Adaptations

By: Eeleen Lee on 2:34 am

There are three types of book-to-film adaptation:

1) Good adaptation, bad film

The film sticks to the book's plot, characters and themes but forgets to be a great cinematic experience while doing so.

Examples: Perfume, Cloud Atlas, The Lovely Bones

2) Bad adaptation, good film

Book is filleted and sometimes jettisoned for the sake of the film. In some cases, only the title remains. Not necessarily a bad thing.

Examples: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, The Shining, any James Bond novel except for Casino Royale

3) Good adaptation and good film

The best outcome for fans, studios and movie audiences. Rarer than you think.

Examples: Life of Pi, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Atonement

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Publications for 2012

By: Eeleen Lee on 8:10 am

After nine months of not writing, I've had a sudden surge of publishing activity:

"Artificial Rock Aquarium" in Readings from Readings
"Oracle of Truth" in KL Noir
"Ninja Wings" in Esquire Malaysia (November 2012)

Review of "Naked" in The Directory of World Cinema: Great Britain

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Don't work with bad people

By: Eeleen Lee on 8:45 pm

Let me define 'bad' for the purposes of this post: If the nature of the job or their natures come into conflict with your ethics.

Continuing to do so means that you're eating shit. Don't eat shit from 9am-5pm, please. No matter how much they're paying you. It's not worth it.

For starters, you may not be able to wash the stains off your soul.

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Life Support

By: Eeleen Lee on 6:38 am

Another sterotype about writers is that we are egomaniacs. It must require a modicum of pig-headedness to put yourself out there and let's not forget the bragging rights when you see your name on bookshelves and Kindle bestseller lists.

If total ego comes into your writing your work becomes insufferable, but also accept that good writing will not occur without a defined sense of self. From this sense of self springs confidence.

I meet writers who prefer to tread water and never muster the resolve to either dive deep to start swimming in a certain direction. You may have met them too - the ones who still have ideas for novels, short stories, and scripts but are still "trying them out.", the ones still sorting through their notes for the last ten years, or aspirants who still view writing as a hobby.

If  writing is intergral to you exstence it's not a hobby! Do you tell family and friends that breathing is a hobby?! Or you will only exhale when you have spare time?

Art is your life-support system, not life is your art support system.

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We've always had the technology...

By: Eeleen Lee on 5:30 pm

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Change something!

By: Eeleen Lee on 1:19 pm

I love this current proliferation of motivational posters on the internet. The flowchart above is one of my favourites.

It also applies to when you're writing by the seat of your pants. Not happy with your story? CHANGE IT!

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Back To Work

By: Eeleen Lee on 3:32 pm

After a few years of striking out on my own I reapplied back into the rat race. The speed of the re-acceptance still un-nerves me. A lone wolf pacing up and down at the starting line.

I don't see it as selling out but being very practical. Royalties and flat fees pay well but are always deferred to a later month.

I'll still write and publish like a demon but I'll be earning $$$$ too. Also I'll starve a little less than before.

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Happy Year of the Dragon

By: Eeleen Lee on 8:45 am

Happy New Year

I'm gonna have a short story published in the UK this year- great start to 2012!

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