Falling for #SpecFic: The Hobbit - Book and Movies / Wattpad Wednesdays: Reborn Chapter 17

After watching The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring in movie theaters, I decided to read the books. I read The Hobbit back in 2002 and followed it up with The Lord of the Rings. Last year, I re-read The Hobbit so I could compare it to the movies.

I must say I had forgotten a lot between reading the book in 2002 and watching the first two movies before re-reading the book, including who died at the end. I enjoyed re-reading the book. The movies didn't stray too much, with some exceptions.

What I loved about the book and movies equally:

• Bilbo
• The dwarves
• Gollum, the riddles, and how Bilbo gets the ring
• The eagles

What I loved in the movies more than the book:

• The elves
• Smaug
• Orcs/goblins

What I loved in the book more than the movies:

• The lack of the love triangle
• The focus on Bilbo's story

What I disliked about the movies:

• The love triangle
• The battling of the Necromancer (It was a little anticlimactic for me.)
• The splitting of the book into three movies (Two would've been better.)
• The way the third movie lacked a beginning, middle, and end and felt more just like the end
• Radagast (Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy this strange little wizard, but I felt his scenes were a bit too long.)

What I loved about the movies that wasn't in the book:

• Tauriel (So I didn't care as much about the love triangle, but she was pretty kick@ss in general.)
• I liked the earlier Necromancer scenes, just not the final one
• The connection with The Lord of the Rings (Now I want to re-read The Lord of the Rings and re-watch the movies!)

Have you read The Hobbit or seen the movies? What did you think of them?

It's time for another chapter of Reborn to go up on Wattpad. Read Chapter Seventeen here or start from the beginning here.

And speaking of Speculative (Spec) Fiction (Fic), Untethered Realms will be hosting #SpecFicChat on Fridays on Twitter.

Next chat begins January 23, 2015 at 5:00 p.m. GMT/1:00 p.m. EST
Topic: Punking it up. What's the attraction of Steampunk?

Use #SpecFicChat to join the conversation any time. The chat is ongoing.

IWSG: Dreaming of Being the Next Big Thing

 

It's time for another entry for the Insecure Writer's Support Group, hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh. You can view the other participants here.

The Next Big Thing meme has been going around the blogs, and it got me thinking, “Don’t we all wish our novel would be the ‘Next Big Thing’?” I admit that I do. I imagine my novels on the big screen or seeing them at Walmart. Having lines of people awaiting the sequel. Wouldn’t it be cool to be the next Stephen King or JK Rowling?

It never hurts to dream, although I think often the “Next Big Thing” comes with a healthy dose of luck with a dash of good storytelling.

And since I was tagged by Jamie BMusings, Hart Johnson, and LG Keltner, I’ve decided to answer the questions on the book that I would choose to be the “Next Big Thing.”

What is the working title of your book?

The Phoenix Prophetess

Where did the idea come from for the book?

A Harry Potter role-playing game. I had this character named Clarissa Black, who was a seer. The idea behind her being a seer involved her being dead at birth but the god Apollo looking favorably upon her and her father and bringing her back to life with the gift of prophecy. I basically kept the idea of Clarissa’s birth and re-birth and ran with it for Yssa in The Phoenix Prophetess.

What genre does your book fall under?

YA Epic Fantasy

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

Personally, I would love for some unknowns to play the three main roles of Yssa, Liam, and Tym. I see Zendal as Simon Baker, and I think Charlize Theron with dark hair would play a spectacular Queen Amanra.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

A seventeen-year-old prophetess, Yssa dares to change Fate to save the people she loves.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

Nine months. I started on January 15, 2009 and finished the last chapter on September 15, 2009. It was my very first novel, so I took it slow and averaged a chapter a week.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

I’m not sure. I’m rewriting The Phoenix Prophetess in November for NaNoWriMo. Then, I plan to use January-March to get a final draft. I might try some publishers first, but I don’t mind the idea at all of self-pubbing it. At this time, I can’t really see querying agents for it.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Oh, I’m terrible comparing it to other books. I’ve been told the style is a bit like Tamora Pierce or Robin McKinley's novels.

Who or What inspired you to write this book?

Two people: my sister Kara and my critique partner Christine Rains. I sent them chapter by chapter to get their feedback. If they hadn’t kept pushing me, I don’t know if I ever would’ve finished it.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

I do use some fantasy clichés in the book, so you’ll just have to deal with it, but The Phoenix Prophetess does have a complex plot. Nothing is quite what it seems to be. For people who like mythology, they would really enjoy The Phoenix Prophetess because I use various mythologies to create my world and characters. For example, the god Apenth is a combination of Apollo (Greek), Enki (Sumerian), and Thoth (Egyptian). And the world is like an alternate dimension of Ancient Rome.

Feel free to consider yourself tagged if you want.

Do you sometimes daydream that your book will be the “Next Big Thing”?