Monday, June 25, 2012

Elana Johnson Talks Music, Ninja News, and Movie News!

Special Guest – Elana Johnson!

I am very honored to host Elana Johnson today. Two years ago, Elana asked me to participate in a blogfest with her and Jen Daiker. At the time, I was closing in on two hundred followers. Jen had around eight hundred and Elana over 1500. At the time, it looked like a million to me. Not sure what she saw in this science fiction geek, but I’m grateful she saw something good. Thank you, Elana!

Music that Inspired the Writing: Misery by Maroon 5

I am a huge fan of Marron 5, I’ll freely admit. I like almost all of their songs, because they’re the kind you can turn up loud in the car and scream-sing to. And I like to do that.

One of their songs really captured the essence of writing SURRENDER for me. There’s one main character, Raine, who’d really rather talk about the issues at hand, but feels like she can’t. So these lyrics really sum her up:

So scared of breaking it
But you won’t let it bend
And I wrote two hundred letters
I will never send.

Sometimes these cuts are so much deeper than they seem
You’d rather cover up
I’d rather let them bleed.

Then later on in the story, the song sifts to mirroring how Gunner (the male MC) in the story when he can’t get Raine to answer any of his communications:

I am in misery
There ain’t nobody who can comfort me, oh yeah
Why won’t you answer me?
The silence is slowly killing me.

The song just has such an angsty vibe to it, and it was perfect for SURRENDER.



Do you have a song you listen to that sums up your novel so succinctly?

Be sure to participate in this week’s SURRENDER blog tour for a chance to win an e-book of your choice!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks, Elana! And yes, Stream of Passion’s Street Spirit fit one very powerful and pivotal scene in CassaStar. Those who’ve read it probably know which one…

Ninja News!

Heather McCorkle is hosting a giveaway that benefits the Ian Somerhalder Foundation - “I’m going to be giving away some great swag, a signed hardback of To Ride A Puca and up to $10 in gifted eBooks from Amazon, Barnes & Noble or The Book Depository.” Stop by her blog for details!

Juliana Haygert just signed a deal with Lyrical Press for her book, Destiny’s Gift. Congratulations, Juliana!

Don’t forget that since the next posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group falls on the USA’s Fourth of July holiday, we will be posting on either Tuesday OR Wednesday of that week.

I’m still making progress on CassaStorm. Doubt I’ll win BuNo, as my wife and I go on vacation this Friday, but it certainly kicked me into writing overdrive.

And this is post number five hundred for me! Whoa...

Movies!

We were going to see Brave Friday night but ended up spending the evening with friends instead. So sorry, no movie review today! But I do have some movies news for you.

Remakes! Love them or hate them, there are many in the works:

Total Recall – it’s not even be set on Mars anymore!
RoboCop – why?
The Evil Dead – now that is just wrong!
Godzilla – this one is needed.
Judge Dredd – also needed.
Excalibur – Cool when I was a kid, little dated now. This one might work.
Highlander – no one can replace Sean Connery!
The Crow – did they learn nothing from the dismal flops of the sequels? You can’t take Brandon Lee out of the equation. Or director Alex Proyas.

Have you purchased Possession? Is there a certain song that fits your story? Did you see a movie this weekend? (I watched the first Blade again – forgot it was so cool.) And do any of those films need to be remade?

132 comments:

RHYTHM AND RHYME said...

Great post Alex, each poem I try to match a song to the poem.
Lots of Ninja news very interesting.

Thanks for your comment yesterday much appreciated ......and it did so help.
Yvonne.

Kyra Lennon said...

I adore Maroon 5! There isn't a single song of theirs that I don't love - and their videos are usually kinda hot! :D

YAY for Juliana, so excited for her!

And I am super excited for Total Recall because John Cho is in it, and I got to interview him once - he is AWESOME! :D

mooderino said...

Too many remakes. And sequels. And prequels. Although I am curious to see if Dredd keeps his helmet on for the whole movie like he's supposed to.

Congrats on the reaching the big 500.

mood

Michael Abayomi said...

I am a fan of Maroon 5 as well. I love all their songs. Every last one. I think I almost tore open a hole in the space-time continuum when I kept playing the Songs About Jane album over and over again back in 2004.

