That Look

My son is taking a literature class - The Filmed Novel - that sounds like a hoot.  They read an assigned novel, discuss it and watch the movie together.  So far they've read The Maltese Falcon, High Fidelity and True Grit.  It's been interesting to hear his take on how closely the movies follow the books. He has definite opinions about the movies made of some of his favorites.  I have to agree with him on the Harry Potter finale being anticlimactic but I am totally satisfied with the treatment of The Hobbit.  I like to think that Tolkien would be, too.

Why didn't they have classes like that when I was in college?

This may border on heresy for some, but in my opinion the book is not always better than the movie. Here is my list:

• The African Queen - My edition of this book ends poorly. The odd couple who fought together for something that mattered and found love in the film do not accomplish their goal in the book and simply...separate.  What a downer.  We need heroes and hope.
• The Painted Veil - Again, the movie ending was more satisfying.
• The Ghost and Mrs. Muir - the book was a snoozer. The script writers got it right.
• Remains of the Day 
• Chocolat
• The Accidental Tourist
• Out of Africa

Some of my preferences must be attributed to the great performances of talented actors and actresses who breathed life into two-dimensional characters. Other preferences were in regard to story. 

This is my partial list.  I wonder if you would add

The Fellowship Revisited

Well, if it’s September, I must be deep into Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring again.  I don’t know when this habit first started, but every fall when the leaves begin to turn, I get the desire to revisit the shire and all the familiar characters I’ve come to know and love.  Silly, maybe.  It’s like a reunion of sorts.  I don’t always finish the book - sometimes I just want a taste. If the story world weren’t so real, I wouldn’t even have the desire to return there.

On Facebook this week, I saw a post that J.K. Rowling had secretly completed 75% of a new book she’d been working on in the Harry Potter series.  People were ecstatic!  The article explained that she was dissatisfied with her lukewarm reception into adult fiction and was returning to juvenile fiction.  According to Snopes, it was all a big hoax which first debuted on April Fool’s Day.  How disappointing for Harry Potter fans who wanted just a little bit more time with Harry or just one more adventure.

I don’t know about you, but in order for me to become so invested in a place and characters that I revisit them time and again, several things have to take place:

·         The character must be likable and earn my respect

·         The character’s desired outcome must be worthy of my investment

·         The stakes must be so high that it looks doubtful that they will even return alive

·         I am willing to accompany them on this journey, unwilling to let them face it alone

·         The story world must be detailed, grounded and in some way, winsome.  Believable, above all.

·         The story world must provide a brief respite from life as I know it, however briefly, to take my mind off of problems and issues. 

As a child, I remember devouring the Anne of Green Gables series, hungrily seeking the next book in the series when I completed one.  The pastoral setting sounded beautiful - safe - and the characters were so well-defined and held to high standards.  But life in Avonlea wasn't without heartbreak and hard choices.  The characters weren't perfect, but they were able to live uprightly while faced with their choices. The story line wasn't as perilous as those with a quest, but the problems were story worthy on a smaller scale.

Do you have a book or series that you revisit thanks to the extraordinary story world and characters? We’d love to hear!

The Pope and Harry Potter

As reported this week in USA Today, the Vatican praised the latest Harry Potter film for making the battle of good vs. evil 'crystal clear' and for affirming that 'sometimes this requires cost and sacrifice.' In these days of movies that blur the lines into shades of gray, the film gave a black and white no-nonsense depiction of the dark side = Evil is scary stuff that leads to bad consequences.

I found this to be a bold stance taken by the Vatican, considering the controversy that has surrounded Harry for many years now. Perhaps conservative readers will be influenced to take a second look at the books. After all, the Pope is a pretty influential guy. But then again, maybe not.

