I found an old book of mine that I used for a Creative Writing class in college. It's called the Creative Writer's Handbook by Phillip Jason and Allen Lefcowitz*.
In chapter five, titled, Invention and Research, they talk about originality in writing. I think this is something many writers struggle with. Indeed, I do.
They had this to say:
"Originally, the word original meant the source, the starting point, the cause of a series of effects... In this sense, the term only describes; it does not evaluate. In time, it came to mean the primary instance of something after which only copies or imitations were possible. Because we tend to value a copy less than its original, we can be led to an irritable striving after originality in everything- as if the only valuable creation is one in which the creator has done everything in a totally new way."
When I read the above passage, I thought, Of course! Even the Bible says that there is nothing new under the sun. We say that history repeats itself. The fashion world says that every style eventually comes full-circle. Nothing really is original... is it?
The book goes on to say that:
"Insisiting that imitation is always bad and that originality, meaning uniqueness, is always good can be a trap for the beginning writer.
Don't fall into it.
In the first sense of the word, you can help but be original -you are originating- causing something to come into being that wouldnt occur without your effort. To accept the modern all-or-nothing sense of the word dooms you to failure because you have set an impossible goal: to invent materials and shapes that have no precedents."
I was temporarily floored by this revelation. So many people don't write because they are afraid of being "un-original," and so many people that do write, think that their writing is flawed because they may have been influenced by one writer or another, and therefore are simply just "imitators".
We are original, people! Every single one of us! Everything we do is original because we are doing it in our own way!!!
I am personally encouraged by this and I hope that, if any of my friends, or even friends-to-be, stumble upon this entry, that they will be encouraged too.
* Jason, Phillip, and Lefcowitz, Allen. Creative Writer's Handbook. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2005
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
A quick update...
I've been incredibly busy with my "day-job" as the owner of a home detailing business for luxury apartment communities, so I have not had time to update this blog as much as I should.
After a long hiatus, I have started writing again, which has also led me to getting more involved in the writing community and catching up on things I’ve missed. With that said, there are two things this past week that have caught my interest in the writing world:
1.) The new Amazon Kindle DX - it's a bigger, better version than the original Kindle. While the original had a 6" viewing screen, the DX has a 9.7" viewing screen, which means that for those Kindlephile's who like to upload their own PDF's, the scrolling to view their material is cut down to a bare minimum. Unlike the original, it comes with a native PDF reader and a rotating display. I think the neatest thing about the DX is the rotating display, which has a landscape view and a wide-screen view. Similar to the iPhone, all you have to do is rotate the DX horiziontally and your viewing screen is widened. I have been waiting for Amazon to distribute a few versions before I finally decide to purchase a Kindle, and with the introduction of the DX, I think I may just be ready to take the bait!
2.) Write or Die – this program is pretty darn neat! It’s a rudimentary program to be sure, but you don’t need anything more than that to achieve the results that many have seen with this program. As a writer, I know how it is sometimes to just “sit there” and stare at the screen, or to find something else to do while the cursor is blinking madly away. With Write or Die, you are able to set your “word goal,” – the amount of words you are aiming to write – your “time limit” - anywhere from ten minutes to two hours – and then you set your “mode” – you can choose from “Gentle,” “Normal,” and “Kamikaze.” There’s even an “Electric Shock” mode, but it’s not functioning yet ::grin::
The mode you select determines the “punishment” you receive when you stop typing in the writing window. The “Gentle” mode offers a pop-up window after about ten seconds of no action, with a gentle reminder to keep writing. Not too bad, right? The “Normal” mode will start playing an annoying noise or an annoying song, and won’t stop until you start writing again. If that kind of punishment seems like child’s play to you, just click on the “Kamikaze” mode – after a period of no action, the program begins to delete what you have already written, word-by-word. You cannot retrieve your lost information. The only way to stop your words from disappearing is to start writing again.
Many users of this program have purported amazing results, with one particular user having written 3,000 words in an hour and a half! So, if you are one of those writers who need that extra “push,” this is definitely a program for you!
