Category Archives: Books/Literature

Books/Literature, Computers/Electronics, Movies

Quentin Tarantino’s “The Hateful Eight”

If you haven’t heard/read about it, director/writer Quentin Tarantino’s next film was supposed to be The Hateful Eight.  I heard it was going to be a western with a cast that features more mature/elderly actors and there were those that speculated this might be a film on par, thematically, with The Wild Bunch.

Whether this was the case or not, the film’s first draft script was leaked and Mr. Tarantino’s reaction was, to me, quite understandable: He was pissed.

He released a stinging statement to the media noting The Hateful Eight movie was shelved and the script might be released as a novel.  He went further, stating the first draft script was in the hands of only three actors…and he suspected one of their agents/agencies were the source of the leak.

Today, news comes that Mr. Tarantino is suing Gawker for posting links to the leaked script:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/quentin-tarantino-suing-gawker-leaked-674424

I can’t blame him.

I’ve talked before about my curiosity about the effects of the internet and the changes it has made to the economy, whether for good or bad.

There was a time when there were Music stores.  At first, they sold record albums.  Then 8-track and cassettes.  Then came CDs.  With the advent of the MP3 file, however, the entire music selling industry was uprooted.  Suddenly, it was easy to download -legally or illegally- music online.  So easy, in fact, that if you were interested in, say, the music of Artist X, in a matter of minutes you could have every one of their albums (legally or illegally) along with as many bootlegs (illegally) as you wanted/cared for.

In one moment, music stores were a thing of the past.

I recall many years ago (1986 or 1987) going to see a movie and noting a life sized cardboard cutout promoting the upcoming Robocop movie.  Back in those pre-internet days, I had no idea such a film was in the works, much less on the verge of being released.

The cutout, frankly, looked absolutely ridiculous to my eyes.  “A cop that’s a robot?” I said in disbelief.  “How stupid!”

And yet, when the film was released a month or so later (again, I had NO IDEA AT ALL what the film was about other than this poster/cutout) there were some very good reviews for it and I was curious.

I went to see the film and, again, without knowing all that much about it, was blown away.

Today and thanks to the internet, we already know just about everything we need to about the Robocop remake.  Who stars in it, an idea of what the tone of the film is, even how it differs from the original.  I suspect there are many who have already made up their minds about whether they care to see this remake.

Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

I suppose on the one hand its good to have an idea of what you’re in for should you choose to go see the film.  On the other hand…where is the surprise?

And what happens if you’re someone like Mr. Tarantino, and you’re working hard on something only to see it prematurely released to the public without your consent?

Currently, I’m working very hard on finishing up the fifth novel in my Corrosive Knights series.  The work has been grueling but I’m getting close to the end.  Frankly, I don’t know how I’d react if the current draft of the book were somehow released to the public.

Would I give up on the book and move on to another project?

I suppose so.

But the heartbreak of what would amount to wasting all that time working on something only to have it stripped from you…that would be a very hard thing to get over.

Books/Literature

Why is it so hard to write an ending?

Are you a writer?  If so and when writing, do you have a problem coming up with good endings to your works?  Then check this article by Charlie Jane Anders (and her advice for those dealing with this problem) at i09.com:

http://io9.com/why-is-it-so-hard-to-write-a-decent-ending-1506821748

I suspect almost all fiction writers have areas in this profession that give them difficulties.  I can honestly say that finding a “good” ending to my stories is not one of those problems.  In fact, it has been my experience that story endings and beginnings are often quite easy once I get my story idea (that’s a whole other ball of wax!) and the difficulties for me lie in cleverly/originally creating the bridge between these two.

Sometimes this “bridge” may amount to no more than a few chapters or sequences.  The beginning of my works, like most others, introduce characters and the situation(s) they face.  Often there are several characters running around doing their individual thing(s) and, eventually, these individuals get together to face the story’s main “problem”.  It is in getting the characters together in that already mentioned logical, clever, and hopefully original manner where I have my greatest difficulties.

