I have long been an admirer of Tim Gunn, mentor of the fabulous fashion reality show Project Runway. He is always dressed to the nines, he's objective, and he's nice. Which is a rare combination to find in the fashion industry.
Tim has inspired me to stick to my guns when it comes to good manners. I was raised with a higher etiquette than I needed, I think, but most of the rules I still believe in (but I don't serve dinner with three forks, although I know which ones to use should an opportunity arise).
This is Tim's second book (his first is an excellent look at creating your own style -- Tim Gunn's Guide to Quality, Taste & Style) and might be my favorite because it's like sitting down with Tim for a little chat about people, fashion, and some life lessons about 'making it work'.
This is quintessential Tim -- amused at his own quirkiness (and others'), practical, somewhat fatherly advice about the hard lessons you need to learn, and sharing just enough about his life to make you curious.
Some of my favorite advice: "The World Owes You...Nothing". Work for what you want. And 'make it work'. The sense of entitlement these last few generations have is...rather mind boggling. Most of them think they're going to be famous (!!). And a lot of people, in general, don't take the time to think about others. Wouldn't the world be a much nicer place if we took care to have good manners, be kind, and take the high road?
Although there are some gossipy bits in this book (they're mostly a tongue-in-cheek poke at the fashion industry), the overall outlook is one of "Aren't we silly? Let's do better" instead of a raking through the coals.
Thank goodness for people like Tim who still believe in the niceties of life.
If you've ever wondered about Tim's background, the craziness of the fashion industry, or what happens behind the scenes at Project Runway (or if you feel, like Tim, that more people could be better), you should read this book.
See you all on Wednesday!
Monday, January 14, 2013
Friday, January 11, 2013
First Line Friday No. 21
Welcome back to First Line Friday!
I wrote a review a while ago about a book most people have pooh-poohed that I thought was wonderful. It's a re-imagining of a beloved classic and while I had my doubts, at first, I quickly realized the genius of revisiting and combining the old story with new hilarity.
I'm talking about Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith. My concern was that it would just be P&P with zombies pasted in. Boy, was I wrong.
Here, for your entertainment, is the first page of Austen's beautiful work, with added ridiculousness by S.G-S.:
"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains. Never was this truth more plain than during the recent attacks at Netherfield Park, in which a household of eighteen was slaughtered and consumed by a horde of the living dead.
"My dear Mr. Bennet," said his lady to him one day, "have you heard that Netherfield Park is occupied again?" Mr. Bennet replied that he had not and went about his morning business of dagger sharpening and musket polishing--for attacks by the unmentionables had grown alarmingly frequent in recent weeks.
"But it is," returned she.
Mr. Bennet made no answer.
"Do you not want to know who has taken it?" cried the wife impatiently.
"Woman, I am attending to my musket. Prattle on if you must, but leave me to the defense of my estate!"
This was invitation enough.
"Why, My dear, Mrs. Long says that Netherfield is taken by a young man of large fortune; that he escaped London in a chaise-and-four just as the strange plague broke through the Manchester line."
"What is his name?"
"Bingley. A single man of four or five thousand a year. What a fine thing for our girls!"
"How so? Can he train them in the ways of swordsmanship and musketry?"
"How can you be so tiresome? You must know that I am thinking of his marrying one of them.""
--From Pride & Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
The genius behind this story is that it is funniest when you've read Pride and Prejudice AND have a love of zombies. So the reader who will enjoy this re-imaging has read the classics, like Austen, but is also a bit more geeky in their love of fantasy/sci-fi. I can't imagine a better combination.
The brilliant additions by Seth Grahame-Smith aren't copy/paste zombie gore, either. There are actual story lines altered through the introduction of the "unmentionables."
I am delighted to be reading Sense & Sensibility And Sea Monsters, which is proving just as funny, and if you haven't given these books a chance...at least read the first chapter. See if you can stop yourself from laughing.
See you on Monday for a review!
I wrote a review a while ago about a book most people have pooh-poohed that I thought was wonderful. It's a re-imagining of a beloved classic and while I had my doubts, at first, I quickly realized the genius of revisiting and combining the old story with new hilarity.
I'm talking about Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith. My concern was that it would just be P&P with zombies pasted in. Boy, was I wrong.