After a long hiatus, I have started writing again, which has also led me to getting more involved in the writing community and catching up on things I’ve missed. With that said, there are two things this past week that have caught my interest in the writing world:
1.) The new Amazon Kindle DX - it's a bigger, better version than the original Kindle. While the original had a 6" viewing screen, the DX has a 9.7" viewing screen, which means that for those Kindlephile's who like to upload their own PDF's, the scrolling to view their material is cut down to a bare minimum. Unlike the original, it comes with a native PDF reader and a rotating display. I think the neatest thing about the DX is the rotating display, which has a landscape view and a wide-screen view. Similar to the iPhone, all you have to do is rotate the DX horiziontally and your viewing screen is widened. I have been waiting for Amazon to distribute a few versions before I finally decide to purchase a Kindle, and with the introduction of the DX, I think I may just be ready to take the bait!
2.) Write or Die – this program is pretty darn neat! It’s a rudimentary program to be sure, but you don’t need anything more than that to achieve the results that many have seen with this program. As a writer, I know how it is sometimes to just “sit there” and stare at the screen, or to find something else to do while the cursor is blinking madly away. With Write or Die, you are able to set your “word goal,” – the amount of words you are aiming to write – your “time limit” - anywhere from ten minutes to two hours – and then you set your “mode” – you can choose from “Gentle,” “Normal,” and “Kamikaze.” There’s even an “Electric Shock” mode, but it’s not functioning yet ::grin::
The mode you select determines the “punishment” you receive when you stop typing in the writing window. The “Gentle” mode offers a pop-up window after about ten seconds of no action, with a gentle reminder to keep writing. Not too bad, right? The “Normal” mode will start playing an annoying noise or an annoying song, and won’t stop until you start writing again. If that kind of punishment seems like child’s play to you, just click on the “Kamikaze” mode – after a period of no action, the program begins to delete what you have already written, word-by-word. You cannot retrieve your lost information. The only way to stop your words from disappearing is to start writing again.
Many users of this program have purported amazing results, with one particular user having written 3,000 words in an hour and a half! So, if you are one of those writers who need that extra “push,” this is definitely a program for you!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Life-blood
I was discussing plot ideas the other day with Nick for the current novel I'm working on, and as he shot a few of my ideas down I realized that I was starting to feel on the defensive. In truth, he was just showing me plot holes that would have made my story truly worthless, but it felt like he was attacking my writing personally.
It was then that I realized that a writer's writing is personal. I'm sure this is really obvious to more seasoned writers, but it just struck me. I know that with every story I write and with every character I create, I leave pieces of me behind. The character that plays with her earrings while she's thinking - that's me. The character that struggles with his feelings on religion and God - that's me. The story, the characters, they all become a part of me, and when someone criticizes anything about my writing, it is a personal blow.
Of course, this isn't healthy, as by ipso facto, a writer's life consists of critiques and rejections, some harsher than most. Nathan Bransford, a Literary Agent, addressed this issue (kind of) in one of his blog entries: Writing as an Identity . My favorite statement of his, and one that really hit home for me, was: "The moment the writing or the publishing process becomes the defining part of someone's identity, when it becomes oxygen, that's a time when the writer is risking having that oxygen choked off by forces completely outside of their control."
Every writer identifies with their writing, however, if their writing becomes, as Nathan described, their "defining characteristic," they are sucked dry of the very essentials they need to be a successful and effective writer.
The remedy for my situation, then, is to join a local writer's club of sorts, where I will be routinely presented with critiques of my writing. This will not only help me hone my story-telling abilities, but it will also help to thicken my skin for the publishing world.
My next problem: choosing a local writer's club to join!
It was then that I realized that a writer's writing is personal. I'm sure this is really obvious to more seasoned writers, but it just struck me. I know that with every story I write and with every character I create, I leave pieces of me behind. The character that plays with her earrings while she's thinking - that's me. The character that struggles with his feelings on religion and God - that's me. The story, the characters, they all become a part of me, and when someone criticizes anything about my writing, it is a personal blow.
Of course, this isn't healthy, as by ipso facto, a writer's life consists of critiques and rejections, some harsher than most. Nathan Bransford, a Literary Agent, addressed this issue (kind of) in one of his blog entries: Writing as an Identity . My favorite statement of his, and one that really hit home for me, was: "The moment the writing or the publishing process becomes the defining part of someone's identity, when it becomes oxygen, that's a time when the writer is risking having that oxygen choked off by forces completely outside of their control."
