The Great Gatsby--a movie review

Well, I might as well make a confession....

I did not read The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald in high school. I actually don't recall it being required reading. It's possible that I managed to somehow just review the Cliff Notes on it, but that wouldn't have been my style.

When I saw that one of my favorite directors, Baz Luhrmann, was turning the book into a movie, I was intrigued. Luhrmann has a knack for creating spectacle that takes the material to a whole new place. I'll never forget watching his version of Romeo and Juliet and being completely wowed by it.

Could he do the same with an American classic like The Great Gatsby?

I think the answer to that lies within how much you like the novel.

As I viewed the movie this week, I kept thinking how some people were really going to like the treatment of the Fitzgerald's jazz age tale and others were going to be completely offended by it. I did read the book a few weeks ago and found that I enjoyed it immensely. Personally, I don't think it's the end all, be all in a story (sorry Fitzgerald fans), but its well written with lots of brilliant prose. My favorite line from the book was "Her voice sounded like money."

I get exactly what the author means by that.

I would say the movie version cost  a lot of money to make and it captures the decadence Fitzgerald wrote about. The opulent lifestyle of Gatsby, the Jazz Age (or was it a Rap Age? The sound track kind of mixes that up), the extravagant fashion--it's all there in the film in beautiful, vibrant color. Terrific characterizations by the actors--especially DiCaprio--are displayed. That gorgeous yellow car at the center of so much turmoil is enough to make even the most dedicated Gatsby fan get a little excited as it cruises down the streets of New York. The famous eyes from the original Gatsby book cover pop up over and over again (with glasses), never letting you forget that you are an observer in this tale--and oh yeah, it was a book once.

But for me, that was the problem with the movie version of The Great Gatsby. It's front loaded with eye catching visuals, but once the relationship between Daisy and Gatsby begins to unfold, everything comes to a halt and a very slow paced movie emerges. I thought that while the actress playing Daisy, Carey Mulligan, was beautiful, she didn't really capture all of the character's facets. Sadness is an emotion that can look many different ways and she nailed that, but there is a flippancy to Daisy that I felt was mixing.  Leonardo DiCaprio's Gatsby was well played--exactly how I pictured the character, in fact--but the chemistry between him and his Daisy wasn't there. The moments of their reunion didn't quite feel true and that's a shame when you consider the whole story leads up to those moments where we at last see Gatsby and his love together.

A supporting cast does help deliver some strengths to the movie. Loved the portrayal of Tom Buchanan! Tobey Maguire does well as Nick Carraway when he is in the moment--though I wasn't crazy about his narration skills. He always sounds like he is still going through puberty when he narrates something.

As a Luhrmann fan, I would say this film captures all his usual tricks and is very satisfying in that sense. For a fan of the original novel...well, again, it depends on how much you love Fitzgerald. All in all I would call this version of the book, a good Gatsby. Not great.

Adding some color to your life

The bad guy wears black - it’s a convention, isn’t it?

Black is the color of evil, of wrongdoers and of the night but what do the other colors mean? When used as the principal color on a book cover, what does the color convey about the nature of the book itself?

I’ve gone through the main colors and analyzed them – see what you think and how many others examples come to mind.

Red



Any man knows that this
is the color of danger

Red – it’s the color of blood and fire. Red signifies urgency, a need for action or danger ahead. Used in an adventure book it will tell the reader that they should be prepared for action while in a romance it will indicate that there’s plenty of searing passion ahead.

Famous example: Dan Brown’s “The Da Vinci code” makes good use of a dull red to suggest a rip-roaring adventure is coming.

Orange

Like red it can also mean a call to action such and can even include impulsiveness. Orange also means that there is change ahead – a challenge, perhaps. As a result, orange is an excellent color for a book about exploration, self-improvement or getting fit!

Famous example: Clockwork Orange

Yellow

It’s a happy, bright color; the perceived color of the sun – an object which is often depicted by children as sporting a smile. To go alongside this cheerfulness, yellow signifies all things positive and enduring. Use it to instill a ‘feel good’ factor about a book such as to complement a tale about someone overcoming hardship or tragedy.

 

Famous example: National Geographic use a bright yellow in their iconic rectangular logo.

Green

Green is the color of new growth, of development, and of hope for the future. It also instills a sense of calmness and security. Use it on a book cover to indicate the beginnings of something big such as a family saga or other epic.

Famous example: Ironically (probably) on the cover of ‘Animal Farm’.

Blue

“Calm blue ocean”. Blue is the color of trust, of calmness, responsibility, confidence in the establishment, inner peace and strength. Blue is often employed by corporations on their brochures to suggest their solidarity and stability. Use on a book to suggest a ‘solid’ read which will entertain without upsetting the reader.