As far as story endings, I can’t recall ever having a really big problem in coming up with one.  Not to brag, but for me endings tend to come easy.  For example, I already have the concluding story of the Corrosive Knights saga pretty much completely written up, though in a rough draft form.  Once I finish the fifth book in this series I plan to polish off that rough draft and finish it..

When will this final, concluding book in the Corrosive Knights saga be released?  Probably not for quite a while.  I simply wanted to get it done and have it ready for the day I finally reach the point where it should be released!

If you’re like me and coming up with story endings is not a problem, then perhaps you suffer from this, which author Mark Evanier posted on his blog and noted was no problem to him:

The writer Dorothy Parker famously said, “I hate writing. I love having written.” I’ve never felt that way, nor do I understand why anyone who did would become a writer and stay a writer.

If you’re curious, the rest of Mr. Evanier’s brief blog entry can be found here:

http://www.newsfromme.com/2014/01/19/recommended-reading-1789/

Ms. Parker’s statement about “hating writing and love having written” is something I can completely understand.  Mr. Evanier has noted he has no problems sitting before a computer typing away for hours at a time, but to me this is often a very difficult process.

My difficulty lies in what I wrote above, bridging the gap between story beginnings and endings.  This “in between” stuff is what always takes a lot of time and considerable concentration/work for me to get “just right”.

When I’m working, I find it near impossible to  sit before the computer and type for many hours at a time.  Usually, my process goes like this: I type as many as one to four pages or sometimes as little as one paragraph or line before having to pause and think think think about what I’ve just written and if it works and whether it fits with what I want to accomplish.  At this same moment I think about whether what I just wrote or am about to write advances the story in clever/interesting ways.

For the fifth book in the Corrosive Knights saga, there were entire sections I wrote and subsequently trashed and completely re-wrote because they didn’t work for me.  Some were too “convenient” in getting the characters from point A to B.  Some were clunky.  Some introduced new characters I didn’t care about and didn’t feel added anything to the story itself.

The middle part of my stories are like very thick oil paintings.  You add layers and layers of “paint” to your work, sometimes burying sections/parts you did completely.  It is at this time I become my own worst critic and strive to do better with each word I add.

And it can be absolutely, positively, maddening.

But that’s not to say its always like that.  Some days are better than others and sometimes things “flow” and I make a lot of progress.

When all that work and frustration is done and I hold my latest book in my hand and look at my shelf and see all the other books I’ve written and know deep in my heart I’ve created the absolute best work I could…it makes me feel incredibly proud.

I hate writing -at least some times- but boy oh boy do I love having written.

Books/Literature

Corrosive Knights 1/21/14 Update

1 Comment

Each day brings me closer and closer to finishing the fifth book in my Corrosive Knights saga.  As of yesterday, 1/20/14, I finished the edits on the fifth draft of this fifth novel in the series, printed it up, and as of today I’m onto the sixth draft.

Corrosive MACN & Coming Soon

How many more drafts will this novel take?  That’s the question, isn’t it?

At this point, I’m comfortable in saying the book may require no more than between two and four drafts.  The later number may sound scary considering the time it takes me to do each new draft, but most of the major plot issues/contradictions/rewrites have been resolved, leaving behind smaller plot points or descriptions which I’ll address now.  I’m on the verge of moving from reworking things to simply tidying up.  Or, as the late Elmore Leonard so appropriately stated, giving readers the stuff they want to read and getting rid of the stuff they don’t.

It’s a lot of work but trust me, its going to be good.

Onward!

Books/Literature

Corrosive Knights, 12/6/13 update

Corrosive MACN & Coming Soon

Another quick update on the upcoming fifth novel in the Corrosive Knights series.

So far I’m feeling very good about this latest draft of this novel.  It has been a little less than a month since I concluded the previous draft (#4) and while that draft was a real back breaker, seeing as it involved considerable reworking of the later stages of the book, reading through this one has so far been a real joy.

