I was tagged by Luke Walker in his The Next Big Thing blog post chain. It's taken me a little while to respond, because well, I wasn't sure I was interested in writing about stuff I was writing. I don't post a lot of what I do, because I don't feel it's right for me to do it. If it's not edited and published, it's probably not my best work, and I don't want to present it until then. This is a bit different, with more of an interview style to it, so I decided to play along. Here goes:
1) What is the working title of your next book?
The Chiaroscuro Portrait. And I so hope that title sticks. They say titles are changed 60% of the time in publishing, which is a pretty decent amount of the time. I have stories whose titles I know will be changed, and that's perfectly acceptable. This one I hope sticks, because it's a really cool title, and it fits the story so very well.
2) Where did the idea come from for the book?
Heh! It came from a doxycycline-fueled nightmare in Afghanistan a number of years ago. Doxy is an antimalarial medicine and was required for us there at the time. It's said to cause stomach unrest and weird dreams. I got none of the stomach unrest and all of the weird dreams, all the time. Lots of folks get their stories from dreams. That's not really earth-shattering. This dream was so wickedly weird that I awoke in a cold sweat, powered on the laptop and pounded a 500-word summary before I forgot what I dreamed. And then I got ready and went out to grind out a long workday just like always. I wrote the rest of the story during that deployment.
3) What genre does your book fall under?
Young Adult horror. I originally wrote it as adult fiction, but the characters' ages, coupled with the issues they faced in the story, really suit it better for young adult. And with the move to darker YA titles nowadays, it seems like perfect timing.
4) What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie version?
You know, a lot of people describe their books as making great movies, or being perfect for the silver screen, but I don't think this one would. While it could probably be adapted to a decent movie script, I think unlike some of the other stuff I've written, this story is better told in printed form. If pushed, I'd have to say I'd like to see brand new actors take on the roles for it. I believe a story in film is a little cleaner if the audience isn't watching the performance of their favorite actors and actresses, but rather concentrating on the story itself.
5) What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
After his childhood crush comes back to life, Toby must learn how Julie can escape the hellish memories of death, and what it will cost.
6) Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
I am currently seeking representation for it. While the lure of higher royalties in self-publishing is tempting, and while it would be edited and proofed professionally in either case, I feel it's still a better option to go the traditional route with this novel, especially at this point in my career. I don't think I'd be doing the story justice otherwise. I don't tend to view literary agents as "gatekeepers" as some authors do, but rather as those who offer ladders in the difficult climb to the top of publishing. Sure, you can climb the cliff on your own, and a few have made it just fine on their own. But most don't, and even though there are only so many ladders to go around, they provide a huge advantage. Besides, if you're doing what it takes to impress an agent to accept your manuscript, you've already taken the first steps to enticing editors and publishers, and by proxy, future readers.
7) How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?
The first draft went rather quickly. Three months, I think. Of course, with adequate time to write, and a story that practically wrote itself, it wasn't that hard to do. Since then, I've edited it a number of times, and it's gained and lost a considerable amount from the original.
8 ) What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
I'm a little ashamed to say that's a tough call. I'm not by nature an aficionado of young adult literature, although I am reading more in the category now that the girl prodigy is reading it profusely. The fact that this story is young adult is rather coincidental, really. I like horror, and in that respect, it reminds me a little of Stephen King's Carrie, but without the "documentary" feel. Some of the themes are the same, with young protagonists in social environs that they're not really all that equipped to handle yet. It also has some darker parts that deal with certain taboo subjects like death, religion, and the like. It's quite a different story, of course, and ostracism isn't key to the plot, but there are similarities in how it feels. I would be lucky to have it see a fraction of Carrie's success!
9) Who or what inspired you to write this book?
The dream I had was the only real inspiration I had or needed. The title was a bit trickier. The story didn't actually have a title for the longest while. I had inspiration, an image of what I wanted, but no title. I wanted to convey the concept of following eyes, of a portrait painting being almost alive in its detail and realism. And then I came across the chiaroscuro method of painting, the use of strong contrasts of light and dark to give a picture a three-dimensional feel and pop it off the canvas. That concept plays rather well into the story.
10) What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?
I like the relationship between the two main protagonists in the story, and how things are much different in retrospect than they were at face value before. There's more honesty after the events that form the basis of the story, something not really probable with teenagers facing normal social situations. The self-consciousness and inexperience Toby has as a teen facing his lifelong crush is rather poignant at times, and lends well to the story. I also set the story in a small town outside Spokane, Washington, near where I grew up. It's a fictional town, but anyone who grew up in the Palouse country wheat fields of Eastern Washington would recognize it as any number of the small towns there.
No one else comes to mind when thinking of who to tag for follow-on posts of their own, so if you've got something burning, feel free to take this and run with it. Let me know and I'll edit this with a link.
