A Bit of Whinging

[sakon76]

Since it was raining off and on yesterday, Wonderful Husband and I went to see The Hobbit. It was fun, but not quite as good as the LotR films. I think part of why it seems to drag a little bit is the inevitable problem with making one book into three films. Part of why LotR paced so well was the ruthless cutting out involved; there was no Tom Bombadil, there was no razing of the Shire. The Hobbit, in contrast, seems to have the filmmakers stuffing every single bit of padding they can think of in....

That said, Martin Freeman is brilliant and I was quite pleased to discover that my hindbrain was not hearing and seeing him as Watson through the entire film. :)

And, of course, I wrote. I will likely stop posting fanfiction relatively soon, as I have made a pact with myself that January is a month to concentrate on writing novel #2, Field of Stars. And oh god I am not looking forward to going back through Queen's Choice for like the fourth time to add tension and drama to it, but I know it needs to be done. It's non-saleable the way it is now. I'm also still debating whether or not I'm going back to Maralys' writing class. My frustration with her reigns supreme.

Comments

[jazzs-lyric.livejournal.com]

*pout* Will miss you while you take a leave from writing. Seeing something from you in my inbox makes coming home from rough nite at work a very pleasant morning.
Tho I do understand your need to focus on the books you are writing. *hugs* Hopefully you will make great progress and be back with fresh fic to share from that treasure room that is your vivid imagination soonish.

[playswithworms.livejournal.com]

Martin Freeman! :D <333

[ghilledhu.livejournal.com]

I actually haven't seen "Sherlock," but I was highly amused to see Bilbo in a bathrobe dressing gown at the beginning. I'm pretty sure that was a deliberate nod to HGttG.

[tainry.livejournal.com]

Yes. Instead of taking out, they are ADDING. A lot of adding. Much adding to be found here.
I forgive them the five billion years in Goblin town (admittedly the Great Goblin's chin was kind of mesmerizing) because we got Radagast. And his Rhosgobel rabbits! <33333333333333333333333333333
Also Galadriel, Istari-wrangling. LOVE IT.
Martin Freeman, yes, totes brill! Completely hobbit-like, I didn't have even a second of Watsonation either. WELL DONE!
Thrain's beard deco was amazing.
The attack on Dale and Erebor was pretty alarming - though admittedly I am somewhat afraid of fire, so... Even just glimpsed like this, Smaug is one serious bit of dragon! I think Ancalagon the Black would be pretty much more than I could cope with, if Smaug is this scary already. O.O

On another note... I have been debating whether to rec this book to you for months. Against the Workshop by Anis Shivani. I'm about 3/4 through it myself - it's a book of essays - and I can mail you my copy once i'm done if you're interested. I waffle about reccing it mainly because I don't want to frustrate or discourage you further, re your writing class, while you still seemed to want to go. It's mostly about poetry and mainstream fiction; I haven't gotten the impression that he feels anything for spec fic or any other "genre" fic than...I don't even know. Handwavy vague dismissal? Maybe not contempt? He doesn't really address it. But one of the authors on my flist recced it, so I'm passing on the idea. That writing classes try to stamp on your imagination, and mold people into literary sausages. I think you've resisted that already, and held firm in your knowledge of your own genre. That publishing, driven by economics rather than...what? Art? I don't really know what he wants literature to be, other than not what it is now... It's like he's this grumpy old guy who hates everything because it isn't the Good Old Stuff. He makes some interesting points, is all. He does use a bit of jargon - which one of the cover-blurb commenters said he didn't...but said commenter was also a writer, and probably a lit major or something. And, uh, my major was zoology. So there are a lot of technical terms in this field that I do not know. ^^; So all that said I don't know if I rec this after all. XD

In similar vein, I've noticed over the years that a lot of people have observed that if various classics of literature tried to get published today no one would do it. They break all these rules! Waaah! And then sometimes the people making the observations hedge by saying, well, if you're a genius, you can get away with it.

And then, thirdly, so as to clarify my opinion; what is wrong with writing something popular? What is wrong with making a living at writing? Piers Anthony being a famous example of someone who set out for the monetary gain end deliberately. Put his kids through college - how is that bad???
Why can't there be room to write for ourselves, for love, for art if that's what flips your squid, but also for making a living at it?
/soapbox

And LJ is being a buttcheese, so we'll see if I can even post this...