Hollywood really needs to stop doing remakes of great movies. Why fix what was never broken in the first place? The focus should be on those movies that were originally poorly made. Or better yet, original ideas or adaptations from books, plays, video games etc.

Huntress said...

'Bad Company' by Five Finger Death Punch provided inspiration for me.

I would LOVE to see The Highlander remade. Excalibur also.

The tech stuff and special effects are so advanced from the seventies and eighties. and I love me some CGI.

Karen Baldwin said...

Nice to see you here Elana. Me? And my songs? Sade - Kiss of Life inspired my first women's fiction novel.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Yvonne, I can see matching a song to each poem. And glad you feel better.

Kyra, well that's cool.

Moody, I agree! And thanks, I almost missed it.

Michael, amen!!!

Brinda said...

Elana's book sounds great. I entered her contest. AND OMG...they cannot remake The Crow.

Natalie Aguirre said...

Great post Elana. I can so see that song for Raine. So awesome seeing Elana on so many blogs these past few weeks.

Matthew MacNish said...

For some reason, Adam Levine looks like Christian Slater before you hit play on that video. Weird.

Heather M. Gardner said...

First let me say that your writing progress is fantastic! GO YOU!

Congrats on post #500. Considering your posts are so full of info that is saying something.

As for the movie remakes, I'm never sure why they just don't make a similar movie and change the name. I wouldn't mind seeing Total Recall as an actual drama instead of the Arnie one, although I'll watch it every time its on.

Excalibur with today's special effects might be good but the original was so creepy I'm not sure they can do it justice.

The Crow? No.

Thanks for all the great updates.
Heather

Rusty Carl said...

I'm not sure I understand the need for remakes and reboots that I'm seeing everywhere these days. I read over the weekend that Twilight is getting a do-over and they're discussing of redoing The Hunger Games - seriously? Also read Harry Potter is getting a another series.

And I was complaining about the Spider-Man movie coming too soon. That stuff is rIdiculous.

Unknown said...

Good choice on the Blade rewatch - I might watch it again this week. After the travesty that was the Matthew Broderick version back in the 90s, I think Godzilla is due for a remake for sure.

Miranda Hardy said...

I have a soundtrack for one of my novels. Each song on it inspires a certain scene that I wrote. Great post.

Some of those remakes are crazy. I can't imagine Sean Connery being replaced.

Mark Koopmans said...

Aloha Alex,

Have a great vacation starting Friday and I hope Mrs. C has you on stict orders to stay "offline." :)

PS... thanks for the advance promo on Wednesday - we appreciate it.

PPS... me and four buddies were the group formerly known as the "Moron 5."

Sad to say we never quite did make the big thyme...

PK HREZO said...

omgosh why would they try to remake Highlander or The Crow??? Those actors cannot and should not be replaced. Wow. Yep the Godzilla remake a few years ago was awful.
I saw Brave this weekend and LOVED it. Mainly cuz it was about not marrying the prince. :) ABout time Disney teach young girls there are other things as important. ;)

Laura Pauling said...

I've read both Possession and Surrender and they're terrific! Loved them.

I really want to watch Brave but probably won't see it until it comes out in video!

Karen Lange said...

Thanks, Elana and Alex, for sharing this with us. Always good to see you both, and wishing you both much success!

Didn't see any movies this weekend, had too many other things popping up that had to be done. There's always next weekend to look forward to.

Happy Monday,
Karen

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Brinda, I know!!

Matthew, you're right.

Heather, thanks! And there are so many new ideas out there.

Rusty, it's like the latest craze. One that can die real soon.

Jamie, that was my thought. So not Godzilla.

Miranda, can't replace the Connery.

Thanks Mark - and that's funny!

PK, it's a travesty.

Old Kitty said...

Hoorah for Elana!!! And thank you for introducing me to the music of Maroon 5 as I have never heard of them being stuck firmly in 1983! LOL!!

Remake of Godzilla!??! JAMAIS!!! Unless they use a giant kitty somewhere ala the Goodies sketch (big giant cute fluffy kitty causes havoc in London).

LOL! take care
x

Anonymous said...

We saw Brave. It was a fun movie. Not Pixae's greatest, but it didn;t need to be. I give it a B+ and we'll buy the DVD when it comes out.

And good luck to Elana andSurrender! I don't have a theme song. I'll have to think about that one this week.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

All of my main characters have their own theme songs.