Every writer identifies with their writing, however, if their writing becomes, as Nathan described, their "defining characteristic," they are sucked dry of the very essentials they need to be a successful and effective writer.
The remedy for my situation, then, is to join a local writer's club of sorts, where I will be routinely presented with critiques of my writing. This will not only help me hone my story-telling abilities, but it will also help to thicken my skin for the publishing world.
My next problem: choosing a local writer's club to join!
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Knowing Love...
In a world that seems intent on "making love," I find it necessary to spend a few moments "knowing love."
To "know love" is to know that you have someone in your life whose mere presence gives you courage, strength and the inspiration every day to become a better person.
To "know love" is to know that even though you and your lover may not always agree, deep inside, you truly want the best for each other, and you strive to always protect and comfort each other.
To "know love" is to know that you'd rather fight with each other than make love to anyone else in the world.
To "know love" is to acknowledge that there will be tough times between each other, and that one or both of you may sometimes just want to give up, but all the while knowing in your heart that you'd rather spend a lifetime with them than to live all of the ages of this world alone, or chasing after an incomparable love.
To "know love" is to know that you share a bond with each other that, even though you've seen the good, the bad, and the ugly in each other, you each can sift through the things that don't and won't matter in the long run and always return to the love you share at the end.
To "know love" is to know that you would rather have bad times together than good times with someone else; to know that you would rather be beside each other in a storm than safe and warm by yourself; to know that you'd rather have hard times together than to have it "easy" apart.
To "know love" is to acknowledge that God loves the other person even more than you do, and then ask Him to teach you how to love them the way He does.
To "know love" is to know that the little things matter and you should never pass by an opportunity to tell each other "I love you," "Thank you," and "I appreciate you."
To "know love" is to know that whether you're a few feet apart or hundreds of miles apart, distance can only keep you away physically, not emotionally, mentally, or spiritually.
To "know love" is to acknowledge that neither of you is perfect, that you may fail each other – sometimes in small ways, sometimes in big ways, never intending to – but knowing that, in the end, you can still count on each other because while humans may fail, love never fails.
To "know love" is to learn each other's "love language" and then to always be conscientious of communicating with each other accordingly.
To "know love" is to know that even though you should take care of yourself for the other person, that it's okay to take care of each other, too.
To "know love" is to know that while you strive to grow individually, it doesn't mean you have to grow apart.
To "know love" is to take comfort in knowing that no one else in the world can love you the way the other does.
To "know love" is to know that things will not always be magically "perfect" and that a healthy relationship takes work, but then to make strides to make the "work" as pleasurable and painless as possible.
To "know love" is to know that a healthy relationship is where you come to give more than you take, and to know that your relationship is comparable with a banking account – being sure to make more "deposits" than you do "withdrawals."
To "know love" is to know that even if nothing else in your life is right, your whole world is complete because of each other.
If I know what love is... it's because of you.
11/24/08
To "know love" is to know that you have someone in your life whose mere presence gives you courage, strength and the inspiration every day to become a better person.
To "know love" is to know that even though you and your lover may not always agree, deep inside, you truly want the best for each other, and you strive to always protect and comfort each other.
To "know love" is to know that you'd rather fight with each other than make love to anyone else in the world.
To "know love" is to acknowledge that there will be tough times between each other, and that one or both of you may sometimes just want to give up, but all the while knowing in your heart that you'd rather spend a lifetime with them than to live all of the ages of this world alone, or chasing after an incomparable love.
To "know love" is to know that you share a bond with each other that, even though you've seen the good, the bad, and the ugly in each other, you each can sift through the things that don't and won't matter in the long run and always return to the love you share at the end.
To "know love" is to know that you would rather have bad times together than good times with someone else; to know that you would rather be beside each other in a storm than safe and warm by yourself; to know that you'd rather have hard times together than to have it "easy" apart.
To "know love" is to acknowledge that God loves the other person even more than you do, and then ask Him to teach you how to love them the way He does.
To "know love" is to know that the little things matter and you should never pass by an opportunity to tell each other "I love you," "Thank you," and "I appreciate you."
To "know love" is to know that whether you're a few feet apart or hundreds of miles apart, distance can only keep you away physically, not emotionally, mentally, or spiritually.
