Character Sketches

Over the next few days I'm planning to work on a number of character sketches for a new novel idea I've been playing around with in my head over the past week. It's going to feature a large number of horrors and I need to get them all straight before I can organize them in a way that makes sense. It's sort of a different way of working for me than I've done in the past and I'm looking forward to it. These are all secondary characters, but the way they come together will play a big role in the story. 

Wish me luck.

The Evil Things We Do....

One thing I've always been a little uncomfortable about is the evil things we do to our characters. As a writer, we send them into horrible situations, cause their lives to spin out of control, and often leave them without any hope of a happy ending. In the current draft of my seemingly never-ending novel, I've been set with the task of inflicting even more suffering on my already tortured Elizabeth. But perhaps the worst part, beyond the sorrow, is the fact that often these sadistic scenes are some of the most enjoyable to write. It could simply be the pleasure that one can find in a horror movie, but I actually think it's something more. By writing those scenes, we grow closer to our characters, we get to know them in a way that we seldom get to know real people.

Not Like I Was, Not Like I Am

For one of the more intense scenes I decided to add to the revised draft of my novel, I did something that I don't typically like to do; I had my character step out of herself. In a fit of confusion, and a desire for control in a situation that continues to spiral out of her control, she takes on the personality traits of those she fears most. In a way, it's her attempt to understand them, but that's actually more of an excuse for her. The real motivation is that she is tired of being the victim and for once, even if it's for only a short moment, she wants to know what it feels like to be the perpetrator.

In the end, I think the scene worked extremely well and is quite powerful. I believe we all have those moments when we attempt to see how the other lives, so to speak. There's a sense of pleasure to be found in becoming what you hate, as well as a wealth of knowledge to be gained. But it's a dangerous game...and one that was very fun to write. Probably the most fun scene that I've written in a long time.

When Characters Get ANGRY!

One of the trickiest things to deal with sometimes is the strong emotions of a character. It's easy to get their words out in these situations, but harder to relay their actions. The problem is that writing is a controlled medium, and having to express uncontrolled rage can be difficult within the confines of language. 

I'm dealing with a lot of this in the manuscript I'm currently working on. Tensions run high in the story and I find myself consistently tangled in the frustrations of my characters. And though I do have ways of showing these feelings that I've developed over the years, I try my best not to revert to old habits that simply say things that I've already said. 

The art of anger is subtle, despite the action being very primal.

The Walking Dead Midseason...and the Prison Falls

 

 

By the time Season 4 began in October, The Walking Dead had already established itself as the best show on television with an exceptional third season, and by having Breaking Bad go off the air. But as is typical with this show, it always seems to get off to a sluggish start as they try to establish the set-up for the season's new story. This season was no different as we had to watch Farmer Rick and the jolly settlement in the prison. The season was supposed to show a fresh start for the characters, but as the episodes rolled on, it became clear that in there is no starting over in the world they inhabit.

 

The prison faced a decimating challenge, shattering the peaceful illusion we saw in the first episode. And though there is no fresh start for anyone, we saw the character's go through significant changes. Rick shuns leadership roles, Carol has grown strong, Daryl has become friendly, and Carl has grown literally and figuratively. These changes come into play in interesting ways as they face the crisis of disease within the prison and help shape the course of the future.

 

Even in a half-season, the show chose to divide that into two parts. After the prison crisis concludes, the next few episodes focused on the return of The Governor. We pick up following him after the brutal events that closed out last season. We see this ruthless man whither and change before our eyes, almost to the point where we believe he has changed, just as the other characters have. The Governor finds a new family, a new daughter who replaces Penny, and new reason to live. But old habits are hard to break, and once he feels this new family is in danger, his ruthless instincts return. The prison is the only place that can keep them safe. As a result, the midseason finale was destined to end in a showdown in the making for two seasons.

 

The build-up did not disappoint. In one of the best climatic scenes in television memory, the battle for the prison was epic and surprising. And as is the rule of this world, there were no winners. Major characters were lost, other's missing, and all changed forever. February can't come soon enough.