They want to remake The Crow? It will fail miserably.

Tonja said...

My kids want to see Brave. I didn't realize it was out already. It's supposed to be 100 degrees here on Thursday - perfect day for a movie, huh?

Juliana Haygert said...

Yay, thanks for the shoutout, Alex!

I took kid to see Brave on Sat. It was pretty good, but I confess my expectations were higher =(

Carol Kilgore said...

I think it's great you can find one song that captures the heart of your story. I can sometimes find a few, but I've never been able to come up with one.

Laura Eno said...

The song may be full of angst but the absurdity of the video had me rolling on the floor. It came across as very tongue-in-cheek. I wish I had music to identify with my writing though. :)
Total Recall not on Mars? Pffft.

Annalisa Crawford said...

Congrats on your 500th post Alex!

Last Man Standing by Neil Finn (I think - it may have been the Finn Brothers together) sums up a couple of my current WIPs - there's a line that goes 'And you are magnificent, I can see it with my eyes closed', which I think is really lovely.

Roland D. Yeomans said...

del Torro's direction made BLADE II interesting as well. I watched Abe fighting vampires this weekend and enjoyed it for what it was. For those who expected Hamlet or a comedy (obviously ones who had not watched the previews), it would have failed. For me, I was entertained.

Elana, music pays a pivotal roles in my books as well. I wish Heather well in her new direction for her charity. I've helped with the purchase of all her books. Have a great new week, Alex.

Hart Johnson said...

So interesting to write with a soundtrack in mind. I'm not sure why, but I just really can't mix media that way. I rarely have music and ALSO rarely have actors or actresses in my head.

Alex-I only know about 2/3 of the movies, but I am with you where I know them on which should be remade and which not.

Jack said...

I like reading of other authors because I find they do the same things I do and I feel less alone. (I too find songs that fit my book and listen to them over and over while writing.)

Wow, I knew they were remaking movies, but I didn't know that many. I suppose I can see why they are redoing Godzilla but I liked the actor in the first. And I agree, you can't replace Sean Connery. Impossible.

Congratulations one reaching 500 posts!

Julie Dao said...

I am also a huge fan of Maroon 5! Their lyrics are terrific. I like that there's usually a story in their songs. Coldplay and One Republic are also favorites of mine.

T. Powell Coltrin said...

Elana rocks. I hear music in my head when writing.

I like Maroon 5 too.

Alex, have a great vacation. Keep your writer glasses on and look for story ideas.

T

Marta Szemik said...

I wish I had specific songs that inspire my writing and fit into the novels, but I need dead quiet when I write.
Finally saw "Mirror Mirror" on Friday and must say I was a little disappointed. I didn't get the Bollywood dance at the end of the movie. It just didn't fit.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Kitty, I think Charlie would be perfect in that role.

Stephen, heard it was fun but not great.

Tonja - perfect day for a movie!

Carol, that one just spoke to me.

Laura, that's what I say!

Thanks, Annalisa.

Roland, sometimes entertained is enough. And del Torro is an awesome director.

Hart, we are in agreement then!

Miss Jack, the list was five times that long - I was shocked.

Teresa, I need them!

Marta, haven't seen it yet.

Southpaw said...

You know I don't. I tend not to listen to music when I write. I prefer the ambient noise around me.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

My oldest son quotes from Judge Dread all the time. I also love Maroon Five.

Summer Ross said...

I saw Brave over the weekend- will have the review up on Wednesday.

Anonymous said...

I enjoyed the video. I haven't listened to Maroon 5 in a while.

I tend to be against remakes, especially if the original is awesome. I haven't seen many great remakes. I also think "why?" when it comes to RoboCop.

Cassie Mae said...

Did you know if you try to post a comment at the same time as someone else, sometimes it'll erase the comment you just typed in and tell you to try again later?? Only on your blog, Alex. *sighs*

Okay, so sorry if this comment comes up twice. Let's try this again.

Oh my gosh!! I watch Misery on repeat all the time! Adam Levine... I can't even form coherent words. Mmmmm.

And now I'll be singing that when I'm reading Surrender :)

Also, congrats to Juliana!!!!!

Unknown said...

