On Inspiration And The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter

So. The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter at Universal Studios.

 

I had never gone to the WWOHP until last week.

 

Hogsmeade. Diagon Alley. I went to both of them.

 

AND I HAD A BLAST. OBVIOUSLY. BECAUSE YES.

 

I was also quite inspired by everything. Confession: I've been putting off WIP revisions for about a month now, but once I returned from my trip, I felt reenergized to work again. I've written a little, but I plan on writing more as the days roll on. My drive and focus? Back where they belong.

 

I owe a lot to the WWOHP. Not only did I fangirl squeal most of the time, I also felt this weight lifted off my shoulders. There I was, skipping along streets and barging into shops and eating food that existed in one woman's head for so long, and they were right where I could touch them. Right where I could enjoy them. I stopped thinking about stories as things I needed to perfect. Revisions are fun for me, but with this WIP, I've been struggling. The joy was sucked out of the writing experience. For the rest of my trip, though, my WIP and other stories became fangirl squeals. They were my source of joy, even if most of them aren't even worthy enough of full commitment. Even if they give me the hardest time of all hard times.

 

It's about time I enjoyed my imagination again.

 

So. WWOHP. Thank you for giving me back what was missing. Oh, and I'm definitely returning someday. Because this:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*swoons*

Blog Chain: From Page To Screen

So. This blog chain round is brought to you by the awesome Michelle, who wants to know the following:

There are so many book-to-movie adaptations out there. Which are your favorites? Which are your least favorites? Why? Do you make sure you've read a book before you go see the movie adaptation, or do you prefer to read it after, or not at all?

LOVE this topic. *dances* Okay. My favorite book-to-movie adaptations tend to be those who either stay pretty faithful to the book or make me love the book even more after watching it. Here are two of my absolute faves:

THE HUNGER GAMES. 

Super, duper faithful to the book. Also, Liam Hemsworth. *sigh*

HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX

Not totally faithful to the book, but honestly, I get SO EXCITED whenever I'm about to watch this movie. It makes me want to pick up the book and read it again, even though reading the book was a traumatizing experience for me (Harry pissed off at his friends? Dolores Umbridge invading Hogwarts? WHY SIRIUS WHY????). 

And here are two of my least fave adaptations:

 

ERAGON

I liked this movie, but it is nowhere near as suspense-y, intricately layered, and HARDCORE as the book. It did let me stare at Garrett Hedlund, though, and I shall be forever grateful for that.

 

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE

This is my favorite Harry Potter book. No, really, it is. But the movie disappointed me. No Dumbledore's Army battling the Death Eaters as they invade Hogwarts. No funeral for Dumbledore. AND THAT KISS WITH GINNY WHAT WAS THAT I CAN'T EVEN. *sigh* 

As for reading the book before seeing the movie, I always try to do so. BUT only if I like what the book's about. I saw Water For Elephants without reading the book first, for example, thinking it wasn't going to leave a humongous impression on me. I ended up liking the movie a lot, and now I want to read the book! *makes grabby hands* I'm the kind of person who gets OMG excited when film rights are sold for books I love, though. I don't really worry about the quality of the movie until I actually see the movie. Or a trailer. I can be fickle like that. :)

I just want someone to bring November 2013 here already so I can watch Catching Fire. Because obviously.

Make sure you check out Cole's post for the chain, and stay tuned tomorrow for Margie's!

Now tell me: did you like any of these adaptations? Are there other adaptations you're head over heels for?? 

Thank You, Harry

So. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.

Folks, I saw it.

Yesterday.

And I plan on seeing it again.

As many times as I can.

Yes, the franchise is over. There will be no more books or movies. And while this makes me very sad, I can only be grateful:

And, of course, thank you, J.K.

You changed my life for the better.

Fess Up Friday: Will Harry Make You Cry?

Welcome to another edition of Fess Up Friday!!

*throws confetti*

My question for y'all today is: do you think you'll cry while watching the last Harry Potter film?

"Come and get me, Lizard Face!"--Harry Potter

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING LIZARD FACE?????"--Voldemort. 

My answer: HELL YES.

I will cry.

I will lose my very soul.

*sigh*

Wake me up when July ends, folks.

*runs off to a corner and sobs*


What about you? Will seeing Harry one last time make you cry?

Fangirl Moment Of The Week: Harry Effing Potter!

I have not stopped screaming since watching THIS:

You're welcome.



Now tell me: what have you been excited about this week??