Who You Are is Who You Are

Over the years I've noticed a troubling trend among reader reviews. There is this habit of claiming the writer has missed the mark when it comes to portraying a certain character and his or her emotions or reactions to situations simply because the character doesn't conform to the reader's assumptions of how that type of person should behave. I have news for them: THAT IS NOT HOW WRITING WORKS!

If the writer's job was just to present characters that fit into stereotypically assumptions than writing would be exceptionally dull, not to mention it wouldn't offer any insight into how varied we all are as individuals. A book shouldn't be judged on whether or not it meets your preconceived ideas of how a character should behave. It should be judged on whether or not that character's thoughts and actions are authentic to the individual presented to you.

I see this a lot especially when an author chooses to write from the opposite gender. You see comments that claim that the author tried to capture how the other gender would feel, but "obviously" doesn't get it. I can't help but wonder if the author had used a pen name of the same gender, would they get the same criticism? Because the fact of the matter is that not every member of a gender, or any other defining feature, reacts to things in the same way in real life. So as long as the character's actions are consistent with their personality, it can be assumed that at least he or she would react that way.

The real problem in all of this is that it seems more and more, readers don't want to be challenged to question their own formulated ideas. When a book does, they usually react negatively. On the hand, books that play into popular notions of how a character should behave are often celebrated. This isn't to say that sometimes writers get it wrong. Of course they do. But when they pay close attention to character details, and are consistent in creating a unique perspective, they shouldn't be attacked for that. So, look beyond your expectations and get to know the person you are reading about.

The Way the Wind Blows

Whenever I'm working on a novel, there are these moments in life where I find myself transported into the events taking place. Yesterday I caught this flock heading south in formation, flying under the approach of winter that lingered in the overcast. I heard them coming long before I saw them and watched as they passed above by me. It was exactly the kind of thing I could imagine happening to my two main characters. 

In moments like this, I find myself drifting deeper into the story. The world of my fiction and the world outside grow to look alike and my life gets intertwined with the characters. Everything merges. Life blends with imagination and imagination influences reality. Alas, that is the life a writer chooses to live. 

Barking at the Moon

Since when did reading become something that was supposed to be easy and uncomplicated? Sure there's a place for so-called 'light' reading. That place is mostly in magazines, online, and even some books. But not everything is supposed to be a quick entertainment. 

While the reviews of Life is But a Dream are overwhelmingly positive, I once again see myself pitted against the insatiable appetite for an action-filled plot that is easily digestible. The handful of readers who haven't liked the book seem to keep mentioning the 'slow pace' of which I expected. I've dealt with that one my entire career. I don't write books that ooze plot and I don't apologize for that. My books are about character and perception and language. Plot is secondary, just as plot is secondary to our thoughts in real life. 

The one unexpected criticism that I've seen is that some readers have been turned off by the fact that the book forces you to actually think. They falsely confuse that aspect of the book with it somehow being confusing. I wonder how they would do with Gravity's Rainbow or Ulysses? Just because you have to pay attention, doesn't mean something is confusing. However, I guess this shouldn't have been so unexpected. But it saddens me that some people aren't willing to concentrate when they read. (And then have the nerve to publish a book blog!). 

The truth is, some of us don't aim to write fiction, we strive to create literature. There's a difference. Not everything in this world is meant to be pure spectacle and entertainment. And when you pick up a book about a severe mental illness, can you really expect the story not to challenge you? If I didn't, would I really be doing my job?

This isn't a rant on negative opinions. I've said many times before that I actually enjoy a well-written critique of my writing. This is more of a sad observation on the state of reading and those who profess to cherish the activity, yet don't want to do the heavy lifting. 

Clear as an Unmuddied Lake...

The past few weeks, I've been suffering under the same troubles as my newest main character. This is not unusual for me. I often endure their hardships along with them. Whether it is because they are part of me, or because I have a habit of becoming them, the inevitable conclusion is that our fates have a funny way of intertwining.

