Now, anyone who follows me on Twitter may have caught my occasional burst of “Twilight Fan rambles”. How appropriate is it for me to be writing this blog on one of my biggest inspirations on the day that the second movie installment is released on DVD?
I, unlike many others, was not immediately attracted to the story of Edward and Bella. In fact, I don’t think I even had an interest in Twilight at all. I received the book as a gift from my best friend, who thought I might want to try something different.
The book sat on my shelf almost a year and half before I even picked it up. It took me another few months to actually get past Chapter One. I was pretty certain I was going to end up hating the book because of the pace.
I could not have been more wrong! Once I got into Chapter Two, and the Cullens were introduced, I was sucked in. (Pardon the pun!). From there, I read the books one after another. The book that took the longest for me was Breaking Dawn. Why? Because I just didn’t want it to end.
That first chapter aside, Meyer took me on a journey involving vampires that I was just enthralled with! From the sparkling side effects of sunlight to feeding on animals only, she introduced a truly unique take on vampires that made them more human than I ever thought vampires could be.
However, Twilight Saga was not a one hit wonder for me. Shortly before finishing Breaking Dawn, I purchased her next novel, The Host. Again, I found myself completely engaged in the story.
The thing that makes Meyer so inspiring to me is that she knows how to grab an audience, and tell a story. I have been striving to do that for years with my own writing. While she is certainly not the only author I’ve read to have this effect on me, she is one of the most unique, I believe.
Persistence is another thing that makes me love her. It took 15 rejections before her manuscript for Twilight was picked up by Little, Brown. With that kind of determination, anything is possible. I want to remember that when I start submitting “Protected One”. It’s what I kept in mind when my first short story rejection came in. I am not going to give up on becoming a published writer.
Overall, I think Meyer has taught me that it is okay to think outside the box. It’s okay to break down the barriers of traditional mythos, and as long as what you replace it with makes sense to everyone else. You have to have a reason for every choice you make when it comes to changing traditional lore.
This is something i am working on with Protected One, and my other various mythos-based fantasy. I am no longer afraid to be different, nor do I fear following my dreams. If I have learned from any author, Meyer has taught me the most.
March 20, 2010 at 9:32 pm |
Great job! I agree that she is a great story teller (even though I do not like her writing style). I think what matters more than writing skill is a good story. I’m sure you will do just fine and I am so glad that you will never give up!