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Elizabeth Fais

Monthly Archives: October 2013

Musings on Costumes, Clothes, & Character

30 Wednesday Oct 2013

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Characters, Costumes, Research, Writing

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Characters, Costume Department, Costumes, Elizabeth Fais, Halloween, Universal Studios, Wolfman

Clothes Define Character

It’s almost Halloween. The one day of the year costumes are acceptable … and in some places even expected or required.

The typical question we ask one another at this time of year is, “What are you going to be for Halloween?” This translates to:

What type of costume are you going to wear?

Young woman in old west costumeWhat we choose to wear defines the character we are impersonating on Halloween. By donning the costume we become the character.

I never thought much about that innocent Halloween question in terms of character definition in my writing. Until now. The concept translates directly into how we build characters in fiction.

A person’s manner of dress conveys a lot about their personality … quirks, insecurities, likes, and dislikes.

Clothes styles can also be used to reflect the time and place in which a character lives, or how they view the world. [image from morguefile]

To be over-the-top ridiculous with an example — because it’s almost HalloweenCostumes_zombie-mummy — there is no way you’d think the people (?) in these two photos are anywhere near similar in anything  judging from their style (?) of dress.

The old saying, “Clothes make the man” — or the monster, as the case may be — is directly applicable when it comes to fictional characters too.

Hollywood clued in on the secret of costume = character from its beginning. And they still pretty much own the market in that department. I recently got a tour the Universal Studios Costume Department in Los Angeles, so I can vouch for that fact.

I guess I’m thinking about this sort of thing a lot lately, because I’m in the early stages of a new project. Which means defining the nuances of character — through the clothes they wear — as well as by dialog and action. Props provide another means for defining character, but I’ll save that rather large topic for another blog post.

So…what are you going to BE for Halloween?

Maybe something that incorporates some — or all — of these…?

Halloween costumes

Do tell! Ghoulish minds want to know!

[images by moi, taken at Universal Studios Costume Department]


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Writing Lessons Learned from Garry Marshall’s “Happy Days in Hollywood”

28 Monday Oct 2013

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Autobiography, Film, Humor, Writing

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Bing Cosby, Danny Thomas, Dick Van Dyke, Elizabeth Fais, Film, Garry Marshall, Gomer Pyle, Happy Days, I Love Lucy, I Spy, Laverne and Shirley, Mork and Mindy, My Happy Days in Hollywood, Pretty Woman, The Odd Couple, The Princess Diaries, Wake Me When It's Funny, Writing

Garry Marshall headshotGarry Marshall is an entertainer, storyteller, but first and foremost a writer. I didn’t realize the extent of his talents until the day I listened to his Director’s Commentary on The Princess Diaries DVD.

Afterward, I immediately ran out and bought his first book, Wake Me When It’s Funny. A delight, with its real-world insider info on what it takes to be a successful writer … in any biz. It’s all about story … whether it’s a screenplay, a novel, or a comedy skit. [image: Wikipedia]

My Happy Days in Hollywood

A few weeks ago I saw a Twitter post about Garry Marshall’s new book, My Happy Days In Hollywood. I immediately went online and ordered it, except this time I opted for the unabridged audio book version that is read by Garry Marshall himself. A real treat. It’s like sitting in a living room with Garry, while he personally tells you his story.

The Writer

Garry Marshall was one of the sickly kids ever, because he was (and still is) allergic to almost everything. As a boy, his main goal was to get out of bed. But all that time in bed forced him to develop his talent for crafting stories. While all the other kids were outside playing, he’d lay in bed and made up stories to entertain himself. Scary stories made him scared, and depressing stories just made him depressed. So he quickly learned that amusing stories worked the best. He looked at life as comedy, and it stuck with him.

Garry Marshall started as a professional writer for stand-up comedians on the New York City nightclub circuit. From there he went to Hollywood, first writing for Bing Crosby, and then for television shows such as The Danny Thomas Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, I Love Lucy, The Odd Couple, Gomer Pyle, I Spy, and Love American Style. His time in the writing trenches eventually lead to producing and directing, fist television and later movies.

The Producer, Director, & Actor
Garry Marshall was the creator and producer of some of the most popular television shows from the 1970’s, including The Odd Couple, Happy Days, Mork and Mindy and Laverne & Shirley.

HappyDays

Today, most people know Garry Marshall for his more recent work as a director (the The Princess Diaries movies, 1 & 2) and actor. What you might not realize, is that his writing skills helped shape (and in some instances make) successes through the rewrites he contributed to a script. One of his script-transformation successes was Pretty Woman (1990).

The original screenplay was named Three Thousand, and was a dark story about a thirty-something hooker who falls in love with a wealthy businessman who leaves her, and then she kills herself. Disney execs didn’t think that story would do too well at the box office (duh), so they hired Garry Marshall to direct and “lighten the story up.” The rest is history.

