VERONICA MARS MOVIE!!!! #VeronicaMarsMovie

Update: We did it! $2 million dollars raised in ten hours, $2.4 mil by midnight. Veronica Mars is funded! So now we just get to have fun watching the numbers slowly tick up day by day for 29 more days. Any bets on how big the final number will be? $60 mil? Anyone? Anyone?

Why is there a hash tag in my title? Well, because something incredible is happening and it's twitter-related, as most incredible happenings are.

This:

Veronica Mars Movie being crowdfunded by fans through Kickstarter

Does it get any better than THIS?

A favorite tv show. Check.

With an unsatisfying season finale. Check.

Canceled before they could rectify it. Check.

Teased as a new FBI crime show. Check.

Dropped as a new FBI crime show before funding. Check.

Teased as a movie. Check.

Determined unfundable to the lament of millions of fans. Check.

But today? Today!! Today, this is happening. 

A Message from Kristen:dearest marshmallows...
I am currently the happiest blonde in a hamster ball the world has ever seen. We have been waiting so long to make this movie dream a movie reality, and it’s because of YOUR commitment, YOUR persistence, that we finally have a chance. We just have one more step to go.
You have banded together like the sassy little honey badgers you are and made this possibility happen. i promise if we hit our goal, we will make the sleuthiest, snarkiest, it’s-all-fun-and-games-‘til-one-of-you-gets-my-foot-up-your-ass movie we possibly can.
I promise to give it my all. i promise to work my hardest to give everyone a little bit more Veronica, and i will be oh so honored to do so.  

So what do we have to do to make this a certainty?

Donate a few bucks to the cause at Kickstarter.

It garnered a MILLION DOLLARS in donations in the first FOUR HOURS, earning it a spot as record-breaker in the First to a Mil Hall of Fame! But there's still about $700,000 to go before they reach the goal amount so the owners, Warner Brothers, will kick in for promotion, etc. 

Let's show them there IS a big enough fan base to justify a movie!

As excited as I am about Kristen Bell taking up her role as the intrepid, vengeful Veronica Mars once more (WHICH IS VERY EXCITED), I am also completely intrigued by the precedent this is setting for the relationship between viewers/fans and TV/movies. 

If fandom rather than ratings decides what airs, then the most beloved shows will stop getting canceled in the middle of storylines! 

Kyle XY, anyone? 

What show would you fork out money to keep on the air (or raise from the dead?)

A note to the creators if they happen to read this: PLEASE BRING BACK DUNCAN KANE!!

Blog Chain: Book to Film Goodness

There are so many book-to-movie adaptations out there. Which are your favorites? Which are your least favorites? Why? Do you make sure you've read a book before you go see the movie adaptation, or do you prefer to read it after, or not at all? - topic provided by Michelle McLean

Generally speaking, I like to read a book before I watch the movie because otherwise I feel like I'm missing the inside jokes. BUT... in the case of Harry Potter, I enjoyed the first movie because I hadn't read the books yet. Later Harry Potter installments left me frustrated because entire subplots were left out and I knew! 

But the best thing about films made after a book is the comfort of seeing and hearing your favorite characters go through their dilemmas and come out on top. You get to experience the catharsis anew. I've watched every version of Pride and Prejudice I could get my hands on. I watch the Colin Firth version pretty much every time I find myself feeling overwhelmed with my life. It's like spaghetti-o's on DVD: comfort food for the soul. 

Now for the book-to-film adaptations that get me FREAKING EXCITED!!!

Stephenie Meyer's one and only adult novel -  it's awesomesauce.

Watch the trailer @ imdb

When Melanie, one of the few remaining "wild" humans, is captured, she is certain it is her end. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, was warned about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the glut of senses, the too-vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind. 

Wanderer probes Melanie's thoughts, hoping to discover the whereabouts of the remaining human resistance. Instead, Melanie fills Wanderer's mind with visions of the man Melanie loves - Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body's desires, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she has been tasked with exposing. When outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off on a dangerous and uncertain search for the man they both love.

