PARTING THOUGHTS

Paris, November 2012

About two years and 231 posts ago I started this blog with the intention of posting about books, movies, writing and travel. A few months later, Pat O'Dea Rosen agreed to join me and since then has enhanced my modest endeavor with her wit and insight, and in the process has become a dear friend.

As happens, my life took an unexpected turn last summer--a good turn, but one that added a great deal of complexity to my world. I've had to make some hard choices and one of those was to bow out of the blog. Pat will carry on and I'll certainly stop by and say hi. This, however, will be my last post so I thought I'd go back to the beginning and talk about my favorite subjects.

Three books stood out for me in 2012--two were part of Amanda Stevens' Graveyard Queen series. I loved 2011's THE RESTORER and was thrilled the next two, THE KINGDOM and THE PROPHET, were released this year. Amanda is a master of the Southern Gothic genre who never disappoints. I'm eager to read her new YA series.

The third book has been at the top of the New York Times Hardcover list and for good reason. Gillian Flynn's GONE GIRL had me on the edge of my seat with all its twists and turns and the ending totally blew me away. This book proved to me that conventional wisdom--characters need to be likable in this case--can be reinterpreted with great success.

Of all the movies I saw this year, my favorites were THE AVENGERS  and SKYFALL. Both were action flicks but of a very different tone and nature. Superhero flicks haven't always appealed to me, but who could resist Robert Downey Jr as Ironman and Chris Hemsworth as Thor? And both in the same movie? Yes!! RDJ was the glue that held the cast together and CH was just hot and cool. If there's an AVENGERS 2, I'm totally on board.

I was never a Bond fan until the Daniel Craig era. As much as I've liked Sean Connery in other movies, I just never got Bond. The pretenders, we ignore. DC's dark, tortured Bond has hooked me with his all too human  flaws. In SKYFALL we're taken on a wild action ride that also addresses the demons within Bond, M and the deliciously evil villain. It's still in the theatre. Go. Now.

Carving out time for writing this fall was a challenge but I had the chance to see James Scott Bell at the Northwest Houston RWA's Lone Star Conference in October. I highly recommend his workshop for anyone who struggles with story structure like I do. He uses movie structure to illustrate how to write a novel that will grab and hold the reader. An added bonus--this structure is also very helpful in writing the dreaded synopsis.

Last year my rambling took me to Paris over Thanksgiving. Although my husband and I have been to the City of Lights together many times, this was one of the best of our visits. For anyone planning to spend more than a couple of nights there, I want to give you a piece of advice I wish I'd had years ago: rent an apartment in a part of the city close to things that interest you and become Parisian for a short while. There are many websites with offerings from modest to luxurious and some now take credit cards. These places are generally comparable in price to a decent hotel room and you'll have a kitchen enjoy some meals in and a sitting room to rest and recoup after a day sightseeing.

That wraps up my final thoughts but I'd love to hear from everyone about the highlights of your 2012...or just say good-bye. All my best wishes to everyone for a wonderful 2013!

THE AVENGERS—MORE THAN JUST PRETTY FACES

When we went to see THE AVENGERS Saturday afternoon my expectations were modest. In spite of breaking the all time first weekend earnings record, this is a super-hero flick based on comic book characters. And yet, Joss Whedon’s script and direction made it hold together and work on many levels beyond Thor’s impressive physique, and that’s why people flocked to it. 

Like most super-hero stories, the villain, Thor’s adopted demi-god brother Loki, is clearly the bad guy through and through. He wants to enslave and rule the Earth with the help of some truly hideous aliens—information we get before the initial titles. 

The good guys, called up by the head of a pseudo-government agency, don’t hit it off which is one of the more clever humanizing aspects of the story and what sets it apart from other extreme action films like TRANSFORMERS. In their first encounter Ironman and Thor fight over capturing Loki and in the process level a lot of terrain. As the threat to Earth intensifies, the superheroes begin to bond—well, at least cooperate—and the action ramps up. And the special effects are marvelous! 

If you haven’t seen the original films of IRONMAN, THOR and CAPTAIN  AMERICA, you’ll miss a lot of the more amusing references and conflicts. The younger characters—Thor, Captain America and Natasha—are all good, but it’s Robert Downey Jr.’s irreverent, egotistical, brilliant Tony Stark aka Ironman who makes this movie work. Besides being a wonderful actor, RDJ has the screen presence to give the team depth and maturity as well as drive. Without him, the two handsome Chrises—Hemsworth and Evans—wouldn’t have risen above the comic book characters as effectively as they did. Scarlett Johansson and Mark Ruffalo rounded out the super-team with their usual skill and everyone pitched in the big battle.

This movie is what a blockbuster is supposed to be. So rent the prequels if you haven’t seen them, then treat yourself to a very entertaining 143 minutes of action. Check out the trailer:

Have you seen THE AVENGERS? What did you think? Have you seen any other good films lately?

VOICE or What happened to Sleepy, Grumpy and Doc?

I recently heard a new writer say, “I’m not querying agents or editors. My story is so original, I wouldn’t want anyone to steal it.” She went on to explain she was planning to self-publish because this book was going to be so big, she wanted to make all the money herself.  Now I’m not saying her premise isn’t groundbreaking, her writing isn’t brilliant or her e-book won’t make a gizillion dollars. JK Rowling, Dan Brown and Stephanie Meyers have proved that all things are possible in the writing world. I will argue on one point—no one else can write her book even using her premise and a stolen plot outline. Not even close. Each writer has his or her own voice and that’s why the same stories can be told over and over and still be fresh and interesting.   

Many times agents’ and editors’ response to queries include something like, “I love your voice,” or “I didn’t respond to your voice,” and new writers often wonder what the hell they’re talking about. So what is voice? I once heard Jayne Ann Krentz  say that voice was more than just prose style, that it was tone, theme and values as well. I'm certainly not on her level, but bear with me as I try to show-not-tell what I think it is. 

Last fall two movie versions of the Snow White story were released about the same time. You know the basics—beautiful young princess, evil queen, seven little people—all male—and a handsome prince/love interest. I thought the idea of making Snow White movies at all was shaky, and two at once was just absurd. Then I saw clips of each and (shameful confession) was tempted to go see them. The trailers for these two movies dramatically point out how differently two voices can tell the same story. You may respond to one more than the other, or to both in different ways. But all the elements—dialogue, action, cast, photography, special effects, costumes—working together to create a film that communicates a vision is its makers’ voice. 

In Snow White and the Huntsman, Charlize Theron plays an evil queen who is so obsessed with eternal youth, she sends a huntsman (Chris Hemsworth…yep, as in THOR) to find Snow White so she can inhale her essence and gain immortality. Dark and violent, this isn’t your Disney cartoon story.

The other flick, MIRROR, MIRROR stars Julia Roberts as the conniving queen who banishes Snow White and tries to trick Prince Charming (Armie Hammer) into marrying her because she’s broke. Add Nathan Lane as the queen’s servant and you’ve probably figured out this clip has a completely different tone.

So that's my take on voice. I'd love to hear what you think.  Are there any authors you would know just by reading a paragraph or page of their writing? Directors you recognize by their style?  If you’re a writer, how do you see your own voice?