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Stephenie’s experience of beginning Twilight can be used to a writer’s advantage when starting a new story or novel project. Stephenie, who had written very little and had no great ambition as a writer prior to the amazing success of Twilight, did not sit down initially to write a bestselling coming-of-age vampire novel series.

She was a reader, a sporadic writer, and fan of the “vampire-genre” and of the “romance-genre”. Her compelling story that becomes ‘Twilight’ begins with a dream she had one night. This dream will eventually become the ‘meadow scene’ in her first book where Bella Swan, in the forest with Edward Cullen, discovers Edward is a vampire. This is a powerful, key scene in the novel, and Stephenie has described how jolted she was by the images in the dream. Stephenie awoke and wrote the dream down, and this became the key scene the entire book was written around.

We all have dreams and flashes of scenes and characters from time to time, but what Stephenie did with this dream is something that writers can use to begin to craft a story. Stephenie wrote outward from the key scene she devised from her dream to answer the questions posed by the scene:

These two questions make up the key components of the story, and in answering them, Stephenie is drawing her readers into a detailed world where vampires and humans exist throughout a long history.

How to use what Stephenie did with Twilight

1. Begin with a compelling image or character.

2. Free-write the scene you imagine, or as much detail as you can about the character that you see/imagine.

3. Step back and answer some questions about what you have written:

The key takeaway from what Stephenie did with Twilight is to find a compelling scene and then to seek to answer the questions about who is there and what is going on. You write both forward and backwards from the event, trying to give it a realistic (regardless of genre) past that got you to that point, and future, that the story and characters will inexorably move towards.

You may not know exactly where the story will end, but if you begin with a vivid character or scene you can write around it to tell a compelling story.

Try this technique on a short-story and see how it works.

Buy the book NOW!

Take a look at our Video Book Review for the Twilight Saga Box Set

The 1st The Twilight film aired in late 2008 and the New Moon film has hit worldwide audiences for six. Various journeys, heartache and victory happen inside each novel and film foussing on the relationship between a human and a vampire. New Moon, the second installment of the Stephenie Meyers tale has indeeed proved popular and has broken many box office records. Many fans have seen the film on a number of occassions and are even going back for more!

There is no stopping the Twilight fan, after reading the books we want to see how the film turns out with it’s new director. Is it better than the orginal film? Only you can decide. Join in again with the likes of Bella Swan, Jacob Black and Edward Cullen to get a fangtastic film experience. The book is played out reasoably well and we have the new director to thank for that, again it misses the majestic poetry of the novel but it does it’s job serving the general public well.

To celebrate this launch, 100% official New Moon merchandise has been released including New Moon jewellery, New Moon T-Shirts, New Moon figures,posters and much more! Perfect for any Twilight fan.

But the real great buys are the origional Books and the Audio Books. These, unlike the films open up YOUR imagination to the wonderful world of the Twilight Saga’s

If you are looking for a special present have a look at:

Stephenie Meyer: Twilight/New Moon/Eclipse/Breaking Dawn CD Ppk (Twilight Saga)
The Twilight Saga: New Moon–The Official Illustrated Movie Companion
Jacob Black (The Twilight Saga: New Moon) Life-Size Standup Poster
Twilight “New Moon” Fleece Throw Blanket Edward, Jacob & Bella Neca Merchandise

New Moon Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

NEW MOON SOUNDTRACK TRACK LIST
1. DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE – MEET ME ON THE EQUINOX
2. BAND OF SKULLS – FRIENDS
3. THOM YORKE – HEARING DAMAGE
4. LYKKE LI – POSSIBILITY
5. THE KILLERS – A WHITE DEMON LOVE SONG
6. ANYA MARINA – SATELLITE HEART
7. MUSE – I BELONG TO YOU (NEW MOON REMIX)
8. BON IVER & ST. VINCENT – ROSYLN
9. BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB – DONE ALL WRONG
10. HURRICANE BELLS – MONSTERS
11. SEA WOLF – THE VIOLET HOUR
12. OK GO – SHOOTING THE MOON
13. GRIZZLY BEAR WITH VICTORIA LEGRAND – SLOW LIFE
14. EDITORS – NO SOUND BUT THE WIND
15. ALEXANDRE DESPLAT – NEW MOON (THE MEADOW)

Click HERE to buy The Twilight Saga: New Moon Soundtrack from Amazon.

To find these novels I have narrowed my search criteria to dark urban fantasy novels set in contemporary times or in the near future. At least half the rituals, magick, or sorcery used by the main character must be based on real magickal principles. The main character must be human, and the plot not overshadowed by trendy leagues of vampires.