Running up that Hill (cover by Placebo) and In the Darkness (Dead by Sunrise) fits the tone of my book best to me. Congrats on 500 posts, that's crazy. Keep writing, almost there! :)

Unknown said...

I've never really thought about the right songs for my stories but it's a great idea. And thanks for all the other news. I get a lot of information each time you post.

Mina Burrows said...

Elana's post always rock! Watching the video now. I love this song.

I saw Brave with my kids & hubby on Sun. I loved it.

Emily R. King said...

Great interview with Elana, Alex! I, too, like Maroon 5, even if they are liberal nuts. :)

Morgan said...

Holy! HUGE congrats on post number 500! Insane! And I'm a huge fan of Maroon 5 too... yum... ;)

Arlee Bird said...

Maroon 5 is a very fine group. I've enjoyed everything I've heard by them.

Some weird remake choices coming up. They're going to have to come up with some really unique ideas to pull these off.

Lee
Tossing It Out

farawayeyes said...

Love the song 'Misery' but that particular video ruins it for me. I really want to see him pop her one, good.

Music - ah for me and my current book it's Ray LaMontagne all the way especially "Hold You In My Arms". For just about everything else Van is the Man (Van Morrison).

Remakes - Are you kidding me? Weren't most of them bad enough the first time around. I was thoroughly insulted when they remade 'True Grit'- then I saw it and have to admit it was pretty good. So maybe...

Trying to see 'Brave' sometime this week also. Taking my favorite 6 year old.

Leigh Covington said...

Woo-hoo! Yay for Elana! I love this post! I'm reading SURRENDER right now and loving it!

Suze said...

I hope you and your wife enjoy your vacation, Alex.

Anonymous said...

Definitely no to Evil Dead or Highlander. Especially no if Ryan Reynolds is the lead in Highlander! Nothing against him, but not that role.

Tara Tyler said...

love that song and elena's book. its on the tbr list

Total Recall – not on mars? that sucks!

remakes and sequels are the industry's lazy way to make money. wish they had an intelligent research team reading more books to find our fresh ideas!!!

E. M. Prokop said...

Hey Elana & Alex! Great post! I always have music on while I'm writing...it could be anything from pop to opera..just depends on my mood I guess.
As for the movie remakes,I wasn't interested in any of those movies originally, so I doubt I'll be interested in the remakes. These days the movies seem to be all action or gross out comedy, neither of which hold my interest for more than a couple of minutes.
I think though, that most remakes are unnecessary and turn out badly..I guess the producers figure it's an easy way to make a couple more bucks.

Nancy Thompson said...

Excalibur could use a redeux. The first, while good, was a tad slow & quiet. No way should the original The Crow be remade. Brandon Lee's last film should stand in tribute. I named my son after him, you know. Long story. As for songs, I had a long playlist for my first book, but for my second, Home & Let You Diwn by Three Days Grace some it up quite nicely. Couldn't write without music to inspire me.

Andrew Leon said...

No time for a long comment, but:
I loved the Blade movies. Best vampire movies ever.

The first Total Recall was so bad, I try to forget it even exists. So...
They're making a Total Recall movie? Cool...
:P
The new one does look better than the other one, but I haven't read the story it's based on, so I don't know if what they're doing is good or not.

kjmckendry said...

I have songs that fit certain scenes, but so far not one for the whole story.

Glad to see your progress on CassaStorm!

Carrie Butler said...

1) I love Elana!
2) Hooray for Juliana!
3) You bet! "I Miss You" by Incubus really fits the sequel I'm working on. :)

~Sia McKye~ said...

I love the Blade movies and the first one is very cool.

Elana, Maroon 5 do have some good songs and I've always loved their lyrics. I've had a few songs that have encapsulated my heroine and usually it's another one that fits the hero. I'll be the first to admit I'm a big music person. You can have my TV but by god, don't touch my music.

Congrats to Juliana!

Sia McKye OVER COFFEE

Abby Minard said...

Thanks Elana! Yes, this may sound silly but Selena Gomez's Thunder/Lightning song inspires my ms that I'm querying with right now. And Adele's Set Fire to the Rain helps pump me up for my current WIP.

Yay for 500 posts Alex!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Summer, I'll look for it.

Medeia, nothing wrong with that flick.

Cassie, sorry! Hey, sometimes I'll reply to comments and by the time I hit publish, five more have appeared.

