Prince Caspian and Fantasy

As I type this, I am watching the Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. I love, love, love this movie for three reasons:

1. I love the series and I think the movie is a really good representation
2. I love a fantasy world so seamlessly constructed that you feel enterring the real-world again is jarring, and that is exactly how I felt after I saw this movie for the first time
3. I have such a massive movie-star crush on Ben Barnes. I'm for serious. He is so dreamy!

But, the thing this movie also does for me is remind me of how jealous I am of good fantasy writers. I cannot tell a lie... I watch more fantasy movies than I read fantasy books, and it isn't a genre I naturally gravitate towards in either form, but when it is done well, I am green with envy and love, love, lover it!

  

I am in awe of people who effectively create a whole world with new rules, new creatures, and (usually) really complex and sophisticated back stories or political alignments, etc.. For example, I watch the Harry Potter movies frequently, and just watched the Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring again on Easter and both movies (and all of the accompanying books) blow me away. To have that kind of imagination, to build something that rich.

 

I've written two novels and dozens of stories. I do not consider myself to be lacking in creativity, but I am astounded and in awe of strong fantasy writers.

 

So, what are the strong fantasy novels you've read/movies you watched. It's a prolific genre for sure, and one that I am suddenly re-inspired to delve into a littl more thoroughly.

To the land of dreamy men...

Please indulge me in a digression-- I have been trying to focus on things of substance, fiction that changes my understanding of things, places that make me happy, etc. But, the time has come to return to one of my favorite subjects... dreamy men. Ah yes, I have too long abandoned Ryan Buell, Ben Barnes, Joseph Gordon Levitt, and friends, but a recent trip to a movie theater reminded me that it was long past time to add a new name to my list: James McAvoy.

The ironic thing is that I can't think of any of his movies off the top of my head that I have loved, save for Penelope and The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe (and he is a fawn in that, goat legs automatically rendering anyone as NOT dreamy). I've seen a lot. Been OK with a few. Loved less... until now I hope, because this summer McAvoy takes on the role of one of my all-time favorite characters ever. Are you ready to see my geek? Well here it is, six words that give me chills: James McAvoy as Professor Charles Xavier. Seriously, I am giddy with anticipation.

I am also giddy with lack of sleep. I am trying so hard to wrap up a few loose ends on Book #2. I want to start talking about , sharing it, seriously shopping it, and, most importantly, put it to bed so I can work on Book #3. The publication of Max and Menna showed me, quite wonderfully, that maybe a future as a professional writer is on the horizon. Now I just need the present to give me time to make it happen :)

California Dreaming

So yes, it has been nearly a month since I last blogged. But I have good reasons!

1. I just moved. My house is a maze of boxes. Every time I look at the computer and think about writing something, I remind myself that it would be far more fruitful in the near term to unpack.
2. With school, work, and moving, the moments I have to glance at the computer are limited.
3. Max and Menna comes out in two weeks. I am trying to spend whatever free time I do have catching up on promotions, and generally doing cartwheels of excitement.
4. I am travelling soooo much.

The problem is that not blogging isn't simply not blogging. Its indicative of a larger problem-- I have written maybe two pages in the last two months. Not only does this contribute to my general anxiety, since writing is a release, but it is also a piss poor way to approach becoming a full-time writer.

So, that is it. I need to recharge. I need to go somewhere new and see something beautiful-- that always gets the juices flowing. A high school classmate seems to be on a whirlwind tour of the world. Just looking at the pictures he is posting from exoctic locations like South Africa and UAE make me salivate. I want to go there. I want to see that in person. I want to be inspired (but I promise not to write Eat, Pray, Love II-- I don't want to be inspired and write about me).

Here is what I am thinking: When I got back from my Washington/Oregon/California trip in May, I was so psyched. I wrote like crazy. It was the perfect trip-- some city, some rural, lots of spectacle.

See, I am an anglophile and a bit of a snob about it. When I was in Ireland I was young and stupid and thought "nothing can be more beautiful than this" and it IS truly one of the most beautiful places on the planet; however, Oregon showed me that there are things in my own backyard that are that beautiful... things I haven't seen.

