Saturday, June 30, 2018

Dragons: What to Know Part II

Dragons: What to Know Part II

Christina Weigand



Like people, dragons come in all different sizes, shapes and colors. In a previous post I talked about their colors and the breath weapons that accompany those colors. That article can be seen here: Dragons1 Today I want to take a look at size.

In actuality their color and size are related although I suspect that there is always one that doesn't fit the set mold.

The black dragon usually weighs in at a cool 160,000 pounds with a forty foot wingspan and a height of sixteen feet. The blue dragon is the same in all but the wingspan. Hers is a whopping eighty feet.

A green dragon comes in a little shorter at ten feet, but still has the weight and wingspan of the blue.

I'm thinking this next dragon, the red dragon, is by far the largest and most fearsome of all the dragons. He will measure in a twenty two feet tall and weigh 1,280,000 pounds. And his wingspan is nothing to sneeze at, measuring 150 feet.


With the white dragon we are back to a more normal size. They are generally sixteen feet tall and weigh 160,000 pounds. There wingspan has been measured at seventy two feet.

A brass dragon is similar measuring sixteen feet tall, 160,000 pounds and a wingspan of sixty feet.

The bronze dragon joins the green dragon in height and weight and wingspan. The copper dragon checks in at sixteen feet tall, weighing 160,000 pounds and an eighty foot wingspan.

The gold dragon. Here take note that I misspoke when talking about the red dragon. The gold dragon matches the height and weight of the red dragon. Her wingspan is a bit smaller at 135 feet. She also tends fight for good instead of the evil the red dragon is famous for.


And finally the silver dragon. He falls into the large category of the red and gold dragon with a wingspan of 150 feet, but the same weight and height.

Needless to say I wouldn't want to meet these dragons in a dark alley, not that they would fit unless it was a big alley.

Like the colors and size their personalities and habitat are as varied as humans. But,I will leave personality and habitats for another post. I will give you a hint though they are not what you expect. So until tomorrow, bensvelk thurkear (good night in dragon).





 To read more about my books and me go to my
 Amazon Author Page: Amazon

To read some more about dragons check out Rebecca Tran's posts:

Dragon Myths 1

Dragon Myths 2


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Thursday, June 28, 2018

Baba Yaga Folk Lore Part 2

Rebecca Tran
rtranbooks.net

In case you missed the first post you can read it here.
Baba Yaga is a witch from slavic and Russian folklore. There are many different variations of her folk lore. All of the picture her as an old crone whether there is one or three of them. She rides around in a flying mortar that is steered by a large pestle that doubles as a weapon.

It is never quite certain whether or not Baba Yaga is going to help or harm. Usually the outcome of the tale depends on the character of the petitioner. If the person seeking out Baba Yaga is of pure spirit, has good intentions, or has good manners the story generally has a good outcome. However, if the opposite traits are true Baba Yaga is dangerous even deadly at times. 

Stories that portray Baba as the villian show her kidnapping children and threatening to eat them. Just seeking her aid in these stories can be a dangerous act. When Baba chooses to help though she may give advice, or bestow magical gifts. Whatever she feels the petitioner needs to succeed in their quest. 

One famous story is about a beautiful maiden named Vasilisa. There are several versions of the story but most of them involve Vasilisa's mother giving her a magic doll before she dies. When her father goes away on business the evil jealous step mother sends Vasilisa to Baba Yaga's hut to get fire to re-light theirs. 

Baba Yaga agrees to give her the flame but only if Vasilisa completes a series of tasks for her. The only way the beautiful knows how to complete the impossible tasks is with the aid of her magical doll. Eventually Vasilisa obtains the flame by various means depending on the version and returns home.

Most stories say that upon returning home the flame burns down her home killing her step mother and sisters. Vasilisa usually gets her happy ending though. She goes to town and lives with a woman who teaches her to weave. A piece of cloth she weaves eventually impresses an important man at the palace and they marry. Eventually her father returns and they all live together.

Its uncertain here what role Baba Yaga truly plays in Vasilisa's story. Call her a villain if you want. Without Baba Yaga Vasilisa would still live with her step mother and sisters in the woods. 

Vasilisa the Beautiful was the inspiration for the name of my main character in my new novelette
Magic Always has a Price

Vasalisa Fenenko Danilovna is a normal 21 year old college studnet. So far life is better than she planned. Vasalisa has parent's who love her, staight A's and she's dating the school's star soccer player.There's just one little problem. Vasalisa's a witch who foretold the death of someone she loves.