Here, for your entertainment, is the first page of Austen's beautiful work, with added ridiculousness by S.G-S.:
"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains. Never was this truth more plain than during the recent attacks at Netherfield Park, in which a household of eighteen was slaughtered and consumed by a horde of the living dead.
"My dear Mr. Bennet," said his lady to him one day, "have you heard that Netherfield Park is occupied again?" Mr. Bennet replied that he had not and went about his morning business of dagger sharpening and musket polishing--for attacks by the unmentionables had grown alarmingly frequent in recent weeks.
"But it is," returned she.
Mr. Bennet made no answer.
"Do you not want to know who has taken it?" cried the wife impatiently.
"Woman, I am attending to my musket. Prattle on if you must, but leave me to the defense of my estate!"
This was invitation enough.
"Why, My dear, Mrs. Long says that Netherfield is taken by a young man of large fortune; that he escaped London in a chaise-and-four just as the strange plague broke through the Manchester line."
"What is his name?"
"Bingley. A single man of four or five thousand a year. What a fine thing for our girls!"
"How so? Can he train them in the ways of swordsmanship and musketry?"
"How can you be so tiresome? You must know that I am thinking of his marrying one of them.""
--From Pride & Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
The genius behind this story is that it is funniest when you've read Pride and Prejudice AND have a love of zombies. So the reader who will enjoy this re-imaging has read the classics, like Austen, but is also a bit more geeky in their love of fantasy/sci-fi. I can't imagine a better combination.
The brilliant additions by Seth Grahame-Smith aren't copy/paste zombie gore, either. There are actual story lines altered through the introduction of the "unmentionables."
I am delighted to be reading Sense & Sensibility And Sea Monsters, which is proving just as funny, and if you haven't given these books a chance...at least read the first chapter. See if you can stop yourself from laughing.
See you on Monday for a review!
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Write Wednesday: Writing for the Screen vs. Writing Novels
Bonjour!
I greet you in French because it's a happy word. Just say it. You can't help but smile. :)
Today I'm going to be writing about some big differences in various types of writing -- writing for the silver screen and small screen or writing novels (or novellas, short stories...stories that will stay on the page).
I'm trying to figure out what my strengths are as a writer. I read a lot, watch a lot of good TV and movies, and honestly, I'm not sure which type of writing I'm best suited for (my preference? Spend time in a writing room with other writers and write for TV -- but that's just because I love TV and community so much, not because I enjoy writing screenplays more than writing novels).
Even if I decide I'm going to try both before making a decision (that might end up changing, who knows? Suzanne Collins wrote episodes of Nickelodeon's Little Bear before writing The Hunger Games trilogy), it might all boil down to which way is more fun for me to write.
Because at the end of the day, all I want to do is tell stories...with other people. Granted, if I wrote novels, I'd have Beta readers, an editor, an agent, fans, etc. (hopefully!) So both have one thing in common: an audience.
But the nitty-gritty, boil-it-down-to-its-smallest-components, technical side of things is vastly different.
1. Writing a screenplay involves more technical work (at the start up) than a novel. You need to know the format, the correct vocabulary, and the basic setup of screenplay pages. This scared me for a long time until I took part in a ScriptFrenzy and wrote a few TV episodes. It takes some getting used to and requires a different sort of thinking (what's the day/time/place? Is there a voiceover? Which characters are in this scene?) than writing for novels -- less description, more action. Bare is a word I would use to describe screenplays. Tolkien could never write a script.
Novels have a different set up -- but you still have to know your stuff when it comes to writing stories this way. Do you know how to format paragraphs? End chapters (with something that keeps the reader reading)? Structure a novel (beginning, middle, climax, end is one way...)?
Either way requires study, dedication/determination, and lots of practice.
2. Writing a screenplay also involves putting more trust into the team you're working with -- after all, if someone buys your script, unless you come with it as a package deal (sometimes as the director), they're going to do their own thing with it, even hire another writer to 'doctor' it (Joss Whedon doctored Toy Story, among other movies). If you want this story told, you're going to have to rely on the actors to bring out the emotion behind your words, the director and produces to share your vision, and the crew to make sure it looks good.