To "know love" is to acknowledge that neither of you is perfect, that you may fail each other – sometimes in small ways, sometimes in big ways, never intending to – but knowing that, in the end, you can still count on each other because while humans may fail, love never fails.
To "know love" is to learn each other's "love language" and then to always be conscientious of communicating with each other accordingly.
To "know love" is to know that even though you should take care of yourself for the other person, that it's okay to take care of each other, too.
To "know love" is to know that while you strive to grow individually, it doesn't mean you have to grow apart.
To "know love" is to take comfort in knowing that no one else in the world can love you the way the other does.
To "know love" is to know that things will not always be magically "perfect" and that a healthy relationship takes work, but then to make strides to make the "work" as pleasurable and painless as possible.
To "know love" is to know that a healthy relationship is where you come to give more than you take, and to know that your relationship is comparable with a banking account – being sure to make more "deposits" than you do "withdrawals."
To "know love" is to know that even if nothing else in your life is right, your whole world is complete because of each other.
If I know what love is... it's because of you.
11/24/08
Thursday, October 2, 2008
A Learning Process
"Little Gavin had woken out of his deep sleep with a loud wail, as if he had been pinched. I rushed into his room and leaned over the bassinette, cooing softly, and was startled by his worsening yellowish complexion. His eyes were glowing as black as coal. I reached down to pick him up and comfort him but as I started to lift him to my shoulder, he turned his head and bit my arm so hard he drew blood. I quickly set him back down and took a deep breath to steady my nerves. She couldn’t be right, I thought. Sylvie is crazy. Changelings aren’t real!
I glanced down at my arm, which was now swollen and bloody. It dawned on me that Gavin wasn’t even two weeks old; he wasn’t old or strong enough to bite down and draw blood. He didn’t even have teeth for God’s sake! I felt my heart start pounding with terror. What is going on? Sylvie’s words came back to me. “They will take your baby if you do not watch him with the utmost care the first three days of his life. That’s when babies are most vulnerable to the Sidhe.”
It’s not real! My logic tried to scold me, but I felt on the verge of hysteria. I thought back to that joyous day that our baby boy entered this world and tried to recall exactly what Sylvie had said."
------------
The above is the vignette I wrote for a Creative Writing class, that eventually led me to writing my very first Fantasy novella.
Re-reading it now, over a year later, it makes me smile.
My characters are wooden and the reader cannot emphatize with them. The plot is full of holes and, to be honest, kind of boring. The ending is actually pretty good, but it could still use some work.
It's so fascinating to go back and read all of the stories, poems, essays, and letters I've written over the years and to see how my ideas and the way I write have changed. I still have a lot to learn and a lot to work on.
The weaknesses I can identify, so far, are:
1.) Wooden characters. I need to make them more believeable, more real. I need to view them as my readership would.
2.) Hole-y plots. I need to tighten them up and have a specific premise in mind.
3.) Boring scenes and unncessary information. I need to find a better way to carry the story from scene to scene.
4.) Too many adverbs. 'Nuff said!
I guess I'll have to go through a few more of my stories to identify more weaknesses, but it's really a learn-as-you-go process. The only way to become a better writer is to write!
I glanced down at my arm, which was now swollen and bloody. It dawned on me that Gavin wasn’t even two weeks old; he wasn’t old or strong enough to bite down and draw blood. He didn’t even have teeth for God’s sake! I felt my heart start pounding with terror. What is going on? Sylvie’s words came back to me. “They will take your baby if you do not watch him with the utmost care the first three days of his life. That’s when babies are most vulnerable to the Sidhe.”
It’s not real! My logic tried to scold me, but I felt on the verge of hysteria. I thought back to that joyous day that our baby boy entered this world and tried to recall exactly what Sylvie had said."
------------
The above is the vignette I wrote for a Creative Writing class, that eventually led me to writing my very first Fantasy novella.
Re-reading it now, over a year later, it makes me smile.
My characters are wooden and the reader cannot emphatize with them. The plot is full of holes and, to be honest, kind of boring. The ending is actually pretty good, but it could still use some work.
It's so fascinating to go back and read all of the stories, poems, essays, and letters I've written over the years and to see how my ideas and the way I write have changed. I still have a lot to learn and a lot to work on.
