I recently returned from a two-week trip to Italy.

It was an incredible experience, to say the least. And while I took a hiatus from the blog during those two weeks, I was actually working – gathering material for future posts.

I’ve traveled before, and so I know what traveling can do for a writer. It’s inspiring. So what do I mean by that?

You’re exposed to new cultures, new people, and new ideas. If this doesn’t broaden your perspectives and renew your creativity, I don’t know what will.
The activities I’ve listed below are suggestions for writers to make the most of their travels.

1.People-watching

Take note of the people you meet. You’re surrounded by potential characters for your future novel. The huge push for diversity in YA? This is it. In Italy, I was one of very few people speaking English. I enjoyed listening to the native Italians, to their accents and the way they spoke broken English when answering a tourist’s question.

2. Sight-seeing

Take pictures! Pay attention to detail in architecture. One of these locations could become the setting for your newest work, and you want to remember every detail.

3. Rejuvenating

Oftentimes writer’s block can be conquered by a change of scenery. This may be as simple as writing in a bookstore rather than your bedroom, or organizing your space. An even better solution? Leave the country.

4. Getting to know your traveling companions

No matter who you’re traveling with, it’s sure to be both fun and frustrating. There isn’t much you can keep from one another. Observe your companion’s quirks. Do they hog the window seat? Refuse to keep their stuff neat?

You may think you’ll remember every little detail forever, but the truth is, you won’t. So do yourself a favor and record the things you don’t want to forget.

Every night, I pulled out my composition book and took quick notes about everything we’d done that day. I’d also jot down words or phrases to jog my memory – to help me recall certain conversations, our hilarious inside jokes, and the many ideas my travels sparked.

Above all, be sure to enjoy yourself. As writers, experience is a crucial aspect of our craft.

*“Traveling” does not only refer to leaving the country. These activities work just as well for a quick trip across town, or a road trip with friends, or a day at a theme park. Remember, it’s your job to make the most of the experience, whatever it may be.

I avoided reading John Green’s Fault in Our Stars for a very long while, though I was curious as to what all the fuss was about.

I have a cousin who was diagnosed with leukemia when she eight years old, and so I refused to read another “depressing cancer book.” But when I finally gave in, I realized the reason the book is so beloved is because it isn’t a “depressing cancer book.”

This is what I loved:

CAST

The cast was fantastic. Shailene Woodley (Hazel Grace) and Ansel Elgort (Augustus Waters) were fantastic, and had great chemistry.

I was worried at first, because, as we all know, Woodley and Elgort are siblings in the movie adaptation of Veronica Roth’s Divergent. But both actors have the talent to make their audience forget they aren’t actually the characters they’re portraying.

It was so satisfying to see Gus come to life and to hear him say, “It’s a metaphor, see?”

And I’ve got to give props to Willem Dafoe, who was the perfect Van Houten.

TONE

We all knew this would be a tough one. Was it possible for the producers to convey the same lighthearted yet profound tone of Green’s book? The answer is a resounding yes.

The movie was equal parts funny, emotional, touching, and spirited.

Hazel, the narrator of Fault in Our Stars, does not believe in sugar coating. And so it was raw and inspiring. The movie is a tearjerker, of course, but in the best possible way. Life is short, and so we must not be afraid to love and to be loved.

ALSO…

Loved that John Green was so involved with the production of the film. I think it’s incredible that he was given a part in transitioning his characters and their story from print to the screen.

If you’ve read the book but haven’t seen the movie, SEE IT. If you’ve seen the movie but haven’t read the book, READ IT.

What were your thoughts??

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON BOOK-TO-MOVIE ADAPTATIONS? WOULD YOU ONE DAY WANT YOUR BOOK MADE INTO A MOVIE, OR PROBABLY NOT?

I love that we’ve all had varying responses to this prompt. It’s somewhat controversial, but our posts are interesting because of it!

While I completely understand the idea that a movie adaptation of your novel could compromise its integrity, I personally would be on board with having my book made into a movie.

I have a few reasons to explain my enthusiasm for a book-to-movie adaptation (in no particular order):

1. It’d be great to see my book come to life on screen as a new way for my readers to experience the story/world/characters I’ve created.

I do believe movies are just another art form, and thus can and will be slightly different from the books they’re based on. That said, if the producer decides it’s okay to completely screw it up, he might as well call it by a different title. In short, I understand there’s no way for my book to translate perfectly on screen. And that’s okay, as long as the overall story is the same.

2. What author wouldn’t want to meet potentially well-known actors/actresses portraying their characters?

Um, super cool. I’d be trying really hard to be professional, but it probably wouldn’t work out. I’d take lots of pictures with captions like, DO YOU KNOW WHO THIS IS?!

3. I’m not naïve enough to believe I’d be consulted on every aspect of the movie, but I’d like to have some influence.

This, I think, is becoming less of an issue. I was especially excited after reading about Veronica Roth and John Green’s involvement with their book-to-movie adaptations. (Not that I’m assuming I’m even anywhere in their league, or that my book would ever be so popular.)

And there is the possibility of actually appearing in the movie, as a minor character or an extra or something like that. (When I saw Veronica Roth on screen during the Divergent zip-lining scene, I punched my sister in the arm and stage-whispered “IT’S VERONICA ROTH!”)

Book-to-movie adaptations I believe were done well:

Harry Potter
The Help
Hunger Games
The Book Thief
Divergent
Fault in Our Stars

Unfortunately, sometimes book-to-movie adaptations disappoint. The casting is all wrong, because someone forgot to pay attention to the details that make the character memorable and beloved, or several major plot points were overlooked, or the tone of the film is off.

When movie adaptations are made of the first book in a series, I worry about future adaptions of the remaining books. If the first movie doesn’t do well, the fans can be sure the rest of the series won’t make it to the screen. Which, in my opinion, just isn’t fair (to the author or the fan base).

The movie adaptations of Eragon, Percy Jackson, City of Bones, and Vampire Academy could have been better. And if they had been better, we might have had the pleasure of watching the entire series unfold.

And that concludes my thoughts on book-to-movie adaptations. I’m looking forward to seeing The Maze Runner and The Giver in theaters, and hope I’ll only have good things to say. We shall see.

*I apologize for the late post. Better late than never, I guess? I meant to write this post well in advance and have it scheduled, but I procrastinated when I returned home from vacation, and then went straight to college orientation for two days. Oh, the excuses. Sigh.

Be sure to check out the other blogs participating in the chain! Also, please share your thoughts!

June 5 – Against the Shadows
June 6 – The Loony Teen Writer
June 7 – Sammi Talk
June 8 – The Little Engine That Couldn’t
June 9 – This Page Intentionally Left Blank
June 10 – Relatively Curious
June 11 – Charley R’s Learning Tower of Plot
June 12 – Tara Therese
June 13 – The Weirdy Station…And Once in a While Everything, Something, and Nothing
June 14 – fairy skeletons
June 15 – Musings From Neville’s Navel
June 16 – The A.R. Files
June 17 – Magic and Writing
June 18 – A Mirror Made of Words
June 19 – Brooke Reviews
June 20 – Miriam Joy Writes
June 21 – page eight hundred ninety
June 22 – Unikke Lyfe
June 23 – Aaron and Tamara Cole Books
June 24 – Butterflies of the Imagination
June 25 – The Upstairs Archives
June 26 – Turtles in My Soup
June 27 – Miss Alexandrina
June 28 – Teens Can Write, Too!