Lots more people are involved (usually -- unless you're doing short films/indie movies/a web series). It's tempting to put emotion (or description of it) in the screenplay, but you can't. You have to state the character's name and put the emotion into the economy of words or in the situation without forcing the character to be a certain way. It sometimes comes down to being concise and crystal clear in your intentions from the beginning.
With a novel, your agent or editor may suggest changes, but you have more power than a screenwriter (from what I understand) at this point. You may not have a say in the cover or if there's a page for dedications, but your words, once finalized with the editor, will stay the same -- forever. There won't be anyone to interpret them but the readers.
3. Less words in screenplays than novels. People are happy reading 800 page tomes (Order of the Phoenix, anyone?), but sit them down for five hours and they'll fall asleep in the middle. Writing film or TV is all about cramming emotion and action into the fewest words possible that are still coherent for the viewer. (Usually 80-120 pages)
With novels, the usual range is 70-90k which can be up to 300-350 pages. That's a chunk more than a screenplay, which does allow for more time in the descriptions, character development/backstory, and the plot pacing (which is why some novels tend to drag in the middle).
I think those are the main differences -- have I left anything else (big) out?
If you write, which do you prefer? Would you ever try a screenplay?
I greet you in French because it's a happy word. Just say it. You can't help but smile. :)
Today I'm going to be writing about some big differences in various types of writing -- writing for the silver screen and small screen or writing novels (or novellas, short stories...stories that will stay on the page).
I'm trying to figure out what my strengths are as a writer. I read a lot, watch a lot of good TV and movies, and honestly, I'm not sure which type of writing I'm best suited for (my preference? Spend time in a writing room with other writers and write for TV -- but that's just because I love TV and community so much, not because I enjoy writing screenplays more than writing novels).
Even if I decide I'm going to try both before making a decision (that might end up changing, who knows? Suzanne Collins wrote episodes of Nickelodeon's Little Bear before writing The Hunger Games trilogy), it might all boil down to which way is more fun for me to write.
Because at the end of the day, all I want to do is tell stories...with other people. Granted, if I wrote novels, I'd have Beta readers, an editor, an agent, fans, etc. (hopefully!) So both have one thing in common: an audience.
But the nitty-gritty, boil-it-down-to-its-smallest-components, technical side of things is vastly different.
1. Writing a screenplay involves more technical work (at the start up) than a novel. You need to know the format, the correct vocabulary, and the basic setup of screenplay pages. This scared me for a long time until I took part in a ScriptFrenzy and wrote a few TV episodes. It takes some getting used to and requires a different sort of thinking (what's the day/time/place? Is there a voiceover? Which characters are in this scene?) than writing for novels -- less description, more action. Bare is a word I would use to describe screenplays. Tolkien could never write a script.
Novels have a different set up -- but you still have to know your stuff when it comes to writing stories this way. Do you know how to format paragraphs? End chapters (with something that keeps the reader reading)? Structure a novel (beginning, middle, climax, end is one way...)?
Either way requires study, dedication/determination, and lots of practice.
2. Writing a screenplay also involves putting more trust into the team you're working with -- after all, if someone buys your script, unless you come with it as a package deal (sometimes as the director), they're going to do their own thing with it, even hire another writer to 'doctor' it (Joss Whedon doctored Toy Story, among other movies). If you want this story told, you're going to have to rely on the actors to bring out the emotion behind your words, the director and produces to share your vision, and the crew to make sure it looks good.
Lots more people are involved (usually -- unless you're doing short films/indie movies/a web series). It's tempting to put emotion (or description of it) in the screenplay, but you can't. You have to state the character's name and put the emotion into the economy of words or in the situation without forcing the character to be a certain way. It sometimes comes down to being concise and crystal clear in your intentions from the beginning.
With a novel, your agent or editor may suggest changes, but you have more power than a screenwriter (from what I understand) at this point. You may not have a say in the cover or if there's a page for dedications, but your words, once finalized with the editor, will stay the same -- forever. There won't be anyone to interpret them but the readers.
3. Less words in screenplays than novels. People are happy reading 800 page tomes (Order of the Phoenix, anyone?), but sit them down for five hours and they'll fall asleep in the middle. Writing film or TV is all about cramming emotion and action into the fewest words possible that are still coherent for the viewer. (Usually 80-120 pages)
With novels, the usual range is 70-90k which can be up to 300-350 pages. That's a chunk more than a screenplay, which does allow for more time in the descriptions, character development/backstory, and the plot pacing (which is why some novels tend to drag in the middle).
