-fi/Fantasy book or a first person character piece, usually about some sort of idiot savant. And I’ll have you know that both Ender’s Game and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time were both excellant reads.
One to learn something.
This is where we obviously start to use our brains a bit. Pick up a book that will actually teach you something. This, of course, can be on a topic that you know very little about or that you know a bit about but could always know more.
Like the previous category, this one isn’t difficult for me. Learning something new about something I’m interested in really isn’t a chore, so getting through a Film/Television book, or something, isn’t too much of an ask. Though I recommend something that can really further your knowledge, not just an easy read.
Update: My father noted that this one, for him, is usually to learn something new about his particular career field, if you would like to take that on board.
One for faith and/or spirituality.
When I was about thirteen, my father jumped head first into participating actively in the Episcopal Church, and with that, came a whole new stack of books. Obviously, not everyone out there is a Christian, or even particularly religious for that matter, but I sort of like this one, and I believe that’s it’s still applicable to everyone. There’s more to spirituality than learning about Jesus. Spirituality is about the incorporeal or immaterial nature we possess, or rather plainly, “the soul.” Not a big fan of the big J.C.? Maybe buddism is more up your ally. Grab a book on meditation.
A bit too wanky for you? Well, you can’t say that there’s not room for improvement. What about picking up a self-help book of sorts. I hear The Secret is revolutionary. Don’t judge, that’s just what I hear. Use this category to find a way to make you a better person, whatever way that might be. Who doesn’t want to be a better person?
One to broaden horizons.
Pick up a book that you wouldn’t normally pick up. I can’t speak for everyone but I have a very small comfort zone. My interests are very limited and the idea of seeking outside of those interests is a concept that’s either terrifying or boring to me… Probably both.
This may sound like a bit like the second category, and I guess in a way it is, but this one isn’t as limiting. This book can be anything that’s a leap for you, hence the term, “broadening horizons.” Techincally, a action novel would be way outside my peripherals and no one is really argueing that they are the most educating books in the world, so really, this can be anything. Though, a book about South African Apartheid would certainly be stepping out of the box. The more we read, the more we learn learn, and that can’t hurt.
Though, I would like to note that dad always snubbed my SciFi thing, so maybe he should follow his own advice and picking up a book about space ships or dragons should be his next attempt under the “Broadening Horizons” heading.
So there.
I’m not going to pretend that I have ever been able to read four books at once, especially with such stipulations, but if you ask me, it’s not a bad discipline to have. Reading is what keeps our brain active, so by all means, do what you can. Start with any two of these books and work up from there. My father’s a smart man, and perhaps this is why. TV and movies are great and I have heard people say that it will be the end of reading, but why does it have to? Why does one have to be to the exclusion of the other? Paper is awesome, grab a book.
There is still another two to three weeks in summer hiatus left, so pick up a book or two…or four. My dad will like you more for it.
Don’t ask about my Wii. We aren’t speaking to one another. Though this evening I rent on a real run. Yes, I left my lounge room. It was brutal, and probably a bit comical to watch.
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Tags: Books, Dad, Ender's Game, reading, self improvement, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, watching TV, Wii Fit
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