When printed out, the fourth draft of this fifth novel (still with me!?)  runs 194 pages at single spaced 10 point Cambria.  The word count is 107,569.

Right now I’m at page 131 and thus far almost all the corrections I’ve made to this, the fifth draft, involve grammatical issues such as paring down sentences to eliminating repetitious phrases or clarifying explanations and punching up scenes that may require this.  As I’ve noted before, when I get to the point where my main corrections in a novel’s draft involve grammar and the issues outlined above rather than extensively rewriting or rethinking sequences, then I know the book is really close to being done.

The thing that has most amazed and delighted me with this draft (and you must pardon me for tooting my own horn) is how fun the thing is.  In reading this draft I’ve started to look at the book as being close to a finished product and am trying to put myself in the shoes of my readers.  That being the case, I’m having a blast.  The book is filled with both mysteries and surprises, and it should be quite the page turner.

This book is also the conclusion to the first major chapter in the Corrosive Knights series, though it is far from a conclusion to the entire story line.  I’m finally giving readers a link between all the novels in this series and the bigger story I’ve been working on telling all these years (the first three novels of the series were written as “stand alone” stories, so they can be read in any order and enjoyed without reading the others).

So, for now, that’s my update.

Let me not spend a minute more online and get back to work!

Books/Literature, Movies

5 Great Movies…

…That Were Turned Into Terrible Books:

http://www.cracked.com/article_20681_5-great-movies-that-were-turned-into-terrible-books.html

Gotta hand it to the folks at Cracked.com for this list.  There was a time when novelizations of movies were quite in vogue.  We are not talking about novels that were written and released and subsequently made into films.  We’re talking about hiring an author, while a movie is being made, to write a “novelization” of the film in production.  Said novel is then released concurrently with the film to allow the studios to make more money off their product.

I used to read a few of the ones that interested me, in particular those that were about films I was dying to see.  Oftentimes, the novelization of the film would be released a month or more before the film was in theaters, and in those pre-internet days it was rare to hear much about the film before its release.

Way back in 1989, for example, I would literally kill to see the Tim Burton directed Batman. All that was known was that Michael Keaton was playing Bruce Wayne/Batman (and the fan base was really confused about that choice) but, on the bright side, Jack Nicholson was playing the Joker, and that had everyone thinking good thoughts.

Some time shortly before the film was released I got my hands on the Batman novelization.  As it turned out, I didn’t get a chance to read it before seeing the film…

I was of two minds with the Batman film.  While I really, really loved the first half of the film and my young(er) mind would easily give that first half four stars, roughly from the point immediately after the Joker states “Wait til they get a load of me!” on, the film became overly weird and…silly.  It was as if the movie’s makers were winging (no pun intended) it from that scene, allowing the Joker to do his increasingly crazy (and for the most part pointless) stuff while Batman slowly comes after him.

A little after seeing the film, I decided, just for the heck of it, to read the novelization.  What I read wound up surprising me.  The first half of the book, if memory serves, followed the film pretty closely.  However, the second half of the book -again, if memory serves- was almost nothing like the second half of the film.  Not that it was any better, mind you, than the film, but clearly this was a movie/novelization that featured a pretty good first half but never could come up with an equally good second half.

I can only guess that the novelization followed the screenplay and the screenplay, as the film was being made, was essentially tossed out in the second half and reworked “on the fly”.

My most vivid memory of something in the novel not featured in the movie is a sequence where Bruce Wayne goes to visit Vicki Vale (Kim Basinger) in her apartment for a date.  The Joker, it turns out, has developed an interest in Vicki and, as Bruce and Vicki are about to leave the apartment on their date, the Joker appears at the door.  Bruce and the Joker talk to each other (a sequence I can only imagine was designed to allow Michael Keaton to actually act opposite Jack Nicholson without having a disguise on) and in the end the Joker either knocks out or shoots Bruce Wayne, apparently killing him, and kidnapping Vicki.

