Quote of the Day...

“You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.”

—	Ray Bradbury (via realizes)

Quote of the day...

“After a while you learn the subtle difference
Between holding a hand and chaining a soul,

And you learn that love doesn’t mean leaning
And company doesn’t mean security.

And you begin to learn that kisses aren’t contracts
And presents aren’t promises,

And you begin to accept your defeats
With your head up and your eyes open
With the grace of a woman, not the grief of a child,

And you learn to build all your roads on today
Because tomorrow’s ground is too uncertain for plans
And futures have a way of falling down in mid-flight.

After a while you learn…
That even sunshine burns if you get too much.

So you plant your garden and decorate your own soul,
Instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.

And you learn that you really can endure…

That you really are strong

And you really do have worth…

And you learn and learn…

With every good-bye you learn.”

Jorge Luis Borges, “You Learn” (via styleshire)

Quote of the day...

“My rule has been, so far as I could have any rule (I could have no cast-iron rule) – my rule has been, to write what I have to say the best way I can – then lay it aside – taking it up again after some time and reading it afresh – the mind new to it. If there’s no jar in the new reading, well and good – that’s sufficient for me.”

-Walt Whitman (via writingquotes)

Film Adaptions and Fan-Fiction

Have you ever read a novel and been so in love with the concept, or the characters, that you can't help but try to imagine it in your own form; recreate it in a new light, play with the characters or the plot?
Often enough, we don't even realize we're doing it. We create scenario's in our head imagining what might come next, or what could happen if things were different. We add things, and erase things, perhaps even recreating the concept completely in an alternate universe.

Fan-fiction is an example of what happens when an imaginative  mind is inspired by another, and gives the reader the opportunity to become the writer. It allows the recreation of a plot-line or character using the blueprints of the original, and is growing more and more popular, with readers both young and old.

Much like fan-fiction, film adaptions (or television adaptions) are a re-imagining of the novel, as seen through the eyes of the producer, director, script writer, and even the actors cast to interpret the beloved fictional (or non-fictional) characters.

Film adaptions are just fan-fiction on a much larger -more expensive- scale.

Take Peter Jackson's exploration of The Hobbit, for example.
Like with many film adaptions, The Hobbit was riddled with small -and in some cases large- differences when compared to the children's book by J.R.R Tolkien. Dialogue was added or scrapped, changed or contextualized in a manner different to the original storytelling, to engage the audience. Plot-lines non-existent in the novel were introduced to create a more riveting cinematic experience, and the film grew in length from the size of one small book to three feature length adventures.

Or, for instance, we could also review Steven Moffat and BBC's remastering of the classic detective series, Sherlock Holmes. Moffat bring new life to the classic through a modern retelling or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's mystery masterpiece. Sherlock is a 'modern au', whereby the characters and the basic concept is the same, only it is set in the modern day, allowing a more personalized and relatable experience.

So why is it that this form of creative invention (or, plagiarism, but who's really going to call it that?) more accepted and appreciated than the more taboo concept of 'fan-fiction'?
Fan-fiction is just as relevant, and in many ways could match -or even surpass- the original concept (remember 50 Shades of Grey, anyone?).

Of course, I could always mention parody films, but then I'd be here all night.

So I guess what I'm trying to say with this post is that fan-fiction is a great way for writers to explore concepts and characters, while also expressing their admiration and support of the original work, just as film adaptions do exactly the same thing.

Though, while film adaptions leave a little less to the imagination, much like fan-art, fan-fiction allows the reader to keep exploring the same concept and characters they fell in love with, only from a new perspective.

Sometimes it's good to appreciate the talented writers who find more enjoyment playing with someone else's concepts and characters. We find enjoyment in film adaptions, and the only real difference is cost and reward.

What's your favorite film adaption? How about fan-fiction? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Keep reading -and watching!
-Em xx

Quote of the day...

"She looked like art, and art wasn't supposed to look nice; it was supposed to make you feel something." 

- Park, Eleanor and Park, by Rainbow Rowell.

Quote of the Day...

“Writers of novels live in a strange world where what’s made up is as important as what’s real.”

- Sara Sheridan (via writingquotes)

Op-shopping Adventures and Literary Rescue

Some days I find myself wandering down to the local op-shops (thrift shop?) in search of something new, and I've often found some really affordable -and interesting- books in this way. Whenever I do purchase second hand books, I feel as though I'm rescuing them; giving them a second chance where they may have been dismissed, given up for something else, perhaps. Giving old books a new home is extremely satisfying, for me.
It's a hobby of mine, really. Even if I don't really have the room for it...

What's the best thing you've picked up from an op-shopping adventure? A tale of love and woe? Or maybe an antique record player, a real piece of history. Whatever it is, I'd love to hear about it in the comments!

Come talk to me, I promise I don't bite.
-Em xx

Next up: Eleanor and Park

Love, Anxiety, and Girl Online

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!

How did you celebrate the end of 2014/beginning of 2015? Was there food? Fireworks? Friends and family?
I myself wasn't lucky enough to participate in any such event or 'celebration', if you will, but I can't say I'm all to disappointed by how I spent my evening/morning.

I spent my night finishing the last several chapters of Zoe Sugg's debut novel, Girl Online.

Girl Online follows the life (and embarrassment) of a sixteen-year-old UK blogger by the name of Penny Porter (A.K.A. Girl Online), and her incredible and romantic adventure in New York over Christmas and the New Year.

It was an easy book to fall in love with, as both the layout and the plot of the novel are fabulous. The text size is easily readable and not migraine inducing, as I have found with smaller font sizes. The chapters are short and perfect for reading before work, during lunch-breaks, or before bed without having to worry about leaving halfway through a chapter (which is always super annoying). I'm in love with the cover art, as it's both simple and aesthetically pleasing, which is always a nice addition to any bookshelf.

It's easy to fall in love with the characters in this novel, and to feel inspired by their different experiences and personalities. Penny, especially, inspires a sense of understanding, and is generally a very relatable character. As somebody who once suffered from panic attacks, and now has friends who suffer similar, if not the same, anxieties, I find Penny's story to be quite relevant and even helpful in the case of dealing with the fears and stress anxiety causes.

On that note, of course, I'd like to just give a general trigger warning for Girl Online, because there are mentions of panic attacks and even brief descriptions of the experience (as well as various ways to help with calming down after or during an attack). I know for a fact that this kind of mention is a trigger for some, and so just a warning if you do choose to read and you're affected by the mention of panic attacks then you may want to proceed with caution. It's a truly inspiring journey through anxiety, facing fears, and falling in love, so even though there are a few triggers throughout, as well as a generous serve of secondhand embarrassment, Girl Online is ultimately a very helpful and fun novel to read.

As always, of course, this work of fiction would not be at all possible without the lovely author, Zoe Sugg, a.k.a Zoella (popular YouTube personality and Beauty blogger). A four year work in progress, Girl Online is a fun-romantic-exciting-dramatic work and was a pleasure to read, and I sincerely suggest it for readers who also liked The Fault in our Stars (John Green) or Fangirl (Rainbow Rowell).

I hope 2015 brings you some kind of happiness, and that you stick to at least one of your New Years Resolutions.

Keep Reading!

Girl Online, Going Offline xx

[ See what I did there? You'll get it if you read the book ;) ] 
-Em xx