To follow up on Patti's post on Monday, how much responsibility do Christian authors carry for the words they write? We certainly pray over our ideas and scenes and story lines. But having done that, and being unable to predict or control the reader's response, do we boldly go and trust God to lead, or do we soft-pedal the evil or tone down the sin for fear of offending? I'm not referring to the use of swearing or sexuality or gratuitous violence. I'm speaking of story. The Bible doesn't merely suggest that David and Bathsheba were engaging in heavy necking. It was a clear case of sexual sin and wrongful death with no happy ending. I doubt that their story would make it through a committee today without at least the suggestion of a different, more redemptive resolution. And we might ask, who would want to read it? We look for positive, uplifting stories in these stressful days. But it was an important story that needed to be told.

As writers, we play our stories close to the vest and rely on God's leading. We take our calling seriously. But if - or when - He asks us to color outside the lines, to depict evil clearly and consequences fully, will we argue with Him, or will we grab a brand new 'Hot Magenta' crayon and have at it? What do you think readers would have to say about it?

What's in a Name?

As I begin a new book proposal, I remember what it's like to open a fresh can of Playdough. The odd kid-scent of it. The vibrant colors. Hefting it in my palm and digging my fingers into the soft, yielding medium. The possibilities for creativity are endless. I can make a hot pink pizza with neon yellow pepperoni, or I can roll it out and make hot dogs or french fries or 'bisghetti'. (Can you tell I taught preschool?) I think new beginnings for writers are a bit like fresh Playdough. You can take your idea, work with it, reshape it and toss it 'back in the can,' and no one's the wiser.

One part of the creative process that Sharon posted about is how important it is for the writer to have the character's appearance firmly in mind when discovering that character's story, but not to 'paint a portrait' for the reader. Other attributes may say more about the character than a physical description could. This was brought home to me when I received the book cover art for Raising Rain. As I wrote it, I found headshots for everyone except for Rain as a child. When I saw her on the front cover standing apart from the women who raised her, my heart filled with compassion. Her part of the story came alive for me, and I yearned to pick her up and comfort her, though I never saw her face.

While physical attributes are important, names can also give insight into a character. Willy Loman, in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman is a 'low man' who comes to a bad end (oops, spoiler alert!). To Kill a Mockingbird's Boo Radley is the perfect name for a character who starts out with an ominous air about him. The name 'Whiskey Priest' describes the troubled state of Graham Green's character in The Power and the Glory. Hannibal (rhymes with cannibal) Lechter is pretty self-explanatory, and Dorothy Gale's name (Wizard of Oz) is descriptive, though not overly subtle.

A character's name can be an outright attempt at description, or a very subtle tag. It can suggest a character's situation in life, including where they are in the birth order (Jr.?), the time period in which they live (Fitzwilliam Darcy), the country (Madeline) or even the section of the country where they were born (Ma & Pa Joad). In fiction, it's not advisable for two characters' names to begin with the same letter or to sound similar unless a relationship is implied, such as with twins or siblings. A strong character might have a shorter name with harsher consonants (Captain Kirk) and a softer character might have something more flowing (Buttercup). Some authors choose names for the cadence (Inigo Montoya) or for an unusual quality (Spock). Most authors steer clear of hard to pronounce names, such as Hermione in the Harry Potter series. The author finally cleared it up by having Hermione explain the pronunciation of her name to a visiting Bulgarian student with whom there was a language barrier. Smooth. Maybe I should have thought of that. One of my new characters is named Roberta - Bebe for short - and people are already mispronouncing it. I should have had her explain "Bebe, as in BB gun" to someone. The author should always avoid anything that causes an interruption of the story by the reader stumbling over words or names.

While many name generating online sites are specifically for people searching for fantasy game names, there are also websites specifically for authors. One such website is www.thenamegenerator.com, but the names are chosen randomly and this doesn't really give any insight into the character or take into consideration your story. I prefer to take the time to choose just the right name for my character to live with. Work that Playdough a bit longer.

Does a name come to mind that describes a memorable character for you? How do you go about choosing names for your characters? We'd love to hear!