Michael, I'm writing!

Clarissa I am here to amuse AND inform!

Emily, that made me laugh.

Lee, unfortunately they won't have any.

Faraway, yeah, the remake of True Girt was good.

Joshua, he's not serious enough.

Tara, amen to that!

Eve, and sadly they do make money.

Nancy, you need to tell that story some day.

Andrew, other than removing it from Mars, I have no idea.

Johanna Garth said...

Surrender is high on my list to read this summer.

No music to inspire my writing but sometimes I hear music that I could picture being in the (as yet unmade) movie.

Maurice Mitchell said...

Cool contest Alex. Elena is awesome. How in the world can they not set Total Recall on Mars?!

Bish Denham said...

I have read Possession. I've never used music while I was writing I find it too distracting. As for the week-end viewing pleasure, we've been watching the series Through the Wormhole. Lots of interesting stuff there.

Cherie Reich said...

I have Elana's Possession, but I still need the time to read it and Surrender.

Empty Nest Insider said...

Good luck to Elana! Congrats on 500 posts! Have a great vacation! Julie

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

Since I discovered Elana's blog, I was blown away by her.

I like to claim Rockin' Robin as my theme song, though Wildflower is more accurate.

Cheers, Alex.
xoRobyn

Nicole said...

I love writing to music! I've got all sorts of songs that help inspire certain scenes or characters.

Nicole said...

I love writing to music! I've got all sorts of songs that help inspire certain scenes or characters.

Bryan Russell said...

500 posts? You do need a vacation...

Sheena-kay Graham said...

I love making soundtracks for my books. My fave Maroon 5 song is 'Harder to Breathe.' It just has a frank angry gruff appeal their newer songs don't.

Claire Hennessy said...

Surrender is definitely on my TBR pile. Love Maroon 5 - great to drive to in the sunshine :)

Tasha Seegmiller said...

I have been inspired by music that I didn't think would inspire me. Strange. I LOVE Elana. When I grow up, I want to be like her.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Maurice, I guess it will be set on a station similar to that in The Fifth Element.

Thanks, Julie.

You ARE Rockin' Robyn!

Bryan, yes!

Gossip_Grl said...

I am not a fan of remade movies I have tried watching a few and always prefer to original. I often wonder if Hollywood is running out of ideas so they remake them.

Charles Gramlich said...

I've heard of Maroon 5 but it's not really my kind of music. The song that I hope best sums up my work is "Deaf Forever" by Motorhead.

LD Masterson said...

In that list of remakes you said something that cannot be argued. No way. No how.

No one can replace Sean Connery.

RaShelle Workman said...

You Are awesome, Alex. Congrats to Elana.

As for a remake of The Crow, I agree. It won't be the same without Brandon Lee.

Elana Johnson said...

Old Kitty, I can't believe you've never heard Maroon 5! They have like ten songs on my playlist.

Songs About Jane is the best album, right @ Michael Abayomi? Uh, right.

Abby, I love Adele's songs! It helps that they're all angsty about broken relationships and cheating and stuff. Haha!

Hart, actresses are a whole new ballgame for me. I'm not entrenched in pop culture enough to even know their names.

Thanks, Laura and Karen. You guys are great.

Ciara said...

I can't wait to take kiddos to see Brave. I think we are going in two weeks while we are on vacation. I do have music that inspires my writing. Each of my works has its own soundtrack. Enjoy your vacation, Alex!

Michael Offutt, Phantom Reader said...

On the subject of remakes and reboots, all I gotta say is why? I did a post on this Friday, but to weigh in on ones that you've posted here:

1) Total Recall -- I want Arnold. This new guy is gonna suck. That it's not on Mars is just stupid.

2) Robocop -- Exactly. Why? These movies weren't that great.

3) The Evil Dead -- Why?

4) Godzilla -- Seriously Alex? You think this is needed?

5) Judge Dredd -- Okay...I'm on bored simply because I want to see it done well and capture the flavor of the comic book.

6) Excalibur -- It better have hot guys in nice looking armor and be all sexed up or I will hate it.

7) Highlander -- Please no. Let this series/movie thing die.

8) The Crow -- Again...why?

There are so many books and stories out there that deserve to be made into movies.

Angela Brown said...

Okay, I didn't know they were trying to remake The Crow. How can they do this?