In the current stage of my manuscript, my main character is being continuously deceived and hoodwinked by creatures she believes to be more clever than her. Likewise, I've found my own plot trying to steer me off course into similar traps. I knew the last section was turning into a bit of a muddle, but I hoped for a breakthrough that would make the final section as clear as it was to be in the beginning. I knew if I could get the ending right, then fixing the muddled section in the middle would be much easier.

Thankfully, it seemed to happen yesterday. As my character momentarily broke out of her slumber, everything felt suddenly clearer. I see the end and how it relates to the beginning. I know what I have to do. I know where to go to make the rest of what is written make sense. It's a great feeling. Now I just have to be mindful the goblins don't trick me again...with any luck, we'll both make it out of this mess.

You'll See Things Differently When You Get There...

Late last week, I came to a scene in the novel I'm working on where I was to introduce a new character. The character had been floating around in my head for a few weeks. I had a sketch of what she'd be and her purpose. I knew precisely where and when she'd enter the story. Basically, I had pretty much settled on the character about thirty pages before her appearance. Then a funny thing happened...when she showed up, she was much different.

This character literally has an entrance into the story and as I sat in front of my computer, writing her into the page, she didn't look at all like I'd been picturing her in my head. She'd always been this diminutive elderly woman, so imagine my surprise when into my imagination walked a young Red Ridding Hood clad woman, much stronger and determined than I'd dreamt up.

Alas, my character was changing on me and I had a decision to make. Keep with my original idea or adapt to what the story was telling me? This a familiar gamble that shows up hundreds of times in the process of writing a novel and each time it has to be weighed carefully. Sometimes it pays off to be impulsive. However leaping at too many impulsive directions can quickly cause you to lose focus of the original story. Some are hard to figure out the best course of action, but not this one.

The character that strolled onto the page wasn't about to let me make a single alteration.

When This World Will End

Disaster! that was what Lee continually yearned for. Or, to come limping in to the next station to find it abandoned by everyone save only a single old man, the sort who would enjoy telling of the catastrophe that had overtaken the earth. --from The Sweet-Scented Manuscript by Tito Perdue

I've been thinking a lot about the end of the world lately. Not in a morbid way, but as part of my creative process. I started a new manuscript this week where the end of the world is the central theme.

It doesn't take place there.

It's not a doomsday story or a post-apocalypse fantasy.

My exploration is more about how we relate to something that most of us feel is an inevitable fate. It's a theme that has been around since the beginning of man. Lately, it's been gaining traction in our collective imagination throughout the last century and into this one. Recently, it's consumed a large portion of literature written for teenagers and children.

Recently I started to wonder what the affect all of that thinking would be on a character today. As a child, I often thought about the end of the world and knew I was doomed to survive it. The event itself isn't interesting or important, except in the sense of ways to prevent it. But what's really intriguing is how we relate to it. If one thinks he or she will survive or not?

The Most Influential Books I Read This Year

Before I sign off for the holidays, I wanted to bring together my list of the ten books that most influenced me as a writer over the past twelve months. It should be sort of obvious from this list that I'm not compulsive about reading every new book when it comes out. I'm actually quite particular when it comes to books and rarely take chances on something just because it's new, after all, I have a 'to-read' list in the hundreds.

When I read, I'm pulled in by the same things that I stress in my own writing. The elements of a book that appeal to me are character, emotion, and the author's writing style. The ten book below are the ones which most captured my 'writer's' imagination this year. (In no particular order)

The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

Absolutely riveting stories with an amazing heroine that makes you care not only for her own survival, but for the people around her as well. Rarely is such page-turning action found in books with so much depth.

Mice Templar by Michael Avon Oeming & Bryan Glass

A collection of Mice Templar comics in one volume. Early in the year, this the book reminded me how much I love mythical fantasy, which dominated my Great Rabbit Wars blog story and the current book I'm working on. Amazing scope of story, intriguing characters and spectacular art.