Orson Scott Card's epic Hugo and Nebula Award winner (in the same year: a record)

Fan-made poster, no official movie poster yet. Due out:  11-1-2013

70 years after a horrific alien war, an unusually gifted child is sent to an advanced military school in space to prepare for a future invasion.

Here's more Ender's Game filming news: http://www.tor.com/blogs/2012/06/enders-game-filming-news-roundup

and one that has been optioned and appointed a director that I'm just really, really hoping gets turned into a movie:

Kiersten White's first trilogy, huge crossover appeal from young teens to adults

Evie's always thought of herself as a normal teenager, even though she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she's falling for a shape-shifter, and she's the only person who can see through paranormals' glamours.
But Evie's about to realize that she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures. 

So much for normal.

Read all the latest on movie news for Paranormalcy at the unofficial fan site! Apparently, the first draft of the screenplay is done, so... WOOT!

I'm leaving off some big ones other people are thrilled about: Twilight, which is the first in the latest flood of book-to-film adaptations; Mortal Instruments, which is already cast; The Hunger Games, which is working on number 2 already; Divergent, which I'm saving to read when the movie is just about to come out (because it's more exciting that way); Delirium, which I also haven't read but really want to.

So if you are a book-to-film lover, there's a lot to be excited about these days. 

What do you think of this trend? Is Hollywood being lame by not coming up with "new" ideas? Or do you love seeing your favorite book characters brought to life on the screen?

Check out other members of the Blog Chain and their thoughts on books-to-films. Christine Fonseca gushes about The Lord of the Rings, and Lisa Amowitz will give us a glimpse of her favorites tomorrow.

This movie made me want to write again...

Something made me think of this film after a long time...

Link to imdb info

It's probably one of my favorite movies of all time. A very talented teen boy living in a poor neighborhood gets a scholarship to a private school for basketball, but his hidden talent for writing is what makes waves at the preppy school when he discovers an eccentric yet acclaimed novelist living in his hometown. The older man, played by Sean Connery, teaches him about writing in such a grumpy, effective way. It's awesome to behold. The kid, played by Rob Brown, helps the old writer come to terms with his past and the thing that's kept him from writing a second book after his first one made it big. There's so much packed into this film in terms of societal commentary, morals, cheating, plagiarism, relationships, and writing. I loved it all the way through, and I especially loved the hope I felt at the end. 

Some films and books just make you feel like CREATING! Whether you're an artist or a musician, a dancer, or a street performer, or even a writer. Some stories inspire you to create your own. For me, Finding Forrester was that story. It has nothing to do with me or my life, but it was just THAT inspiring.

What books, films, music, poetry, or whatever, have you consumed that made you want to express yourself? What inspires you?

Cue the Violins: Emotional Triggers in Literature

I cry at movies. All. the. time.

Just before the birth of my second son, I went to a movie with a group of moms and our toddlers: Madagascar 2. It was a free matinée, and you really do get what you pay for, unfortunately. Between old ladies getting punched loudly by cartoon lions and sultry romance scenes involving wet hippos (yeah, it really was that bad), there was a scene that made me cry.

It had to do with the lion and his dad. And it should NOT have made me cry.

(In my defense, I was pregnant.)

Tracing back through my past crying-in-movies behavior, there's one common link that threads these incidents together:

Music.

Usually violins, but it can really be anything that's lyrical, legato, and swelling. My brain knows without me even thinking about it that whatever accompanies the music is going to be touching, tragic, or joyful--and my body reacts.

At various times, I've felt a little angry at how easily I'm manipulated by movie scores. After all, I don't wear mascara for nothing! And I don't want it dripping slowly down my cheeks, defeating its whole purpose.

But I really can't help it. Since I was a child, I've been watching movies--lots of movies. And they all use the same tactics to manipulate (or if you'd rather, evoke) emotion. So it makes perfect sense that, just like Pavlov's salivating dogs, I'll cry every time I hear the swelling, power ballad whistle.

