Why are there no "Gone With the Wind" remakes?

Good evening!

Well, fellow US authors, it's getting to be that time of year again.  It's almost October and when the rest of the world is gearing up for the insanity that is the Holiday Season, we writers sit down to our computers and begin the 50,000 word journey that is NANOWRIMO!  (National Novel Writing Month.)  If you haven't gotten yourself signed up yet, or if you'd like to try your hand at writing very nearly a whole novel in 30 days, click here!

I was thumbing through my Netflix account the other night and a friend and I were talking about good movies to check out.  I suggested the BBC remake of Charles Dickens' "Bleak House."  I had to caution her because, on Netflix, there are at least two versions of Bleak House, probably more, and I wanted to be sure she found the one I really liked.

That got me to thinking:  Many books are turned into movies over and over, either in true to novel form or in some sort of "inspired by the novel" form.  (Shakespeare inspires way more movies than you might think he does.  My personal favorite is a little thing known as "Scotland, PA."

Then I started thinking about just how many versions of "Pride and Prejudice" or "Wuthering Heights" there are out there, which brought me to my other favorite novel of all time, "Gone with the Wind."

While there might be countless versions of Jane Austen's, Charles Dickens', or the Bronte Sisters' classics, there is only one "Gone With the Wind."

Why?

I'm sure "GWTW" isn't the only classic novel that's only been movied (it's a word...I just made it up) once, but other than recent blockbusters like Harry Potter or Twilight, I can't think of any. Meanwhile, as we approach Christmas, how many movie versions of "A  Christmas Carol" will YOU be watching?

Sometimes it's a matter of getting it wright.  I realize I'm in the minority here, but I think Laurence Olivier is grossly overrated, ESPECIALLY when he plays Heathcliff.  Tom Hardy or Ralph Fiennes do a far better job, but that might just be because of the times.  Olivier worked when actors were just supposed to spew out lines and look good.  The raw, debauched emotions of Heathcliff were hardly appropriate for movie goers back in the day, whereas now I think the movie versions are getting closer to the twisted character Emily Bronte imagined.  (For the record, I think the Tom Hardy "Masterpiece Theater" version is slightly better than the Ralph Fiennes version.)

So why haven't we remade "GWTW?"

It can't just be because those are American novel.  And it can't just be that it's so iconic we don't touch them...it or is?

I know we're still making Civil War movies but I know that much of the reality of the Civil War is softened or touched up or whatever in today's era of "we can't hurt anyone's feelings...ever." 

I might be on to something here.  See, I watched "Roots" recently, and that was made for TV when I was a kid.  MADE FOR TV.  My daughter, aged 16, walked into the room and was horrified that I was watching something using the "N" word.

I'm not defending that word, don't get me wrong.  I don't use it, I think it's horrible.  But it's a word people used in our history and I just don't think we can ever remake those cornerstone Civil War Era movies because today's sensibilities simply will not let us. 

Maybe that's not a bad thing.  Maybe it's okay to leave masterpieces like "GWTW" or "Roots" alone. 

I mean, will there ever be anyone who can be a more perfect Rhett Butler than Clark Gable?

Let's ask Timothy Dalton.

Just call me a proud Mama!

Good morning!

So this is Mother's Day weekend...and if you want to hear my Mother's Day rant, go on over to It Can Only Happen To Sarah and check that out.

But here, as an author and more importantly a writer, I want to brag a bit about my son, Peter Bradley.

Peter finished high school early a bit more than a year ago.  Since then, he's struggled, as many kids his age do these days, with what he wanted to do.  At 19, there's a lot of pressure to just KNOW what you're going to be and then GO TO COLLEGE and be that. I'm almost 46, and I've known since I was five what I wanted to do with my life.  It just took me until I was 42 to figure out how to make any money doing it.

So Peter has spent some time traveling, working, really thinking about what direction he wants to go.  But most of all...the boy has been writing.

The fact that he has an interest in writing came as a complete revelation to me a year ago when I made the rounds at his school to thank his teachers.  His English teacher that year, a younger fellow who reminds me entirely too much of Harry Potter, told me that Peter should NOT take a long time out of school and that he should be writing books.

I was shocked.

I was also excited and proud.

When I was in high school, everyone knew I liked to write stories.  But no one, not one of my Language Arts teachers, which included my FATHER, ever told me I should be writing anything.  Maybe it was because it was a small parochial school, and the teachers there knew nothing other than other teachers...which is probably why my parents forced me to become a teacher.  Who knows why no one said, "She should be writing." 

In that moment, when that teacher talked to me about my son, it was as if I was seeing the boy for the very first time.  And the surprised did not end there.

