Amy Scripps

Posts Tagged ‘writing’

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Girls in Movies Face Horrors of a Personal Nature

In 1 on January 6, 2010 at 3:30 am

(exerpted from the LA Times)

“The young heroines of ‘Precious,’ ‘New Moon’ and ‘The Lovely Bones’ try to lead ordinary lives but instead face harrowing experiences. But the movies are more restrained than the books on which they are based.

By Lizzie Skurnick

January 2, 2010

At first blush, the heroines of the films “Precious,” “New Moon” and “The Lovely Bones” seem to have little in common — except that they all started out as characters in novels.

Precious is an abused, teenage mother who can barely read. “New Moon’s” Bella is a vampire-in-waiting who lives to be courted by a glittering heartthrob of the undead. Susie, the narrator of “The Lovely Bones,” is the product of the kind of suburban idyll for which Kodachrome was invented.

Yet despite these diverging narratives, these girls are deeply, sweetly ordinary. All three want to feel comfortable with what they see in the mirror. All three want the boy they like to kiss them. All three would prefer not to be social outcasts, all three want happy family lives and all three will never, ever get any of these things.

It is, to put it mildly, not a great season to be a girl on screen. If we take the three books-to-films as a rule, sheer carnage is the order of the day.

In “The Lovely Bones,” Susie is raped and killed by a neighbor… Bella is always a kiss or paw swipe away from being slaughtered by a boyfriend — if she’s not hurling herself over a cliff in pursuit of one. Precious is the victim of beatings and incest by mother and father.”

I am heartened by the fact that current films are not sugar coating the experience of being a teenage girl in the modern world. The juxtaposition of adult pathos and youthful innocence is what intrigues me about YA stories. Now I need to quit blogging and get back to my new book– and my young heroine in harrowing circumstances…

click on photo for full story

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Going to the Mountains

In 1 on December 27, 2009 at 4:14 am

Ever since I could remember, I have loved going to the mountains (the setting for my true-story-based YA novel, Cinnamon Girls.) In fact, I’ve been anticipating this trip since about August. What is it about being ensconced in a snowy, high altitude place full of trees and quiet? I love everything about our annual ski trip to a remote ski area between Yosemite and Lake Tahoe, high in the Sierras. I love the hassle of collecting ski gear for each of us, the need for a tough car with good clearance, the digging out of warm clothes we never wear here in Southern California; the crotchety, city-hating locals. I love the idea that my cell phone won’t work there; that my children’s faces will be frozen when I pick them up from ski school; the laughter as we ski, sometimes helter-skelter, down the slopes together. Hurrah – I’m off to the land of no internet connection… I wish you all a similar experience of peace on earth.

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Seven Things Teens Love About the Cinnamon Girls

In 1 on December 23, 2009 at 8:59 pm

1. They are brutally honest about their problems (bulemia, drug use, etc.) but never preachy
2. They are free to do as they damn well please (for a summer)
3. They call the shots when it comes to boys, not the other way around
4. They are brave
5. They stick together
6. They wear late 70s garb like bandannas tied into halter tops and overalls fashioned into mini dresses
7. They drive a jeep that is older than they are

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The First Rate Synopsis

In 1 on December 14, 2009 at 7:50 pm

Scanning the deals section on Publisher’s Lunch, I sometimes happen upon a synopsis that inspires an ‘aha’ feeling. The feeling is a combination of envy (why didn’t I think of that?), excitement (that sounds like a great book!), generosity (good for that author, especially if it’s a debut) and curiousity (did the author write this synopsis? if not, who did?) It seems to me that a really compelling synopsis is an art in itself. Take this one, from last week’s Writer’s Lunch:

Creator of nationally syndicated comic strip One Big Happy, Rick Detorie’s SECRET LIFE OF A SCARY GENIUS, an illustrated novel about a 9th grade height-challenged, aspiring filmmaker who must fill five journal pages a day for class, which explores the vital components in his chaotic high school life, such as his agonizingly platonic girlfriend; a himbo jock who gets him in all sorts of trouble; and the ingenious thug know as his Big Sister, to Greg Ferguson at Egmont, by Daniel Lazar at Writers House (NA).

I like it so much I want to write that book. Too late…

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How to clear a Holiday Party: ‘I just want to make a living as a writer’

In 1 on December 13, 2009 at 7:08 pm

At a dressy holiday cocktail party last night for my husband’s prep school in Connecticut, I watched an earnest 20-something lad attempting to chat up two very sophisticated alums his age. I overheard him say to the tall brunette, “‘I don’t care about making gobs of money, I just want to make a living as a writer.’ And then I watched the attractive duo high tail it away from him as quickly as they could. Granted, the setting was the a Beverly Hills hotel where one of Tiger Woods’ mistresses was a cocktail waitress (she has subsequently quit without a trace, according to our waiter.) In other words, generally not an environment where literary altruism is de rigeur. Listening to his words, I felt certain that, as a young person visiting LA, writing my first screenplay and filling out film school applications, I had uttered the same words, just as fervently. Over the years I learned the hard way that talking about your literary aspirations is, quite simply, poison. After clearing many a room, I finally learned to channel that earnest passion where it belongs – into the manuscript. Keep talk of the dream to a minimum, and the writing effort at a maximum, and you may end up with conversational nuggets people DO want to hear, such as ‘I got an agent,’ ‘I sold a screenplay,’ ‘My book tour starts in January,’ or — a hot one in L.A. — ‘shooting on the film based on my book starts Wednesday.’ My author friend Leslie Schwartz said the latter to me recently, and I pondered her sparkling eyes. How must it feel to utter those words, three years after your book came out? (see more info on the film here: http://www.daemonsmovies.com/2009/12/01/jeremy-piven-to-star-in-waska/ )

I hope that the young Choate alum I saw last night gets to say those words. If so, I don’t think the ladies will be running the other way.