I have purchased and read Possession and Surrender and loved them both...more about that for a post though :-)

Adele's "Set Fire to the Rain" inspired my Abby and Basil blog opera. But when I finished the first draft of NEVERLOVE, I wrapped it up with Linkin Park's "Somewhere I Belong" cause this song really does fit for Abby..."Crawlin" might make an appearance during revisions.

The first Blade was soooo cool because Snipes pulled off a wicked cold-blooded vamp toeing the bold line between humanity and vamp killer.

Christine Rains said...

Awesome post! Congrats on the 500th post, Alex. I watched at bit of the Syfy movie on Saturday. Some arachnid apocalypse thing! I'm with you about The Evil Dead. It doesn't need to be remade! A few of the others might be amusing, though.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Gossip, I think they ran out of ideas years ago.

Charles, that's more my style as well!

LD - that's right!

RaShelle, that's what made that film so powerful.

Michael, only because the last Godzilla wasn't very good. And Guenevere better be hot as well.

Angela, the second Blade movie is my favorite, but I'd forgotten how cool the first one was as well. Snipes was bad-ass!

Christine, thanks and glad I missed another SyFy craptastic film.

cleemckenzie said...

500 Posts! Good grief. Here's to the next 500. May they continue to be as informative and fun at the previous ones.

This weekend was filled with wine and Casa Blanca. Hope they never try to remake that one.

dolorah said...

You forgot Spiderman in your list of remakes. And no, they don't need redone - again. I haven't been to the movies in a while, but hope to soon. Nothing beats the BIG SCREEN to watch on :)

I haven't bought Possession yet, haven't bought much in the way of YA, but I do think both Possession and Surrender sound interesting. I'm sure I'll get them soon.

........dhole

M Pax said...

Congrats to Juliana. Woot, woot!

I hope you enjoy your vacation, Alex. Your wife, too.

I saw the trailer for Total Recall at the theater. Not exciting. It wasn't Arnold. And not on Mars? Really? I missed that part.

I enjoyed the Highlander series, but I 'm not sure why they'd want to remake it. Hope they skip the dismal sequels.

jaybird said...

Hey Elana- I scream sing too, (especially when Adam Levine is involved) much to the chagrin of my kids and The Husband....

Big Congrats to Julia Haggert! Such great news, so excited for her!

And way to go Alex on 500 posts- I'm curious, do you ever sleep? Like ever? BTW, I'm a huge Sci Fi geek, and just finished this really good read, called "Cassastar". Ever heard of it? LOL Looking forward to downloading "Cassafire" next.

Jemi Fraser said...

I have read (and loved) Possession. It's such a great book! I think those lyrics really match the characters and their situation!

Nick Wilford said...

Don't know that particular song but I like every other song I've heard from them. They have mass appeal.

That's a whole lot of remakes. Hopefully they improve on the last Godzilla.

And ONLY 500 posts?! Lol. :D

Donna K. Weaver said...

Music is totally important while I'm writing and there are songs that I can never listen to now without thinking of the book I was writing while listening to it. Makes sense, since there are periods in my life with the same connection.

Hope to see Brave tomorrow night.

SC Author said...

Ooh, MUSIC! I did a blog post on music about Music, Writing, and Emotions, and I loovveee music in my writing. It helps so much to set the mood before I start typing. I need it to feel the powerful emotions to complement the emotions in my scene. I don't think there is a better way to write powerful emotional scenes other than getting in the mood--and music accomplishes that right away!

Thanks!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Thanks, Lee.

Donna, with that one coming out so soon, I didn't bother.

Mary, the sequels were awful, weren't they?

Jaybird, thank you! So glad you enjoyed it. And yes, I really like my sleep.

Nick, only because I just post three times a week.

Donna, there are so many moments in my life that are connected to a certain song.

SC, yes!

Helena said...

I wish I did have a song for my books. Maybe I'll go through a bunch of them and see if one can inspire me during my latest rewrites.

For me, a remake can work once in a while, but usually I just wish that Hollywood would stop playing it safe and make really new, original films like Inception, or even some smaller films based on really good, overlooked novels.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

I don't know of any songs that fit my stories. I just have favourite songs that I listen to while thinking about my stories...but the lyrics never relate.

