This book was published back in 2007 and I haven't read it, but I do love the cover. It's such a throwback to old fairytale book covers. It's colourful, cluttered and a little weird. Sure, it's not everyone's cup of tea but it does draw your attention. The girl has such huge hair! She's so skinny! Her neck is so long! Why are there fish floating around? What's with the little white fox? I need to know! I must read it!
Wildwood Dancing also gets really, really great reviews (predominantly 4/5 and 5/5 ratings) so I feel that I must get hold of a copy as soon as possible. It's also part of a series and Juliet Marillier has written lots of other equally well received books so I hope I won't be disappointed.
High in the Transylvanian woods, at the castle Piscul Draculi, live five daughters and their doting father. It's an idyllic life for Jena, the second eldest, who spends her time exploring the mysterious forest with her constant companion, a most unusual frog. But best by far is the castle's hidden portal, known only to the sisters. Every Full Moon, they alone can pass through it into the enchanted world of the Other Kingdom. There they dance through the night with the fey creatures of this magical realm.
But their peace is shattered when Father falls ill and must go to the southern parts to recover, for that is when cousin Cezar arrives. Though he's there to help the girls survive the brutal winter, Jena suspects he has darker motives in store. Meanwhile, Jena's sister has fallen in love with a dangerous creature of the Other Kingdom--an impossible union it's up to Jena to stop.
When Cezar's grip of power begins to tighten, at stake is everything Jena loves: her home, her family, and the Other Kingdom she has come to cherish. To save her world, Jena will be tested in ways she can't imagine--tests of trust, strength, and true love.
After reading Dearly Departed I felt the need for something lighter, both in theme and size, so picked up The Witch of Turlingham Academy. I'm about 13% through (according to Goodreads) and I'm enjoying it all ready. I forgot how fun middle-grade/tween books can be!
It's not easy being the only day girl at Turlingham Academy: Sophie misses out on all the midnight feasts and late night gossip. And when new girl Katy turns up it feels like she's bewitching all of Sophie's friends! Katy's no witch, but there is a witch at Turlingham. Katy comes from a long line of witch hunters whose job is to stop evil magic. Sophie is going to help her - anything to get Katy out of her life and get things back to normal. But what she discovers means nothing will ever be normal again!
My parents came to visit on Sunday and we went out for lunch in Ramsgate. We wandered around the harbour and ended up eating at a really nice Italian restaurant called Alexandra Ristorante, my Dad was very happy because he ordered mussels for a starter and got twice the amount he thought he'd get. He really likes seafood. My dad liked the food and the staff here so much he wants me to have the wedding reception here! They left me with chocolates, cookies and some nice new plants too, so it was a really lovely visit as usual.
Monday however we found out that my fiancé's best friend had committed suicide. He'd known her online for about 3 years, they talked every day and played games together too so were really close. Everyone is still very confused about why she chose to end her life and still very upset, understandably. But I always think you need to stay positive. What has happened is awful and I doubt that her family and friends will ever truly get over it, but I really hope that no one is blaming themselves.
“You cannot save people, you can only love them."- Anaïs Nin
You can't force people to be happy and you can't force people to talk to you. All you can do is love them and be there if they need you. The rest really is up to them. We'll probably never know why she made the choice she did, she didn't leave a note or anything, so I think it's best to not dwell on it because it's fruitless and just leads to more upset. When anyone dies, in any circumstances, it's always best to focus on all the lovely moments you had with a person while they were still with us, rather than focus on the sad times. I doubt that someone you loved, who loved you too, would want you to be unhappy.
So, on to more positive things.
By the way, I have a Tumblr dedicated to my Animal Crossing adventures!
I've not had any work to do this week, as is sometimes the case with freelancing, so instead I've spent the week with my fiancé and playing copious amounts of Animal Crossing. I also finally finished reading Dearly Departed so you can expect a review at some point in the near future!
I also made homemade iced coffee and it actually tasted nice! I used coffee ice-cubes instead of regular ice-cubes so that it wouldn't get watery.
I slept in for far longer than I meant to today, but then:
So, on with the rest of this post!
Something to eat:
Vegan Blueberry Shortcake
Vegan Fruit Tacos with Chocolate Tortillas
It's Mother's Day weekend over in the US, so I hope all the mums out there are having a lovely Saturday and here's some lovely idea of delicious things to enjoy this weekend!