The Haunting of Charles Dickens by Lewis Buzbee

This middle grade novel swept me away into a story that I felt I've always wanted to visit. Featuring one of the best main characters I've encountered in a long time, this is a timeless sort of tale and one of the rare books that I see myself wanting to read again and again.

The Diamond of Darkhold by Jeanne DuPrau

The fourth and last book in the City of Ember series is a perfect ending to a story that has inhabited my imagination for the better part of two years. The resourcefulness of the two child main characters and their ability to dare to think bigger than their adult counterparts is an idea that has always appealed to me.

The Stolen Child by Keith Donohue

This modern fairy tale about hobgoblins was one of most original and well written stories I read this year. The world created in its pages is terrifying and wonderful at the same time. It's attention to core fairy tale elements is something that has been weaving its way into my own work of late.

Jennifer, Hecate,...and Me, Elizabeth by E.L. Konigsburg

This Newbery Honor novel from 1968 is one of the most beautifully sad stories I've ever read. It's delicate look at how it feels to be a child that nobody likes is amazingly handled. It feels to me like the story some of my teen characters might have told as younger characters.

Heidi by Johanna Spyri

The classic Swiss children's novel from 1880 felt surprisingly modern when I read it this year. There's a reason Heidi as a character has endured for so long. Unlike so many child characters today, Heidi doesn't feel contrived at all. She's simply a child, complete with a child's confusion and generosity.

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

A terrifyingly exciting look at our possible dystopian future. The best of this genre takes current disturbing trends and stretches them to their farthest reaches of plausibility. Too far, or not far enough, and the results can be mixed. But Margaret Atwood walks the line perfectly. In addition, her writing style magnificent.

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Yes, it's a wonderfully told romantic love story which is most likely what propelled it to Bestseller's list, but it's also an achievement in writing. To tell a story out of time is hard enough, but to tell it with as much time skipping as this is masterful. Not only that, but this book features some of the best written conversations I've encountered.

Pip: the Story of Olive by Kim Kane

This book is not at all what one would expect from the cover. It's much older than the 'look' suggests and much less light-hearted. Another amazing character, Olive is an eccentric girl who is slowly abandoned by her best friend and quickly becomes an outcast. Kim Kane is able to make the reader feel the painful experience while never making Olive feel like a victim.

That's my list...so now you all have something to buy with those endless gift cards that you are sure to receive. (On most of the links, you'll find a full review that I wrote if you're interested, along with the reviews of other readers).

Happy Holidays!

Treeless Mountain

I have a problem when it comes to horribly depressing Asian movies about childhood--my problem is that I keep watching them. Last spring, I wrote about a Japanese movie entitled Nobody Knows about a group of children abandoned by their mother. (You can read that post here). It reminded me of another Japanese movie entitled Grave of the Fireflies. Both of these movies were films that left me weeping. I always find myself attracted to these incredibly depressing movies because there is a comfort and beauty in the sadness they bring.

Last weekend I got another dose of this as I watched a Korean movie called Treeless Mountain. It's the story of two young sisters whose mother leaves them in the care of an aunt who is less than kind as she searches for their deadbeat father.

The film focuses on the older of the two girls, who is just old enough to start understanding what is happening to her world. What makes the movie so powerful is the absolute way in which it captures a child's confusing emotions. It's so painful to watch her come to terms with her mother's absence. From her frustration with her younger sibling, her bouts of loneliness mixed with playfulness, to her heartbreaking disappointments; it feels so very real. The film's brilliance lies in its ability to capture childhood in all of its emotional turmoil.

Like most modern drama from Asia, the film moves at a very slow pace and values slice of life scenes rather than big plot pushes. It's one of the things that really attracts me to these movies as it's the way that I personally like to tell stories in my novels. There's something about this way of storytelling that makes you feel closer to the main characters. This closeness is what causes such a strong emotional reaction in the audience.

When people ask how I can watch such depressing movies, my answer is simple. Sometimes I don't want my entertainment to come in pleasing little packages. Sometimes, I prefer to watch a movie that makes me uncomfortable and forces me to actually feel a real emotion, even if those emotions are sadness and empathy as in the case of Treeless Mountain.

