Category Archives: Kimberly MacCarron

Just Believe (Part Two) by Kimberly MacCarron

I expected to see denial in his expression.  Maybe a bit of skepticism.  What I didn’t expect was the excitement and hopeful expression.  And my heart skips in response.

An axe-murderer might be excited to get rid of some clue.  But he wouldn’t have that hopeful look plastered on his rugged, handsome face.   I glance down at the picture of him with his arm around his sister, and I have a moment’s hesitation.  Would a murderer be that protective of a younger sister?

“So, who is it?”  I ask, point-blank. Continue reading

Just Believe (Part One) by Kimberly MacCarron

Armoires shouldn’t be used as a mode of transportation for the dead.

That’s what I keep telling myself as I stare at the antique mahogany armoire I purchased for an insane amount of money at the auction house last month.

I’ve spent my life not believing in anything that can’t be seen or touched.  That includes God, the afterlife, soul mates and the Tooth Fairy.  But, lately, I’ve had to reevaluate that belief since a ghost hitched a ride to my condo in an armoire. Continue reading

Ghosts in Mermaid Lagoon Free Short Story Anthology

A cold chill has invaded the Waterworld Mermaid lagoon. Is it merely the firm grip of fall or something far more sinister?

Find out for yourself as we bring you a month-long short story anthology featuring ghost stories from mermaids Carlene Love Flores, Dana Rogers, Denny S. Bryce, Kerri Carpenter, Kimberly MacCarron, Loni Lynne, Masha Levinson and Susan Andrews. On October 31 our Ghosts in Mermaid Lagoon free read ends with a massive giveaway.

So step right into the lagoon, the water is perfect for tales of ghosts and mysteries of the great beyond.

My Big Fat Lazy Summer

There are so many things I’m supposed to do by the end of this month. I set myself some goals, people!

And here’s what happens when people like myself set goals…

…they don’t happen. I tend to overwhelm myself to such a degree that I end up accomplishing a big fat pile of zilch.

When I went to Nationals this summer, I walked away feeling reenergized (kinda). I walked away with some new information that would make me a more organized writer. I walked away with the tools needed to put my goals into action.
I really just walked (or waddled) away ten pounds heavier. Seriously.

I’m stressed, people! I’m unable to stop putting food in my mouth. I guess part of that I can blame on the lazy days of summer and the fact that I drove cross-country with my five kids who couldn’t gain a pound if they tried. So, yes. I admit that some of my extra poundage can be tossed at the feet of the hotels with free breakfasts. But, on the other hand, where can I toss the remainder of that weight?

This got me thinking yesterday of why I’ve gained the weight. I came to the conclusion that I just don’t care. And that sometimes happens when I feel overwhelmed with big goals.

I’m perfectly well aware that I should stop whining about revising my books and actually revise them. It’s easy to say. It should even be easier now with my organizational strategies and my collection of index cards at the ready. But, part of my problem is that I’ve always sucked at organization—in any way.

When a writing friend tells me that she’s broken down her book into scenes and is working on them one at a time, I’m jealous. I don’t even know how to break my books into scenes that I can organize—either on paper or in my head. I just like to write. I like to create. I don’t like to organize those thoughts. Therein lies my problem.

At home, I eat because it’s better than cleaning out closets. Or organizing the drawers in my kitchen. Or sorting through the mountain of shoes that seems to multiply more than my kids.

And I see a pattern in my writing life as well as my personal life. I don’t like to organize or clean. I don’t know how to structure something into twelve acts or eight acts or put my characters on three-fold boards. I don’t have sticky notes. I don’t have lists. I don’t like to structure the hell out of things because I feel like it zaps all my creativity.

I’ve decided I need one of those life coaches. I need someone to walk around all day with me and grab my hand when I go to pick up the bag of chips. I need someone to take me by that same hand like a child and lead me to a three-fold board and some sticky notes and then tell me how to organize my books.