Bruce, it turns out, was carrying a metal tray or had some kind of bullet proof suit on and the bullet was stopped by said item.  Bruce leaps out the window after the two (who still think he’s dead) and jumps from building to building (sans Batman suit) while pursuing them, in touch with Alfred and telling him where he is so that he can bring the Batman suit to him.  Eventually, he does.

Yet again, I must warn you: I’m going by very old memories here, so some of the details presented above may not be quite right, but this sequence, obviously, wasn’t part of the Batman film.

A curiosity, for sure!

 

Books/Literature

Which classic novel did you quit reading half-way through…?

At times the people at io9.com offer a forum for their readers to offer their opinions and I felt this one, the header of which is above, was particularly interesting:

http://io9.com/which-classic-novel-did-you-quit-reading-halfway-throug-1464702611

I offered a couple of examples of my own and won’t repeat them here (unless someone wants me to!), but suffice to say several of the choices posted by readers I both agree and disagree with.

Still, an interesting thing to “talk” about!

Books/Literature

Corrosive Knights, 11/12/13 update

Two days ago I finally –finally– finished the fourth draft of my latest Corrosive Knights novel (Book #5 in the series).  Frankly, I was hoping that draft would take not too much more than a month or so to do and I would finish things up and have the book published by now.

Not the case, unfortunately.

The book is quite big, story-wise, and I believe I mentioned before that it could easily be broken into two separate books.  However, given what occurs within, I felt the novel was best served as being “done as one” rather than doing a breakup.

What caused me so much delay in this draft was the reworking of certain plot elements and the subsequent re-writing it entailed.  The first part of the book required little more than grammatical fix-ups. The story there was well set up with the exception of one segment early on that needed clarification/re-writes.  The second half of the book, though, cost me all this extra time.

I don’t want to get into too many details of the story itself, so suffice it to say that what weaknesses I felt were in this later half of the story have, for the most part, been fixed.  There is still work to do of course and I anticipate going through at least three to four more drafts before being comfortable enough to release the novel.  All that means is that instead of being available this year as I hoped and prayed, book #5 in the Corrosive Knights series will instead be done by early next year, perhaps in February or March.

Unlike what you may see in the movies or TV (I’m looking at you, Castle), writing takes considerable effort and time.  You don’t simply sit before your computer typing for a few “intense” hours and –voila!– your book is done.  At least for me, the process of writing a novel requires an incredible dedication and is an almost schizophrenic experience where you have to be your greatest fan as well as your worst critic simultaneously.

You have to show complete love for the work you’re doing while second guessing every step of the process with the hopes of making it better and better and better yet.

My latest novel, in its fourth draft, is far better than it was in its third draft.  The third draft, in turn, was several hundred times better than the second.  The first draft had the elements of the story but was missing huge chunks and could rightly be called little more than a story map or guideline rather than even a “rough” novel.

With each draft, the story elements are fixed a little more.  In time, I find myself moving away from fixing the story and more toward fixing the grammatical problems.  It is then that I know I’m getting close to the end.

We’ll see how draft #5 looks!

Corrosive MACN

Books/Literature, General, Movies, Music

Blockbuster, RIP

Interesting article by Dana Stevens for Slate magazine regarding the news that the owners of Blockbuster are closing all remaining retail centers, effectively ending the era of the big video rental stores:

http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/movies/2013/11/blockbuster_closing_why_even-those_of_us_who_hated_the_chain_will_miss_it.html

When Blockbuster first came along, there were more than a few “Mom & Pop” video stores around renting those pre-historic VHS tapes for film fans to watch.  Those who weren’t around back then don’t remember the way the film market used to be.  Recent movies took forever to be released to the home market and, when they were, they cost a lot to buy.  It wasn’t unheard of to see “new release” films go for as much as $50-85.  Further, that “new” film often took over a year -sometimes much more- before it even reached the home video market.  I distinctly recall the amazed reaction by many when the original Tim Burton directed Batman film was “quickly” released to video.  I can’t recall the exact time it took for the film to be released, but it was perhaps three to six months or so after its theatrical release, a turnaround that was completely unheard of back then but not so much now.