This does not have a HEA


Excerpt:

I quit paying attention to Ashley mid-sentence. I didn’t mean to be rude. I simply couldn’t help it. I felt the same magnetic pull that I had on Friday night. It meant one thing. He was here. Brad Ford walked past my table. He wore an SLU shirt today and jeans that made his ass beg to be touched. He glanced over his shoulder as he passed. I felt an almost electric shock when our eyes met.
I quit breathing once more. I saw things so clearly if only for a moment. Brad held me close kissing my neck. He smiled at me and said he loved me. We held hands as we walked through campus. We kissed in the dark as his hands wandered over bare flesh.
“What are you thinking about? Your face is beet red.” Ashley asked. She saw my eyes flick toward Brad. “Oh, I get it. You have a crush.”
I sat back in my chair flustered. “It’s not like that.” How could I explain to my best friend that I thought I just had a premonition? I barely believed it myself.
Ashley tucked her hair behind her ear and leaned forward, “So prove it.  Go talk to him.” She dared.
“Like this?” I was mortified. I was wearing a T-shirt leftover from my marching band days in high school. My jeans were had paint stains on them from painting the kitchen over the summer. I never bothered with makeup, and my hair was falling out of its braid. There was no way I was going to talk to Brad Ford looking like a band geek reject.
Ashley literally waved it off. “It would take more than that to scare a guy off. Don’t you own a mirror? You have this whole ‘I’m eastern European look at me’ thing going on.” She sighed. “You have since you got boobs and grew four inches the summer before freshman year of high school.”
“It was only an inch,” I said defensively.
“Just go,” She reached across the table and pushed me on the shoulder towards the makeshift aisle between tables.
I got to my feet. Immediately I saw Brad. Although, he was hard to miss, or at least I thought so. He sat with his back to us with two other guys. I cursed. This was going to be so embarrassing when he turned me down. I gave myself a pep talk as I walked to his table. He was a person like any other. Brad looked up from the guy he was talking to when I stopped at his table.
“Uh, um, hi,” I said lamely. I shouldn’t be nervous. If I truly believed I had a premonition it meant we were at least going to date. So the question was: did I believe it? “Bye,” No, it was a daydream, a stupid fantasy. I marched back to my seat and sat down. I put my head down trying to hide.
Ashley shook her head then accused me of being a chicken. I agreed with her.  Brad was gorgeous he didn’t want me, and I didn’t want a boyfriend. She teased me some more, and it irritated me. I finished my lunch quickly ready to go. Ashley apologized as I grabbed my tray and I settled down. Still, I had class in 20 minutes. I was just getting up when someone stopped next to our table. I knew who it would be before I looked up. Brad Ford.
“You didn’t give me a chance to say hello earlier. I’m Brad Ford” He smiled, and I melted.
“I know,” I groaned inwardly. Why was I so stupid around him?
He laughed a little and leaned down towards me. “I think this is the part where you’re supposed to tell me your name.”
My cheeks flared red, “Lisa Danilovna,”
“So, Lisa Danilovna can I buy you coffee tomorrow?” He asked.

“Here’s her number,” Ashley tore out a piece of paper and handed it to him. “Send her a text after her one o’clock class.” I smiled dumbly at Brad as I left. “You have to talk tomorrow.” Ashley hissed in my ear.

Find out more about my books on my page. Click the link to claim a free copy of Magic Always has a Price until Monday 7/2

If you enjoyed this post on Baba Yaga Folk Lore Read Erika Szabo's posts on mythology here. 



Wednesday, June 27, 2018

The Book to Screen Debate, part 4, the finale by Toi Thomas

So, the day has finally arrived for me to ruffle some feathers about movies that might be just as good as the book if not better. If you missed the previous posts in the series, check them out here: part one, part two, and part three.

The first thing to understand about today’s topic is that all opinions are relative. While many may agree on something, there’s no way to have everyone agree on any one thing. I think it just goes against human nature. Still, most book lovers, myself included, will agree that film versions almost always fall short of the impact the original book made. However, I do believe there are a few exceptions to this rule.

Wikipedia
1) Frankenstein 1931. Back during a time when science fiction was not taken as seriously as it is today, during a time when science fiction films were even less regarded than the literature, a monster movie began to change that. I am not saying that this old film is actually better than the book, but I am saying that it may be more impactful than the book. It is because of this film that many people have gone back to read Mary Shelly’s original novel. There are countless social messages to be learned from watching this film and reading the book, but it was the popularity of this film that has made, even Mary Shelly, so notable and attention worthy. This film almost stands on its own as a cinematic sci-fi/horror masterpiece separate from the literary classic Shelly wrote.

Wikipedia
2) Disney’s Peter Pan 1953. I am not about to go on a praise bandwagon for all the stories Disney has reform to fit their fun-loving formula. However, I will give praise to their version of Peter Pan. Oddly enough, this story started out as a stage-play in 1904 (The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up) and later became a novel in 1911 (Peter and Wendy). The Disney version of this story came along at a time when many children would have never been able to see it on stage and may not have been able to get a copy of the book. Plus, in traditional Disney fashion, the story was polished a bit to suit a wider audience, though some of the portrayals in the film are clearly dated and even a bit controversial (probably why I enjoy many of the newer culturally diverse or culturally accurate versions), but compared to the book, it’s light and fluffy. Just the way many of us like our children’s stories.

Wikipedia
3) The Outsiders 1983. This is another film that I don’t actually think is better than the book, but it’s just as good and may have made a greater impact than the book. The film almost stands on its own, separate from the book, because of how it changed filmmaking. Without the success of The Outsiders film, Twilight, Hunger Games, and other teen films may not have been possible (whether you like them or not). Because of this film, not only did people go out and read the original novel, they also read a lot of Robert Frost, and read and watched Gone with the Wind.

