Hamlet
Act 2, Scene 2
Polonius: What do you read, my lord?
Hamlet: Words, words, words.
Out of Joint takes its title from Hamlet, is set in Victorian England, and involves time paradoxes. Not what you would call a typical romance, I guess, but that is the beauty of the internet age: atypical romances gets the chance to see the light of day with epublishing.
Getting to the light, however, has taken some hair-pulling, cursing and a lot of wishing I had never thought of writing a time travel story in the first place. And I ended up with two (Wings of a Butterfly, part of the 1NS series). You know that bit where God laughs at you? Am feeling it.
Much is made of inspiration, the muse(s; nine of them!) and originality (or lack thereof). While I'd like to think I came up with all this stuff all by my lonesome, let's face it, standing on the shoulders of giants here. I can certainly see bits of what I read and watch in my own writings. Let's take a peek into this author's favourites, then:
Movie: How to Marry a Millionaire
Book Adaptation: ITV's Northanger Abbey
TV series: Dr. Who (but of course.)
Comedy series: Gavin and Stacey
Book: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Book (Classics): North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
Book (Romance): A Precious Jewel by Mary Balogh
Book (Science Fiction): Foundation by Issac Asimov
Book (Crime Fiction): The Cater Street Hangman by Anne Perry
Book (Teen): The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Short Story: Dumb Martian by John Wyndham
You can sort of guess what kind of person I am, ha ha.
But just like Hamlet can be interpreted in many ways, all the things that I am influenced by gets filtered through my (somewhat dirty) mind and voila, a time travel, historical romance. At the end of the day, it's the ride that matters. And, damn, it has been a good ride for me. Hope you enjoy it, too.
Oh, and Willsie, sorry, eh, if you'd rather not be associated with a romance of little acclaim.
(Somehow, though, I do not think he'd mind.)
So, what are some of your favourites? I love to read favourites lists, and read/watch the things on them, too. Do share!
A. Faris is the author of Out of Joint and the upcoming, Wings of a Butterfly. You can find her online at http://afariswrites.wordpress.com/, where she talks about books (usually not her own) and movies (no way her own).
3 comments:
ooh - Shadow of the Wind - have you read Angel's Game. I think I like that one even better!
I should have, but it is still in the TBR pile. And a part of me is afraid of reading it and not liking it. Or finding Shadow of the Wind ruined because of it. Silly, I know. :)
It's very similar - his style is unmistakable but I really did like it!!
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