Comments for CinéManche

Comment on Choices by Mark Slater

Mark Slater — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 11:59:00 +0000

You have to control this very closely – this is important stuff! Having twins, the tempatation was to experiment and show one the original trilogy first, and the other the prequel travesties. But we decided this amounted to cruel and unusual torture (plus, unless we isolated them from one another till all six had been screened, it would be impossible to stop them from spoilering each other). In the end, we did the decent thing and showed them in the proper order (episode IV first), on a nice big screen – made an event of it.

It is always an option to pretend that episdoes 1-3 simply don’t exist – but as Darren has implied, this can come a cropper – have your story prepared. The *real* danger, is that unless you’re super vigilant, he’ll get to see this stuff at a friends house, or at an after school club or something before you can intervene. We planted the ideas in the boys heads early on via dinnertime conversations that a) the prequels were rubbish and of curiosity interest only b) they mustn’t watch any of the Harry potter films until they’ve read the corresponding book (we’re up to film four) and c) they can’t watch any LOTR films until they’ve read the book. Seems to be working out OK so far.

Comment on To Be Me, Or Not To Be Me by Steve

Steve — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 22:37:39 +0000

Maybe. A friend asked for some ideas on a script he was working on – and I gave it some thought, but there was some confusion over the project, and what I came up with was completely incompatible with his plans. Thing is, it’s a great idea – original, as far as a slasher can be – so I’m tempted to write it for myself. I have one other project I’m researching (apart from Make a Move 2, of course) so I need to choose.

Comment on To Be Me, Or Not To Be Me by Darren

Darren — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 21:31:12 +0000

Yes. So long as it’s made clear then there’s nothing to compain about. Are you going to write a slasher horror book then?

Comment on Choices by Darren

Darren — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 21:28:59 +0000

You say that now Steve but one day he’ll find the DVD hidden on the shelf and before you know it he’ll tell you that JarJar is his favourite character. You’ll want to cry. I did…

Comment on To Be Me, Or Not To Be Me by Steve

Steve — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 19:27:34 +0000

So, if I debuted with an off-beat slacker-thriller spy book, then released a nasty, poisonous slasher horror, as long as it was clearly advertised you wouldn’t think that was too much of a stretch for general readers?

Comment on To Be Me, Or Not To Be Me by Darren

Darren — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 10:06:32 +0000

I don’t particularly care for the use of pen names. If I like a book it’s probable that I would like other books (regardless of genre) by the same author. If genre is so important then make the distinction clear in the metadata. Usually the synopsis and the genre is enough for me to decide if I want to read a book.

Comment on Different But Same by Steve

Steve — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 18:48:23 +0000

I guess this situation sums up the position publishers are in when they say they need to know how to sell a book. If they can’t fit it into a recognised cover “type”, or if they shoehorn it into a type that misrepresents the content and risks alienating readers, it’s just too hard to sell using the simplest of sales tools – the cover. I guess I have to follow your advice and just go for a “good” cover. I think I’ve got an attractive layout idea; just need Sam to inject it with his design magic.

Damn my cross-genre style

Comment on Different But Same by Ruth

Ruth — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 10:55:11 +0000

I think it depends on the readers – there are those who will automatically choose books because they look the way they expect them to (I think crime & chick lit & historical romance all do this to make their genre readers find new books easily) but other readers would be more likely to pick up something a bit more unusual/different from what you’d expect. Probably that whole ‘I fancy something a bit different’ thing.

I think as long as it’s a *good* cover then it doesn’t matter. A bad cover (tacky, cheap etc) will put me off a book immediately and I probably wouldn’t even pick it up to check the blurb/first page…

Comment on Killing the Dream by Steve

Steve — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 21:06:13 +0000

Exactly – dreams and dream analysis are a tool available to those writers for whom it works. It doesn’t work for me, but most of my methods won’t work for others, so it’s fine that I don’t “get it”. It is a personal thing – a mechanic that belongs in the writer’s notes – and as such, it really jolts me out of the narrative. Regardless, I’ve never read a dream sequence that was well-written, and that didn’t feel contrived or bloated with exposition. It can work when it’s the basis for the narrative – as in Inception/A Nightmare on Elm Street/Dreamscape, but it seems less contrived in films. Well, Inception was one big contrivance, but you get my point.

Comment on Killing the Dream by Julie

Julie — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 20:19:02 +0000

I can see your point, and I agree, I find dream sequences in a story to be dull, and often unenjoyable. I can’t remember reading, or watching in a movie, a dream sequence scene which stayed with me.

However, I am a fan of dream study, as a writer, because through dreams, we can tap into a wealth of creative material right there in our subconscious. We can have 5-7 dreams in one night which can be the most beautiful, imaginative, uncensored and original stories. Whilst some people may use them to discover more about themselves, I like to draw on them for inspiration for my writing. When I’m awake, I’m often so occupied with the order of the day, with work, with the stresses of life – I quite like the idea that I can harness my brain activity in sleep, by writing down my dreams and harvesting the ideas there. Sometimes, when I read them back from the little book I started, I don’t remember the dream itself, but often, there are real gems in there – little ideas, which have enabled me to develop a character, start a new piece of writing, or finish a scene in a story. Sometimes (and only sometimes) they can help me to add life and energy to my writing.