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I recently picked up a copy of the original Mary Poppins by Dr. P.L Travers (Illustrations by Mary Shepard) at Book Thing in Baltimore, MD. It's a favorite movie of my sister's, has been since she was little, and I figured I would check out the book that inspired it. So far, the movie is pretty faithful to the original story. However, in addition to Jane and Michael there are a set of twins that never made it into the film. (They are babies in a pram for most of the book, so I understand why they were left out entirely.) Also, as of yet, they do not mention the Mom being a Suffragette, though Mary Poppins plays on Mrs. Banks' desire to be modern and fashionable. The chalk adventure is only with Mary Poppins and Bert, a.k.a. the Matchman, on her day off. Bert usually takes Mary out for Tea on her days off, but on this particular day he had not made enough money to do so.
It is, however, at his suggestion that he and Mary pop into the chalk picture and they do end the day by riding Carousel Horses across the country side. Mary Poppins still slides up the banister when the children first meet her. She still has a very large Carpet Bag that's bigger on the inside. And she still spoons out different flavored medicine from the same bottle, though the babies get plain Milk out of it. Some of the lines in the movie are directly out of the dialogue in the book as well.
So far, I am only a few chapters in, but the style is very simple. Each chapter is like its own little short story and would make for excellent bedtime reading with a little one.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
December Reading List 2010
The Writer's Tale: The Final Chapter by Russell T. Davies & Benjamin Cook (11/14/10) - Started 11/15/10
Changeless by Gail Carriger (10/16/10) - Started 10/24/10
Twenty Years After by Alexandre Dumas (6/01/10) -Started
The Portrait of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (05/01/10) - Started
The Poe Shadow by Matthew Pearl (07/01/10)
The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl (07/01/10)
A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin (08/01/10) - Started 10/25/10
Lamb by Christopher Moore (11/01/10)
Harry Potter Series Re-Read (9/01/10)
Changeless by Gail Carriger (10/16/10) - Started 10/24/10
Twenty Years After by Alexandre Dumas (6/01/10) -Started
The Portrait of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (05/01/10) - Started
The Poe Shadow by Matthew Pearl (07/01/10)
The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl (07/01/10)
A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin (08/01/10) - Started 10/25/10
Lamb by Christopher Moore (11/01/10)
Harry Potter Series Re-Read (9/01/10)
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
National Novel Writing Month - November 30, 2010
Another NaNoWriMo is coming to a close and I have, yet again, failed to complete the 50,000 word goal set by the contest. I haven't really lost anything, just the bragging rights, and I got a few great ideas to develop into something. Of course, who knows when that will be.
Clearly the problem with me writing is the lack of discipline. Though, I do work two jobs which makes dedicating time to write a little difficult. I don't want to stay up late to meet word deadlines only to feel exhausted at my paying jobs the next day. Yet somehow, J.K. Rowling was able to do that and raise her kids so I should really stop finding excuses.
Hope everyone out there had a better turn-out than I did!
Clearly the problem with me writing is the lack of discipline. Though, I do work two jobs which makes dedicating time to write a little difficult. I don't want to stay up late to meet word deadlines only to feel exhausted at my paying jobs the next day. Yet somehow, J.K. Rowling was able to do that and raise her kids so I should really stop finding excuses.
Hope everyone out there had a better turn-out than I did!
Thursday, November 18, 2010
The Writer's Tale by Russell T. Davies & Benjamin Cook
Also, please see the following quote I discovered in Russell T. Davies book, The Writer's Tale, on Page 42 of the paperback edition:
"That's the thing about writing. It's all doubt. Doubts about plot, story, character, etc, let in every other doubt, the real doubts, about yourself, your very self."
I could not identify with this more than I do right now. Sitting down and trying to push through National Novel Writing Month but running into the walls of my own self doubt. I get caught up in whether or not this is a good story, are the characters interesting, can I possibly do this at all. I think I've even resigned myself, more than once, to the idea that maybe I am not a writer at all. Of course, it is this self doubt that is keeping me from continuing. In this part of Davies' book, he is talking about embracing everything in order to write. How the mundane things about his day to day existence make their way into his writing. That there is this soup of creativity in his head with ingredients from science fiction as well as reminders to call mom on her birthday. It's your life experiences that make you who you are and help to make your characters richer and more believable.
What I am liking most about this part of the book is that we see the sheer panic he's feeling as he approaches his deadlines. It's nice to know that famous writers go through the same highs and lows that the yet unpublished wannabes authors experience in the same process. It definitely gives one the feeling that anyone with a desire to sit down and create could do what Davies' is doing. It's just sticking with it and pushing through those self doubts. Feeling one's fears and doing it anway.
