Review - The Princess Bride by S. Morgenstern, edited by William Goldman

Usually I read the book before I see the movie. Among the few exceptions are Jaws, Dexter, and The Princess Bride. I read TPB for the first time in high school. I had just seen and fell in love with the movie, and in my experience the book is always better. In this case, I’m not sure that’s the case.

Don’t get me wrong - I love this book. The movie was so fantastic, however, it’s hard to compete with it! But there are always little things in a book that don’t show up in the movie, and that is the case here. In my recent reread of TPB, I noticed how much satire Goldman infuses throughout it. Much of that couldn’t be conveyed in the movie.

Also, a good portion of the story is told in the introduction in supposedly autobiographical detail of the struggle Goldman had in editing Morgenstern’s work. It’s quite an interesting story, but not at all real! I didn’t get it when I read this as a teenager. I thought if it was an introduction by the author, it was all true. Nope, it was part of the story. See, there is no S. Morgenstern. And the difficulties Goldman described with Morgenstern’s estate (not to mention personal trials with his family) simply didn’t exist. He even goes so far as to add Stephen King into the tale, saying that the Morgenstern family had hired him to edit the sequel, Buttercup’s Baby. As you’ve probably guessed, there is no sequel – at least not until Goldman writes it, and it seems he has a bit of writer’s block when it comes to The Princess Bride. I probably would too. What can you write to follow such a popular novel that would satisfy the fans? I still hold out hope he will eventually finish it, because I’d love to read Buttercup’s Baby!

If you enjoy the movie, I think you’d like the book as well. You always get more detail in the book, and The Princess Bride is no exception. Do you want to know what’s so special about those four white horses Fezzik finds at the end of the movie? Do you want to know what led Rugen and Humperdinck to create the Pit of Despair? Do you want to learn how Inigo became the best fencer in the world? Pick up the book and let me know what you think!

And now, for your viewing pleasure, here is a reenactment of the Miracle Max scene with cats:

Novel Playlists - What Do You Listen to When You Write?

When I sit down in front of my computer to write, my usual writing soundtrack is background TV noise, the first-person shooter game my husband is playing on the X-Box, or various purrs and meows of my cats asking for attention. Occasionally, however, I will listen to music playlists as I write.

This was especially important when writing Magick Charm. One of my main characters, Rachel, was the lead singer in a band called Cajun Fried Steak. I listened to a sample CFS playlist as I wrote the scenes at Voodoo Pete’s, the bar where the band played. It helped me to visualize the scene in my mind more clearly, and hopefully make it all that much more tangible to the reader.

Here’s a playlist of all of the songs from Magick Charm: Magick Charm playlist

What do you listen to when you write?

Follow Friday: Summer Solstice and the Fae

Q. In light of the Summer Solstice. Also known as Midsummer...let's talk about fairies. What is your favorite fairy tale or story that revolves around the fae?

A. When the subject of the fae comes up, the first thing that comes to mind is the Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris. But maybe that’s because True Blood season 4 premiers on Sunday! I don’t want to give away any spoilers for those of you who haven’t read or watched it, so that’s about all I can say about the subject. Except I can’t wait until Sunday night!

I hope everyone had a fantastic solstice holiday this week!

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Editing - Show and Tell (and big scary sharks!)

Remember show and tell in kindergarten?

The students talk about an object they brought from home for a few minutes before the others get a chance to examine the object up close. They have the chance to see it and touch it. Depending on the item, all of the senses come into play, and they might be able to smell, taste, or listen to it as well. Then the teacher keeps the class moving quickly and asks the next student to take his turn.

Children can have short attention spans, though, so why does show and tell work?

Let me illustrate the answer with my own personal show and tell. I considered becoming a marine biologist when I was younger because I am fascinated by sea life. One of the most fantastic creatures to live in the ocean was the Megalodon. This enormous shark became extinct about 1.5 million years ago. It could reach lengths of 40 - 50 feet - larger than a city bus - and its teeth are the size of an adult’s hand. Cool stats, right? But I’ll bet you checked out the photos before reading this entire paragraph.

When writing and editing, it’s recommended that you show not tell. Use the words to paint a picture and include as many of the senses as you can.

Here’s an example of a scene I cut from Magick Charm:

            “Most stalkers are loser ex-boyfriends or someone the stalkee already knows.”

            “That can’t be right,” I said. “If that was true, it would be easy for police to catch the guy doing the stalking, right?”

            “As if. That’s where it starts to really suck. Because lots of places don’t even have laws against being a clingy, scary asshole.”

             “What are you talking about?” I asked. Sometimes Rachel spoke her own language, and nobody else understood what she was talking about, least of all me.

            “No stalker laws,” she said, frustrated I didn’t understand her random banter. “Stalker laws are fairly new, and lots of places have to get with the program. Other places blow them off. And lots of assholes still believe the woman who gets stalked deserves it. You saw Officer Roberts the other night. How much help is a tool like him going to give us?”

            “None,” I agreed. “But others like Officer Beaty will help us.”

            “Yeah,” she admitted. “She’s cool.”

            “Back to the stats.” I brought Rachel’s focus back to the central question. “Do you honestly think it’s someone we know who’s causing this trouble? And why?”

             “Nah, our friends are cool. But I did live with Ted for a while. Maybe I suck at judging character.”

Why did I remove this scene? Because all it did was tell. It’s boring because nothing happens here. It’s more of an information dump than a well-rounded scene. Wouldn’t it be better for me to convey this information through the characters’ actions? Can’t I show how the police’s hands are tied in the ways they respond to the sisters’ calls for help? And there are so many ways to illustrate how much stalkers suck through his (or her!) actions.

I try to think of writing like show and tell. Keep the action moving so nobody gets bored. Paint the picture with words – show – more than overwhelming the reader with an information dump. Tell only in small doses.

Still need convincing? Then ask yourself - the next time you’re at the beach are you going to remember my statistics about a big extinct shark, or will you remember the artist’s drawing of the Megalodon? I thought so.


While you’re sunbathing on that beach, convinced never to swim in the ocean again, you might want to check out the Meg series by Steve Alten. It makes a great summer beach read!

Follow Friday - What's Your Favorite Genre?

Q. Genre Wars! What’s your favorite genre and which book in that genre made it your favorite?

A. This one is a tough question! I read just about any genre that falls into my hands, but I’ve had the most enduring relationship with romances. Some of my favorite romance titles have been on my shelves for 20 years or more. Among romance novels, I love the ones with paranormal, time travel, or historical elements the most. Diana Gabaldon’s Dragonfly in Amber was the book that sealed the deal.

Why not Outlander? After all, it’s the first book in the series, while Dragonfly is the second. I saw Dragonfly in Amber on the shelf of my local library when it was first released, read the back, and quickly checked it out, not knowing that it was part of a series. I figured that out pretty quickly after I started reading, but I was already into the story and had to know what happened. Only after I finished this book did I get my hands on Outlander and all of the subsequent releases in this series. 

What are your favorites? Leave me a comment below and don't forget to follow my blog by clicking one of those nifty follow buttons on the right!


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