Famous book: Dr Seuss, “The Cat In The Hat”.

Indigo/Violet/Purple

Violet means luxury, opulence and wealth and is the chosen color for regal vestments. Because of this, it means romance, inspiration and a high level of positivity and confidence in the future. Use for a happy-ending, feel-good romance or take its ‘creativity’ aspect for a book about hobbies, DIY or self-help.

Famous example: Ian Fleming’s ‘Casino Royale’ uses purple to depict the two sides of his famous hero, James Bond.

Black

It says it all.

The conventional color of evil, the night and all things dark. Black can also indicate sophistication – the famous ‘little black dress’ invented by Coco Chanel. Black can mean power and is often employed to demonstrate a high level of control.

Famous example: The Godfather is a wonderful illustration of the simplicity and implied control of black.

White

White can even make you suspend
belief with its implied innocence

White, the color of innocence, purity, cleansing and virtue. It’s often seen on the covers of romances, to indicate the good guy (the ‘hero on a white horse’ effect) or as a counterpoint to evil in a ‘black and white’ context. White can also mean simplicity and minimalism – the stripping away of unnecessary modern trappings.

Famous book: Bridget Jones’ Diary

Colors are, of course, just what we choose to see them as. For example, red is the color of danger in the West but the color of good fortune in China.

The theme can’t dictate the colors used on your book’s cover but it’s another factor that’s worth bearing in mind. After all, the cover may be the only part of your book that a potential customer gets to see. You need to make the right kind of impact on the right kind of people; that’s the key to success.

 

Clive West is a director of Any Subject Books which both publishes books and provides book publishing services to independent authors. He's also author of 4 books including his best-selling collection of short stories with twists in their tails, Hobson's Choice.

How to Become a Better Querier

Is "querier" even a word? I suppose it is now, and you read it first here, on the internet's penultimate writing blog, Mary Ann Loesch's AllThingsWriting.*

Mary Ann's previous post really resonated with me. I've been pretty busy the last few months coping with a failing economy. Seems I'm working harder and harder for less pay even as the price of things is going up. At the end of the day I just don't have a lot of energy left. At the same time, I have to admit to myself that I waste a good bit of time. Having a set, or at the very least a more strict, regimen will make a difference.

Now, I know we writers just do it because we love it. We don't care if we ever get published, we're all about the art. Yeah, right! That's easy to say once you get published, but if you got published it means you were out working hard to get published, because it doesn't just happen. Yes there are rare instances of spontaneous fame, but replicating that is like trying to replicate winning the lottery. It is NOT a business plan. I do agree that we have to love writing foremost, and that we should not use publication as the only metric of success, but ultimately I think most writers want their work to be read.

Despite the rise of electronic books, self-publishing, and micro or indie presses, I still think the big fish is traditional publication. Getting your books on a shelf gives you legitimacy and exposure that can't be had in other ways. Especially - especially - if you want your work picked up by schools, libraries, and book clubs. And even though querying is probably the single most distasteful thing you'll ever do, you better get better at it or the big fish ain't gonna' bite yer hook. So, the second in my series on queries (unintentional rhyme) is about how to get better at writing queries.

If you're like me you've written a lot of queries. Dozens. Scores. Hundreds? For most of my query-career they all read something like this:

Dear Ms. Agent:

Oh God, please, please-please-please, pleeeeaasssseeee publish my book! I hate my day job! My boss is an asshole! I don't have any money! You're my only hope! I'm an awesome writer because I finished a book! It's the best book in the world! <pant - pant - pant>

To be honest, that's not exactly how it read word-for-word, but going back and reading some of my early queries, that's pretty much how they sounded after I sent them.

Frustrated by my inability to catch the attention of a reputable agent with this strategy, I took a foray into the indie-press world in which I published two books. They have sold fairly well (we're talking indie here) picked up a bunch of reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, and even got me a finalist slot for an indie award. I didn't get the big breakthrough that I wasn't expecting, but I don't regret going this route. The reason I don't regret it, even though I still work a day job and I do in fact like my boss, is because of the query I wrote last week, that read more along the lines of:

Dear Ms. Agent:

Hook

Brief synopsis

Market assessment

Publishing experience including, finalist in a contest

Sincerely...