In the meantime, I’ll probably just continue to buy an ungodly amount of school supplies for my kids. I’ll probably play a little too much Bubble MegaShift on my phone. I’ll play too much Clue with my kids. And I’ll definitely pick up that bag of chips.

I keep hearing everyone give some awesome motivational quotes on this blog, and I’d like to print them out and put them somewhere, but I wouldn’t know where. I don’t even have a writing area. I write at my sticky kitchen table.

So, I’ll leave you with a quote today:
“Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability.”—Sam Keen.

Now, I’m off to find a respectable laziness quote for the fall. And winter. And probably spring, too.

So, what about you? How do organize your life best? Do you find it easier to organize your characters or yourself? Character settings or your own?

Someone, take me by the hand!

When a Pantser Plots a Road Trip…

What Happens When  a Pantser Plots a Roadtrip?

I’ll answer that in three-and-a-half words.  It ain’t pretty.

I don’t know if it goes against my very nature, but planning a cross-country road trip with my five kids makes me a tad bit nervous.  And anxious.  And really, really, REALLY scared.  It’s not so much the perpetual questions and the fighting in the backseat because I’m pretty much resigned to that.  It’s the mystery.  I hate taking the mystery out of my trip, which probably makes me a pantser in every aspect of my life.

I went to Ireland with my friend Ellen when we were in our early twenties.  We planned our route carefully.  One week to get from Shannon, Ireland to Dublin.  Then we would catch the ship to England and spend two weeks touring England and Scotland.  We had it all mapped out.  We knew where we would be staying.   We planned on hitting every tourist trap from one coast to the other.

And then we decided to scrap the rest of the trip and we stayed in Ireland for the whole month, not knowing where we would sleep at the end of every night.  She was nervous.  I was beyond-the-moon excited!  The mystery!  The possibilities!  Just winging it!  Ahhhh.  It was heaven for me.  Hell for her.

That trip was one of my favorites.  Once we met a nice woman who gave us directions out of Dublin, and we ended up staying at her house for a couple of days.  She set us up with two cute single locals who took us out on the town.  You just don’t get that with careful planning.  Don’t even get me started on tour packages…

So, during this extremely stressful plotting of my current trip, I’ve come to realize a few things that will also help my writing.  It’s not such a bad thing to have a basic idea of where you’re headed.  It’s not such a bad thing to know where you’ll sleep each night.  It’s the journey along the way that it is the mystery. Who knows when we’ll drive by the biggest ball of twine?  Who knows when we’ll meet a family who will somehow affect our lives along the way?  Or meet somebody who will have a fabulous story to tell?

I’ve decided to let my characters learn a bit from my lesson in planning.  It’s okay to have a destination and stops along the way.  It doesn’t mean that everything is planned.  The substance and personality of the characters is what, to me, means the most.  I just have to plan a bit, and I can plop those characters down into a mess I’ve created or just a beautiful part of our country that he/she has never visited before.  It’s okay to plan a bit.  It is.

If it sounds like I’m still struggling, I am.  But, it’s a struggle that I believe will help me in the long run.  Just like I realize that winging it may very well be in my personality but it doesn’t fit with taking five kids on a road trip without some planning, I’ve learned that writing can be looked at the same way.

This pantser needs to go finish the basic outline of a loosely planned road trip.  I will know where my five children sleep the first few nights.  And I know what day I’ll hit Albuquerque because my Golden Heart finalist friend Tammy is planning to house us for a couple of nights.  Shhhh.  If anyone knows her, pleased don’t tell her that my children are hellions.

And now I leave you with a question.  If you’re a pantser or plotter in your writing life, does that flow into other aspects of your life?  And how do you stop that from happening? Or do you want to?

Hey There Darynda!

I’m honored to welcome the fabulous Darynda Jones to the lagoon today.