I could go on and on about his other successes as a director, producer and actor, but I don’t want to ruin your experience of reading, or listening to, Garry Marshall’s My Happy Days In Hollywood. Instead, I’ll cut to the chase, with the practical lessons I learned from his autobiography. These are lessons that any writer/actor/artist can use to set their career on the success track. Because as one person so aptly stated…

Garry is allergic to everything but success.

Ten Valuable Lessons

Garry Marshall’s books offer a wealth of life experiences that writers, actors, and artists of all kinds can apply to their careers. Here are ten of my favorite:

  1. Go to school (take classes and seminars), learn and improve your craft.
  2. To succeed in Hollywood (or as a writer) you must be prepared for failure and rejection.  You have to feel it’s noble to fail and learn to rationalize, because you are going to get rejected.
  3. Allow yourself 30 minutes a day for self-pity. Then get back to your writing.
  4. You’ve got to try different things (write different types of stories), hit or miss.
  5. Developing friendships in the industry is important. It’s not always who you know, but you never know when it will help. Besides, it makes everything so much more fun.
  6. Pain + time = humor
  7. The key to directing (or writing) is don’t take it too seriously.
  8. Life is more important than show business (writing).
  9. Spend your money going to film festivals (writing conferences). You might meet someone who will further your career.
  10. The real power in Hollywood (publishing industry) is to have passion for your project. That passion radiates and convinces others to believe in it (and you!) too.

The Purpose of Our Craft

Garry Marshall said he wants to be remembered
“for making films that make you feel good … even if you don’t want to.”

How about you?
How do you want to be remembered as a writer?


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REAL Cat Burglars Steal Dogs’ Beds

24 Thursday Oct 2013

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Animals, Cats, Dogs, Funny Videos, Humor

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Cat Burglar, cats, Dogs, Elizabeth Fais, funny video, Humor

Cats that Steal Dogs’ Beds

Last week I ranted did a post about the unfairness of the “scary cat” stereotype society has heaped on felines. Basically accusing cats of being villains. Or worse, pure evil.

Well … cough, cough … it appears this stereotype may– in some part — have been earned, much as I hate to admit it.

The following documentary is harsh, if not heartless. These felines shamelessly steal dogs’ beds, and then brazenly flaunt the stolen entitlement. But true to the Underdog characters we love, some canines fight back. It’s hilarious to see the lengths that some dogs go to to reclaim their prized cushions of comfort.

Cats stealing dogs' beds



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13th YAppiest Giveaway WINNERS! “Revived” by Cat Patrick

22 Tuesday Oct 2013

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Book Reviews, Giveaway, Winner!, YAppiest, Young Adult

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Cat Patrick, Elizabeth Fais, Revived, Romance, Thriller, YAppiest Day on Earth, YAppiest Giveaway

17 YA AUTHORS + DISNEYLAND = THE YAPPIEST DAY ON EARTH!

YAppiest Day on Earth icon


The 13th YAppiest Giveaway! is for Revived, by Cat Patrick. A story of love and friendship, and the girl who must choose between having it all or keeping the secret of a high-security government experiment she’s been involved with for years. This book is so awesome there are two winners!

Revived by Cat Patrick, cover

And the Lucky Participants Are…

… Drum roll …

~oOo~

Dalene Kolb

&

bn100

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

*** Tosses copious amounts of sparkly confetti! ***

~oOo~

I’ll contact you via email in case you miss this post.

Coming Up Next!

The 14th YAppiest Giveaway! for Rootless, by Chris Howard is just around the corner, so…

Stay Tuned!

For a complete list of YAppiest Giveaways, go here.

Book Covers for Giveaways

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Scary Cats ~ Fiction & Felines

18 Friday Oct 2013

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Cats, Funny Videos, Humor, Movies

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

cats, Cinderella, Elizabeth Fais, Fiction, Lady and the Tramp, Lucifer, pet peeve, Scary Fun, Si and Am, stereotype, Villains, Walt Disney

Cats and Their Bad Press in Fiction

Have you ever wondered why cats are often portrayed as villains, the thug, or evil — or minions of evil — in fiction and film … even cartoons? There’s Lucifer, the villain cat in Walt Disney’s Cinderella and Si and Am in Lady and the Tramp. Those are two of the happiest movies ever. And the cats are villains! Don’t even get me started on the old Tom and Jerry cartoons.

You’ll hardly ever see a main cat character like this:

Orange kitten peaking out from behind barrel

No. It’s usually something more like this:

Hissing cat in a tree

This time of year especially brings out the negative imagery for our feline friends. What with Halloween’s stereotypical witches and black cat companions. [images from morguefile.com]

So…I was thrilled when I found the following montage spoof on “scary cat” scenes in movies.