Having set those guidelines, I want to present my first recommendation for must-read Occult fiction. All I can say is if you’ve never read Lilith Saintcrow’s “Dante Valentine” series you are in for a treat!

Saintcrow is best known for her paranormal romance novels, the “Watcher” series, featuring elemental Witches and their handsome guardians. However, Dante Valentine was created from an entirely different cut of cloth!
There are five novels in the series. Working for the Devil, Saint City Sinners and To Hell and Back are my favorites

Dante Valentine is a Neocromance, who works for lawyers, raising the spirits of the dead when wills come into question. She also takes a few bounty hunting jobs on the side to help pay her mortgage. “Danny” is a wise-cracking whirlwind of energy with a haunting past that won’t quit. Devoted to the Egyptian god Anubis, she entertains Pagan readers with plenty of rituals, spells, and magick.

The series takes place in the near future, as the plot races from one high to the next at lightning speed. This is contemporary Occult fiction at its finest, the kind of book you can’t put down until you finish it. And one you’ll still be thinking about months later.

Saintcrow is a master at creating memorable characters and deftly plotted novels. If you’ve been searching for awesome Occult fiction to add to your personal collection, this should be the first series on your list. You won’t be disappointed!

Trinity finds Blade (Wesley Snipes) wanted for murder by the FBI and just about everyone else as the underworld of vampires that rules the city tries to do away with their greatest adversary. In order too be rid of Blade for good Danica Talos (Parker Posey) resurrects the first of her kind Drake (Dominic Purcell) to not only kill Blade for good but to usher their kind into a future where their will be no more need of the human disease. After his mentor Whistler (Kris Kristofferson) is killed, Blade finds himself allied with the Nightstalkers lead by Whistler’s daughter Abigail (Jessica Biel) and Hannibal King (Ryan Reynolds) to help him rid the world of vampires once and for all.

Bringing back the king of vampires Dracula as the new christened “Drake” is a bold move considering how over used the character has been in recent years, but since Blade fought the character many times in the comic book it makes for a nice reference as does bringing in the Nightstalkers.

Although Goyer’s film does not have the cinematic flair and style of Stephen Norrington’s original nor the horrifying atmosphere of Guillermo del Toro’s sequel, Trinity does have a sense of humor that never takes away from the story courtesy of Reynolds who holds his own throughout. Some may view the addition of the humor as a step down for the franchise but in my opinion since none of the humor comes from the Blade character but is a trait of the King character Blade is never compromised. It’s even a running joke how much Blade hates King especially when his jokes are at the expense of Blade himself. Trinity was not a well received film on many levels but it should deter from the enjoyment of this entertaining film.

Purchase the The Blade Trilogy (Blade/ Blade II/ Blade: Trinity) from Amazon

November saw the the release of 2012, the all star apocalyptic disaster movie that’s based on the Mayan predictions of the end of the world. This is set to be one of the biggest box office hits of 2009.

Released on October 20th, after one week in stores, Transformers 2 has debuted as the biggest seller of the year. Paramount Home Entertainment announced that they sold around seven and a half million DVD/Blu-Ray units worldwide, of which 1.2 million were sold in US. This news was not unexpected considering the movie was also the biggest theatrical blockbuster of the year.

DVD and Blu-ray Movies from this article can be purchased through Amazon
Knowing
Knowing [Blu-ray]
Terminator Salvation (Widescreen Edition)
Terminator Salvation (Director’s Cut) [Blu-ray]
District 9 (Two-Disc Edition)
District 9 [Blu-ray]
The Road [Blu-ray]

Fear I’ve felt before, but this was different.

Dracula is a book one has to revisit once in a while. Finally it dawned on me that Dracula scared the living daylight out of me not because of his appearance or ill-fame, but because the vampire owns something I don’t: non-human knowledge.

Bram Stoker’s Dracula is one of the scariest books ever written, and the reasons for its perennial appeal are basically two:

(1) The vampire theme in which the supernatural is thrown into the natural world

(2) Writing techniques: use of Absolutes.

When Count Dracula says, “There are far worse things awaiting than death.” Ah, what could that be? Orpheus, Tiresias, and Dante, belong to the set of personages who returned from the other shore; and what they had to say was horrifying, but they said things within human understanding. So, what are the “worse things” that Dracula mentions in passing? Is it something unmentionable? Is it something so tremendous and non-rational and unholy that he must leave unsaid?

Human fear I can live with. Take  Stephen King –the unsurpassed master of horror– who terrifies us with human knowledge: sins, transgressions, and human cruelty. With adroit prose and distinctive voice Stephen King exploits our fears and dark emotions, often appealing to grossness and revulsion. Bram Stoker also uses this sense of repugnancy in his novel: “As the Count leaned over me and his hands touched me… a horrible feeling of nausea came over me, which, do what I would, I could not conceal.”