In January, I am cashing in my airline/hotel/credit card points and going somewhere new. I see the irony in this-- pointing to travel as a reason I am not writing, but for those of you who don't travel for work, let me assure you of this: when you travel for work you go lots of places, but you seldom see anything. This is why none of you should be offended when I say "I'm here" and you say "oh, I live there-- lets hang out." I usually get about 8 hours in a 24 hour span off, and I sleep and work out.

My leaning is towards cashing those points in on a trip to Jaimaica, but the likelihood is that this may turn out to be a lone vacation. January is not typically the time most people take off to travel. I am not sure Jaimaica is the kind of place I want to go alone. Jaimaica is the kind of place I want to go with one of the dreamy men...

Thus I thought perhaps I would visit one of the 21 U.S. states I have not yet been to. But I don't know where to go! I've eliminated several based on climate (I am NOT going colder), availability of flights, and availability of hotels within my point range. What I have is the list below. Tell me, dear readers, where to go on this list. Where can I find something beautiful near a kick ass city with a great restaurant scene. Where can I go to be inspired and jump start work on my now-stalled second novel?

Here are my options, unless Ryan Buell, Joseph Gordon Levitt, or Ben Barnes are free for a Jaimaica trip!

Alabama
Arizona
Arkansas
Colorado
Indiania
Kansas
Mississippi
New Mexico
Oklahoma
Utah

An entertaining escape...

My plan for this blog, moving forward, had been to focus on the positive things. Rather than an endless rant to let you into my world and know all about me (because hey, I’m really not that interesting) I have enjoyed sharing my positive juju with the world and planned to keep going with that.

But, in the immortal words of John Lennon “life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”

And so, beautiful boys (and girls), the time has come when my personal life must encroach upon my creative psyche. I found out a few weeks ago that my mother’s long battle with cancer will be ending soon. We won’t call it a loss, she fought too hard for that. We’re going to call this one a tie. Tie or no tie, nonetheless, this is clearly devastating news. I haven’t been much of a blogger as a result, opting instead to share my feelings with the world through the emerging art of text messaging.

But, ars longa, vitae brevis est. I had a recent affirmation of that, and in my faith in the power of storytelling. I hate to hear people refer to books and movies as “entertainment.” They are this, no doubt; however, I think the stories we tell ourselves and each other become a part of our cultural identity. Just as the Greeks are remembered for (among many other things) the beauty and intricacy of their mythology and epic poems, I think we will be remembered partially for our stories.

This is a scary concept, I know. I really would not want to be a member of the generation remembered for bringing The Hot Chick into our canon. But, that said, I would be proud to be part of the generation that contributed A Prayer for Owen Meany, The United States of Leland, Flight, True Blood, Braveheart and many others.

Here’s why I feel so strongly that movies are crucial: Because whether it is to make a point (like The Life of David Gale, even though I don’t agree with the point), or expose a new facet of our world to those who would not otherwise see it (Slumdog Millionaire) or simply to create a world that will allow us to marvel (bless you Harry Potter), at the end of the day all of these help us to see a world outside of our own little lives.

This weekend I had the unique and delightful opportunity to enter a world that made me forget my own. Honestly, for over a month I have had little else on my mind then my mom. It’s nearly impossible to focus on anything. And so, when I went to the movies on Saturday and sat through the entire film and realized, as I left, that I had been so completely immersed that I had gained two hours of freedom from my own thoughts, I was ecstatic.

The film, ladies and gentlemen, is Inception. The graphics and effects and cool concept will pull you in. Astoundingly good writing coupled with simply flawless acting will keep you there. When I left the theater, it felt odd to find myself simply in a parking lot looking for my car. I had so become part of this world, and been so enthralled by the story that re-entering my life startled me.

I don’t want to go too much into the plot because it is hard to explain without actually seeing it. The whole point is to experience it. Stories are what help us understand, cope, and even escape from our lives. I will be eternally grateful to this filmmaking team for helping me have two marvelous hours on Saturday. This film is what the “entertainment” industry should strive for. This is a film that, I hope, will help to define us not because it makes any bold proclamations or advances any special issues, but because it is an example of how an excellent story can hold you, keep you, and impact you.

And FYI, I am officially adding Joseph Gordon Levitt to the dreamy men list. He can chill with Ben Barnes, Brendan Frasier, Jonathan Brandis, Ryan Buell, and Robert Pattinson there for a while :0)