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: https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/718eVuATFtL._SY445_.jpg
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