The weaknesses I can identify, so far, are:
1.) Wooden characters. I need to make them more believeable, more real. I need to view them as my readership would.
2.) Hole-y plots. I need to tighten them up and have a specific premise in mind.
3.) Boring scenes and unncessary information. I need to find a better way to carry the story from scene to scene.
4.) Too many adverbs. 'Nuff said!
I guess I'll have to go through a few more of my stories to identify more weaknesses, but it's really a learn-as-you-go process. The only way to become a better writer is to write!
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Thirty days 'til NaNoWriMo!
Well, the count-down to November 1st officially begins today!
November 1st marks the 10th annual NaNoWriMo event.
NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month. The premise of this month-long event is to pound out a 50,000 word novel (roughly 175 pages) in thirty days. This challenge is not for the faint of heart. It requires dedication and tenacity, not to mention a ton of caffeine!
When Chris Baty, the founder of NaNoWriMo, first launched this event back in 1998, only twenty people joined him. Today, ten years later, over 50,000 participants have logged on and signed up to join this crazy quest. Why? Part of it is for sheer punishment, I'm sure, but the other part is simply because it's a challenge. It's a challenge to break out of the mold and pound out a novel in thirty days without giving yourself time to think about it.
Personally, I am the type of person who will look at a sentence or a paragraph for hours, trying to make it look and sound as perfect as possible. Perhaps this is why I have yet to be a published writer instead of just a writer ::grin:: So, for me, NaNoWriMo is the perfect excuse to just... well, write. I don't need to worry about grammar or punctuation or run-on sentences (although I know I will anyway.) I just need to sit down at my desk, block access to the internet, Sims 2, my cute boyfriend and other distractions and let the words come forth.
If you want to know the truth, the last time I wrote anything, aside from various essays and letters, was back in 2007. Yes, that's right, it's been a year since I've written a story. It was my first venture into Fantasy and I wrote it on the encouragement of my Creative Writing professor, William Denson. My class was required to write a vignette and I chose to write about a new, young mother who discovered that her baby was a changeling. I submitted the vignette and to my surprise, Prof. Denson took a lot of time to reply to me, and told me that he was interested to see what happened next. So, for our next project, writing a novella, I continued the story of the terrified mother and her child changeling. I received not only a ton of great feedback and encouragement from my peers, but I also received an "A+"!
You would think after my first "successful" venture into writing Fantasy that it would just fuel me to write more, right?
Wrong.
I pretty much stopped writing after that.
Thinking about it now, I was probably scared that anything I wrote after that wouldn't be "as good," or worse, it wouldn't even be good.
All of that is out the window now, though!
This NaNoWriMo, I dedicate myself to letting loose and allowing myself to rip the written English word to shreds! I dedicate myself to drinking copious amounts of peppermint hot chocolate, hot apple cider and coffee to stay awake every night to meet my word quota! I dedicate myself to the capture of plot bunnies and writing muses!
I dedicate... myself.
Here's to NaNoWriMo, and to all of the other crazy writers who join me in this great adventure!
November 1st marks the 10th annual NaNoWriMo event.
NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month. The premise of this month-long event is to pound out a 50,000 word novel (roughly 175 pages) in thirty days. This challenge is not for the faint of heart. It requires dedication and tenacity, not to mention a ton of caffeine!
When Chris Baty, the founder of NaNoWriMo, first launched this event back in 1998, only twenty people joined him. Today, ten years later, over 50,000 participants have logged on and signed up to join this crazy quest. Why? Part of it is for sheer punishment, I'm sure, but the other part is simply because it's a challenge. It's a challenge to break out of the mold and pound out a novel in thirty days without giving yourself time to think about it.
Personally, I am the type of person who will look at a sentence or a paragraph for hours, trying to make it look and sound as perfect as possible. Perhaps this is why I have yet to be a published writer instead of just a writer ::grin:: So, for me, NaNoWriMo is the perfect excuse to just... well, write. I don't need to worry about grammar or punctuation or run-on sentences (although I know I will anyway.) I just need to sit down at my desk, block access to the internet, Sims 2, my cute boyfriend and other distractions and let the words come forth.
