We’ve
watched both movies many, many times – but this is the first time I’ve seen
them in tandem.
I
was startled to see that STF is a reworking of ACC!
It’s
just from a different angle...
Let
me back up a bit.
Lately,
I feel like I’ve hit a wall with my writing. I KNOW I can write well enough to
be published in major magazines: ANALOG, CRICKET, CICADA, CAST OF WONDERS, even
THE WRITER.
But
I have not been able to do so consistently.
Why
is that?
Does
the quality of my writing vary wildly from professional quality to crap? Sorry,
I don’t think so. I’m not that cavalier about editing and rewriting!
Am
I in a good mood one day and a bad mood another day and this schizophrenia is
reflected in the writing? Doubtful. I don’t think I’ve ever written a story in
one sitting. Usually it takes a month or two to finish a short story and over a
year to write a novel...
Maybe
I should get myself to a shrink and have them see if I have Dissociative
identity disorder and there are two or more of me alternately trying to pursue
a writing career. *sigh* If only it were that simple, maybe I could get therapy
and forge a partnership with the part of me that’s a good writer.
But
I don’t think any of those a really the problem.
I
think the problem is twofold: character development and choosing the right
story to tell.
Back
to STF and ACC. Both of the stories are about a crotchety person who has no
interest in humanity. One is a loan shark…er…accountant, the other a writer.
Both of them employ a caring, kind individual, though with extreme prejudice
and make life miserable for that person...while at the same time interacting
with them consistently and deeply.
As
well, both of them come face-to-face with ghosts. Ebenezer Scrooge quite
literally; Karen Eiffel in the form of a man she thought was imaginary who
turns out to be quite real.
Both
also confront a tragic death that will occur if they continue on in the course
of their lives. The dramatic tension in the story keeps us following, wondering
if Scrooge will let Tiny Tim die and if Eiffel will let Harold die. Both have a
foil against whom they must battle – Scrooge duels with Bob Cratchit and Eiffel
fences with Penny Escher.
The
same story, turned on its side becomes not ONLY a well-received modern film,
but apparently escaped anyone else noticing the connection with a story that
has been adapted over a hundred times since its publication in 1843.
So –
I need to choose more recognizable stories and adapt them to the things that
concern me, and the themes I visit most often in my writing.
Easy,
right?
Bah,
humbug!
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stranger_than_Fiction_(2006_film),
http://askville.amazon.com/versions-Christmas-Carol-Patrick-Stewart-version/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=31268843
Image:
1992-10-05 'A Christmas Carol' [Disc 1] by Charles Dickens via ...www.flickr.com
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