Yet, what always puts a chill in my heart and mind is the lingering question of the beyond: what worse things did Dracula refer to?

Because the novel Dracula raises questions rather answering them, it will go on delighting readers for many generations. And what a treat it is! Not sparing a single rhetorical figure, Bram Stoker stabs and twists the reader’s central nervous system where horror resides. In some scenes, the narrating voice employs the ‘Nominative Absolute’ to add the sensation of simultaneity.

Watch closely this excerpt:

“As my eyes opened involuntarily I saw his strong hand grasp the slender neck of the fair woman and with giant’s power draw it back, the blue eyes transformed with fury, the white teeth champing with rage, and the fair cheeks blazing with passion.”

“Eyes transformed” is a past participle Absolute: “Teeth champing” and “Cheeks blazing” are both present participle Absolutes.

While we think that Ernest Hemingway was the inventor of the Absolute, Stoker was way ahead of him. Hemingway abused the technique, Bram Stoker was measured and sober in his use of it.

Subjunction is a rhetorical device that repeats contiguous words. Notice how Stoker makes use of it:

“I closed me eyes in a languorous ecstasy and waited-waited with beating heart.”

Rhetoric isn’t dead. It is always present in the great works of literature.

Humans instinctively seek beauty in what they read. In Dracula we find it not in the theme or the plot, but in the composition itself, since it is masterfully written. Readers, students and blossoming writers who are serious about literature will find elegant and yet thrilling writing that will seize both their minds and viscera. And if one reads this novel at night, don’t go to the bathroom!

What makes Dracula such a beautiful piece of work? There’s only one answer: it is well balanced by the power of well-balanced sentences; it is harmoniously woven, and its prose sparkles with a radiance that is short of wondrous.

Initially when Stephenie Meyer completed Twilight, she began writing a sequel titled Forever Dawn. Meyer was said to be aiming at a more adult audience with her second Twilight book, which was to tell the story of the main protagonist Bella Swan after she had left high school. However once it was confirmed Twilight would be published and marketed as a novel for young-adults, she decided to begin a new sequel also aimed at younger adults – New Moon.

The 608 page hardcover of New Moon was subsequently published in September 2006 by publisher Little, Brown Books. It immediately became a bestseller.

**SPOILER** The story of New Moon follows Bella immediately following events of Twilight. Edward Cullen and his family decide to leave forks, primarily because he believes his presence will bring danger to Bella. Bella develops a close friendhip with Jacob Black as she struggles with Edward’s departure. However, despite Edward’s best intentions Bella is not safe as Victoria, a vampire, comes for her to avenge the death of James (killed at the end of Twilight). She discovers Jacob is a werewolf who, together with his fellow werewolves, fights to protect her. But Edward mistakenly learns she is dead and, in his own grief, heads to Volterra, Italy, where he plans to commit suicide. However, Bella learns of this and, aided by Edward’s sister Alice, travels there to stop him. In Volterra they come face to face with a powerful coven of vampires, the Volturi, who only allow them to return to Forks alive on one condition: Bella must (in the future) be turned into a vampire.

When Stephenie Meyer was writing New Moon, the Twilight movie was in development at Paramount Pictures. The story goes that despite many years of trying, Paramounts MTV Film’s division were struggling to adapt the novel to the big screen. Early screenplays were unfaithful to the original Twilight book before, in what is considered one of the greatest coup’s in Hollywood history, Summit Entertainment acquired the rights. The screenplay that would eventually become the first Twilight movie, and that remained largely faithful to Stephenie Meyer’s novel, was written (after New Moon was released) by Emmy nominee Melissa Rosenberg.

The Twilight movie was a huge success, pulling in $384M worldwide – more than ten times it’s original $37M budget. It became the biggest box office film based on Vampires in history and is currently in the top 118 box office earners of all time.

Filming on the sequel, based on the New Moon book but titled The Twilight Saga: New Moon, began in February 2009, this time with an increased estimated budget of around $50M. The Twilight Saga: New Moon, again faithfully adapted from the New Moon book by Melissa Rosenberg, was released in theaters on November 20, 2009.

Upon its release, the New Moon movie immediately broke records and more than doubled the first day box office haul of Twilight. First, it eclipsed The Dark Knight to break the record for the largest midnight opening ever ($26.27M). It then passed The Dark Knight again to claim the record for largest opening day ($72.7M). by the end of its first weekend it was in the record books as the third biggest weekend opener of all time ($140.7M). Worldwide New Moon became the seventh biggest opener ever with $258.8M.