Movies, Films, and Crappy Writers...Oh My!

I'm not sure how I feel about this. As much as I love seeing new movies, I am beginning to wonder if film writers have lost their spunk. Every book I plan to read, am reading, or have read is being made into film. Really...it's beginning to take away from the authenticity of books.

"Ew, I don't read. I just watch the movie," says another, deluded aquaintance of mine.

One of these days, I'd like to be able to scream in their face..."HA! It's not a movie. Go open a book for once, you slacker."

Unfortunately, it's as if every movie coming out lately was once a book. Let them make On the Road or Walden into a movie. I'll start a war...mark my words, I will. Though, sadly, I hear they are in the making to put Kerouac's masterpiece onto the big screen. Oh, boy.

People truly don't know what their missing out on. You get so much more out of reading a book than watching the movie. It's more personal, imaginative, and overall mind altering. It expands your mind into places where a movie could never take you. When you're watching the movie, you're forced to see things as to how the director and producers imagined. With a book, you have the control. You can imagine things exactly the way your mind wants. I cannot begin to explain how many times I've seen a movie after reading the book and felt completely heart broken because it wasn't made the way I had envisioned the story.

But in the end, the media will not stop. They will continue to steal books, putting them into cinemas, while crushing readers vivd pictures of their treasured tales. It's simply fate. Digging more into this tragic fate, I recently discovered they've transformed Eat, Pray, Love into a movie--starring Julia Roberts. It's due out in August. Woo.

Dusting Off...

As I browse through graduate schools, tossing the ideas of road trips, writers' workshops, and the University of Vermont through my head, I decide to sign back on to my good ole' blog. Once, an assignment for a class, and now an escape from the terrifying reality that I will be faced with a mere five months from now: I will be graduating college. Where the hell am I going? Still, I have not changed. I am constantly engrossed in novels, many times more than one at a time, and I always ponder ways I could make a career out of reading books. A geek's fantasy, I know. I've come to that sad conclusion. They are also wonderful escapes from reality, and in some cases provide some inspirational wisdom and motivation.

For example, I've recently begun to read, Eat, Pray, Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert. "Don't you see?! It's fate!" I screamed to my mother as I explained the coincidental connection of my sudden epiphany to travel and discover myself to the suggestion of this book that she recently threw at me. The book seems to literally be written for me. OK, not literally, but it certainly feels as though Gilbert is actually reaching out to me and pushing me to finally take that road trip that I've always wanted to do. Or--just another tip to fate--the trip to Europe my childhood friend has also suddenly invited me on. She, just as lost as myself, is eager and hungry to travel.

As I scratch another book off my reading list, I decide to start making a list of places to travel. And just as I plan to finish my reading list, I intend to whole heartedly indulge in some serious travel in the near future. What the hell, right?...I'm 22 years old, about to graduate from college, and seriously behind in grad school applications. Perhaps I need this change of pace first. I need to see more of this crazy world.

The Curse of Being a Writer

Ever stare at a computer screen, blank faced, not a thought running through your head, listening to the light hum coming from your laptop? As you contemplate Facebook, a nap, or rearranging your entire room, you realize...dun, dun, dun! Writer's block has hit you square in the face.

So when they ask me, "Tiffanie, why don't you start writing a book?" Well besides the fact that I am the absolute best at procrastination, writer's block has been known to taunt and torture me severely with some of my biggest writing projects. The thought of writing a novel scares the hell out of me. Yet after I finish writing a piece and read through it, I realize it's what I truly love. Completing an entire book is definitely on my "To Do" list before I die.

But can I do it? Well if it wasn't for the procrastination issue and the writer's block disease, it would have already been done. There should be a self help class for people who suffer from the two. But alas, there is not. At least not that I know of.

There are a few things that I've found that help me. Good tunes, a cup of coffee, and reading an interesting article will usually spark my creative brain waves into motion. Staying away from Facebook or any other social network is definitely mandatory. Facebook is the equivalency of heroin for people with a procrastination issue. Not a good idea to get on when you're trying to find motivation for writing a 15 page paper.

So perhaps when I graduate and finish my cross country road trip, I'll finally start my book. (Did I just procrastinate?) I know for sure that I'll base it off times of my life. I only wonder how much my ruthless disease of procrastination and writer's block will interfere with it.

The Bandwagon

I don't care what anyone says. The Twilight series is remarkable. The Notebook, by Nicholas Sparks, is another “one” that I absolutely adore. Judge me if you must, (though I'll probably strongly dislike you for doing so) but I cannot help but jump on the bandwagon with some of the overly popularized “ones.”

By “ones,” I mean the Harry Potter geek saga, Danielle Steele’s juicy romance novels, every Nicholas Sparks’ book to ever hit bookshelves (and theaters), and of course, Stephenie Meyer’s vampire craze, Twilight. Overall, every book that has ever been dramatically marketed, gossiped, or made into action figures. Or an animated TV series.

Yet “one” that I have never been able to force myself to read and enjoy is the Harry Potter series. Naturally, I began with the Chamber of Secrets. After getting through the first few chapters, I felt the strong urge to burn my book. I attempted the movie and fell asleep halfway through—in the midst of a cram packed theater.

I take this in a positive way though. Maybe I’m not prone to falling into the traps of all the “ones.”After all, just a glimpse at a Danielle Steele book and my skin crawls.

Roll Call

Along with basking in the sun and attending as many concerts as I possibly can this summer, I also plan to get through an extensive list of books along the way:

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman-I've always had an unusual interest in witchcraft and the supernatural.

No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy-One of my favorite books is The Road, so I figured I should read another of his. (Genius, I know.) Yet I attempted to read the book before and actually couldn't get into it. I'll take another stab at it this summer.

Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella-It is probably a semi-autobiographical version of my life. So I figured I'd be laughing the majority of the way through it...or crying.

On The Road by Jack Kerouac-I feel like a disgrace to mankind for not having read this book yet.

Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky-It's in the "Favorite Books" section for almost everyone on Facebook. But then again, so is Harry Potter. Could be an audacious move on my part.

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan-I've read excerpts of it for a class and became very interested. I love reading about different cultures and historical events.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte-The novel has been referenced in a few of my favorite books. Plus it's a classic. So I figured I find a copy to indulge in.

Misery by Stephen King-Two words: Kathy Bates. And naturally, it's a Stephen King book. The idea of a sadistic fanatic holding her favorite author hostage is enough to grab my interest.

I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell by Tucker Max-Read the first few pages of it online and laughed repeatedly the whole way through it.

Witches of Eastwick by John Updike-Again, the supernatural is definitely a page turner for me.

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer-Once again, I feel like a disgrace to humanity for not reading this yet.