It turns out, Peter is a bit of a poet...and has been sharing his poetry online for a couple years, with some success.  One of his friends told me his blog is followed by a lot of younger women.  (Which answers the question, "How do you know all these girls?"  I've been asking him that for two years.)

Well, that brings me to my Mother's Day brag:  My son, the poet, has just released his first book!

A Collection of Writing from Under my Sheets can be purchased for your Kindle or in print at Amazon or at Createspace.  I can't tell you how excited I am to hold this book in my hands.  It's like giving birth all over again...it's...it's a grandbaby book!

So all you moms out there...does your kid seem to be hiding in his or her room a lot?  Never fear...maybe they're writing a book!

Book Review: Lost in Italy by Stacey Joy Netzel

The best laid plans...

Halli Sanders spent two years planning the trip of a lifetime to Italy. Her itinerary did not include being stranded by her siblings, kidnapped by a sexy American movie star, dodging bullets, or fleeing criminals in a car chase around Lake Como. And that's just in the first three hours.

...often go awry.

Trent Tomlin put his movie career on hold to investigate his brother's murder-ruled-suicide at his Italian villa. He's closing in on the suspects when an American tourist unwittingly films the murder of the retired cop helping him. The killers will stop at nothing to get the evidence--including holding Halli's family as collateral.

Life's a little different unscripted.

Thrust into the role of real-life hero, Trent finds himself falling for the Plain Jane whose beauty blossoms with every challenge they face. But how can he keep the evidence from the murderers to get justice for his brother and friend without betraying Halli and her family?
Good morning all!

If you've been following along, you know I don't review too many books on this blog.  It's not that I don't read, I read all the time.  For the most part, I read books that I enjoy very, very much, but I don't feel need a review from little old me to help them move along in life.  I mean, I could say, "I've just finished the first two 'Hunger Games' books and I feel they are every bit as good, and possibly better, than the first five 'Harry Potter' books.  Discuss."  But neither of those authors needs my opinion, nor does the reading public at large care.

No, I save my reviews for books I think are really, really special, and might not get the notice they deserve.

So, when I do review a book, you should all sit up and take notice. 

Today I'm reviewing a book that caught me off guard with just how excellent it is.   Stacey Joy Netzel caught my eye a few years ago with her first book, Chasin' Mason, a book that will go down in history as having the most hilarious scene ever involving condoms.

I should have seen how brilliant she was going to be.

"Lost in Italy" is a fact paced roller coaster ride of suspense from the first page.  Halli Sanders is bickering with her siblings during a vacation in Italy.  And that's where the peaceful part of the book ends, on page two.  Halli is the kind of heroine I love; an unassuming, quiet, Midwestern girl who just wants to live a simple life and have a nice vacation.  Trent Tomlin is my favorite kind of hero: hot...hot...hot.  Oh, and a reluctant hero who isn't what he seems and is just out to right a wrong.  (Tall, dark, and wounded anyone?)

With the awesome power only an author can wield over her characters, Stacey throws little Halli into an almost unbelievable whirlwind of action and intrigue, all with Trent, and unlikely, and fairly unwilling, partner.

Almost unbelievable...and yet we as readers are caught in the plot web and we don't want to be free. Netzel takes us into situations we don't expect to find logical...and she makes us believe.  And stand up. And cheer.  And bite our  fingernails.  The suspense starts on page two and never lets up.  But it's not all white knuckles: Netzel infuses scenes here and there with the same unexpected, subtle bits of humor that made her one of my favorites at the start.  And oh yes, there is a dash of sweet, sweaty romance.

"Lost in Italy" is the winner of the 2012 Writer's Touch Reader Award, which means those who have already read this book agree:  This is one outstanding read.

"Lost in Italy" is available in print and digitally in all the usual online places.  Want to know more about Stacey Joy Netzel?  Click Here!

Well here's a list that will give you a confidence boost!

Good evening all!

One of the biggest drags...and hence the biggest fears...in writing is the rejection letter.  I have a file of them someplace, mostly, though, I ignore the rejections. Nowadays, it's a rejection email, which isn't much better, and not nearly as satisfying to destroy.  BUT, as they say, every rejection gets you closer to publication.  Even when it doesn't feel like it.

To that end, my friends over a Bachelor Degrees Online hae provided me with a brilliant top forty list of classics and ultra popular books that were once, twice, perhaps more than that, rejected.   We've read most of these, we own most of these, and we've seen the movies for most of these books.  In short, inspite of the initial reaction, these books are huge success stories.

Enjoy...take heart....and ignore the fact that Moby Dick is on the list.  Face it...sometimes editors and agents do get it right the first time. 