"That's the thing about writing. It's all doubt. Doubts about plot, story, character, etc, let in every other doubt, the real doubts, about yourself, your very self."
I could not identify with this more than I do right now. Sitting down and trying to push through National Novel Writing Month but running into the walls of my own self doubt. I get caught up in whether or not this is a good story, are the characters interesting, can I possibly do this at all. I think I've even resigned myself, more than once, to the idea that maybe I am not a writer at all. Of course, it is this self doubt that is keeping me from continuing. In this part of Davies' book, he is talking about embracing everything in order to write. How the mundane things about his day to day existence make their way into his writing. That there is this soup of creativity in his head with ingredients from science fiction as well as reminders to call mom on her birthday. It's your life experiences that make you who you are and help to make your characters richer and more believable.
What I am liking most about this part of the book is that we see the sheer panic he's feeling as he approaches his deadlines. It's nice to know that famous writers go through the same highs and lows that the yet unpublished wannabes authors experience in the same process. It definitely gives one the feeling that anyone with a desire to sit down and create could do what Davies' is doing. It's just sticking with it and pushing through those self doubts. Feeling one's fears and doing it anway.
Monday, November 15, 2010
The Writer's Tale by Russell T. Davies & Benjamin Cook
I am currently reading The Writer's Tale by Russell T. Davies & Benjamin Cook. I just received it yesterday in the mail and, after struggling through an eight-hour shift at my part-time job, I was able to dive in last night. It was much larger than I expected and the format was not accurately described in the Amazon description. I assumed it was going to be a memoir about the last full season and subsequent TV specials; written in prose and telling a story from start to finish. It's actually an epistolary novel that covers the entire final season. I'm already about sixty pages into the book and loving it. Have you ever wished you could read the e-mails exchanges of this writer or that artist? Somehow get inside their head and understand the genius that lives there?
Started with the intent of writing an article about the writing process that takes place for a hit television show, I can understand how it quickly became the textbook size tome that it is. It appears to be an unedited dialogue between Head Writer for Doctor Who, Russel T. Davies, and Benjamin Cook. Written through e-mails Davies is explaining his writing process as he is crafting Series 4, David Tennant's last full season, of Doctor Who for the BBC. Davies is also constructing series 2 of Torchwood and The Adventures of Sarah-Jane (Both Spin-offs of Doctor Who) at the same time, so there is a bit of a bleed-through on his thoughts and ideas.
What has struck me the most, at the very beginning of this book, is the honesty with which Davies writes. His e-mails to Benjamin Cook are full of a self-doubt one would not expect from a successful television show writer. (Davies has created several shows in addition to resurrecting Doctor Who.) He talks about his procrastination problems and looming deadlines for the shows. Mistakes he's made in his life have served as inspiration for his art. And we even see him repeating story formulas from the previous seasons as a means to get over writer's block. Knowing how the fourth season turned out, I am anxious to see how he came to those decisions from his original ideas. (For those Doctor Who Fans out there: apparently Donna's character was not intended to return for an entire season, merely a one off story or role in the finale.) I'll keep you posted on the developments or interesting quotes I may come across.
Started with the intent of writing an article about the writing process that takes place for a hit television show, I can understand how it quickly became the textbook size tome that it is. It appears to be an unedited dialogue between Head Writer for Doctor Who, Russel T. Davies, and Benjamin Cook. Written through e-mails Davies is explaining his writing process as he is crafting Series 4, David Tennant's last full season, of Doctor Who for the BBC. Davies is also constructing series 2 of Torchwood and The Adventures of Sarah-Jane (Both Spin-offs of Doctor Who) at the same time, so there is a bit of a bleed-through on his thoughts and ideas.
What has struck me the most, at the very beginning of this book, is the honesty with which Davies writes. His e-mails to Benjamin Cook are full of a self-doubt one would not expect from a successful television show writer. (Davies has created several shows in addition to resurrecting Doctor Who.) He talks about his procrastination problems and looming deadlines for the shows. Mistakes he's made in his life have served as inspiration for his art. And we even see him repeating story formulas from the previous seasons as a means to get over writer's block. Knowing how the fourth season turned out, I am anxious to see how he came to those decisions from his original ideas. (For those Doctor Who Fans out there: apparently Donna's character was not intended to return for an entire season, merely a one off story or role in the finale.) I'll keep you posted on the developments or interesting quotes I may come across.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
National Novel Writing Month - November 2, 2010
We are only on the second day of NaNo and I am already behind. My total word count for yesterday: 326. The saddest part is when I went to verify the word count on the official NaNo site. They keep track of writing streaks and failure streaks, so I am already showing a failure streak of 1 day and I'll need to write 1710 words a day for the rest of the 29 days to make up for not meeting my 1666 word count for the first day.