I’m ashamed to say I didn’t listen when I was told I just had to read FIRST GRAVE ON THE RIGHT.  But I’m glad to say that when I did, I could immediately buy SECOND GRAVE ON THE LEFT.  For the first time in my life, I paid full price for a hardback book.  It was worth every penny.   Many times over…

Then I—along with all of Darynda’s other fans—had to sit and (im)patiently wait until THIRD GRAVE DEAD AHEAD came out.

I’ve stalked her on Twitter.  I’ve visited her website so many times for updates on her books that I’m sure to get banned from there soon.

Imagine my surprise when she so generously agreed to be interviewed by me—with nary a restraining order in sight.

In 2009, Darynda’s unpublished manuscript (FIRST GRAVE ON THE RIGHT) won RWA’s Golden Heart award for Best Paranormal Romance.  Less than three years later, Darynda is a double RITA nominee in two categories (Best First Book; and Best Novel with Strong Romantic Elements) for that same book, only it’s now not only published but a bestseller.

Let’s ask Darynda a few questions, and maybe she’ll even answer a few more…

1.    What was your inspiration for FIRST GRAVE ON THE RIGHT?

My inspiration was actually my heroine Charley herself. She just kind of popped into my head one morning, told me all about her life, and the rest is history. It was her personality that drew me to her more than anything, though. I wanted a character who was fun and a tad crazy but who lived in a rather dark world. I wanted her to have accepted her circumstances, to treat them rather everyday, like they were nothing special, and not be a whiner about them. LOL

2.    How many books do you anticipate there being in the series?

Well, my editor wants it to be ongoing, so there’s just no telling. I would love it to continue for quite a while longer. I adore writing about Charley and her antics.

3.    Please, please, PLEASE tell us that Charley and Reyes finally get together in the flesh.  I know that’s not a question.  So just comment.  And comment to my liking.  🙂

Hahaha. They definitely do, and quite soon. *wink wink*

4.    In real life, are you more like Charley or her best friend Cookie? 

You know, I’m not sure I’m very much like Cookie. She is super savvy, efficient, a tireless worker . . . yeah, that’s not me. I am like Charley in one very basic element: We both suffer from serious cases of ADD.

5.    Do you have a Cookie in your life?  I think everyone should have one. 

Oh, don’t I wish! I agree. Everyone should have a Cookie. And if I ever find one, I’m going to kidnap her and force her to do research and go to the post office for me.

6.    How many hours a day do you write?

It kind of depends on where I’m at in the process and how tight of a schedule I’m on. If I’m on a first draft, I will usually write (actually put new words on paper) anywhere from 2-10 hours a day, although I will be at my computer for more like 14. There is SO much more to writing than writing. If I am nearing my deadline, my hours will jump up from there.

7.    Do you have something special you do as a reward for reaching a goal?   (Finishing a book.  Finishing a tough chapter…)

Well, I am all about the reward system. LOL. After I finish a deadline, I will take a couple of days off (schedule permitting) and just vegetate. My brain is usually quite mushy by then anyway. Finishing a tough chapter? I will probably take the evening off and watch an episode of my favorite television show or go to a movie.

8.    There is a rumor going around that FIRST GRAVE may become a television series.  Can you tell us a bit about that?  And if it happens, how in the world will anybody be good enough to play either Charley or Reyes?? 

Yep! It actually sold to CBS for the CW a couple of years ago. Hopefully they’ll do something with it someday, though I’m not holding my breath. I can see several women playing Charley. For some reason, that is not nearly as much of a challenge as finding someone to play Reyes. I do not envy the casting director that job.

9.    I’ve heard you mention your sons, who you call the Mighty, Mighty Jones Boys.  How old are they?  Have they read your books?  And if so, are they proud, embarrassed (by the hot scenes) or a little bit of both?

My boys are awesome even though my youngest wrecked my car yesterday. LOL. They are 23 and (as of today) 19.