Mind if I Intrude...

This week I've finally started tackling what should be the final revision of my novel. These changes are different than my own neurotic self-doubt that guide earlier drafts, they're actually based on my editor's input. Last week, I spent enough time thinking about the changes, reading through through the manuscript and making notes that it was time to get in there with the carving knife. Well, more like a scalpel. It's not so much an overhaul that needs doing as it is a nip and tuck that will change the overall effect.

One thing I was really nervous about was finding the voice again. Surprisingly, that hasn't been so hard. My character, Sabrina, has a very unusual perspective that I thought it would be harder to get back inside her head. It really hasn't been. She's feeling cooperative. Her companion is being a bit stubborn, but that's in his nature.

The hardest part is trusting the choices I make. A lot of what I'm doing is shifting the order of scenes around, deleting scenes, and trying to take the important parts of those deleted scenes and incorporate them into existing scenes. This is a frustrating process simply because there is so much plot to keep track of. The problem stems from the fact that the existing plot is weaved into a tightened narrative where one idea flows into next. You start pulling threads and...well, you know how it goes.

While I tread carefully, I find it interesting how the characters take the complete turning upside down of their world all in stride. There's a life lesson there I'm sure of it. Not that they have much of choice though. So perhaps the life lesson should be on hold for now.

A Few Good Reads

I haven't posted many book reviews here recently, but every once in awhile I think it's important. Reading is a such a huge part of being a writer that I can't help but feeling like this blog would be incomplete if I ignored talking about the books I read that inspire me or motivate me. Every now and then I encounter a book that really reaches into my imagination and plants itself there. Here's two wonderful books, both published in the last six years, that I read in the past two months that caught my writer's attention.

The Stolen Child by Keith Donohue

Alternating chapters tell the stories of two characters whose lives are completely intwined in this fascinating modern fairy tale. I found myself constantly telling myself "Okay, one more chapter" and never being able to stop because I always wanted to revisit the other character a little longer.

One story reads almost like a modern Grimm's Fairy Tale. It relates the life a boy who is taken by Changelings and becomes one of them. This pack of feral children are remarkably entertaining. Speck is easily one of the best characters I've encountered in a while. I definitely loved reading about their plight. It was emotional and was brought to a beautiful conclusion.

The parallel story of a Changeling who steals the life of the other boy started a little slower and the character considerably less likable in the beginning. But as his story progresses, I found myself feeling incredibly sympathetic toward him and invested in how things would turn out for him.

In many ways this book, as the title suggests, is the story of stolen childhood for both characters. At times it's incredibly saddening but ultimately rewarding. As a writer, the interaction of the characters was remarkably well down. It's not easy keeping so many characters so active at the same time. Also the pace in which the two stories unfold is perfect.

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

A stunning and disturbing novel about a dire future that explores current global fears and trends to their most far-fetched limits, yet remains so incredibly believable and possible. A future where corporations and their employees are given all the privileges on par with a new royal class. A future where human commerce has created monsters in order to continue our absurd capitalist way of life long after it should have evolved. If that wasn't remarkable enough, it's also an extremely compelling portrait of a brilliant sociopath, a gripping story of struggle for sanity among a lonely survivor, and the failings of a manufactured utopia.

Snowman is one of those rare main characters that I identified with instantly. It was so easy to picture myself in his predicament and reacting with the same mix of ill-equipped frustration and amazement. This connection with character is something that I try to do with my books, to put the reader there beside the character in the story. This book was recommended to me by a good friend after it reminded him of my writing. I can certainly see that. There's something familiar in the language of this book and the characters Snowman and Oryx feel as though they could be the people that Elizabeth and Dune from Thief grow up to be. Pretty amazing tale. This is the first book in a trilogy, so I have two more books to add to my list.