On one hand, it's a very handy calculator that helps me adjust my goals. On the other it's kind of depressing to see how far behind I've already gotten. The problem is that I already hate where my characters are and I don't want to start all over again, though that is probably the best course of action. Let me know if you have any helpful hints.
On one hand, it's a very handy calculator that helps me adjust my goals. On the other it's kind of depressing to see how far behind I've already gotten. The problem is that I already hate where my characters are and I don't want to start all over again, though that is probably the best course of action. Let me know if you have any helpful hints.
Monday, November 1, 2010
November Reading List 2010
Changeless by Gail Carriger (10/16/10) - Started 10/24/10
Twenty Years After by Alexandre Dumas (6/01/10) -Started
The Portrait of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (05/01/10) - Started
The Poe Shadow by Matthew Pearl (07/01/10)
The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl (07/01/10)
A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin (08/01/10) - Started 10/25/10
Lamb by Christopher Moore (11/01/10)
Harry Potter Series Re-Read (9/01/10)
Thursday, October 28, 2010
National Novel Writing Month 2010 - The countdown begins
Only 4 days left until the official start of National Novel Writing Month. For those of you who are unaware of this crazy contest, please check out their official website at http://www.nanowrimo.com/.
I have been on the fence about ideas, but think I have committed to the Disney Princess meets Sex in the City one. Obviously, they will be characters of my own making but I am basing them on the personalities of the Disney Princesses. My main focus in research right now is to figure out what alcoholic drinks I think each of these ladies would order on a girls night out. It's giving me a bit of insight into what I think each of their characters will be. I welcome any suggestions, so far my list is as follows:
Snow White: Candy-Apple Martini
Cinderella: Godmother (Amaretto and Rum)
Mulan: Cricket (Grasshopper with Vodka)
Aurora (aka Sleeping Beauty):
Tiana:
Jasmine:
Belle:
Ariel:
Pocahontas:
I have been on the fence about ideas, but think I have committed to the Disney Princess meets Sex in the City one. Obviously, they will be characters of my own making but I am basing them on the personalities of the Disney Princesses. My main focus in research right now is to figure out what alcoholic drinks I think each of these ladies would order on a girls night out. It's giving me a bit of insight into what I think each of their characters will be. I welcome any suggestions, so far my list is as follows:
Snow White: Candy-Apple Martini
Cinderella: Godmother (Amaretto and Rum)
Mulan: Cricket (Grasshopper with Vodka)
Aurora (aka Sleeping Beauty):
Tiana:
Jasmine:
Belle:
Ariel:
Pocahontas:
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns by Elizabeth Leiknes
The premise sounded very interesting: An 11 year-old Lucy Burns sends a letter addressed to "To Whom It May Concern" in an effort to save her sister's life. It's not until she's in college that the full contract is revealed. In exchange for her sister's life and continued well-being, Lucy must agree to be a facilitator for Hell: she will be given a list the damned that she must usher off to their eternal fate. Written around the Faustian Archetype, Lucy must find a way out of her contract with the devil if she ever wants a normal life.
The story was just a little too similar to Brendan Fraser's Bedazzled. I had a very difficult time connecting with the character of Lucy Burns. The author's writing style did not make it any easier and I found myself not wanting to continue. I think the problem, for me, started with page one where the author depicts her heroine playing with her older sister. The author has one kid call the other a "retard." I understand that this is how some children talk to each other and I would be completely lying if I said there wasn't a time in my own childhood where I used this word. However, I have grown up and the times they have a-changed. I find this word, along with several other derogatory terms, to be unacceptable in any context. I almost stopped reading there. (I had similar problems when reading Ian Fleming's, Dr. No.) But, out of respect for my roommate who had recommended the novel, I sincerely tried to give this book a chance and pushed on.