My oldest is Deaf and is not a fan of the English language, so he has a great excuse, but neither has read my books. It doesn’t bother me in the least. My husband doesn’t read my books either. I have no problem with that at all. However, many of their friends, especially girls, do read them and that gets funny. One girl texted my youngest and commented on how hot they were. My son texted me with: “MOM! What exactly are you writing???”

It’s the little things in life.

10. What author living or dead would you want to meet and why?

Well, since I’ve met the amazing JR Ward and the incredible Neil Gaiman, I guess I would love to meet Stephen King. I’d also love to meet Jane Austen and Oscar Wilde. Oh, and Mary Shelley. How cool would that be? And I’d love to have a face-to-face with Suzanne Collins. And Stephen Hunter! Okay, you said ‘author.’ Sorry. They’re like Lay’s Potato Chips, you can’t pick just one.

11. What books have you read recently?  Any book recommendations for those waiting patiently for FOURTH GRAVE BENEATH MY FEET?

Well, anything by JR Ward should do the trick! LOL. That woman is amazing. Also, Molly Harper and Jacquelyn Frank. Fantastic books!

12. What time of the day do you find most productive for writing?

A quarter past deadline. 🙂

13. How did you come up with your character names?

Actually Charley Davidson was originally named Harley Davidson. My editor put a stop to that silliness, so Charley was born.

As for Reyes, I was writing First Grave while interpreting at our local Jr. High and there was a kid whose first name was Reyes. I’d never heard it as a first name before and just fell in love. So I told him I was stealing it. He seemed okay with my thievery.

Oddly enough, at that very same school, there was another kid named Garrett who was sitting a couple of desks away from me while I was trying to come up with a name for, you guessed it, Garrett. Weird. And Swopes is the last name of one of my best friends.

I had a friend named Cookie who lived in Albuquerque many years ago and stole her name for my loyal, fashion-challenged administrative assistant.

Uncle Bob is in homage to the Terminator where John Connor introduces the Terminator to his friends as Uncle Bob. I thought that was too funny.

14. You have a YA series debuting in October.  Can you tell us a little bit about that?  How many books do you think will be in the series?

Absolutely! The Darklight series will be a trilogy. Here is a quick blurb:

Ten years ago, Lorelei’s parents disappeared without a trace.  Raised by her grandparents and leaning on the support of her best friends, Lorelei is finally beginning to accept the fact that her parents are never coming home.  For Lorelei, life goes on.

 High school is not quite as painful as she thinks it will be, and things are as normal as they can be.  Until the day the school’s designated loner, Cameron Lusk, begins to stalk her, turning up where she least expects it, standing outside her house in the dark, night after night.  Things get even more complicated when a new guy—terrifying, tough, sexy Jared Kovach—comes to school.  Cameron and Jared instantly despise each other and Lorelei seems to be the reason for their animosity.  What does Jared know about her parents?  Why does Cameron tell Jared he can’t have Lorelei?  And what will any of them do when Death comes knocking for real? 

15. Do you listen to music when you write?  Do you come up with a playlist for your books and characters? 

I don’t listen to music while I write at all. I must have complete silence. There is enough chaos in my head while I write. Music only adds to the confusion.

16.  How do you balance your web presence (blogging, web site, interview) with your writing?

Badly. It’s really hard to come up with that balance and it’s a constant challenge for me. I will often spend more time on writing-related content than actual writing, and that is not how it should be. I’m considering therapy.

17. Do you believe in an afterlife?  Supernatural? 

I do believe in the afterlife, I’m just not sure how much of it I believe is here on Earth. I am quite the skeptic.

18. Plotter or pantser?

Plotter. I MUST know where my story is going or I get lost in all that confusion I mentioned earlier and it’s hard to come back from that. Pantsers amaze me. They are like these mystical creatures who are not really of this world. I think they’re from Saturn. Or one of its rings.

19. Tea or Coffee? 

Coffee. Sigh….

20. Do you snack when you write?  If so, what are some of your favorites?

Gah! I’m so boring. No, I don’t snack. It’s too distracting. LOL.