Lastly) This is totally a personal preference and has no logical, social, or other explanation what so ever. I enjoyed reading the original Stardust book but I thoroughly enjoyed the film (Stardust 2007) more. I honestly liked most of the changes that were made, and just ignored the changes I didn’t like…
Wikipedia

I will say one thing for those who think that the book is always better than the film no matter what. It’s all about perspective. If you see the film first and love it dearly, reading the book later may disappoint you or excite you. It’s a toss-up

If you liked this post and or series, please consider checking out Remakes-The best and worst of books film music and more, over at The ToiBox of Words.

Oh, and Joe Bonadonna has a great list of dystopian books and films at Dystopian Fiction: Part 4.


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Find out more about me, my work, and my inspiration at the following links:
Amazon | Goodreads The ToiBox of Words | YouTube | See a list of my other posts here.

#book2screen, bookvsmovie, 
COMMENTS

Tricia Drammeh

7 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
I almost always like the book more than the movie, but there have been some great movie adaptations I've liked nearly as much as the novel. Great post!
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Rebecca Tran via Google+

7 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Excellent points Toi. Some films just bring books to the masses that wouldn’t have been read before. I think Lord of the Rings is a good example too I could never get into the books. I’ve tried several times.
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That's a good point. I know so many people who have and never will pick-up a comic book, yet they love the comic book movies.

Rebecca Tran via Google+

7 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Toi Thomas finished her movie vs book debate on #OurAuthorGang weigh in with your opinion.
 
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Joanne Jaytanie via Google+

7 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Toi Thomas shares a very insightful post about books made into movies. This is part 4, be sure to read her first 3 posts.
 
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Joanne Jaytanie

7 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Very intertesting post, Toi. I've often discuss books made into movies with my friends.
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It's always a lively discussion; isn't it?

Joe Bonadonna via Google+

7 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
On #OurAuthorGang, Toinette Thomas​concludes her 4-part series on films made from novels.
 
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Joe Bonadonna

7 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Great finale, Toi, and some nice examples of books and how they were translated into films. Save for a TV mini-series back in the 1970s (which took liberties with the story), and the version with Robert DeNiro, which also took liberties, no Frankenstein film has ever really been faithful to the book. The films have become their own thing. Coppola's Dracula, which has a prologue and finale not part of the book, is to me the best and most faithful book to film version.
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+Joe Bonadonna Be sure to let me know when it comes out. I would love to read it.
 
+Toi Thomas -- I will. Thank you!

Ruth de Jauregui via Google+

7 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Toinette Thomas​ shares the movies that, while maybe not better than the book (that's always a matter of opinion LOL), took readers back to the source material. A GREAT post!!
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Ruth de Jauregui

7 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
I do think most books are better, but these are wonderful choices of great movies that led people back to the original books. Great post Toi!
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Thanks. A good adaptation or remake should always bring you back to the source material. In an age when people watch more movies than read books, a film that makes you want to read a book sounds pretty good to me.

Chris Weigand via Google+

7 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Toi Thomas shares the last article in her book to screen debate.
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Chris Weigand

7 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Great series. I tend to agree that the book is always better then the movie, because the reader is allowed to imagine more. But I'm sure there are a few exceptions, I just can't think of any at the moment.
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I agree. It's very rare, but there have been a few long-winded books I've read that I think would make really good movies that would probably take out some of the content from passages I skipped over when reading.

Toi Thomas via Google+

7 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Today, I​ finish my series on the Book to Screen Debate with a discussion of movies that might actually be better. #OurAuthorGang.
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Grace Au

7 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Today in part 4 of the book to screen debate, author Toi Thomas shares with us some movies that just may be a bit better on screen than written word.
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Grace Au

7 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
This is a great series. Thank you. I've always wondered what if there were books to ALL of the Hallmark movies??? :)
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You never know. The way some romance series are released with so many installments and so quickly, there could be books for all those movies (not that all Hallmark movies are romances).

Lorraine Carey

7 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
A very enlightening post, Toi. I always thought the book leaves more to the imagination. If anything I'll read the book first, then see the movie.
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I'm with you. If I can read the book first I will, but sometimes I find out after the fact, especially when it's an American film that based off a foreign title.
 
+Toi Thomas I agree. I'm sure if any of our books would be made into film it would lose our natural essence and style of our story.

Erika M Szabo

7 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Great post series Toi! Usually I like the books more than the movies with a few exception. One of them was a vampire series. I really liked the series (ran only one season) and when I met the author of the book in a group, I was looking forward to reading it. I was disappointed. In this case the movie was a whole lot better than the book.
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It is rare, but sometimes those in charge of the film pick up on the things that didn't work in the book and improve upon them in the movie.

Nikki McDonagh

7 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Great Series, Toi. I don't think I've ever seen a movie that is better than the original book, but I hope one day I do.
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It may or may not happen, but if you see the film first and like it, it may be difficult to love book as much.

Mary Anne Yarde

7 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
You are right, Toi, there are a few films that were better than the books! I have really enjoyed this series!! Thank you!
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Glad you enjoyed it. It's one of my favorite topics so far.

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