I think those are the main differences -- have I left anything else (big) out?
If you write, which do you prefer? Would you ever try a screenplay?
Monday, January 7, 2013
A Tale of Two Castles by Gail Carson Levine
Sorry the review arrives so late today...
I was working a wedding with my husband today (video). :D
I always try to read everything Gail Carson Levine writes because:
a) she writes strong heroines
b) she infuses her story with magic
c) and she always includes a surprise
(If you haven't read her, she's written such brilliant re-tellings as Ella Enchanted and Fairest, as well as a fantastic book on writing called Writing Magic: Creating Stories That Fly)
A Tale of Two Castles is about a young girl journeying to a new land in hopes of being a 'mansioner' (actor). She arrives and through several misfortunes, loses her opportunity to apprentice to a troupe. Instead, she's given an opportunity to work with a rather large and formidable employee -- what she doesn't know is that this will lead to the greatest acting challenge of her career...if she doesn't die first.
Ms. Levine is a fantastic author because she understands the need for conflict, especially internally. She builds it up slowly, smoothly, seamlessly, and then WHAM! A finale with gain and loss (bittersweet endings are the best, I believe) and a new perspective.
I really appreciate the amount of work she's put out (a funny series of absurdist re-tellings, interesting takes on old stories, etc.) and this book, while still retaining the flavor of a Gail Carson Levine book, is her own fairytale.
The story of a girl who knows what she wants and tries her best to reach out for it, in a world where people looked down on her because of who they thought she was...it recalls to mind the great fairytales -- Cinderella, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty.
Also, you know what a sucker I am for beautiful illustrations, and the front cover is just...spectacular.
Have you read anything by Gail Carson Levine? Did you enjoy it?
See you on Wednesday -- we'll be discussing the differences between writing screenplays and novels!
I was working a wedding with my husband today (video). :D
I always try to read everything Gail Carson Levine writes because:
a) she writes strong heroines
b) she infuses her story with magic
c) and she always includes a surprise
(If you haven't read her, she's written such brilliant re-tellings as Ella Enchanted and Fairest, as well as a fantastic book on writing called Writing Magic: Creating Stories That Fly)
A Tale of Two Castles is about a young girl journeying to a new land in hopes of being a 'mansioner' (actor). She arrives and through several misfortunes, loses her opportunity to apprentice to a troupe. Instead, she's given an opportunity to work with a rather large and formidable employee -- what she doesn't know is that this will lead to the greatest acting challenge of her career...if she doesn't die first.
Ms. Levine is a fantastic author because she understands the need for conflict, especially internally. She builds it up slowly, smoothly, seamlessly, and then WHAM! A finale with gain and loss (bittersweet endings are the best, I believe) and a new perspective.
I really appreciate the amount of work she's put out (a funny series of absurdist re-tellings, interesting takes on old stories, etc.) and this book, while still retaining the flavor of a Gail Carson Levine book, is her own fairytale.
The story of a girl who knows what she wants and tries her best to reach out for it, in a world where people looked down on her because of who they thought she was...it recalls to mind the great fairytales -- Cinderella, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty.
Also, you know what a sucker I am for beautiful illustrations, and the front cover is just...spectacular.
Have you read anything by Gail Carson Levine? Did you enjoy it?
See you on Wednesday -- we'll be discussing the differences between writing screenplays and novels!
Friday, January 4, 2013
First Line Friday No. 20
I have returned! I know you all were just dying to read more of my garbledygook.
Hence, I have brought some awesomesauce words (from someone else) and present them here for you as a belated holiday present.
Enjoy.
"I didn't know how long I had been in the king's prison. The days were all the same, except that as each one passed, I was dirtier than before. Every morning the light in the cell changed from the wavering orange of the lamp in the sconce outside my door to the dim but even glow of the sun falling into the prison's central courtyard. In the evening, as the sunlight faded, I reassured myself that I was one day closer to getting out. To pass time, I concentrated on pleasant memories, laying them out in order and examining them carefully. I reviewed over and over the plans that had seemed so straightforward before I arrived in jail, and I swore to myself and to every god I knew that if I got out alive, I would never never never take any risks that were so abysmally stupid again."
