What Would You Put in Your Fiction Museum?

I have probably mentioned before - maybe a dozen times by now - that Raiders of the Lost Ark is one of my favorite films. (Ignore all sequels; by comparison, they suck.) In Raiders, an object takes center stage as archaeologists and villains compete to be the ones in possession of the ancient and powerful Ark of the Covenant.

I started thinking of books in which an object is a central part of setting or a symbol for the character. What fictional objects do I wish were real and I could see and touch?

So for Deep-Fried Friday, I am opening my own museum.

Welcome to Julie's Novelties of Novels!

Enter inside and see what is featured in today's exhibit.

Sherlock Holmes's Pipe

While Sherlock Holmes is best known for smoking a Callabash pipe, this type is not mentioned in the short stories or novels by Arthur Conan Doyle. Instead, the most commonly referenced pipe is a churchwarden, which Sherlock smoked often when contemplating problems and solutions.

Image: pipetobacco.com

Source: PipesMagazine.com

  

The Hatter's Top Hat

Lewis Carroll never referred to him as the "Mad Hatter," although we all know him as such from the Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. Instead, he was merely The Hatter. His tea parties were quite the event, so why shouldn't one look dapper wearing a Victorian top hat?

Sources: Several, including Lenny's Alice in Wonderland site

Harry Potter's Invisibility Cloak

This item is heavily guarded due to its magical powers. Used by Harry Potter and friends in the series by J.K. Rowling, invisibility can come in quite handy from time to time.

Image from thlog.com

The Wardrobe to Narnia

Although we often picture a rather ornate wardrobe for the Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis only specified that it was big and had a looking glass in it. This Victorian wardrobe is the portal into the land of Narnia where animals talk and a lion rules.

Image from antiques-atlas.com

 Sleeping Beauty's Spinning Wheel
First told in the 17th century, the tale of Sleeping Beauty involves jealousy, an evil woman with a spinning wheel, and a curious young woman who cannot resist this fascinating gadget. Prick, sleep, and wait for a handsome prince. Charles Perrault, the Brothers Grimm, and Pyotr Tchaikovsky each told the story in their own way.
Image from The Canterbury Auction Galleries

One Ring to Rule Them All

"One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them,
One ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them."
Thus is the inscription in Black Speech on the ring featured in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien. The volcano ash has been polished off the ring for its display here.
Image by Marios Tziortzis

The Cat's Hat
The mischief maker from The Cat in the Hat maintained his distinctive look with this red-and-white hat which towered above his devious feline mind. Dr. Seuss's tale has been a beloved one since its printing in 1957.
Image from Okie Book Woman's Blog (cute Seuss stuff)

Now it's your turn: What would you put in your fiction museum? What items stand out to you in stories, books, television, or movies?

15 Famous Fiction Sidekicks

One of my duties at church camp a couple of weeks ago was to assist the secretary with various administrative tasks.  We wear nametags all week for identification and security, so I added “M’s Sidekick” to the job description on my nametag.  It seemed appropriate, and she rather liked that idea! 

That got me thinking (albeit everything gets writers thinking):  People love a good sidekick!  And even if you don’t like the sidekick, they provide opportunities for the main personality to shine. 

Who are some famous fiction sidekicks?  My definition of fiction here includes books, movies, comics, television, and more!   For this post, fiction is simply the world of make-believe, and any such character counts. 

Barbie & Ken – Really, no one would ever buy the Ken doll without having the Barbie doll first.  He’s only there to make her look good. 

Batman & Robin – Thank goodness for Robin’s “Holy Torpedoes, Batman!” that made Bruce Wayne look smart and strong when he unveiled the plan to defeat the treacherous villain. 

Calvin & Hobbes – If you don’t have a sidekick, turn your stuffed animal into one!  It’s all the better if your fluffy tiger friend is actually wiser than you. 

Captain & Gilligan – If you never saw Bob Denver as the beatnik Maynard in The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, you missed a truly great sidekick!  On Gilligan’s Island, however, Denver turned sidekick status into main character focus.  He was only the first mate, but the action revolved around him. 

Don Quixote & Sancho Panza – The Man of La Mancha is not alone in his quest for adventure.  He convinces the uneducated Sancho Panza to be his squire.  Sancho faithfully discharges his duties, while recognizing that his knight is not exactly as sharp as a sword.

Han Solo & Chewbacca – Without the Wookiee there, Han is a lonely guy smuggling goods and talking to himself.  With Chewie, you know that for all his brashness at the beginning, he has a big heart and a good friend.  Plus, I love the line, “Laugh it up, furball!”