If you want to know the truth, the last time I wrote anything, aside from various essays and letters, was back in 2007. Yes, that's right, it's been a year since I've written a story. It was my first venture into Fantasy and I wrote it on the encouragement of my Creative Writing professor, William Denson. My class was required to write a vignette and I chose to write about a new, young mother who discovered that her baby was a changeling. I submitted the vignette and to my surprise, Prof. Denson took a lot of time to reply to me, and told me that he was interested to see what happened next. So, for our next project, writing a novella, I continued the story of the terrified mother and her child changeling. I received not only a ton of great feedback and encouragement from my peers, but I also received an "A+"!
You would think after my first "successful" venture into writing Fantasy that it would just fuel me to write more, right?
Wrong.
I pretty much stopped writing after that.
Thinking about it now, I was probably scared that anything I wrote after that wouldn't be "as good," or worse, it wouldn't even be good.
All of that is out the window now, though!
This NaNoWriMo, I dedicate myself to letting loose and allowing myself to rip the written English word to shreds! I dedicate myself to drinking copious amounts of peppermint hot chocolate, hot apple cider and coffee to stay awake every night to meet my word quota! I dedicate myself to the capture of plot bunnies and writing muses!
I dedicate... myself.
Here's to NaNoWriMo, and to all of the other crazy writers who join me in this great adventure!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
The Last Unicorn: The Lost Version
The Last Unicorn: The Lost Version
The book opens with a familiar scene: “The unicorn lived in a lilac wood and she lived all alone…” This opening disarms the reader, because I think most are expecting a totally different story, and indeed, it is, but Peter S. Begale originated perfection when he wrote this famous opening.
However, about two paragraphs in, the scene totally changes. The Unicorn discovers a battle-weary Dragon in her forest. I won’t totally give away the dialogue, but suffice it to say that it is the Dragon, instead of the beloved Butterfly, that tells the Unicorn that she is the last. They have a very in-depth dialogue about what life is like outside of the forest, and the Dragon describes it as being very modern with policeman and such. Very entertaining, indeed.
The scene where the Unicorn has inner turmoil about leaving her forest is there, word-for-word, and makes the reader feel secure once again; however, one is surprised when the Unicorn is discovered by the old man in the field. He has a wife; a nagging one, at that! The dialogue changes a little, but the scene remains generally the same, with him trying to rope her and she slipping away from him “like rain.”
After the Unicorn runs away from the field man, she encounters a little boy, with whom she has minor dialogue but a deep connection, and then she runs into a familiar face: the Butterfly! Although the Butterfly’s fanatical dialogue changes a bit, the reader still finds him- or herself entranced by the Butterfly. (Who wouldn’t be?!)
After taking leave of the Butterfly, the Unicorn continues on her journey, feeling a premonition of… what, she doesn’t know. This is where the story changes drastically. The Unicorn happens upon a two-headed demon on the side of the road. One head is named Azazel and the other is named Webster. The demons have been evicted from Hell and are on the run with a precious coal that they have stolen, with which they’re determined to start their own Hell someplace else.
I can’t give too much of the story away, but suffice it to say that the demons are extremely likeable at times and extremely annoying at others. I think that was Peter’s intention, and he designed them well. One of my favorite quotes is when Webster is making fun of Azazel’s name: “Azazel. Hoo. Sounds like a sneeze in a bathtub.” Definitely a quote to giggle at =)
So, instead of the bumbling magician, Schmendrick, accompanying the Unicorn on her quest, Azazel and Webster join her instead. In fact, there is no Schmendrick, Molly Grue, King Haggard, Prince Lir or Red Bull. However, don’t let this turn you away from The Lost Version. It is priceless, indeed, even without the Unicorn’s familiar cohorts.
There is still the stunning prose that Peter never fails to mesmerize his fans with, and there is still clever dialogue, although after Azazel and Webster step into the picture, they kind of run the show. Still, I found that I learned a lot from the clumsy duo. In fact, they have a fascinating dialogue about what Hell is like and where it is. I found myself reading it over and over again, turning it over in my brain like a child does a chocolate bonbon in their mouth.