They are remaking Highlander?!! Noooo!! There can be only one! ;)
(It had to be done).

Cate Masters said...

I never have a playlist, but songs always inspire, or enhance, my stories.
I'm looking forward to the Anna Karenina remake - one of those stories I always meant to read but never did.

DL Hammons said...

Elana is awesome! There is this one song that for some reason I'm certain will be played at the end of the movie based on my first book. No lie! :)

Rachel Schieffelbein said...

Aw, I would have liked to hear what you thought of Brave. I'm excited to see it!
Have fun on your vacation! :)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Helena, playing it safe is the perfect description.

Lynda, that made me laugh!

Rachel, sorry! We just didn't make it.

Heather Murphy said...

Yea, Elana! Music can be so inspirational in giving ideas to write about and capturing emotion.
As usual, lots of great news Alex

Sherry Ellis said...

Godzilla would be a great remake - probably much better than that rubber thing they had in the original movie!

I'm amazed that you have accrued that many followers in just a couple of years. It must be because your posts are so informative, and that you reach out to help others. Good job!

mshatch said...

Total Recall - without Arnold? Forget it.

RoboCop - couldn't care less

The Evil Dead - without Bruce Campbell? That IS wrong.

Godzilla - could be fun...we'll see.

Judge Dredd - well, considering Karl Urban is in it, I might possibly enjoy it a bit ;)

Excalibur - only if it's done right, which I doubt.

Highlander - I concur!

The Crow - ditto

Remakes in general - dear God, please give those idiots in Hollywood an original idea so we don't have to watch any more remakes!

Powdered Toast Man said...

Godzilla definitely needs to be remade. The one with Matthew Broderick was terrible.

Robocop could be cool with all the new CGI and special effects they can do. I'd say more but my post tomorrow reflects on movies.

Jo said...

Hmm, missed a lot of those movies. Did see Robocop, not sure why they need to remake it. There's gotta be lots of good stories which would make good movies. Cassa Star for instance.

Anonymous said...

Music is also a huge inspiration for my stories... great guest post Elena. I also love that Marron 5 song.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Sherry, I try!

MsHatch - no Campbell, no movie!

PTM, I look forward to your post then!

Jo, thank you!!!

Maryannwrites said...

I've never connected music to my stories, but I can see how that song worked for yours. I am not one of those writers who listens to music while writing. I find it too distracting. If the song has lyrics, I start singing along and get pulled out of what I am doing.

Melissa Sugar said...

Congratulations to Elana. I love Maroon 5, but I don't have a song that sums up my novel. I like the way she explained how each lyric matched the characters on her book.

Author A.O. Peart said...

I have read Possession a while ago. Now it's time to get Surrender :-)

I love Maroon 5 music. There are quite a few artists on my list of favorite music to write too, and Maroon 5 is one of them.

Congratulations to Juliana on her publishing deal!

Congrats on the 500 posts. Wow. And they are all awesome. Have a great vacation.

Chemist Ken said...

I don't have any particular song I use for inspiration, although as you can imagine (based on my blog title) playing music from the Harry Potter soundtracks certainly helps. And when I need that shot of adrenaline late at night when I want to write but feel like going to bed, I play Paradise and Clocks by Coldplay. Wakes me right up.

Talli Roland said...

I used to love Maroon 5, but I haven't listened to them much lately!

Yay for Elana!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Thanks, Angela.

Unknown said...

I just saw Snow White and the Huntsmen today. Although some of the lines were a bit corny, I loved the visual effects created by the Maya program. Lots and lots of very hard work went into making this movie.

I think Hollywood remakes movies to introduce each new generation to relevant versions of concepts which have worked previously. Makes sense to go with the one you know before taking a chance with something you don't. Especially when it comes to money.

Lisa said...

I listened to I've loved you for a thousand years recently and thought the feeling must be truely true for it to be a song lyric.

Hello Alex.

Anonymous said...

Hi Alex. Enjoyed the post. I don't listen to music when I'm writing because it can be distracting for me.

Unknown said...

Congrats to Elana! I've seen her several places in the blogosphere lately!

Adam Levine is a cutie! Fell in love with him watching The Voice last year.

Misha Gerrick said...

Love Maroon 5.

As for songs that fit my stories, I actually have entire playlists for the plots and characters in my Doorways series.

