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Do you guys remember the movie Gattaca? Anyone? Anyone?
If not, here’s a rundown for you: it’s set in a future where people can genetically engineer their children to be perfect, but our main character (Ethan Hawk) wasn’t engineered in such a way. He was just like the rest of us (and even had a bad heart if memory serves.)
Anyway…Ethan and his little brother used to have swimming races out into the ocean and Ethan–the non-engineered boy with the bad heart–would win.
How could the boy with the “bad” body win?
Why did this happen?
Well, here’s your answer:
It’s really all about the swim back, isn’t it?
And, believe it or not, this is something that I think about all the time when writing–especially when writing series because there’s always a little part of me that worries that I’ll use up all the good stuff in book 1 or 2 or 3 or whatever book I’m working on.
Wait, I should horde it, save it, stretch it out, I tell myself. What if another good idea never comes along–I should make this one laaaaaaast.
But that’s wrong. Absolutely, totally, and completely wrong.
Because A. if you drag stuff out for too long no one will want to read the next book because the current book was so boring. And B. because that’s not how you get better, dig deeper. Swim farther. No good comes from saving things for the swim back.
One of my favorite new shows of this TV season has been The Vampire Diaries because while lesser shows might (and do) milk storylines until they’re far past their prime, the Vampire Diaries is constantly moving, jabbing, shaking so that just when I start to think I know where they’re going they pull the rug out from under us and take the show in an entirely new direction.
There have been at least three different story arcs that I expected to lead up to the big season finale and all of them have gone poof–not one of them was saved or stretched or dragged along.
They haven’t saved anything for the swim back.
And for that I kinda love them.
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–Ally
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This post is going into my bookmarks.
I remember watching Gattaca 2 years ago in my 7th grade science class. It was such a good movie! Please keep writing GG books. You are an amazing writer. Can’t wait untill GG4 comes out!
and i totally agree with Jagna18
I luv Vampire Diaries also! #1 show lol
Sure it sucks that they aren’t like L.J. Smith’s very amazing books but they are still very capturing. There’s always something or someone new in every episode and it just grabs your attention and leaves you hangin, making you want more. I just caught up on the series like…10 minutes ago which is very funny.
Can’t wait til June!
Okay. So I had to watch that movie for Bio this year, and it was awesome. I really like how you tied “the swim back” into writing, and I thought it was really funny how you mentioned VD because me and my sisters were just talking about catching up on the latest episodes– Funny how the world works sometimes. =]
love your books cant wait till GG4! love Zach
actually, castle isn’t new AT ALL! I’VE been watching it for one and a half years now! but i agree it is great! have you seen the newest episode and how she jumped into the bathtub at the last second??? WOW! that show also has a lot of twists too
Uhm Hello I am a guy reader/writer. Love you books Heist was amazing
Gattaca is a stellar movie. It’s my ‘get hyped for an exam’ movie, just because of that scene. And because of the scene where he collapses when he gets off the treadmill, because I swear that’s what I feel like after running.
Snaps for Ally!
OMG! i soooo love the vampire diaries! and i loved watching the movie gattaca cause my bio teacher made us watch it during class and i totally loved the theme of it! she told us that some scientist is working on that right now and in the near future it will be optional that we can get to choose the features our babies can have! well any ways thanks ally!
Ooh, looks cool. Reading other’s comments, I finally get what VD stands for. Before, I had no clue.
And you’re back!
Love, Hannah
that is so funny! we just watched that moving in bio like a month ago because we were studying DNA. It really is a good movie, and you are so right about the whole “swimming back” thing
ha ha! I saw that movie in science! I feel terrible in the end though, with the one guys who lends his name.. :’(
from dr ramono?..cause i know a maggie in that class
I love The Vampire Diaries too. I didn’t think I would like it because I’m getting a little worn out from all of the vampire stuff but they make it seem more interesting.
Wow, very inspiring Ally! I’ve been trying to get myself into writing one of my many book ideas, this will definately help.
By the way Ally have you seen the new show on ABC called Castle? Its about author that wrote a murder mystery and now he helps the police solve murders, so cool!
That is some really great advice. Thanks, Ally!
OMG!!!!!!!!!! i love tat show!!!! i fell in love with the books first and now im doing the same with the show!!!!! i just love how theyr not following the book exactly but just using cerntain parts of it so fans of the book dont know what to expect nxt!!! its my absolut FAV show!!
OMG i was just looking 4 the 16th episode of the vampire diaires cuz i missed it yesterday ):!!! it’s so exciting!!!
Gattaca is one of my all time favorite movies! Everyone in that movie is fantastic and it delivers a great but subtle message! I’m so glad you like Gattaca too!
Hey Ally. I have to tell you somthing… YOU ARE AN AWESOME WRITER!!!! I hope you never give up on being a writer. The way you keep the books moving and spinning. It’s awesome! A few times I wanted to scream at cammie or scream at the book! Don’t get me wrong, I LOOOOOOVVVVEEE your books but because you pull the chair out from under me I felt mad that you left you books at cliffs! (Dang’et cliffhangers!) But agian please don’t get me wrong I love your books, your style of writting and the origanal ideas!!! LOVE your books big fan!!
i totally agree at least VD has stuff to keep you wanting more much like the VA series!
Haha that’s funny that you mention Gattaca! My Biology teacher made us watch it and I thought ‘Oh here’s going to be another boring Science Movie’ but I LOVED Gattaca!!! Also I LOVE The Vampire Dairies!!
The Vampire Diaries is an AMAZING show. It’s my favorite show right now. There is a new twist around every corner and the plot just keeps on moving. The characters are quite interesting too (Damon being my personal favorite).
I look forward to every episode and never know what to expect from them.
I remember watching Gattaca. I love VD too, it’s cool that they take different directions with the story.
Gattica was amazing. Fabulous performances by Ethan Hawke and Jude Law.
The Vampire Diaries is my absolute FAVE show right now. What I love about it is that, like you said, it doesn’t drag out the storyline, and every episode always present an unexpected surprise at the very end that makes you want to kill (and hug, but mostly kill) the writers. After every episode I, like Jagna18, am always staring with my mouth WIDE open at my tv screen.
hey ally i’ve never seen VD but think im gonna start now =D keep writing
I Love the Vampire Diaries!! Im also glad they keep the plot moving. I only read the books right before the show came out… but was debating whether or not that would ruin the suspense from the show. But it hasn’t cause they continue to surprise me with twist after twist!!
It happens to be that VD is my favorite show also. The factors that makes it such a good show make for a good book too. 1: While caring about the fans opinion, don’t get too carried away. Do what is right for the plot, and if the fans are upset for your killing off a favored character, they’ll get over it if the story is good. 2: And like you said, don’t drag it out. 3: Also, act unexpectedly, the best books are when you feel like you were just punched in the gut b/c you were not expecting that. (At the end of most VD shows I just stare blankly at the screen for a while!) The best writers are the ones that if you met them in the street, you would want to give them a hug.. and then start yelling at them.