But this was the exception that eventually proved to be the rule.  Again, at the time and given the high price of films, video stores were a necessity.  If you didn’t rent and only bought the films you wanted, you would very quickly go quite broke.  When Blockbuster showed up, the Mom & Pop stores in my area were doomed.  These small stores couldn’t compete against the sheer bulk of material Blockbuster offered.

Even then, one had to be quick as even if Blockbuster had a large number of the latest “new” film available for rent, there were plenty of others trying to get their hands on it as well.

But for me the greatest thing about Blockbuster wasn’t so much the new and desired films, but their vast library of older classic films..  It was thanks to Blockbuster that I became aware of the movies of Stanley Kubrick.  It was also where I discovered Metropolis (the Giorgio Moroder version, which of course lead me to eventually want to see the original, uncut version) and Orpheus, two of my all time favorite films.

I could go on and on…

For all its flaws (and there were many) Blockbuster was a great place for its time.  The first big signs of trouble for the company probably came from the arrival of the DVD and the significant lowering of movie prices.  You could rent a film from Blockbuster for about $5 for three nights, but for another ten dollars or less you could purchase the DVD and own the film outright.

The straw that broke the camel’s back was likely the same as the one that killed music stores (and, sadly, looks to be doing the same to bookstores): computers and the internet.  Not to mention more choices in general.

Why would one go out to a Blockbuster to rent a film when you could Netflix it or stream it or Pay on Demand?  For those far less honest, you could steal a film via downloading it through one of many torrent sites.

So no, I’m not at all surprised Blockbuster has seen its end.  It was expected and, if anything, the only surprise one feels is that it lasted as long as it did.  Yet like Borders, like Circuit City, and like Peaches, I’ll miss her and the era she inhabited.

The world moves on and all that remains are the memories of what once was.

Books/Literature

Two Sentence Horror Stories…the redux

A while back (you can read it here) I found an interesting bit on io9.com regarding two sentence horror stories.  Several of the ones featured in the article were genuinely chilling.

Salon.com has now presented twelve examples of the same, two sentence (very) brief thrillers/chillers.

Enjoy!

http://www.salon.com/2013/10/30/12_novelists_tell_their_scariest_bite_size_stories/

Books/Literature, Comic Books/Graphic Novels, Movies, TV

27 Insane (But True) Early Versions of Famous Characters

Fun list from Cracked.com featuring both early concepts and originally considered actors for some truly memorable roles/characters:

http://www.cracked.com/photoplasty_591_27-insane-but-true-early-versions-famous-characters_p27/#27

Some of the early actor considerations, like Burt Ward (TV’s Robin) originally considered for the role made famous by Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate, was known to me.  But John Travolta for Forrest Gump?  Interesting!  (I’ll repeat for the umpteenth time my favorite bit of original casting: Frank Sinatra as Dirty Harry!  Reportedly a painful finger injury made Mr. Sinatra bow out of the film as he didn’t think he could handle firing that massive 357 Magnum.  The role was offered to many other interesting names with various degrees of interest/disinterest, from Burt Lancaster to John Wayne to Robert Mitchum.  Eventually Clint Eastwood took over the job and Dirty Harry the movie and character arguably became the most famous/iconic role he ever played!)

Also like the revelation that Krusty the Clown was originally supposed to be Homer Simpson himself!  Makes sense as he did originally look an awful lot like Homer and the idea that Homer was secretly the character might have been an interesting concept for a few episodes.

Just goes to show that the creative process is rarely a very direct one.  People can come up with concepts and ideas but they are refined and changed over time and circumstance…sometimes giving far, far better results than were originally conceived!