Scary Cat Montage


What’s your “fictional” pet (no pun intended) peeve?

Inquiring minds want to know!


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13th YAppiest Giveaway! “Revived” by Cat Patrick

15 Tuesday Oct 2013

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Book Reviews, Giveaway, Romance, Thriller, YA, YAppiest, Young Adult

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Cat Patrick, Elizabeth Fais, Forgotten, Revived, Romance, suspense, The Originals, Thriller, YA, YAppiest Day on Earth, YAppiest Giveaway, Young Adult

17 YA AUTHORS + DISNEYLAND = THE YAPPIEST DAY ON EARTH!

YAppiest Day on Earth icon

If you couldn’t make The YAppiest Day on Earth, never fear! The YAppiness keeps rolling with epic read giveaways by each of the 17 authors.

This is the LUCKY 13th YAppiest Giveaway! for Revived, by Cat Patrick. For a chance to win a FREE copy of this book, see the “Here’s How” section below. For a complete list of upcoming giveaways, go here.

Death might not be final, but it always has a price…

Revived by Cat Patrick, coverDaisy Appleby died in a bus crash when she was four. Then her undercover life began. She was brought back to life, along with nineteen other children on that bus, as part a covert government program for a drug called Revive.

Daisy barely remembers the fatal bus crash. Even so, now at fifteen Daisy has died and been Revived five times. She’s not exactly an expert at avoiding life-threatening accidents, her last being an allergic reaction to a bee sting.

To keep Revive a secret, each time Daisy dies and is revived it means a new name, a new city, a new identity. Daisy accepts her gypsy lifestyle without attachments … until they move Omaha and meets Matt and Audrey McKean. Audrey quickly becomes Daisy’s first real friend outside of “the program”, and then she falls for Audrey’s brother Matt. Hard.

For the first time, Daisy wants a normal life. She wants someone outside “the program” to know who she really is, including her secret. Daisy soon discovers that the Revive experiment is more sinister than she ever imagined, and her sharing her secret with Matt could very well cost him his life.

Epic Romance & Edge-of-Your-Seat Thriller

The heart of this story is wrapped in Daisy’s relationships; how she deals with her first friendship outside the program, and then a romance with and outsider. People she isn’t “supposed to” get close to, because they can’t know her secret about Revive.

The mystery simmers beneath the surface, building tension as it slowly unravels with Daisy’s deepening friendship with Audrey and her romantic relationship with Matt. Daisy can’t ignore the signs. Something isn’t quite right with the program, but she can’t put her finger on it. That is, until she uncovers disturbing information she wasn’t supposed to find. Daisy is conflicted about sharing her secret with Matt, and after she does she discovers her indiscretion has endangered his life.

Cat Patrick is a master at creating authentic characters with believable strengths and weaknesses. The supporting characters—Mason, Cassie, and Megan—are as interesting and well-rounded as Daisy, Audrey, and Matt. The author is also adept at weaving suspense throughout, hinting at what’s just out of sight until the final climax. Like a horror movie where what’s lurking in the shadows is never shown. What we don’t see is more terrifying.

I can’t tell you any more without spoiling the edge-of-your-seat ending. You’ll have to read the book to find out if Daisy can out run the Revive program after uncovering its darkest secret.

I loved this book. So much so that I immediately picked up Forgotten, Cat Patrick’s debut novel, and devoured it just as quickly. Now I can’t wait to read The Originals, Cat Patrick’s most recent release, and Just Like Fate, which she co-authored with Suzanne Young.

Here’s how to win…

NOTE: The FREE giveaway of a copy of this book is open to residents of the United States only, due to shipping costs. My sincere apologies.

  1. Leave a comment on this blog–explaining WHY you want to read this book— by midnight, October 20th (1 entry).
  2. Tweet about this giveaway, including #yappiest in your tweet (1 entry).

I’ll tally the entries and choose a winner, then announce it on this blog on Tuesday, October 22nd. Good luck!

Stay tuned for the next YAppiests Giveaway!

Book Covers for Giveaways

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12th YAppiest Giveaway WINNER! “Populazzi” by Elise Allen

08 Tuesday Oct 2013

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Fiction, Giveaway, Winner!, YAppiest, Young Adult

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Elise Allen, Elizabeth Fais, Popularity, Populazzi, The Ladder, Winner, YA, YAppiest Giveaway

17 YA AUTHORS + DISNEYLAND = THE YAPPIEST DAY ON EARTH!

YAppiest Day on Earth icon


The 12th YAppiest Giveaway! is for Populazzi, by Elise Allen. A funny and sometimes heart wrenching tale about the fickle fates of popularity.