But it got me wondering... can the same effect be achieved in literature? Not that I want to go around making people cry for nothing! But emotions trigger memory recall, and if you want your readers to remember the story you're telling them (and the point, because every story has a point), then it's worth thinking about emotional triggers.

So what sets the stage for an emotional connection between a reader and your characters?
Here's what I've come up with based on my reading. Add your insights to my list in the comments.

Setting the Stage for Emotional Triggers


-signs of stress, like hearts pounding, tongues swelling??, stomachs fluttering


-prolonged longing finally actualized (the back-and-forth couple realizes at last that they're perfect for each other, e.g. Twilight, Pride and Prejudice)


-threatening death and then letting a conflicted character's decision to do the right thing save the day (mouthful, e.g. Harry Potter a million times over)


-"Please Mia, don't make me write a song." (from IF I STAY by Gayle Forman) aka inside joke made tragic


-"You love me. Real or not real?" 
I tell him, "Real." (from MOCKINGJAY by Suzanne Collins) aka tearing the reader's heart out with tender manifestations of vulnerability

Now you know what makes me cry. What triggers your sob reflex?

Top Ten TV Shows of All Time Blogfest

Top Ten TV Shows of All Time


This originated with Alex J Cavanaugh, so skip over there if you want to participate. Just like Amparo over at No Rest For The Lazy, I'll be going from oldish to newish (but not in exact chronological order). Man, this is going to give my age away....

10. Out of This World

Evie could freeze time, being half human/half alien. And she talked to her dad through a glowing crystal! How cool is that? I used to rush home after school to catch this show.

9. Sliders

ah, Quinn. So clueless about love even though you've mastered inter-dimensional travel...well, sort of mastered it. Except for that glitch that makes you jump ever few days whether you're ready or not. (This is one of those series that went weird after a few seasons, like Lost--convoluted plots galore.)


8. Quantum Leap (the original Sliders)

Sam, Al, and Ziggy (not pictured here), jumping through time into other people's bodies to solve their problems. Kind of a Sliders meets Being Erica. :-)


7. Star Trek the next Generation

My parents were trekkies, so I grew up madly in love with Wesley (not pictured), Beverly's son; and wishing I could look like Diana Troy, the empath with the low-cut uniform. Data is still the coolest robot on television. Sorry, Johnny 5. 

6. Heroes (the first season)

Hiro is the only hero I loved the whole way through. Even Peter went back and forth between good and bad. It was dizzying. The first season was awesome, though. Stupid spoiled character arcs!

5. House

House and Wilson. Holmes and Watson. The detective and his consultant. It was a brilliant concept with a character who was lovably bad. But this one also went bad with a character who refused to change. Character arcs, people! They're important! The theme that people just don't change? Not cool.

4. Bones

The fun-loving character. The serious and troubled character. The romantic tension. Oh, the delicious romantic tension! This one is still a great show. The way these two play off each other keeps things interesting without the writers resorting to painfully chronic character flaws (see House).

3. Fringe

I love me some sci-fi, and this show delivers. I don't frequently watch this one anymore, though, because of the  horror quality it's taken on. Too much gore. But it still makes the list for creativity and characters. (ditto to Amparo's sigh over Joshua Jackson)

2. Lie to Me

This is like psychology on steroids, with some great character arcs woven in. At first sight, Lightman seems as hopelessly hostile as House, but there's more depth to Lightman with his family loyalty and fierce protective father gig. Not to mention a subtle romance between him and Jillian. This one still has me checking hulu for new episodes. :-)

1. Scrubs

This started out as a show my husband watched and I tolerated, but it really grew on me. JD's constant daydreaming, Elliott's bang-flipping and fake-swearing, and Turk's general goofiness won me over. Plus, you gotta love a show with a happy ending and healthy relationships. *Note, I didn't say they were healthy the entire time. :-) 

Okay, that was kind of exhausting. I'm going to do some rudimentary math with the little guy while you guys take over from here. Have fun!

OMgoodness! I can't believe I almost forgot my Zero entry, as in the best show ever:

ZERO: CHARMED

Best character arcs ever. And they went on for 9 seasons.