Showing posts with label Carrie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Carrie. Show all posts
Friday, January 4, 2013
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Movie Review: Carrie
In light of recent news that a remake of Stephen King's epic horror story Carrie is in the works, I thought this a perfect opportunity to do a review on this story. It was originally a novel - King's first of many masterpieces - but I'm primarily reviewing the movie here. The movie differs from the book a good deal, which this gives me a chance not only to address those differences, but to speak my mind on the prospect of a remake, which I'll get into a little later. And truthfully, this is as much a book review as a movie review. I'm calling it a movie review because I address the movie more so than the novel, even though the novel is the far stronger work.
The story opens with the scene in the shower, where Carrie has her first menstrual period. It's a total shock to her, and understandable as we learn later from a glimpse into her upbringing. The scene is gratuitous, graphic, but necessarily so. It provides stark contrast between Carrie and the other girls in the school, and lets us know immediately as viewers just what that relationship is. It's a wonderful example of an author showing, not telling, in a story.
It's a solidly character-driven story. As it progresses, it's really more about the characters and their relationships than it is about plot. It's about Carrie's fight for normalcy, and her fight against her mother's abuse and restrictive parenting. The reasons for this are explained much more clearly in the original novel - Carrie's mother is overcome by fundamentalist religious mania, exacerbated by signs of mental illness. Her mother abuses Carrie and further complicates problems at school because of her eccentric, authoritarian behavior.
We begin to see that the writing's already on the wall for Carrie as the other students begin to make vicious plans behind her back. She's naturally skeptical of her new-found fortune when she is invited to the prom by one of the cool guys in school, but eventually believes his sincerity. And he is sincere; those plans are being made without his knowledge as well.
It's definitely a horror story; without those elements, there is no story, simply a teenage girl learning about coming of age. A large part of that horror is the interaction between the characters. The horror of human treachery, deceit, and cruelty is often far worse than any amount of blood and gore. It's a more cerebral horror, one that creeps up on you in the night, when you're not expecting it, instead of slapping you in the face. And this is where Carrie shines. The pacing is slow enough to allow the viewer to think about the base evilness at play before much of the action actually happens, and the foreshadowing, as we learn more about Carrie's terrible secret ability, allows suspense to build to the climax.
To me, the key moments in the story are the first moments of the prom, before things turn ugly. Carrie is there, beautiful in her new dress, the school's star quarterback on her arm, and basking in the sudden but welcome changes in her life. She has defied her mother's wishes by attending, and she is surprisingly thrust into the roll of prom queen, no longer an outcast.
That moment is key, because it is a life-changing moment, no matter what happens after. At that precise time, we as viewers recognize that if she were to continue along this path, allowed to escape the devious plans set up for her, her life would change forever for the better. No longer would she have the crippling self doubt, fearing ostracism and torment from the other students. And if those plans continue unopposed, the point of no return in the opposite direction will have been reached.
Several things in the movie differ from the novel, and the ending is one such critical difference. In the movie, the story's ending is weaker, even as it is more prolonged and expanded upon. Sometimes telling less of the story is a good thing. Much like lingerie, forcing one to guess what's underneath often does wonders for the experience. We know what happened without being explicitly told, which allows our minds to fill in the lurid details.
Throughout the novel, we are given excerpts from newspapers, legal documents, and personal accounts of the incident. We're told the story from the perspective of a town trying to regain composure and put all the pieces back together, both the pieces of the shattered community, and the details of exactly what happened. In the movie there is none of this, and we lose that perspective, which is a vital one. That perspective allows us to take a closer look at some of the reasons behind the actions. Gaining the insight of intent and motive allows us a more intimate experience.
There's nothing new under the sun, and that's especially true in Hollywood, where it's easier to stick to the tried and true formulas and endless sequels and remakes. After all, they've already established a pattern of success, making it easier to build future success from. But if they're going to do a remake, Carrie is an excellent candidate. After all, it's been 36 years since the original hit theaters, and it's one of the best classic horror films of all time. The original movie is quite obviously set in the 1970's, so a remake now would have a completely different feel. To put it in perspective, it featured John Travolta in his debut movie roll.
My take? This new remake could be awesome, and it could be disastrous. If it sticks close to the novel as it's rumored to, it'll likely be great, because the novel's key themes of ostracism, child abuse, peer pressure, and the limits of human psychological endurance are what drives the horror home. It could also provide a fresh look at the story, updating it with a more modern take, which could be a boon for the younger generation of horror fans.
It could also flop badly, at least in terms of the retelling, if not the box office. Having Lindsay Lohan play the leading roll of Carrie would be, in my humble opinion, a bad decision. It's not that she couldn't pull it off in terms of personality and looks, it's that she's over a decade too old for the part. She wouldn't make a very convincing Carrie at all, especially not considering the opening credits when Carrie has her very first period. Hailee Steinfeld, reportedly also in consideration, would be a much better option, as she did a solid job in the remake of True Grit.