40 Famous Manuscripts That Were Rejected At First

 

It is one of the weird quirks of literature that people who don't necessarily have the skills to write epic masterpieces themselves are put in charge of deciding what gets published and what gets canned. No doubt they have a difficult job and they correctly weed out much material that does not need to be inflicted on the public. And yet, from time to time, editors make some of the absolute worst decisions that future generations look back on and say, "What on earth were they thinking?" Persistence paid off for the authors of these 40 manuscripts who refused to take no for an answer and were rewarded in the end.

1. A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole: The Pulitzer Prize-winning, cult classic novel was rejected by multiple publishing companies, including, famously, Simon & Schuster. In despair of ever getting it printed, Toole committed suicide.
2. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling: The first Harry Potter book was turned down by multiple publishers, including Penguin and HarperCollins.
3. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig: This incredibly well-known book only exists thanks to the persistence of its author, who endured more than 120 rejections before finding a publisher.
4. Watership Down by Richard Adams: Now Penguin Books' best-selling novel ever, Richard Adams' classic story was rejected by 13 publishers, some of whom later sent him "groveling letters."
5. The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter: Upon seven publishers declining to give her a book deal, Ms. Potter published her book herself. More than 150 million copies have been sold since.
6. Twilight by Stephanie Meyer: Of the 15 manuscript copies Meyer sent out, nine were rejected and five had no response. Only one (wise) company wanted to meet with her.
7. Animal Farm by George Orwell: If T.S. Eliot had had his way, Animal Farm would never have seen the light of day. As the head of publisher Faber and Faber, Eliot called the manuscript "unconvincing."
8. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle: Twenty-six publishers wish they could travel back in time and not reject this beloved children's book that has sold 10 million copies in the U.S. alone.
9. The Help by Kathryn Stockett: Kathryn Stockett was fanatical about getting an agent to represent her and her book The Help, even working on her manuscript while in labor with her daughter. Finally, after 60 no's, she got her "yes."
10. Carrie by Stephen King: The prolific writer got so many no's (30) for his first attempt at a novel he threw it in the trash. Luckily his wife fished it out.
11. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller: One publisher's rejection letter said this book was "not funny on any intellectual level." Today the book is recognized as one of the best novels of all time and the title itself is a household phrase.
12. Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach: This short fable about a seagull by a retired Air Force pilot was rejected 40 times before an editor at Macmillan took it under her wing and helped it become a classic.
13. Chicken Soup for the Soul by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen: Canfield and Hansen heard from 123 publishers that their book had a stupid title, had no sex or violence, and no one would read it.
14. The Shack by William P. Young: Publishers either found this book too Christian or not Christian enough. So 15 photocopied editions led to a self-publishing company and eventually 15 million copies sold.
15. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell: Nearly 40 publishers wished they had given a damn about Mitchell's Civil War drama when it grossed more than $1 million and won a Pulitzer in its first year.
16. MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors by Richard Hooker: We never would have had one of the greatest TV shows in history if Richard Hooker had been deterred by the 21 publishers who turned down his book.
17. Dune by Frank Herbert: More than 20 foolish publishers turned down Frank Herbert's classic that would become the highest-selling science fiction novel of all time, at more than 12 million copies sold worldwide.
18. The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas by Gertrude Stein: Stein's only bestseller received a famous, rude rejection letter from a publisher who turned her down by mocking her trademark style of repetition of simple sentences.
19. A Time to Kill by John Grisham: On his way to becoming a master novelist, Grisham's first book racked up rejections from 16 literary agents and 12 publishers before landing a deal.
20. Lord of the Flies by William Golding: Although Faber & Faber would eventually publish the book, the first reviewer called this book "rubbish and dull" and "pointless."
21. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand: Rand was already a successful writer when her publisher, who had first rights to her new book, declared it "unsaleable and unpublishable." The book has since been called the second most influential book ever, behind only the Bible.
22. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank: As crazy as it sounds, 16 publishers declined to buy the story of Anne Frank's experiences in World War II. Doubleday's risk paid off as the book has sold more than 30 million copies to date.
23. Moby Dick by Herman Melville: Publishers initially told Melville his long book about whaling was "not at all suitable for the juvenile market." Ninth-graders everywhere wish he had listened.
24. Dubliners by James Joyce: Because of the edgy content, this classic by James Joyce was not an easy sell. He was shot down 22 times before landing a deal with Grant Richards Ltd.
25. The Spy Who Came in From the Cold by John le Carré: Now known as one of the finest novels of the genre, one publisher rejected the book while saying of le Carré, "He hasn't got any future."
26. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov: One publisher said of this book, "I recommend that it be buried under a stone for a thousand years." If it had been, one of the best books of all time would have been lost.
27. The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy: Alec Baldwin should thank Tom Clancy for being persistent. Without Clancy believing in his book through 12 rejections, there never would have been the bestseller or the great movie.
28. On the Road by Jack Kerouac: The book that defined a generation went through a seven-year gauntlet of rejection from publishers who were put off by the book's talk of sex and drugs.
29. Kon-Tiki by Thor Heyerdahl: Twenty rejections from publishers didn't stop this true account of men adrift at sea from making it into book form in 66 different languages.
30. Auntie Mame by Patrick Dennis: Auntie Mame was on the receiving end of 15 rejection letters for being too outrageous, but it became a bestseller, selling 2 million copies in its first run.
31. The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling: Kipling's timeless story was rejected multiple times, with one publisher commenting that Kipling did not even understand the English language.
32. The Life of Pi by Yann Martel: It would later rack up awards like the Booker Prize, but The Life of Pi met with unbelievers at five publishing houses before breaking through.
33. Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs: At first, publisher Olympia Press turned down Burroughs' book as too controversial. However, when excerpts were sent through the mail and the postmaster general called it obscene material, all the attention got Olympia interested again and they agreed to print the book.
34. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein: In a classic case of getting it exactly wrong, editor William Cole rejected this beloved children's book because he thought it fell in between the interests of kids and adults and wouldn't sell.
35. Dances with Wolves by Michael Blake: Michael Blake lived out of his car while struggling to finish Wolves, and then every major publisher rejected it. Of course, lucky for him, a young man named Kevin Costner found a copy and the rest is history.
36. Lust for Life by Irving Stone: On its winding road to selling 25 million copies, Lust for Life was denied 16 times by publishers, with one calling it "a long, dull novel about an artist."
37. Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery: Countless girls read this book or watched the made-for-TV movie based on it. But Montgomery was turned down by five publishers before securing a book deal.
38. The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende: On the advice of a receptionist at a publishing house, whose company she told Allende would never publish the book, Allende found an agent who helped her sell it despite "nobody" wanting to read it.
39. Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes: This moving short story that has been made into movies, plays, and TV shows almost never saw book form. It was rejected by five publishers over the course of a year.
40. The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot: Cabot says her novel was rejected by "almost every publishing house in America." But she persevered and the book and its sequels have sold millions of copies and been translated to the silver screen.