:-D

Lisa Regan said...

Really the only one of those movies I liked was The Crow although Total Recall is a classic. So cheesy to watch it now though--the special effects! We saw Brave over the weekend. It was good but not really up to Pixar's standards if you ask me. We were kind of disappointed that there wasn't more to it. There wasn't really a clever twist to the whole thing that the adults in the audience usually enjoy. Also, for young children, I found the end a little too violent.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

CM, I understand the point of updating for the next generation, like they did with War of the Worlds.

Hey, Ocenagirl!

Misha, other than the one song, I just throw on whatever rocks.

Lisa, I'd heard it wasn't their best offering. I still haven't seen Cars II either.

Leovi said...

I like Maroon 5, if it can be very inspiring.

Tyrean Martinson said...

Love your snarky comments on the movie remakes! :-)

ali cross said...

Congrats on the CASSASTORM progress!

I didn't even know about those remakes! That's just crazy. Kinda looking forward to HIGHLANDER, GODZILLA should be fun and I loved TOTAL RECALL, so it might be hard for them to win me over, but hey, I'm willing to try.

We saw Brave on the weekend. It was cute.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Tyrean, just wait for the snarky ones tomorrow with the July movie releases!

Thanks, Ali!

Sangu Mandanna said...

Yay for Elana! I'm so looking forward to reading Surrender. Music helps me write too, and is such a huge part of my inspiration when working!

Unknown said...

Love the song, Alex. I listened a lot to Damien Rice and David Grey when I was writing Perfect Score. Think I'll listen bit more to Maroon 5. Ha! I view you like you saw Elana when you started and she had a lot of followers. btw - I see you're 75% through CassaStorm - way to go!

Anonymous said...

May you and your wife enjoy your vacation! I can't imagine how you can ever stop writing -- you have so much energy, are so prolific and GOOD. But I think your wife will want you to! (smiley face)

I'm glad to be halfway back to blogging to see the faces of good friends again! Thanks for stopping by. I know I'm only one of hundreds, maybe thousands by now, who appreciate your support.

Ann Best, Memoir Author

klahanie said...

Hey Alex,
My friend, you can stop twiddling your thumbs as you wait, in eager anticipation, for a 'much cherished' comment from shy, humble and unassuming me.
Your wait is over. Interesting the way music can sum up the ambience of a book. Sometimes music wants me to um "move like Jagger" whilst trying to write at the same time.
A song I listen to that sums up my 'novel'. "Dreamer" by "Supertramp".
Okay, now back to my site.
Gary

Notes Along the Way with Mary Montague Sikes said...

Wow, Alex! 125 comments That's amazing. Have a wonderful vacation. Hope you're going to a place without fires or floods!

Monti
Mary Montague Sikes

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Susan, I'm still just a geek who blogs though!

Ann, you are special and I will always visit your blog. Missed you while you were gone.

Gary, I know that song well from high school. Thanks for gracing me with your presence.

Monti, where I am going will have neither.

Jay Noel said...

Great guest post. I'm a huge Maroon 5 fan too, but that song is kinda funny to me. I live is Missouri, and it sounds like he's saying, "I live in Miss-ouri..."

Ryan Reynolds as Conner McCleod? Really???

Unknown said...

Wow am I behind! Great song, Maroon Five is a terrific band. Adam Levine is going to be on one of my fave new shows next season, An American Horror Story. Wonder if he'll be a ghost or a human?

Cannot believe they are committing such blasphemy and remaking The Crow. that has to be one of my all time ultimate favorite movies.

Ella said...

Thanks Elana! Damn, now I want to go watch The Crow. You know they call a flock of crows? A murder ;D

I love that you shared this! I rock out when I drive, too ;D I will have to think about this?

Alex, you start your vacation on Friday! I'm excited for You~ I hope you n' yours have a wonderful time~

Patricia Stoltey said...

I saw The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (or whatever it's called) on Friday and loved it. First time I've watched a movie in a real theater in months...and I'm thinking I should put them back into my weekly schedule.

Gwen Gardner said...

Never heard of Maroon 5 - I'll check it out.

Heather is so awesome - always working for a cause:)

Congrats to Elana:)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Jay, sad huh?

Melissa, it's one of my favorites as well. Just no way they can remake it.

Thank you, Ella.

Patricia, you should!