Why I Love Harry Potter: LOL Characters

At last, we come to my Reasons Why I Love Harry Potter conclusion *sobs* This last reason is one that really takes the cake for me. I mean, yeah, Rowling's series is packed with gloom and doom, right? Voldemort is a nasty piece of work, isn't he? The Death Eaters??? Professor Freakin' Umbridge?????

That's why I appreciate Rowling's balance--she gives us the darkest of the dark, and the brightest of the bright.

She makes us laugh moments before we're forced to cry.

These are some of the best examples (to me) of LOL characters in the series:

The Weasley Twins

Naughty + Sneaky + Sarcastic = Awesome

Luna "Loony" Lovegood

She says it like it is. Believes in things/creatures everyone else knows doesn't exist. Has a heart of gold. What's not to love?

Rubeus Hagrid

A kid in a grownup's suit. With a kickass bike. And a really bad hair day... every day. 

Dobby the house elf

Refers to himself in the third person tense. Is more afraid of dirty laundry than his Death Eater ex-master.  Gets seriously. Pissed. Off. When people talk trash about Harry. Can we clone him??

There they are, folks--LOL characters top off what makes the world of Harry Potter an epic win. 

Anybody else who makes you laugh out loud??

Why I Love Harry Potter: Romance Takes Time

Romance. Me hearts it.

BUT I like my romance slow. Complicated. Full of WTF moments.

I like my romance real.

That means no blink-of-an-eye, I-just-met-you-and-you're-the-one kind of thing. Sure, people have gut feelings when it comes to meeting a person for the first time, but books shouldn't all be in favor of the Insta-Love formula. True love builds, piles on the layers, and stays strong amid the nastiest of storms.

This is why J. K. Rowling nailed it for me, friends. Because she created two characters that took. Their. Time.

Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger

As a reader, I was c-o-n-s-t-a-n-t-l-y waiting for these two to see the light. Tons of fans responded very well to the way Rowling handled the evolution of their relationship: BFFs first, then something more. Some harmless teasing here and there, frequent arguments regarding house elf rights, the occasional love triangle with Hot Foreign Quidditch Player and Incredibly Annoying Stalker Girl, and you've got yourself a romance that spans the seven seas.

And seven books *brain explodes*

Folks, romance takes time. In real and fake life. Nothing beats reading that fateful moment where two perfect-for-each-other characters finally take the plunge. 

Why I Love Harry Potter: Severus Freakin' Snape

I've already talked about world-building in Harry Potter and how it rocks. Today I'm going to talk about something else that rocks.

Severus. Freakin'. Snape.

♫ I'm too sexy for my robes... too sexy for my robes... ♫

Hero. Villain. Readers are always wondering which side he's truly fighting for. Aside from the ever-awesome Lord Voldemort, he's the richest and most complex character in Rowling's novels. *dodges bullets from Dumbledore fans* Yes, Dumbledore is rich and complex and uber-smart and incredible, but you know from the start the type of person he is--an honest and kind advocate for justice. 

Snape? Not so much.

It might be all that black wardrobe action. It might be the abrupt ways he cuts off his students (i.e., Hermione). I don't know 100% what it is about him that appeals to fans, but I do have a theory.

He's a badass with a heart.

Deep down, there's something beating in that body of his.

Very. Deep. Down.

And that's why he's so much fun to read about--you're always looking for that moment when he'll show his heart to the world. When it happens, it. Is. Epic. 

What about you? Got some love for Snape? Or do you wish someone would Avada Kedavra his boo-tay?

Why I Love Harry Potter: World-building

Reminder: Go check out Laura Diamond's awesome guest post over @ Operation Awesome today!!


The countdown begins, my friends. The Deathly Hallows Part I premieres this week. No, I am not teary-eyed yet *wipes eyes quickly*

So. Today we start with Reason #1 on the Why I Love Harry Potter list.

Which is...

World-building.

 Come on, now: an orphan kid who discovers he's a freakin' wizard? And there's, like, a special school for his kind? With games that involve stealing dragon eggs? And flying on broomsticks????

I. Am. Sold. 

But I wasn't sold so easily *blushes with shame* The minute my middle school BFF told me about Harry Potter, I went all indifferent and "meh." Then I gave the book a chance and bought it. And read it. And wanted to be exactly where Harry was. His reality was my fantasy, one I never saw coming. Everything about Rowling's world is just plain beautiful, even the not-so-beautiful parts (i.e. all the Dark Lord stuff). Sometimes I feel like Hogwarts is just around the corner, Hogsmeade is a couple steps ahead, and Godric's Hollow is a one-hour bus ride away. 

And that, my friends, is excellent world-building :D

What about you? Any books who have such excellent world-building that you feel like they're real?