John Steed & Mrs. Peel – Yes, there were others who played sidekick to Patrick Macnee’s Steed in The Avengers, but Emma Peel (Diana Riggs) was the best.  His old-fashioned car and trim dress were nicely contrasted with her Lotus Elan and trendy fashion.  Moreover, their word play and chemistry were classic.

Leonard & Sheldon – We can argue this a bit, I suppose – whether Sheldon is actually Leonard’s sidekick.  But his character never really grows; he just provides the interesting background and side stories that demonstrate how Leonard is learning to negotiate the world around him. And what a great job actor Jim Parsons does with that!

Lone Ranger & Tonto – Tonto defined “faithful companion” as he rode alongside the Lone Ranger.  I don’t know much about this one, but it was my father’s favorite growing up so it goes on the list!

Lucy & Ethel – Lucy wouldn’t have been able to get into so many hilarious fixes if Ethel wasn’t there to accompany her.  Let’s face it:  We’re all more willing to do something stupid when a friend will do it with you.

Marlin & Dory – Disney loves sidekicks!  But the one that stands out to me is the brilliant performance of Ellen Degeneres as Dory, a fish with a short-term memory problem.  Her humorous quips are a perfect contrast to Albert Brooks’s worried father character.

Mr. Rourke & Tattoo – Having grown up in the era of Fantasy Island, the image of these two men in white suits welcoming guests to the island of dreams is forever etched in my mind.  Imagine Mr. Rourke having no one to tell who was coming onto the island; you wouldn’t know why anyone was there!  And Rourke looked even more savvy and wise when Tattoo looked up at him and called him “Boss.”

Shaggy & Scooby-Doo – Or should it be Scooby-Doo & Shaggy?  Which one was the sidekick?  They hid together, shivered in fear together, took the “other way” from Fred, Daphne, and Velma to encounter ghosts together, and gorged on pizza together.  What else can you expect from man’s best friend? 

Sherlock Holmes & Mr. Watson – Mr. Watson was our window into observing the genius and challenges of Sherlock Holmes.  In fact, it is Mr. Watson who often encourages Sherlock to use his talents to solve crimes.

Wayne & Garth – It was Wayne’s World, but without Garth it’s just a creepy guy in a basement with a video camera.  With Garth, it's two creepy guys in a basement with a video camera!  And they were really funny.

So who else would you list in the sidekick category?  Who are your favorites in literature, film, comics, etc.?  Do you have any favorite scenes with sidekicks?

Friday Fiction: The Power of Three

Among the mainstays in the world of fiction is the TRILOGY.  As I cracked upon Mockingjay, the third book in the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, I wondered why a set of three is so common. 

It made me think how decorators are always saying that knick-knacks, vases, and other décor should come in sets of three because that is more appealing to the eye.  There are the clichés that “Good things come in threes” or “Bad things come in threes,” depending on whether you are hearing it from an optimist or a pessimist.  My own faith, Christianity, values the number three since God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit constitute the Trinity.  More threes include the Three Musketeers, the Three Stooges,  three Charlie’s Angels, three branches of government, three parts of a nucleus, the three Chipmunks, three primary colors, Christopher Columbus’s three ships, and three judges on American Idol (that fourth one never worked). 

So are we just fascinated by threes, and thus the fictional trilogy seems the perfect length to tell a tale?  After all, when we talk of a story having a beginning, a middle, and an end, that’s another three. 

Here are a few of the fiction trilogies I’ve read.  

Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien – The ultimate fantasy trilogy which set the standard for many that followed.  The Fellowship of the Ring, Two Towers, and Return of the King relate the tale of a reluctant hobbit and his friends’ quest to overcome forces of evil in Middle-earth.

Maggie Quinn vs. Evil – Author Rosemary Clement-Moore calls this a series, but until she writes a fourth book (go right ahead, Rosemary!) I’m calling it a trilogy, which I read this year.  Prom Dates from Hell, Hell Week, and Highway to Hell are the three so far, which deal with Maggie Quinn and her brushes with demons. 

Midnighters Trilogy – Written by Scott Westerfeld, this young adult trilogy consists of The Secret Hour, Touching Darkness, and Blue Noon.  It’s a fascinating series about teenagers with supernatural abilities and evil lurking at midnight. 

Space Trilogy by C.S. Lewis – Consisting of The Silent Planet, Perelandra, and That Hideous Strength, this science fiction trilogy takes place in three planets of our solar system.  Lewis had started a fourth, The Dark Tower, but he didn’t finish before his death in 1963. 

Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams – Okay, I know it’s not a trilogy, but it was originally intended to be.  I did read Hitchhiker’s Guide, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, and Life, the Universe, and Everything.  Adams still used the word trilogy, calling Mostly Harmless "the fifth book in the increasingly inaccurately named trilogy."  And I think that’s funny, so I’m keeping it on the trilogy list! 