Before you say, "Brewer, you're an idiot, everyone knows that!" let me say, "That's the same format my old queries all followed." It wasn't that my old queries were written all wrong. I studied the 'art'. I knew what they wanted. The difference is that when I wrote my old queries I didn't know what I was talking about. Market? Ain't that where you buy bananas? In fact, I'm not the same person I was. Two years as a published author trying to market and sell my work has given me an education I'd have never gotten anywhere else, and certainly not from attending a one hour session at a conference. As a result, when I wrote the query it was a business letter. A marketing letter that demonstrated some knowledge about why books sell and how they are sold. It matters not one whit how 'good' my book is if I - the author - don't know why books sell, and how to sell them. Two years of marketing and sales has taught me exactly why my books didn't take off, and it has nothing to do with how good they are.

So, back to the subject of this letter. How to become a better querier. Step one: learn about the business of selling books. Writing them is important, but it isn't half as important as selling them. Why do you think Tyra Banks, the supermodel, got a publishing deal? Because the publisher knew they'd sell half the copies they printed to adoring fans and the other half to people who wanted to see just how bad it was. If you sell most of what you print and you make a little money along the way, you stay in business.

Got a manuscript you think is good? Rewrite it again and give some indie presses a shot or even try self-publishing. Chances are you won't make the big time, but if you take it seriously I can guarantee you that you will learn about selling books, and you will learn what it feels like to get a one-star hatchet job. Then, when you write that query you won't sound like a desperate guy trying to get a date with his latest crush. You'll sound like Cary Grant. And we all know how well he did!

*Seriously, some of Mary Ann's and Clive's pieces are better than anything you get from more well-known writers.


John C. Brewer is the author of Multiplayer an MMOG YA SF novel, and The Silla Project, a North Korean nuclear romance that was a finalist for the 2013 Eric Hoffer Awards, Montaigne Medal. You can learn more about him and what he is doing at his website, JohnCBrewer.com

Giveaway Days for Books: Good or Bad?

I've long been suspicious of the so-called free or give-away days that are perceived as providing the principal way to the top for aspiring authors. For me, it goes against the grain and, while I like packaging things together to up-sell or to do deals, making an unlimited number of donations to the swelling libraries of others just doesn't sit well with me. Not only that, there's the old maxim of something that has no monetary value to one owner can transfer no monetary value to the receiver.

 No doubt that's a bit simplistic but I don't think it's a million miles from reality.

I've been told that I'm a quick writer but I still put countless hundreds of hours into my scribblings and I expect you're the same so that's why I urge caution regarding these freebie days and where they can lead. It’s like a blank check, a plague let loose or an open invitation to all and sundry to do their worst.


Will help flush your work
down the toilet

The usual concern is about people sharing your book around but, in all honesty, that's trivial. It might even be a good thing because your book will then either go to someone who's actually interested in what you have to say (as in 'great minds think alike' - possibly leading to future sales) or to someone who just happens to be on the wrong end of an unwanted gift (in which case you've given your book to someone who wouldn't have bought it anyway - no loss there).

It's not that which concerns me.

There are a growing number of sites which download books when they're free and then offer them (also for free) to anyone who wants them – even long after your freebie day has gone by. Thus, while your 5 freebie KDP days every 90 days are finite (for the other 85 days your book has to be priced at least 99 cents OR it has to be taken down altogether), this ‘freebie day’ has been turned into a ‘Groundhog Day’. Since we're all after a bargain, why would any of your faithful followers purchase your book at full price when they can get exactly the same for nowt?

While you are an unknown author, your sales will come from 'serendipity' - i.e. people stumbling across your work and liking the look of it. Once you've got a following, that's when the danger will begin as people search for either you or your newest title. That’s when they’ll type your name into a search engine and find the free gift that’s waiting there.

But what's in it for this scumbag site that's ripped off your book? If they're giving the book away, what do they make out of it?

To answer that, one needs to think laterally. Essentially their income (and, remember, they're doing no work at all - this is a 100% automated site) is achieved through 3 different streams.

Firstly, there's the sheer volume of traffic. The more traffic a site has, the more it's worth. Businesses will pay big money for sites with lots of visitors - both to buy and to advertise on.

Secondly, there are Google AdSense adverts (or similar), Amazon adverts and other book-related services which can be promoted. When a visitor to the site clicks on one of those ads, the host site earns money. Let’s say there are 1,000 visitors a day, the average click-through rate is 2% and the average PPC (Payment Per Click) is $0.50. That’s $300 a month for doing absolutely nothing. You’d have to sell 150 books priced at $2.99 to earn that.

Thirdly (and most sinisterly in my humble opinion), in order to get a free copy of your book, the downloader has to jump through a hoop. This can mean: complete a survey, leave an email address, download a cookie, click through an advert etc. Such data has considerable value to internet marketing companies who can then sell it on to 'relevant' businesses.