 

Like "Twilight?" No, you're not stupid.

Good evening!

I was at lunch recently with some friends, and I found myself in a weird position...we were talking about the Twilight movies and books and I found myself defending them...and feeling really, really ignorant because I was.

For those of you not in the know, "Twilight" is a four book series  (and yes, for those I was lunching with, there are four books...) that tells the story of Bella Swan, a hopelessly awkward high school senior who meets and falls in love with Edward, a vampire.  Oh, and her best friend is Jacob, a werewolf.  (Hilarity ensues.)

Actually, and I've read all the gripes and complaints about these books from women's groups and from authors and from people who just don't like stuff that's popular, I really liked the books.  Sure, I enjoy the movies, but I really liked the books.  I believe author Stephenie Meyer took something everyone thinks they know and turned it on it's side.  She took the legends of vampires and werewolves and made them...romantic heroes.

And then she made millions.

I liked the books.  My daughter LOVED the books.  The men who live here also enjoyed the books, though Boy child might not admit to it now.  (He's 18...he's not going to admit to liking anything romantic.)  While I understand they aren't for everyone, I don't get the backlash,  and I really don't get why I feel like some uneducated hick whenever the topic comes up.  Like I'm just not sophisticated enough to appreciate that they aren't any good.

Balderdash.

As authors we are always looking for the unique story, that specific VOICE.  But face it, we are working with a very limited number  (I think it's seven) of root plots.  And you take those root plot concepts and work them and rework them over the course of forever, and honestly, everything "new" seems to echo something that came before.

Ultimately, "Twilight" is the story of man against nature.  And there's a little good versus evil tossed in for good measure.  If there's a lesson...and I'm not saying there is, but if there would be, the lesson, the message is "we can overcome our difference no matter how huge if we can find a common purpose and a way to love each other."

Nothing wrong with that.

Do we have a little author envy going on?  Possibly.  Are there horror purists out there who can't stand the idea of a cuddly, loving werewolf?  Definitely.  But here's the thing:  It's all fiction. 

I think Moby Dick is the worst book ever written.  There are those who love it. (Well, there must be...high school and college students are forced to read that pile of steaming pointlessness year after year.)  I believe Wuthering Heights is the greatest novel on my shelf.

I think J. K. Rowlings is a goddess for the universe she created in Harry Potter.

And I think Stephenie Meyer is a genius for taking something familiar and giving it new life.

These are just opinions.  They are my opinions.

And I'm all done feeling stupid  for having them.