Meanderings of ECLIPSE, Stephanie Myers, an interesting writer observation...stuff like that.......

Hey guys, just thought I'd throw in my two cents about Eclipse and a few tidbits about the great Stephanie Myers. I went the first day it opened, which I usually don't do, but I already had my ticket, so I didn't have to do anything but walk in, so I did.

For those of you who pay any attention to what I say around here...LOL...you may be aware that I watch the Twilight movies first, then read the book, so I have no clue about what's going to happen, especially if there's a new character involved. Anyone who is an aspiring author, has heard time and time again, you should open your book with something interesting and in a meaningful moment of the story. Many new writers have interpreted this to mean open with some sort of dramatic action, whether that be a fight, a murder, a bomb or the character being in some kind of serious trouble. Now the problem with that is, unless the reader has connected with the character in some way and cares about them, they don't give a hoot about who's dying, who's facing some sort of peril etc. And how can they bond with the character unless they get a chance to know them first?

Much advice is offered on line and elsewhere, often by literary agents, suggesting the writer not do that. The first scene of Eclipse was a perfect example. Now maybe folks who read the book, understood, but when this big dramatic scene came on--a huge rainstorm, a guy apparently being stalked and ultimately attacked by some unseen force, I didn't have the merest clue about what was going on. I know the drama of the scene was meant to elicit an emotional reaction from me, but I didn't really have one because I was too busy trying to figure out who the guy was and why I should care about what happens to him. At first, with all that rain, it took a few seconds for me to realize he was under some kind of attack...LOL...anyway this was an excellent example of what writers are warned not to do and I saw very vividly why that is so.


Now. Regardless of what I noted above, I really enjoyed the movie. I think if I saw it again, understanding who that guy is, I'd have a much different reaction! And it wouldn't feel so disconcerting. There's a lot more direct conflict between Edward and Jacob and that made things very interesting--another important writer tip: conflict is good--very good. There were so many ooohs and ahhs from the girls in the audience, it was pretty hysterical. I don't want to spoil it for those of you that are clueless about the story as I was, so suffice it to say, there were scenes between Bella and Edward and Bella and Jacob, that the girls were definitely feeling and they were not shy about making their feelings known in the theater...LOL...I think I enjoyed the audience response as much as the show itself...LOL...A few guys took umbrage to the way Bella was treating Jacob and yelled out about it...LOL...

Kristin Stewart looked prettier to me in this film. In the first Twilight, she was kind of a plan Jane type, but she looked prettier this time around. I'm not sure why. Maybe she was wearing more make-up. I did note a pretty lipstick in a very subtle shade in one scene, so maybe they decided to make her a bit more of a babe. I also noted just the opposite with Robert Pattinson. He was not as pretty and I wasn't sure why. Then I noticed his eyebrows. They didn't pluck them as they did in the first Twilight. I can't recall how they looked in New Moon, but they were definitely wild and wooly this time around. Perhaps the director thought he looked too metrosexual before...LOL...I definitely connected more with Jacob this time. In my post about New Moon, I felt the Jacob in the movie, was not as compelling as the one in the book. Taylor Lautner was really working it this time around and I have to say, I think I moved over to Team Jacob's side--shocking!

One final observation. I'm sure you all know about the latest Myer story, The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner. It's a novella which is shorter in length than a novel and very difficult if not impossible for a writer to get sold as a stand-alone book. When I saw Bree in the movie, it was only for a couple of very swift scenes and I couldn't imagine what Myers could have wrote about. I am going to read it online to find out, but my point is just to say, that is the power of celebrity. I'm always amazed where fame can take a person. Because she's Stephanie Myers, they'll pretty much publish anything she writes, no matter how short or possibly inconsequential it is. Hey, I'm not knocking it, I say "go Stephanie!" I'm just fascinated with how celebrity affects people and the decisions that are made. Of course I'm not naive. These are business decisions and if the publisher thinks the book is going to sell and make money, they're going to publish it and well they should. It probably speaks more about the reading public than anything else.

 Anyhoo, thanks for dropping in, to those of you who took the time to read my thoughts about this cultural phenomenon. I hope you writers out there were helped by my little tidbits of advise. Enjoy the show for those who are going to see it. I certainly did. And now it's time for me to read the book. Breaking Dawn, part one will be coming out in the Fall and I have to be ready!

Toodles!