 

One lucky commenter will get his/her choice of either of Darynda’s October 2012 releases:  FOURTH GRAVE BENEATH MY FEET; or DEATH AND THE GIRL NEXT DOOR–the first in her YA series.   And making it even better…Darynda will personally sign it!  The winner will be randomly chosen and posted on Sunday.

I’m sure I’m not alone when I wish Darynda the very best of luck in Anaheim at RWA’s RITA Awards in July.  Thank you, Darynda, for swimming with your mermaid fans!   And those on dry land.

Thanks for the Lift!

After having five kids, many of you might think I’m talking about a lift of a different nature, but, no. I’m talking today about the wonderful chapter of WRW and the fantastic retreat this past weekend.

I thought after my first retreat last year when I met all the fabulous mermaids that any retreat would pale in comparison. I’m so happy to have been proved wrong. It doesn’t happen all that often (when I’m wrong), but once in a sparkly purple moon, I am.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank some select people from this weekend who gave me a lift when I truly, truly needed one. Although the speakers and guests encouraged me to keep writing and fighting the good fight, I’m talking about those who through small measures made a personal difference to me.

1. Deborah Barnhardt: I bought one raffle ticket for a Tarot card reading. One. After I rubbed the ticket on Carlene for good luck, I put my ONE ticket in the purple bag. And I’m sooo glad I did. I don’t know whether it’s truly my energy that she read because I haven’t felt like I’ve had much of that lately, but she told me what I needed to hear. I thank her for that reading because clearly I needed someone unbiased to talk to about myself, and when I receive my first of several RITAs someday, I will thank her on a much larger platform.

2. Kerri Carpenter: She wanted a single room. God love her, she didn’t get it. I waited until the last days of registering, and by that time the single rooms were gone. I begged her to let me share her room, and she did. Thanks, Kerri for not making me room with some neat freak with a Type-A personality. I happen to like sleeping with books all over my bed. So what.

3. Mary Lenaburg: I don’t even know how to explain my thanks. Organizing such a wonderful retreat doesn’t even enter why I’m thanking her. Her happiness is so contagious. It was such a joy talking to her, watching her dance Flashdance to Fame and listening to her funny stories. What happens at Retreat stays at Retreat. Even stories about mirrors on ceilings…No, no, no. Don’t ask. I can’t tell.

4. Carlene Love Flores: She was gracious as gracious could be as we all rubbed our raffle tickets on her for good luck. She won so many of the baskets last year that we kinda figured she’d be good luck. Most of the mermaids won several baskets because of her. I happen to think that the raffle tickets really enjoyed being rubbed against someone so sweet and kind and absolutely wonderful. She completely deserved her free retreat next year!

5. Kimberly Kincaid: Holy cow, girl! Your yoga class was the bomb! As are you! I enjoyed that class so much, even after only three hours of sleep. Thanks for christening my virgin yoga mat. Happy 40th Birthday again, and Congratulations on your Marlene win. You rocked that retreat!

6. Angelina Lopez and Suzanne Kalb: I’m lumping them together since they appeared to be attached at the hip. Thanks to Angelina for introducing me to Suzanne, who was such a joy to meet. Thanks to Suzanne for being patient as she had to answer my questions three times before I remembered her answers. Thank you both for keeping me company at the bar and sharing your stories with me.

7. Linda Williams and Pollyanne Power: Our honorary mermaids. Linda w/a Willa Blair won our Mermaid for a Day, and we love her! Pollyanne Power let us scoop her up as our Newbie for Romance Jeopardy, where we won with the most points. Granted we had approximately seventeen people on our team, but, who cares??? That game is not fair anyway!

8. Waterworld Mermaids: This one’s a given! I’m so glad we all met last year, and it goes without saying (although apparently I’m saying it anyway) that you all mean the world to me. Who knew when we were all sitting around that table at the newcomer’s meeting feeling like fish out of water that we would feel such a sense of belonging one year later? Get it? Fish out of water??? God, I’m witty.