There are several others that began as a trilogy (The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice), caught fire, and led to a slew of books in the series.  It’s awfully tempting for an author to keep giving readers what they seem to want and are definitely willing to buy.  (Check out this interesting article about "Trilogy Creep" -  the strange tendency of trilogies to expand and see more and more works added.)  Mind you, I only read the first three of Rice’s vampire series and happily have no idea what happened after that; presumably more blood-sucking. 

What do you think of trilogies?  Why are they so popular?  What trilogies have you read?  Which ones would you recommend?

Bonus Post: Flash Fiction

Flash Fiction is a style of writing for extreme brevity.  I found a great Flash Fiction challenge posted by fellow author Haley Whitehall.  Here are the rules of the challenge, with a May 1 deadline:

• You must start your story with the sentence: "She had been warned, but now it was too late."
• The story must be 500 words or less.
• I’ve read a lot of flash fiction stories that express an incomplete idea so for my challenge I am challenging you to make sure your story has a clear beginning, middle and end.

Without further ado, here is my first ever Flash Fiction story (at 497 words - 3 words to spare!): 

Just Desserts

                She had been warned, but now it was too late.

                Notes and printouts scattered across the floor like unraked autumn leaves.  Tracy had sifted through every page, gasping with each revelation.  She slumped against the wall, cushioned by dresses and coats on her side of the walk-in closet, and moaned.

                The heady eight-week romance had dragged her from a mundane life to a miraculous one; Joe was everything she didn’t know she wanted.   When the tall, athletic accountant proposed, Tracy knew that Fate was finally delivering her just desserts.  In fact, Joe was a red-velvet cake with creamy white icing, chocolate shavings, and a scoop of French vanilla to boot.  Despite her sister cornering her after the engagement and insisting that “Something isn’t right about this guy!,” they eloped, honeymooned, settled in, and began married life with odds in their corner.

                Now less than a year later, she studied her wedding ring in the dim glow of a 60-watt bulb and wondered where she owed allegiance.  Legally she couldn’t be forced to testify against her husband, but morally could she let a crime go unanswered?

                Tracy’s cell phone rang and Joe in a Rangers baseball cap smiled at her from the screen.  She let the call go to voicemail, then listened to his message: “Hey, Sweetheart. Getting off early.  Be home soon. Love you.”

                She gathered and stacked the papers in order, dropped them into the box, and sealed it carefully.  Using the stepstool, she returned the evidence to its place on the dusty shelf.

***

                Her text to Joe was brief, “Found the papers. Called the police. Leaving.”  It had been a grueling week deliberating her options, but her conscience had prodded her like a woodpecker’s beak.  Principle trumped passion.

                As Tracy ambled with her suitcase down the driveway, a taxi pulled up and Joe jumped free before it halted. “Thank God I caught you!” he yelled. “Got your passport?”

                Panting and perspiring, he ran with eyes blazing and suit coat flapping at his sides.

                “What?”

                “Passport.  You’ll need it.”

                “Joe,” she whispered.

                “Tracy,” he said breathlessly, “I’ve been gathering that info to turn it in.  Our phones are bugged. They’ll be coming to kill us.”

                “What!” she shrieked.  “Who?”

                “Can’t explain now.  We’ve got to go!”

                Joe grasped her wrist and pulled her toward the house.  Tracy’s brain vacillated between anxiety about Joe and the word “they.”  But familiarity trumped fear.

                She ran up the steps with him, watched him toss basics into a duffle bag and grab the box from the closet, and wheeled her suitcase out the front door a second time.  Before exiting the house, Joe yanked passports from the study desk.

***

                She held his hand and looked through the smudged airplane window.  Joe had insisted on getting out of the country before contacting the FBI.  Three times, Tracy’s life had changed in a moment – meeting her husband, calling the police, trusting Joe.

                Time would reveal whether Tracy’s devotion trumped doubt.

Friday Fiction: How Many Pages to the Tootsie Roll Center?

My current reading stack

I was one of those honor roll high school students who read every book assigned in English class.  Recommend a good book to me, and I’m all over it!  I fondly recall reading classics like To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Sons and Lovers by D.H. Lawrence, and The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka.  When we discussed novels in class, I participated fully in discussing characters, plot, setting, symbolism, and lessons from the story.

Except for the two novels when I didn’t.

My sister and I were once discussing our respective high school experiences.  Her attitude had been a bit different from mine.  It went something like, “Why read the book when Cliff already did it for you?”  Or better yet, “Why attend English class when instead, I can write a please-excuse-from-class note and forge the signature, and leave campus to go eat chicken fried steak with my friends?” (That last one is an actual quote.)