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Writer’s voices everywhere

In 1 on December 6, 2009 at 5:15 am

I feel lucky to be writing in a time of unprecedented kibitzing among writers, on their blogs and on Twitter. I can see agents and editors trading insider barbs, writers being themselves on their blogs and reviews and profiles galore on blogs such as http://www.thedebutanteball.com/

Writers also help each other with the craft. There is a real feeling of enthusiasm and support out there on the internet which is refreshing in such a competitive milieu. Recently shared by Greg P. on SCBWI socal are the following blog posts offering tips from children’s book writers, including Laurie Halse Anderson, whose book “Speak” I’m currently reading. Laurie is also represented by Writers House.

Michael Stearns (once editor, currently Upstart Crow Literary agent) wrote about picture books on the Upstart Crow blog. He covers everything from the art of writing one to the economics of them:

http://upstartcrowliterary.com/blog/?p=921

Laurie Halse Anderson had a good post with her Revision Tip #3. I hope to follow this advice so that I can write as well as she does :-) .

http://halseanderson.livejournal.com/273868.html

And then from Rebecca Ryals Russell was a post with 50 useful sites for writers. It’s not children’s book specific, so some links might not be of interest, but there’s a ton of info to be found:

http://rebeccaryalsrussell.wordpress.com/2009/12/01/50-awesome-resources-for-writers/

These helpful voices are out there, cheering us on. It’s a great time to be a writer, despite frightening transitions in publishing. I choose to believe that the world of books is just morphing. Writers have always been a scrappy lot, and I trust that, as a community, we will find a way to adapt.

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New book

In 1 on December 4, 2009 at 8:14 pm

My new novel is a contemporary story about a teenage girl who is addicted to people. Her inability to focus on herself is pretty comical- until it drastically endangers someone she really cares about.

Writing about someone whose mind is elsewhere is not such a stretch for me. My husband says I’m the only person he knows who routinely pauses for an entire minute before answering a question…

Social networking has turned even the most well adjusted teens into junkies for Facebook walls, texting and photo sharing. We’re all so busy sharing we have no time to engage in activities worth sharing about. I heard that someone wrote an entire YA book based on tweets from the various characters. It’s fodder, no doubt, but I prefer to explore more timeless conflicts, such as what early life conditions produce a child who is overly absorbed in, and affected by, the behavior of others? Why do some people develop hyper-sensitive antennae for every social nuance, whereas others have an almost narcissistic focus on themselves? Of the two types, who is ultimately better off?

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Snarky comments on Amazon

In 1 on December 3, 2009 at 8:04 pm

An author friend, whose book I had just picked up at her book signing, posted on her Facebook that she was getting snarky comments on Amazon. She asked her friends who had expressed their love for the book to jump on Amazon and post their favorable critique there. I think this is fair game, and a way to counter the fact that the people who take the time to comment on Amazon tend to be a strangely negative group. Comments are so powerful, yet so hard to vet. How does Amazon know who is a credible reader of the book they’re commenting on?

I’ve read recently that authors are finding ways to take the comments situation into their own hands, for instance leaving bookmarks in the books they give away to friends & supporters that ask them, rather directly, to post their favorable comments on Amazon rather than responding directly to the author. And when someone does contact them to praise the book, they write back to encourage the reader to share their praise on Amazon.

To be honest, I always read comments on Amazon before buying a book. They seem to place reviews that are long and detailed at the top of the page, thus helping to ensure that the poster actually read the book. Have I ever not purchased a book because of a snarky comment? I don’t recall. By the time I’m there to buy a book, it has usually been highly recommended by people I trust so I’m not so easily swayed. It’s frightening, though, to think of the damage a person could do to an author if they posted comments strictly out of sour grapes.

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Stephenie Meyer – a very successful mom

In 1 on November 28, 2009 at 9:31 am

She currently has four out of the top ten best sellers. She is Mormon and lives with her husband Christian Meyer and their three sons: Gabe, Seth, and Eli. The couple has been married since 1994. She is a master of capturing the obsessive thought process of teenage girls in love for the first time. Some credit her for making teen abstinence “sexy.” The movie based on her novel “New Moon” broke “Harry Potter’s” box office record for midnight showings. She is also represented by Writer’s House…

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Things I need to know about my main character

In 1 on November 25, 2009 at 2:12 am

Anger – Why is my character so pissed off (currently & historically?)

Envy – Who has stuff she wants but feels cheated out of having?

Loneliness – How does she hide her feelings of being utterly alone?

Determination – what accomplishment does she believe will “fix” her?

Isolation – In what way is she a misfit?

Lust – Who is unavailable to her and therefore exquisitely desirable?

Longing – If she could have her perfect world, what would it look like?

Survival – what does my character overcome in order to survive?

Blankie – What object from childhood does she still love –  a last vestige of being a little girl?

Shower warbling – what is her theme song?

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