So, thank you, thank you WRW for giving my spirits a lift. For allowing me into your midst of awesomeness.

In the middle of all this sappy gratitude, it reminds me of a special post today on the Ruby Slippered Sisterhood blog. Our very own Amanda Brice is hosting Shelley Coriell for her official launch of her debut YA—WELCOME, CALLER, THIS IS CHLOE. So, join them and tell the writing world who has supported you in your writing career. At the end of the day, they will draw two names to win a $50 gift certificate to a bookstore of their choice. Not for the person posting but for the person that has been in their corner. How awesome is that? So, hop on over to http://www.rubyslipperedsisterhood.com/ and give a public shout out for your critique partner, family member or just a friend who has supported you.

Good luck! A little gratitude goes a long way! Maybe even to a bookstore near you.

Who has made a difference in your life lately? It doesn’t have to be a retreat guest—although it really should be! ☺

To See or Not to See the Future

If someone could truly tell you the future, would you want to know?

I know people who have gone to psychics to discover their futures or to come to terms with their pasts. Many have walked away feeling better for having gone. But, me? I wonder how I would feel and if knowing or believing I know would change the road I’m on.

For someone who wants to cry if someone spoils a book for me, I don’t think I would want to know.  Hell, I’d probably cry even with amazing news.  I like the surprises.  I like the anticipation and just the possibilities of something wonderful.

A friend of mine is communicating with a psychic who has predicted unbelievably accurate and specific events in the lives of her friends. Divorce, death, success. This psychic predicted that one woman would cheat on her husband, and she walked away with a disbelieving wave. Later, she did. This same psychic told one man that he needed to quickly check his accounts at work because someone was stealing from him, and if he didn’t, his company would go under. He laughed it off because he owned his own company, and the only other two people working with him were his brother and cousin—both equally trusted. Later, it turned out to be true, and he lost his company.

There are certain types of people in this world. I’ll call them the pessimists and the optimists, and then some people who can fall to either side when the occasion warrants it. I’m kind of like the last one. I sit on a fence, and I wonder which way I’ll fall during a crisis. It’s anyone’s guess.

Take the pessimist. If he goes to the fortune teller or psychic, and she tells him that he only has two years to live, will he go out and live those two years to his fullest? Not likely. He’ll moan about the unfairness of life. He’ll be extra careful when crossing the street. He’ll basically be dead by the time he exits the room with the beaded drapes and crystal ball. He has expected to hear the worst, and he has.

The optimist will look at that two-year death sentence as a license to live. He’ll visit places he always wanted to visit. He’ll skydive and wake up early and go to bed late because he doesn’t want to miss a thing. He’ll—as McGraw croons in the popular song—“live like (he was) dying.”

So, how does this work its way into a writing blog? Well, I’ll tell you. If I went to a psychic, and she told me I would become a successful—no, best-selling author—with many published books under my belt, my life could go one of two ways. I could become nonchalant, knowing that it was just a matter of time, so why work so hard? Or I could feverishly hammer away at my keyboard, ignoring other aspects of my life while expecting that life-changing call.

And if I got the exact opposite news for my future? That I would never be published? How would I take that one? Probably not so well. Let’s face it, I’ve been in a one-girl pity party for myself for months now because of contests and critiques and having to hear everybody else’s good news. If a fortune teller told me that I would never be published while I’m in my current frame of mind, I would drop writing like a hot potato.

If I were told that one of my kids wouldn’t live past the age of sixteen, would I hold them all a bit closer? Would I stress into the early hours of the morning about which one would die and when and how and why? Probably. If I was told that I would cheat on my husband, would I, knowing that I supposedly would anyway? No. I would fight it, and try my hardest to change the future.

