Top 10 Fantasy Movies
I’ve put together a list of my favorite fantasy films for There And Draft Again this week. Some are classics in the genre and others have helped inspire me over the years, but all deserve a spot on this top 10 list. If you love fantasy, or you’re just a fan of movies, this is a great post for you! Here’s a teaser:
Check it out and leave a comment with some of your favorite fantasy movies!
Ode to Spring
There’s a warm sky above and the trees have new feathers. That’s when we return.
I dream about the fresh grass and sweet seeds all year. Yes, the flight back north is long, but it brings me what I love. I’ve done it twice before and gets easier each migration. This time I think mom was in my flock, but sometimes it’s hard to tell us apart. At least I kept eyes on little brother. He flew off my wing, wobbling and out of breath. Poor thing struggled to fly for even an hour. Makes sense. He hatched last season.
Once we arrived in the forest with people boxes where I was hatched, brother and I dig in to the dirt. The worms are plump and delicious, but once the sky gets hot, the worms dry up. Better to eat berries when the sky is hot and you better gobble them up quick. There is no reward for the weary. But for now, our meal is perfect. I even pecked out a few small ants from the grass. What a treat! During the cold sky, I only ate seed. Hard seed.
Other new hatches from last season flutter over next to brother. His worms get stolen. He’s still learning. Too slow to eat. Eyeing the flock around us, I hop over to his wing. “Like this,” I say, plucking a worm and swallowing it whole in one sharp move. “Flap and sing if others try to steal your worm.” But his voice is young and he doesn’t like to sing. Says he sounds like a hatchling. Well, he is, but that will change soon. We eat our fill for the night and return to the new feather trees.
The forest below moves. Fuzzies are running up the trees and big worms slide through the dirt . Many other birds come back, too. All colors. The people smile when we arrive more and more each day. The best days are almost here–when water comes from the sky and the worms come out by themselves. Easy dinner those days. And the more plants that wake, the sooner we can build our nests. Best time of year. Yes, I love when the sky is warm and the trees have new feathers.
Write What You Love, Love What You Write
There’s something unfortunate I’ve noticed lately. Across twitter and from discussions with writers over time, I’ve encountered writers who struggle with moving forward on a project or trying another story because of two major reasons: Either they’re intimidated by the publishing establishment or disenchanted with their own work. Some of them stop writing altogether. And this really saddens me. As a fellow writer, I’ve faced doubt many times throughout my writing process for a variety of reasons, but I want other writers to remember an important phrase: Write what you love, love what you write.
Regardless of all the market trends or popular genres that are getting the attention of publishers, agents, readers or whoever else, write what you love. If you love paranormal romance, keep penning those supernatural creatures. If you love dystopian, go for the gold. Don’t shy away because of gossip, rumors or assumptions of the industry. If it’s your passion, stick to it. Since it’s something you enjoy, you’ll know the ins and outs and that could give you an advantage whether you’re self publishing or seeking representation. Either way, keep writing what you love.
Secondly, love what you write. Whether it’s your first manuscript or tenth, be proud of it. If you don’t finish for whatever reason, be happy that you grew and learned as a writer from that exercise. Furthermore, don’t count yourself out, or assume you’re a terrible writer if your story gets mixed review. Not everyone loves every book ever written. Even bestsellers get mixed reviews. What matters is that you—the author—love your work. Given the time and effort you invested in the novel, you should love it. Even if it’s not your best, embrace it.
So stay strong, stay empowered and keep encouraging yourself to write what you love and love what you write.
Reviewing the Turn in Television
I noticed I haven’t written a blog about television lately. Honestly, there hasn’t been a show that I’ve jumped into (and that’s made it) long enough to write a review about. But, I am still watching my regularly scheduled programs with a curious thought nagging at me. Why do they (mostly) all suck now? Each of my shows started with such promise and they are without a doubt devolving into a shadow of their former glory. I can’t help but wonder why. And I think I’ve sorted it out for each of them:
Potential Spoilers Ahead!
How I Met Your Mother- The planning, foreshadowing and non-linear narrative made this show incredibly interesting. But at this point, HIMYM is suffering from running too long. A season or two ago, they set it up for the perfect ending. Everyone happy, Ted about to find the Mother, but then it got renewed. And renewed again. Now the writers are just coming up with silly, out of character material just to reach the finish line.
Glee- Showing the true plight of high school with edgier material helpfully padded by musical numbers and great solos brought me into this show. But the drama has become increasingly melodramatic, essentially turning Glee into an hour long PSA. Furthermore, by focusing so heavily on the old characters, they have made it difficult to attach to the new cast.
Revolution- Ok, this show had no glory to start in my opinion, just a clever concept. Regardless, it has moved the plot so quickly and suffered from excessive holes in the narrative that I struggle to maintain my belief in the world they’ve built. Moreover, after spending the whole first half of the season searching for Danny, they up and kill him? Pointless.
Once Upon a Time- The classic story retellings in this modern fairytale made Once an amazingly different kind of paranormal show in the thick of bland programming. Instead of calmly proceeding with the story and letting characters unfold, they jumped the shark and now they’re floundering around with what to do next.
A lot of these shows are challenged by poor planning and characterization. I find that these are common issues that plague a lot of stories and likely other television shows beyond the ones I mentioned. How are your favorite shows faring?
Pitch Wars Mentee 2014
Awards