I do not own a bike, and this makes me a little sad. I also don't drive so if I want to go somewhere I usually walk or if it's further afield I have to get the bus. Which is fine, but I'd really like to be able to go places under my own steam. So, today I'm featuring some pretty ladies bikes that make my heart flutter.
There's a definite shape I prefer, the top one being my favourite, and I want a basket to put things in.
I love films. I recently signed up for Netflix because I want to have access to all those old films I love but don't own. I probably watch four or five films a week? Sometimes more.
But, can watching films actually help you with writing novels?
Obviously if you're writing a script it's a good idea to watch films or TV shows that are similar to what you're trying to do, just like how it's good to read lots of books in the same age group and genre that you want to write a novel in or about. It's good to see what's popular and how other people do things. But what about films? What can they teach a wannabe author?
Structure
Films have a clear structure, they have to have a beginning, middle and end. Just like books. Obviously some films turn that on it's head, and some books do that too. But even if it's a total mind-screw of a film it will still have a structure, it just might not be all that clear at first. If you have issues with your novel structure then watching a film that is similar to the story you want to write can be a quick, easy way to trouble shoot problems. Of course it's a good idea to have an idea of what story structure actually is first, that way you can more easily identify where your issues might be cropping up and you can also more easily identify structure in other things, such as TV shows, film, novels and even comic books.
Character
Films have to introduce characters and get you to like them or loathe them quickly, most films are around two hours long, which isn't really much time at all to fit everything in. So how do they do it? What makes you like the characters you do and dislike the others? How do you know which side to root for? How do you know two characters love each other or hate each other? You could try watching a film and then pausing and noting down what you notice. Is it the way their move, their mannerisms, how they talk, what they say, or something else? Are you directly told or is it all implied? How well do you feel that you know those characters, and how much do you care if they get what they want or not? With your own characters it can be harder to get to grips with such things because you're so close to them, so try to move back a bit and see them from a reader's point of view. You could write down what your character is like, sort of like a little character interview. Something I do, which is pretty nerdy, is pretend to be the character and think of how they view the world. Obviously I'm not saying you should go running about outside acting just like your character but it can be helpful to get inside their head and really examine what makes them tick.
Music
Fly you fools!
Now, books don't have music to help boost the mood but that doesn't mean that it's still not important. A lot of writers like to listen to music as they write because it gets them into the right frame of mind. So when you're watching a film think about how the music in that scene helps. Does it make it more exciting, tense or romantic? Then next time your writing you could try listening to similar music to see if it helps you get into the right mood for the scene you're writing.
Films are not always 100% focused in on one character, they often go between different characters. But films will also use establishing shots to evoke mood as well as to give a clear picture of where a scene takes place. Although it can get a bit confusing to do all those things in a novel it is useful to keep them in mind. It can be a good idea to zoom out at times to allow a story to breathe. Whereas some times it's best to get right up close to the action for those fight scenes or romantic moments. Or you can try a mix of the two and see what happens. Close up shots to certain people or items are often used to imply that they are important in some way to the plot or simply to show a little realness. For example in Spirited Away one of my favourite moments in the entire film is when Sen/Chihiro taps her shoes as she puts them on. It just adds a little realistic touch and also shows a little of her personality in that one movement. Someone sat down and decided that tiny little movement was worth including in the film, and other people agreed with them too, why?
Pace
Films are usually quite pacey because of the short running time and because they need to keep the audience interested. Not all films are like this though and sometimes that's a good thing, but quite often it's not. So keep and eye out when watching films to see what moments you get really involved and what moments you disengage with the story, if you do, and think about why. A general rule of thumb is that anything that doesn't move the story forward or develop character should be cut. There are exceptions to every rule but it's usually a good idea to keep the fluffy writing to a minimum, as pretty as it might be, because people are busy and your story should always be moving forward towards it's goal. No one wants to be wandering about feeling like they're not going anywhere, it doesn't make for a very interesting reading. There's nothing wrong with taking a moment to let a story breathe, like I said above, because it's often in those moments that you can develop your character a little which is always a good thing. Just don't do it too often and bring the pace to a grinding halt.
Every story is different and will use these elements in different amounts, for example not every story is a mile-a-minute action-packed thrill ride but it still needs to have pace. So, next time you settle down to watch a film think about how the story is constructed, how that compares to your story and what you can take away from it. Like any story, someone has decided that this character is important and that this event has to happen and that they must say those words, for a reason. Just because it's not a book doesn't mean it can't still be helpful!