So, instead of going to see the psychic, I’ve decided to give myself a look into my possible future. I will live to a ripe old age, with my ripe, old husband beside me with our five kids and tons of grandkids. I will have an amazing group of friends who will stay with me on life’s incredible journey. I will be published. I will be happy.

There. I have a future now. So, I’ll dust myself off, give up my one-girl pity party, and take back my life. I will hold my children closer and tighter and longer because I should do that every day and not because I get a dire reading from a fortune teller. I won’t cheat on my husband because someone predicted it.  I’m stronger than that. And I will be published because I refuse to give up. And if I don’t become published? So what! I’ll write because it has always made me happy to create characters and situations. I’ll get back to writing for myself. I’ll get back to writing because I HAVE to, because I NEED to. Because I WANT to.

If you could know your future, would you want to? Do you believe that sometimes it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy? That if we believe in a certain future, it will come true? Whether it’s good or bad? And if there are people who can tell the future, is it our chance to change it? To make it what we want? Can the idea of fate sometimes be a copout? You tell me.

Although I’m not such a country fan, I will end this in the words of another country singer, Garth Brooks in “The Dance.”

“I’m glad I didn’t know the way it all would end. The way it all would go. Our lives are better left to chance. I could have missed the pain, but I’d have had to miss the dance.”

Let the Games Begin!

For all of you Hunger Games fans, there’s only fourteen days left until the movie hits the big screen!

My kids and I have watched the trailer a gazillion times, and we discuss all the ways the movie could be great and all the ways it could fall short of our expectations.

As readers, do we expect the movies to be as good as the books? Are they ever? And do they need to be? Comparing books is interesting. Comparing movies is fun. But, when we compare books to the adaptation in movies, it can sometimes be rather frustrating. How could they possibly erase your favorite scene or character? How can a movie feel legitimate when the book is written in the first person and we never see what’s going on anywhere else in the story? Or when most of the plotline is internal rather than external conflict?

I have super high hopes for The Hunger Games movie, and that worries me because there have only been a handful of movies that have been as good as the books.

One of the best that I can recall was John Grisham’s A Time to Kill. That one lived up to the book. The Twilight movies? Not so much. Could any actor live up to the Edward in the book? I think not. That character seemed so perfect, so cultured, so special that no matter how cute other people might find Robert Pattinson, he is clearly not Edward. Not my Edward. Not the Edward that lived in my mind. So, instead of being moved by those movies, I find them kind of funny.

When we do compare a book to a movie, I’d be interested to know whether you saw the movie first. And if that makes a difference. I saw the movie The Outsiders before I read the book, and I loved them both equally. But, I didn’t use my imagination in figuring out what the characters looked like. Not when I had that fabulous all-star cast to recall. Would I have thought Ralph Macchio was the perfect Johnny? Or Matt Dillon as Dallas Winston? I’ll never know. And, oh, my love for Pony Boy…

I recently read the first four Harry Potter books. I never saw the movies because I wanted to read the books first, but I had seen enough previews to put an idea in my head of those charactersl. And I loved the movies as well as the books.

The same can be said for The Thornbirds, Gone with the Wind, and The Notebook. I saw these prior to reading the books, and I loved them all.

There are too many movies to list that have fallen short of the book, for me anyway. And all the ones I didn’t like were the books that I read first. I can’t help comparing and critiquing the movie while I’m watching it. It takes away from the movie experience completely. I wish I could flip a switch and just watch the movie without trying to compare it to the book. I wish I could just enjoy it for the sake of enjoying the movie.

Do all writers do this? Do we pick apart the movie because, in our minds, the written word is more powerful for us? Do we feel kind of sorry for the other movie goers who clearly have no inside information about the backstory of the character? The motivation? The internal struggles that have led to that particular scene?

What movies made from books have disappointed you the most, which ones have you loved, and which ones have surprised you in some way?

With regards to enjoying the upcoming movie…may the odds be ever in our favor!  🙂  (I just had to work that in!)