While the story is incomplete and unrefined, I still really enjoyed reading it and seeing the humble beginning from which our beloved Unicorn came. At the end of the book, there is an Afterword penned by Peter, where he shares a sentimental memory about Molly’s character. He says, “…I could never have created Molly Grue when I was twenty-three.” He goes on to explain that it was a few years of marriage and fatherhood that matured him “to a point of understanding an aging, bitterly disappointed woman made wise by her discovery of beauty.” It makes you further appreciate Molly’s character in The Last Unicorn.
Ultimately, The Lost Version is a gem; a diamond in the rough. Any fan of Peter’s will enjoy this novel. I was lucky enough to purchase it from a dear soul on Amazon who wanted to pass it on, and it is numbered 864 out of 1,000. Perhaps you may find yours soon, and when you do, I guarantee you will cherish every word.
The book opens with a familiar scene: “The unicorn lived in a lilac wood and she lived all alone…” This opening disarms the reader, because I think most are expecting a totally different story, and indeed, it is, but Peter S. Begale originated perfection when he wrote this famous opening.
However, about two paragraphs in, the scene totally changes. The Unicorn discovers a battle-weary Dragon in her forest. I won’t totally give away the dialogue, but suffice it to say that it is the Dragon, instead of the beloved Butterfly, that tells the Unicorn that she is the last. They have a very in-depth dialogue about what life is like outside of the forest, and the Dragon describes it as being very modern with policeman and such. Very entertaining, indeed.
The scene where the Unicorn has inner turmoil about leaving her forest is there, word-for-word, and makes the reader feel secure once again; however, one is surprised when the Unicorn is discovered by the old man in the field. He has a wife; a nagging one, at that! The dialogue changes a little, but the scene remains generally the same, with him trying to rope her and she slipping away from him “like rain.”
After the Unicorn runs away from the field man, she encounters a little boy, with whom she has minor dialogue but a deep connection, and then she runs into a familiar face: the Butterfly! Although the Butterfly’s fanatical dialogue changes a bit, the reader still finds him- or herself entranced by the Butterfly. (Who wouldn’t be?!)
After taking leave of the Butterfly, the Unicorn continues on her journey, feeling a premonition of… what, she doesn’t know. This is where the story changes drastically. The Unicorn happens upon a two-headed demon on the side of the road. One head is named Azazel and the other is named Webster. The demons have been evicted from Hell and are on the run with a precious coal that they have stolen, with which they’re determined to start their own Hell someplace else.
I can’t give too much of the story away, but suffice it to say that the demons are extremely likeable at times and extremely annoying at others. I think that was Peter’s intention, and he designed them well. One of my favorite quotes is when Webster is making fun of Azazel’s name: “Azazel. Hoo. Sounds like a sneeze in a bathtub.” Definitely a quote to giggle at =)
So, instead of the bumbling magician, Schmendrick, accompanying the Unicorn on her quest, Azazel and Webster join her instead. In fact, there is no Schmendrick, Molly Grue, King Haggard, Prince Lir or Red Bull. However, don’t let this turn you away from The Lost Version. It is priceless, indeed, even without the Unicorn’s familiar cohorts.
There is still the stunning prose that Peter never fails to mesmerize his fans with, and there is still clever dialogue, although after Azazel and Webster step into the picture, they kind of run the show. Still, I found that I learned a lot from the clumsy duo. In fact, they have a fascinating dialogue about what Hell is like and where it is. I found myself reading it over and over again, turning it over in my brain like a child does a chocolate bonbon in their mouth.
While the story is incomplete and unrefined, I still really enjoyed reading it and seeing the humble beginning from which our beloved Unicorn came. At the end of the book, there is an Afterword penned by Peter, where he shares a sentimental memory about Molly’s character. He says, “…I could never have created Molly Grue when I was twenty-three.” He goes on to explain that it was a few years of marriage and fatherhood that matured him “to a point of understanding an aging, bitterly disappointed woman made wise by her discovery of beauty.” It makes you further appreciate Molly’s character in The Last Unicorn.
Ultimately, The Lost Version is a gem; a diamond in the rough. Any fan of Peter’s will enjoy this novel. I was lucky enough to purchase it from a dear soul on Amazon who wanted to pass it on, and it is numbered 864 out of 1,000. Perhaps you may find yours soon, and when you do, I guarantee you will cherish every word.
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