So, yea, I have high hopes for the new movie, even as I have reservations. There are so many more great tools available to movie makers today, with advances in CGI and other special effects. And even with some of the recent disappointments in mind, this could be the epic rebirth of a classic horror tale, the opportunity to bring the story from the old, yellowed pages of the original novel to the silver screen the way it should be done.
Both the book and movie versions are available.
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| Photo © Jonathan Dalar |
The story opens with the scene in the shower, where Carrie has her first menstrual period. It's a total shock to her, and understandable as we learn later from a glimpse into her upbringing. The scene is gratuitous, graphic, but necessarily so. It provides stark contrast between Carrie and the other girls in the school, and lets us know immediately as viewers just what that relationship is. It's a wonderful example of an author showing, not telling, in a story.
It's a solidly character-driven story. As it progresses, it's really more about the characters and their relationships than it is about plot. It's about Carrie's fight for normalcy, and her fight against her mother's abuse and restrictive parenting. The reasons for this are explained much more clearly in the original novel - Carrie's mother is overcome by fundamentalist religious mania, exacerbated by signs of mental illness. Her mother abuses Carrie and further complicates problems at school because of her eccentric, authoritarian behavior.
We begin to see that the writing's already on the wall for Carrie as the other students begin to make vicious plans behind her back. She's naturally skeptical of her new-found fortune when she is invited to the prom by one of the cool guys in school, but eventually believes his sincerity. And he is sincere; those plans are being made without his knowledge as well.
It's definitely a horror story; without those elements, there is no story, simply a teenage girl learning about coming of age. A large part of that horror is the interaction between the characters. The horror of human treachery, deceit, and cruelty is often far worse than any amount of blood and gore. It's a more cerebral horror, one that creeps up on you in the night, when you're not expecting it, instead of slapping you in the face. And this is where Carrie shines. The pacing is slow enough to allow the viewer to think about the base evilness at play before much of the action actually happens, and the foreshadowing, as we learn more about Carrie's terrible secret ability, allows suspense to build to the climax.
To me, the key moments in the story are the first moments of the prom, before things turn ugly. Carrie is there, beautiful in her new dress, the school's star quarterback on her arm, and basking in the sudden but welcome changes in her life. She has defied her mother's wishes by attending, and she is surprisingly thrust into the roll of prom queen, no longer an outcast.
That moment is key, because it is a life-changing moment, no matter what happens after. At that precise time, we as viewers recognize that if she were to continue along this path, allowed to escape the devious plans set up for her, her life would change forever for the better. No longer would she have the crippling self doubt, fearing ostracism and torment from the other students. And if those plans continue unopposed, the point of no return in the opposite direction will have been reached.
Several things in the movie differ from the novel, and the ending is one such critical difference. In the movie, the story's ending is weaker, even as it is more prolonged and expanded upon. Sometimes telling less of the story is a good thing. Much like lingerie, forcing one to guess what's underneath often does wonders for the experience. We know what happened without being explicitly told, which allows our minds to fill in the lurid details.
Throughout the novel, we are given excerpts from newspapers, legal documents, and personal accounts of the incident. We're told the story from the perspective of a town trying to regain composure and put all the pieces back together, both the pieces of the shattered community, and the details of exactly what happened. In the movie there is none of this, and we lose that perspective, which is a vital one. That perspective allows us to take a closer look at some of the reasons behind the actions. Gaining the insight of intent and motive allows us a more intimate experience.
There's nothing new under the sun, and that's especially true in Hollywood, where it's easier to stick to the tried and true formulas and endless sequels and remakes. After all, they've already established a pattern of success, making it easier to build future success from. But if they're going to do a remake, Carrie is an excellent candidate. After all, it's been 36 years since the original hit theaters, and it's one of the best classic horror films of all time. The original movie is quite obviously set in the 1970's, so a remake now would have a completely different feel. To put it in perspective, it featured John Travolta in his debut movie roll.
My take? This new remake could be awesome, and it could be disastrous. If it sticks close to the novel as it's rumored to, it'll likely be great, because the novel's key themes of ostracism, child abuse, peer pressure, and the limits of human psychological endurance are what drives the horror home. It could also provide a fresh look at the story, updating it with a more modern take, which could be a boon for the younger generation of horror fans.
It could also flop badly, at least in terms of the retelling, if not the box office. Having Lindsay Lohan play the leading roll of Carrie would be, in my humble opinion, a bad decision. It's not that she couldn't pull it off in terms of personality and looks, it's that she's over a decade too old for the part. She wouldn't make a very convincing Carrie at all, especially not considering the opening credits when Carrie has her very first period. Hailee Steinfeld, reportedly also in consideration, would be a much better option, as she did a solid job in the remake of True Grit.
So, yea, I have high hopes for the new movie, even as I have reservations. There are so many more great tools available to movie makers today, with advances in CGI and other special effects. And even with some of the recent disappointments in mind, this could be the epic rebirth of a classic horror tale, the opportunity to bring the story from the old, yellowed pages of the original novel to the silver screen the way it should be done.
Both the book and movie versions are available.
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