I couldn’t fathom not following the reading list for an English class, much less skipping.  I asked if my sister’s teachers knew that she hadn’t read the books, and she said, “Of course not.”  So then I told her about the two novels that I didn’t read in high school.  In fact, refused to read!  And my teachers knew it.

Now I have a rule that I will read at least 50 pages of any novel before throwing it aside as not my cup of tea.  And I did read 50 pages of The Last of the Mohicans, which was a good-sized chunk of the book.  When I admitted in class that it was not capturing my attention, my English teacher said, “Well, the first fifty pages aren’t good, but the book gets much better after that.”

What?!!  Hadn’t she spent hours trying to teach us to hook our reader in the first line of a five-paragraph theme?  If James Fenimore Cooper gets to deliver hooey for 50 pages of his book, my teacher should only grade the last four of my five paragraphs!  Or allow me three pages of worthless writing in my twenty-page research paper!  Somehow, it didn’t work that way.

I read a few more pages, deliberated the lack of fairness in making otherwise cooperative students read a less-than-marvelous novel, and decided to protest.  I informed my teacher that I was done reading The Last of the Mohicans – 50+ pages in.  She couldn’t make me, and she knew that I had read everything else, so she let it go.  I listened carefully in class and made an A on the exam.  I have never felt the need to finish Cooper’s tome.

Then there was The Iliad.  I have wondered whether certain literature has remained on reading lists merely due to the tenacity of an ancient manuscript.  Homer’s works are grueling for me.  I trudged through The Odyssey in my freshman year, but when I was told to crack open The Iliad as a sophomore, I made it halfway through.  What I recall was Homer introducing a new character every few pages and then explaining in detail how he was killed in the battle.  Really?  Did I need to know that?  I could be reading J.R.R. Tolkien or a Brontë sister instead!  So I stopped.  And informed my teacher.

I got my Cliffs Notes (absolutely the way to get through Homer in my opinion), listened in class, got tips from friends, and flew through the test.  I think we also had to write an essay on some portion of the novel, and as you might suspect, I analyzed the first part which I had read and ignored the remainder.

Now that I’ve made my way through all the formal schooling I intend to receive and my reading time is entirely my own, I have tossed aside more books than I can count which didn’t capture my attention in those crucial first 50 pages.  Hey, if you can’t get to the Tootsie Roll center of a novel in 50 pages, it’s time to tear those pages apart with your teeth!

I think my 50-page rule is pretty generous.  I know friends who hurl novels to the sea if the first page doesn’t grab them.

So what are your criteria for continuing to read or quitting a novel?  Do you have a set number of pages or chapters that you try?  Do you continue to read long past when you probably should have quit?  Do you recall which books you didn’t complete?

Friday Fiction: Firecracker Duds

So what’s that one book that everyone raved about, that you spent $20 on the hardcover to purchase or twelve weeks on the library waiting list to receive, that you opened with excited anticipation . . . only to finish and wonder what all of the hullabaloo was about? 

For me, it was Life of Pi.  When I turned the last page and set the book down, I thought, “I want my two hours back.”  Or maybe I expended three or four.  I don’t know.  I’ve tried to block it out like a humiliating high school memory or the knowledge that your parents had sex.

But I do know that I was not interested in the story, and I kept reading because I thought, “Surely it must get better because everyone is talking about how great this novel is!”  To my mind, not only did it not get better, it got worse with one of the lamest endings I’ve ever read.

Let me be clear.  The author writes well.  The book was well-crafted.  But I am among those who need a character in a book that I can relate to or root for.  No such person existed in The Life of Pi for me.

Also, showing that it is my opinion alone, everyone else in my book club liked the book.  That did not, however, stop me from ranting about it at our meeting.  (By the way, thanks for listening, book club friends, or at least pretending to listen while you played with your dessert or made a shopping list in your mind).

I recently picked up another strongly suggested read from an acquaintance and after a hundred pages tossed it back into the library book drop without once wondering what the characters might do next in the 600-page novel.  I guess my taste just differed from my friend’s.  It happens sometimes.

How many “amazing” books were what my kids would term an Epic Fail for you?  What titles were rampantly recommended that turned out to be time-suckers or firecracker-duds?

Or have you recommended a book that you absolutely adored to someone who reported back that they didn’t like it at all?  Why do you think that happened?

Round of Words in 80 Days Update:  wrote 2,632 of 5,000 words this week; edited 81 of 186 pages in my middle-grade novel; trying out a new blogging goal of 3 times a week – Monday Mumblings, Wednesday Words, Friday Fiction (We’ll see how that goes!)