Populazzi cover

And the Lucky Winner Is…

… Drum roll …

~oOo~

bn100

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

*** Tosses buckets of confetti! ***

~oOo~

I’ll contact you via email in case you miss this post.

Coming Up Next!

The 13th YAppiest Giveaway! for Revived, by Cat Patrick is just around the corner, so…

Stay Tuned!

For a complete list of YAppiest Giveaways, go here.

Book Covers for Giveaways

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MMGM: “Jake Ransom and the Skull King’s Shadow” by James Rollins

07 Monday Oct 2013

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Adventure, Book Reviews, Middle Grade, MMGM, Thriller

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Adventure, Archeology, Dinosaurs, Elizabeth Fais, Jake Ransom, Jame Rollins, Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday, MMGM, The Skull King's Shadow, Thriller, Time Travel

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday!

Jake Ransom and the Skull King's Shadow coverWhen a mysterious envelope arrives for Jake Ransom, he and his older sister, Kady, are plunged into a gripping chain of events. An artifact found by their parents—on the expedition from which they never returned—leads Jake and Kady to a strange world inhabited by a peculiar mix of long-lost civilizations, a world that may hold the key to their parents’ disappearance.

But even as they enter the gate to this extraordinary place, savage grackyls soar across the sky, diving to attack. Jake’s new friends, the pretty Mayan girl Marika and the Roman Pindor, say the grackyls were created by an evil alchemist—the Skull King. And as Jake struggles to find a way home, it becomes obvious that what the Skull King wants most is Jake and Kady—dead or alive. [Jacket Flap Synopsis]

Smart and Fun, Adventure for All Ages

James Rollins, New York Times bestselling master of adventure for adults, doesn’t hold back on the thrills in this middle-grade tale that will satisfy boys and girls of all ages. With amazing aplom, Jake Ransom and the Skull King’s Shadow delivers with authentic richness, as well as with the adrenaline fun factor.

Thirteen year-old Jake Ransom is ahead of his class when it comes to science, and has a special love for archeology. So when Jake and Kady are invited an exhibit at the British Museum in honor of their parents, he’s excited and intrigued. He’s also suspicious. The logo for the company sponsoring the exhibit reminds Jake of a recent nightmare. Is it a coincidence, or not?

The large golden pyramid at the exhibit, gives Jake a hunch about the artifact that came in the mysterious package. A hunch that sends him and Kady tumbing through time to a mythical city called Calypsos. Always a scientist, Jake assesses the situation with analytic detachment.

Fifteen year-old Kady isn’t as level-headed. She’s scared and angry. But who can blame her? Almost immediately, a dinosaur—that Jake knows the name of—decides they’re its next happy meal. Luckily, a Mayan girl and a Roman boy, about their same ages (Marika and Pindor), get Jake and Kady safely inside the protected walls of their city. Once in back in civilization, Kady adapts to her new surroundings with speed and grace. Her impulsive gutsiness provides a balance to Jake’s is rational straight-ahead approach.

And they need all the help they can get…

Jake and Kady tumbled through time, bringing them closer to the evil Skull King. In order to stay alive, Jake has to discover who the Skull King is and what he really wants. The stakes are raised when Colypsos is invaded by the Skull King’s mutant monsters. For Jake and Kady to outwit the Skull King, they must combine their strengths and trust in the support of their new friends.

What I Liked Most…

This is one of those books that after reading the first line, I didn’t want to put it down. Here’s a few reasons why:

  • The characters: Jake and Kady are strong in different ways, and both have their share of flaws. I especially liked how Rollins translated Kady’s high school twirl squad skills into an adeptness at swordsmanship. The secondary characters are unique individuals, who satisfactorily round out the story.
  • The world: Rollins’ knowledge of animals and love of science shines through on every page. I learned quite a bit, without even trying. The inhabitants of this world are created from a blend of historical facts from various time periods, grounding the fantasy in believability. Likewise, the science fiction elements of the story are woven through with scientific facts that bring along a refreshing dose of authenticity.
  • The mystery: Multiple threads intertwine to shape a story that is rich in intrigue and suspense. Where are Jake and Kady’s parents? Are they still alive? Who is the Skull King and why does he want Jake and Kady? How will they ever get back home? No spoilers here. You have to read the book to find out.
  • The adventure: This is an Indiana-Jones-esque thrill ride that girls as well as boys will enjoy. The fast pace would makes this an excellent choice for a reluctant reader, as well as for those of us who thrive on adrenaline spiked escapism.

The Adventure Continues…

Jake and Kady continue their search for their parents, as the threat of the Skull King presses closer in the next installment of this adventure: Jake Ransom and the Howling Sphinx.

Jake Ransom and the Howling Sphinx cover


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