Both of these literary novels are books with serious themes but don't shy away from imagination. In fact, they are so rich with imagination and creative imagery that it somewhat surprises me that they managed to get published and succeed in an era dominated by memoirs. But I think this is the thing that every writer must always remember...that if you write a truly great story someone will believe in it regardless of what the marketing trends say.

Story Houses

I'm always in search of possible story elements. Sometimes it's faces or behaviors that I observe. Other times it's towns or cities. But there's also what I call "Story Houses." These are houses that when I look at them, give me the impression of a story that might exist within its walls. I can almost see and hear what characters might inhabit them. Their faces are ghosts peeking through the windows. Their voices a whispering echo. Whenever I pass one of these places, I take a picture.

On my recent road trip up to Maine, I encountered a few very good story houses. A couple inspired new ideas. Others seemed to fit ideas that I already had. It's always good for a writer to have a concrete image in their mind of the places their stories exist in. Sometimes passing these places is just the spark I need to fill out the picture.

Once You've Gone, I'm Alone

Upon finishing a novel, or any work where considerable time is spent with one character like a series, there's a grieving period that takes place. It happens to me every time. After months of a character's voice living with you, as a kind of ghost speaking through you, it suddenly goes silent.

I've always looked at characters as these kind of ghosts that the writer helps into existence. Once your task is complete and they've gone, you're left with a bit of an empty feeling. You miss them. Not in an overly depressing way, more like leaving a perfect visit with a good friend that you know you won't see for some time and somewhere in the back of your mind, you know the next time you meet, you might not be as close as you were.

This is the same feeling that drives readers to yearn for sequels, or when a reader really doesn't want a book to end and tries to turn the pages as slowly as possible. As the writer, the creator of these fictions, that feeling can be much more intense as you can imagine. For me, this is why it always means so much when readers say how much a book or character meant to them. It lets you know that didn't let go for nothing - that your character is off making new friends, living within more people, becoming more real with each one.

Reading is Wonderful

I had heard my mother and father discussing me one night when they thought that I was asleep. My mother told my father that she didn't think it was normal for me to be happy without friends. -from Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth.

Last fall, I spent $3.00 at the local library book sale and walked away with a treasure stack of children's books, one of them being an early edition of Jennifer, Hecate,...Elizabeth by E.L. Konigsburg. I'd been aware of this book for years, and was always intrigued not only because of its fine author, but also that a book could be published with such a clumsy, yet endearing sort of title. What I discovered between its covers was a beautifully written story about two lonely ten year old girls who find friendship in the most unusual way.

I don't know that a child reading this would necessarily see the sadness that underlies the narrative. Reading it as an adult though, I couldn't help but feel for the main character who is obviously desperate for a friend (desperate enough to do whatever the girl says, including eating raw hot dogs every day for a week). As one who writes about outsiders quite a bit, I can tell you the trick to creating a lonely character is making them someone the reader would want to befriend. Konigsburg does a fantastic job at this. Elizabeth is easily the one character in the book you'd want to get to know, to the point where you wish you could step into the story and tell her so.

-The rest of that week seemed to have a month's worth of days, but Saturday came. It was a golden day full of smells of autumn. I told my parents that I'd skip going grocery shopping with them. I told them that I had some work to do at the library. No argument. I was usually a nag for them to take to the A&P. I wasn't very popular at the A&P either. Once I had rammed the cart into a big mountain of cracker boxes. Avalanche! I told the manager that I'd pick them all up, and I did. I arranged them very artistically; the aisle was blocked for forty-five minutes. I hadn't been very popular at the A&P since.-

Perhaps what struck me most about this book is that Elizabeth felt like a girl who would grow up to be like one of the characters from my books. She's a budding Lacie (from Perfect World) or Hannah (from Zombie Blondes). A girl who, if anyone took the time to know her, would discover she has a lot to offer. From the vantage of experience, to see her younger and know this is going to happen kind of breaks your heart. Yet, the story is hopeful. She doesn't end up alone. Two like souls find each other.