This is war - make no doubt about it

These parasitic sites address the issue of book distribution very cleverly. You'll find some text on their site saying your book was part of a give-away and that all they're doing is continuing in the same spirit. Since they don't actually sell the book, the legal water is slightly muddied. They also offer you the opportunity to get your books removed from their listings - not that anyone will actually pay attention to your irate 'Take my book down NOW!!!' request typed out vigorously, vehemently and venomously on their ‘Contact Us’ form.

Ah, but I've got DRM (Digital Rights Management) so my book can't be hacked - I'm safe (you cry). Unfortunately, it's no good clinging to that straw as it's stuffed full of Uranium (the densest naturally-occurring element) and most assuredly will not float. The simple plug-in that hacks DRM is freely and anonymously available on the internet and, in a period of about 20 seconds, your DRM'd book could be turned into an un-DRM'd copy along with other versions in HTML, Word, RTF, TXT and just about any other household format.

It's no good threatening these sites with legal action. You won't find actual contact details and, even if you did, they'd not be in the US, Canada, UK, Australia, Europe etc. They'll be in a place where no-one will want to know about how you've had your rights infringed – be sure of that.

Talking of maxims - here's another one of mine. Anything that can be built by a human can be destroyed by one. Don't let the despicable bottom-feeders who create these sites steal your work. Instead of giving your book away, maybe offer something free when the purchaser submits proof of purchase, for example. Keep control at all times.

I have a nasty sneaking suspicion that there are going to be even more repercussions to this marketing experiment. Don't be a guinea pig.

Clive has written two works of fiction - The Road and Hobson's Choice (an anthology of twist-in-the-tail short stories) as well as a book about lymphedema (a disease he suffers from) and a guide to taking charge of job interviews.

Book Research: Tattoos and Nephilim

When sin stains your soul, he tattoos your skin…

Tattoo artist Nathan Ink is more than he seems. An angel living in secret on earth, he forces his clients to face their flaws by tattooing images of their sins on their bodies, but this glimpse into the soul often results in his clients' deaths. Although Nathan avoids the other angels, when they ask him to keep an eye on Faye, a nephilim being stalked by another of her kind, he reluctantly agrees.

The angels have kept Faye in the dark about her stalker, but to keep her close to Nathan, they've tasked her with investigating the high mortality rate of Nathan's clients. Despite her distaste for his methods, she finds herself fighting a growing attraction to Nathan, and discovering he's not a rogue after all forces her to question her own mission. When Faye learns her stalker is another nephilim who intends to use her to breed a new race of hellish beings, teaming up with Nathan may be the only way to prevent a genocide

 .

That's the blurb from my urban fantasy, Nephilim. I really enjoyed writing this lurid little tale, and I especially enjoyed researching information about tattoos and their significance to people. You know, tattoos have been around forever. Early man (and probably women!) were tracing outlines on their body and rubbing dirt to hold the design from the very beginning. They did this for all sorts of reasons--homage to the gods, a sign of tribal unity, and probably because it just seemed like a good idea.

Wow. Those are some of the same reasons drunk frat boys do it, too. I guess not much changes through the ages...

My husband is very tattooed. He wasn't when we were first married so seeing his body slowly become an artist's palette has been an interesting transition in my thought process. I went from thinking that tattoos were just a terrible idea to realizing there is lots of beauty in what they can represent. Of course, that led me straight into the idea of a novel and the research on tattoos and angels. As I look towards the sequel for Nephilim, it's been fun revisiting my inspiration for the first book and reviving my fascination with the reasons why people get inked in the first place.

My protagonist, Nathan Ink, is an angel, but prior to his angelic status, he was a gypsy traveling in Madrid. Gifted with the second sight, Nathan started his humble life scratching symbols into the skin of people who wanted good luck, better crops, or babies. His symbols were gifts that could help those in need meet their goals. Of course, once he became an angel, God charged him with a different mission, a different purpose for his gifts. Now he had to create symbols that represented the seven deadly sins. His job was to figure out which sin his victims fell prey to and then tattoo them with that symbol. The symbol could be something simple like flames or it could be a creature like a monkey. Regardless, every symbol meant something different to whoever received it, and every symbol caused them to either change their sinful ways or suffer the consequences...

Lots of readers have asked me if I have any tattoos. As of this posting, the answer is no. Honestly...I'm a big chicken. I hate pain. But I love what they can represent, and I am considering the possibility of getting inked in the future. I'm always interested to know why someone picked the tattoo that they did. What was the inspiration? Do you regret it? How has it changed you? I've heard some really interesting answers and all have helped me in my writing.

You can get your copy of Nephilim today by clicking on the book picture on the right hand side of this blog!