Halfway through the book, I felt like the author was telling instead of showing. There wasn't a lot of character development for Lucy and the events of the novel just seemed to be rushed. The reader is told that Lucy likes to take her car to the Snow White Car Wash after she sends a human being off to hell. Then it is unnecessarily explained to the reader that having her car cleaned is like washing off the dirt Lucy feels after fulfilling her part of the Devil's contract. We're told about the relationship Lucy has with her neighbor and we get to see a part of it but, as a reader, I don't believe it. It feels forced for the purpose of the story rather than something organic. The joking banter between the friends is jarring without that natural bond of friendship in place.
I have to be honest, I didn't fully finish reading the novel. Though I skimmed through to the end to see how it all works out and it was pretty much as expected. I cannot recommend this book nor will I discourage someone from forming his or her own opinion about the work. There are more than a few novels I did not personally like that are considered great works of literature. (For example: A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole.) Please check out other reviews on Amazon to determine if this book might be a good fit for you.
The story was just a little too similar to Brendan Fraser's Bedazzled. I had a very difficult time connecting with the character of Lucy Burns. The author's writing style did not make it any easier and I found myself not wanting to continue. I think the problem, for me, started with page one where the author depicts her heroine playing with her older sister. The author has one kid call the other a "retard." I understand that this is how some children talk to each other and I would be completely lying if I said there wasn't a time in my own childhood where I used this word. However, I have grown up and the times they have a-changed. I find this word, along with several other derogatory terms, to be unacceptable in any context. I almost stopped reading there. (I had similar problems when reading Ian Fleming's, Dr. No.) But, out of respect for my roommate who had recommended the novel, I sincerely tried to give this book a chance and pushed on.
Halfway through the book, I felt like the author was telling instead of showing. There wasn't a lot of character development for Lucy and the events of the novel just seemed to be rushed. The reader is told that Lucy likes to take her car to the Snow White Car Wash after she sends a human being off to hell. Then it is unnecessarily explained to the reader that having her car cleaned is like washing off the dirt Lucy feels after fulfilling her part of the Devil's contract. We're told about the relationship Lucy has with her neighbor and we get to see a part of it but, as a reader, I don't believe it. It feels forced for the purpose of the story rather than something organic. The joking banter between the friends is jarring without that natural bond of friendship in place.
I have to be honest, I didn't fully finish reading the novel. Though I skimmed through to the end to see how it all works out and it was pretty much as expected. I cannot recommend this book nor will I discourage someone from forming his or her own opinion about the work. There are more than a few novels I did not personally like that are considered great works of literature. (For example: A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole.) Please check out other reviews on Amazon to determine if this book might be a good fit for you.
Monday, October 25, 2010
The Secret Life of Dolls by Cleolinda Jones
Recently, I have been catching up with a favorite serial of mine: The Secret Life of Dolls by Cleolinda Jones. I stumbled across it when a friend told me I should check out Cleolinda's Twilight in 15 minutes. Finding the Secret Life of Dolls, or SLOD, has been one of the highlights of my internet time-wasting and I was thrilled to discover new entries had been posted.
It's a fictional account of the dolls that live in Cleolinda's room. She happens to be an avid fan of several films/books and therefore has several of the official character dolls. Cleolinda adds her own spice to each of the characters while staying true to their original representations. While Twilight is not one of my favorite books, or movies for that matter, Cleolinda has made the character of Edward into something extremely likable. She is able to point out the flaws of the character as written in the novel even though I can tell she does have a special place in her literary heart for the original series. Other characters that appear in her stories: Elizabeth Swann from Pirates of the Caribbean, Anna Valerious from Van Helsing, Lyra from The Golden Compass, Galadriel, Arwen, Aragorn, and Legolas from the Lord of the Rings Trilogy.
Basically a type of fan fiction/soap opera, it's one of my guiltiest pleasures. I definitely recommend checking out her website/livejournal and reading through some of her entries.
It's a fictional account of the dolls that live in Cleolinda's room. She happens to be an avid fan of several films/books and therefore has several of the official character dolls. Cleolinda adds her own spice to each of the characters while staying true to their original representations. While Twilight is not one of my favorite books, or movies for that matter, Cleolinda has made the character of Edward into something extremely likable. She is able to point out the flaws of the character as written in the novel even though I can tell she does have a special place in her literary heart for the original series. Other characters that appear in her stories: Elizabeth Swann from Pirates of the Caribbean, Anna Valerious from Van Helsing, Lyra from The Golden Compass, Galadriel, Arwen, Aragorn, and Legolas from the Lord of the Rings Trilogy.
Basically a type of fan fiction/soap opera, it's one of my guiltiest pleasures. I definitely recommend checking out her website/livejournal and reading through some of her entries.
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