Also like some of my books, I've seen a ton of reviews from readers decrying this book for being "boring". This really gets me more than anything else. An intimate character portrait is not boring! This is one thing a book can do that no other medium can. If you read solely for plot, I suggest you watch TV, you're time will be better served. Plot is what TV does best. It gives you tons of plot. A book that gives you intimate time with a character is a treasure. This is one of those books.

I laughed. I cried. I loved it.

-"Have you ever thought that most people wear their socks on their feet, not on their hands?"

I shook my head, "Yes."

She said, "Will you repeat after me: socks are for feet: mittens are for hands."

I said, "Socks are for feet; mittens are for hands."

She said, "Say it again."

I said, "Socks are for feet; mittens are for hands."

She said, "Now please tell me, where are your mittens?"

I said, "In my sock drawer."-

Is Anybody Out There

The saddest movie I think I ever seen is the brilliant animated film Grave of the Fireflies which broke my heart in a way that no other movie ever has. I had a conversation about that film once with an editor who aptly described it by stating, "That film's not a tearjerker, it's a weeper." I know there are people who will read that and wonder why anyone would want to watch such a film - or read a book that makes you cry for that matter. I would say that when a piece of fiction can move you so profoundly, even to sadness, it's a beautiful thing.

Last night, I watched a film that was very reminiscent of Grave of the Fireflies, but live-action and therefore harsher in many ways. Nobody Knows is a Japanese film from 2005 that I'd wanted to see since I read about it when it came out. I knew though that it was going to a very sad movie, and I have to find a right moment for those kinds of movies. I actually recorded it off of the IFC channel nearly a year ago and the title has stared at me on the DVR list for eleven months. That should give some indication of what I was expecting. I was quite right in my prediction too...it's a weeper.

I would be shocked if the film maker wasn't influenced heavily by Grave of the Fireflies. There's many, many direct references to that movie. They are both stories of children left to fend for themselves. This movie however is set in present day and has another layer of social criticism about selfishness and the ease at which most of us manage to look the other way when we see something that might require us to get involved in something we don't have the time or energy to be bothered with. There is also something hopeful about it, as in Grave of the Fireflies. In both, the children find the beauty in most dire of circumstances.

The film isn't preachy, it's not even direct. The entire movie is essentially a two-and-half hour montage of various slice of life scenes that put the viewer into the world of the characters, forcing you to experience what they do. This is an aspect of Japanese film that I've admired for years. In many ways, it mimics what I try to do with my novels. This movie in particular felt that way. The plot unravels through small everyday scenes that culminate into a powerful whole. It's not gimmicky or sentimental and that's why the emotions it stirs are so moving. I truly believe the only way to make a reader or viewer feel genuine emotion for a character is to force them to be the character's companion.

A lot of people have no patience for this slow and careful process of storytelling. I'm sure there are many people who would turn this movie off, finding it boring...just are there many people who complain that nothing happens in my books. For those people, I feel sorry. That's not to say there isn't a place for super hero action movies or novels with a mystery at the center of it, I love those too. But sometimes we need to demand something richer from art than mere entertainment. Sometimes the work of art is to remind us of our humanity in a world where the most brutal and depressing acts have become teasers for the nightly news.

Haven't We Been To This Place Before?

Life as a literary character must be a bit puzzling. You seem to constantly be living the same scenes over and over, but each time the words that come out of you are different...changed without your permission or control. The gestures you make have also been altered slightly. And weren't you happy the last time you lived through this? Where did all of this anger come from?

Sometimes you do exactly as you have done before only the first time around you said the words indoors. Suddenly the room has evaporated and you're left wondering how it is you've been transported into a field or the abandoned parking lot of a shopping center.

These are currently the kind of trials I'm putting my characters through as I rewrite scenes in the second draft of my novel. On some David Lynch-ian level, I like to think they remain somewhat aware of they've done in previous drafts. It must be maddening for them. Don't feel so bad for them though. Trust me, it's all for their own good.

Personally, I enjoy the all of the deleted, changed scenes. I look at them as the pieces of the story and insights to the characters that I selfishly keep for myself.