-- From The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
The Thief is one of my all time favorite books. I didn't care as much about the rest of the series (it was a superb standalone novel) but this book turned me on my head and taught me a thing or two about how to tell a good yarn.
Reasons to keep reading:
1. Who is our mysterious narrator?
2. Why is the narrator even semi-sure about the chance of getting out of prison?
3. What did the narrator do?
4. What are the narrator's pleasant memories?
5. Who are these gods the narrator is talking about?
This book got its inspiration from the sunny lands of Italy and Greece, the rolling hills full of olive trees, the dusty roads full of travelers, the simple food, the old pantheons, and the stories we tell ourselves and others that might be true or might be...embellished (or bereft of helpful information).
The story of Gen is one I return to time and again, even though I've read it dozens of times. The surprises are shocking (I mean, you have no idea and then BOOM! Something you NEVER EVEN CONSIDERED happens!), the action jarring, the mystery astonishing, the characters (some of them) endearing. You feel as if you're a comrade by the end of it, sharing in this tale of adventure.
There's something legendary about this book...it belongs with the old tales, when faith and magic and mystery were all shrouded together.
You should read it.
See you on Monday for a review!
Hence, I have brought some awesomesauce words (from someone else) and present them here for you as a belated holiday present.
Enjoy.
"I didn't know how long I had been in the king's prison. The days were all the same, except that as each one passed, I was dirtier than before. Every morning the light in the cell changed from the wavering orange of the lamp in the sconce outside my door to the dim but even glow of the sun falling into the prison's central courtyard. In the evening, as the sunlight faded, I reassured myself that I was one day closer to getting out. To pass time, I concentrated on pleasant memories, laying them out in order and examining them carefully. I reviewed over and over the plans that had seemed so straightforward before I arrived in jail, and I swore to myself and to every god I knew that if I got out alive, I would never never never take any risks that were so abysmally stupid again."
-- From The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
The Thief is one of my all time favorite books. I didn't care as much about the rest of the series (it was a superb standalone novel) but this book turned me on my head and taught me a thing or two about how to tell a good yarn.
Reasons to keep reading:
1. Who is our mysterious narrator?
2. Why is the narrator even semi-sure about the chance of getting out of prison?
3. What did the narrator do?
4. What are the narrator's pleasant memories?
5. Who are these gods the narrator is talking about?
This book got its inspiration from the sunny lands of Italy and Greece, the rolling hills full of olive trees, the dusty roads full of travelers, the simple food, the old pantheons, and the stories we tell ourselves and others that might be true or might be...embellished (or bereft of helpful information).
The story of Gen is one I return to time and again, even though I've read it dozens of times. The surprises are shocking (I mean, you have no idea and then BOOM! Something you NEVER EVEN CONSIDERED happens!), the action jarring, the mystery astonishing, the characters (some of them) endearing. You feel as if you're a comrade by the end of it, sharing in this tale of adventure.
There's something legendary about this book...it belongs with the old tales, when faith and magic and mystery were all shrouded together.
You should read it.
See you on Monday for a review!
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Awesome Blog Hop Giveaway Tour
In case you're manic about entering contests in which the prizes are books (like me), you might be interested in the following giveaway:
2013 Blog Hop Giveaway of Awesome
There are almost TWO HUNDRED blogs doing awesome giveaways, from their own books to ebooks to Amazon certificates so you can choose your own prize. I've entered about 50 myself and I can't wait to see if I win!
Fingers crossed!
(Contest closes 9pm, January 7th)
ALSO: There are some contests that are open internationally! (Listed by link)
Good luck!
2013 Blog Hop Giveaway of Awesome
There are almost TWO HUNDRED blogs doing awesome giveaways, from their own books to ebooks to Amazon certificates so you can choose your own prize. I've entered about 50 myself and I can't wait to see if I win!
Fingers crossed!
(Contest closes 9pm, January 7th)
ALSO: There are some contests that are open internationally! (Listed by link)
Good luck!
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Postponed
Too ill to post Monday or today. Will return on Friday with First Lines.
Sorry for the delay.
Sorry for the delay.
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