One on One with Author, Sara Ryan

One of my good friends gave me the book, Empress of the World as a gift a few years ago. I enjoyed it and years later…today, I thought it would be great to interview the author, Sara Ryan. If you are not familiar with her name, you might want to read her rather unique bio and pick up her books, Empress of the World and The Rules for Hearts at your nearest book store. “What are the books about?” you ask…my advice is to start reading without reading a synopsis. You will be glad you took the leap of faith.



Was the character of Battle Hall Davies created in Empress of the World inspired by someone you know, the exact opposite of you, or another way?
There was not one specific person but I took inspiration from a lot of people.

Did you always know that you wanted Battle and Nicola’s relationship after the end of Empress of the World to be more realistic and complicated than the usual, it all works out in the end?
I knew that I wanted everyone to know what happened to Battle. Actually, the biggest question that I had myself after, Empress of the World was, “What is the deal with Battle’s brother?” In answering that question and thinking about the difference between who Battle’s brother really is and how she was thinking about him during the time that he was absent from her life, it led me to the answer of the other question about what would happen with Battle and Nicola.

What do you think is the biggest struggle with teenagers today who want to accept their own identity but have concerns about being labeled?
I think a lot of struggle comes from how receptive your immediate environment is to the person that you are realizing you want to be. That could be family, that could be friends, a religious community, etc… Whatever your setting is, that may or may not be receptive to what you are realizing about yourself. One thing that differs from earlier years and teens today is the internet…so there is this sort of possibility of connection when that immediate setting might not be receptive. You can reach out to people online for any aspect of identity that you want to explore.

As far as your writing style, can you pinpoint anything that has changed from when you started writing Empress of the World to when you wrote The Rules for Hearts?
In between Empress and Rules I wrote a few comics. That experience of writing different mediums where a lot of the meaning is conveyed through the artist made me as a writer think more visually. For my books, thinking about who Battle is and the way that she responds and reacts to the world and the way Nicola is very analytical, I wanted Battle to be more grounded in her body. So a lot of the ways that I describe her describing herself reacting to the world are physical. That was a change that I wanted to make in Rules.

You have written about a the relationship between 2 females, Battle & Nicola so are there other controversial themes that you know you want to write about in the future?
Oh, I am sure that there are (laughs). I can’t think of anything off the top of my head. I want young adult readers in general to be less black and white. I know I am interested in telling stories that do not often get told as often as they should. Sometimes just in telling stories that are not often told, controversy kind of just happens.

You have used Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night's Dream in your work, so I want to know that out of all of Shakespeare’s work, what about the play made you want to include it in your work?
That’s a really good question. I saw Battle’s brother being sort of a Puck character. As I wrote it I saw that even though it seemed like he was never phased by anything, (he just deceived people and moved on) there is some level that you can’t really see where all of the damage that he does really affects him. Also, it is just a really fun play in so many ways. I have seen it in a couple of different productions, so I felt very familiar with it. I do not think that there is a connection with everyone in the play and everyone in my book but there are some.

You mentioned in a previous interview that some of your favorite authors have written science fiction and fantasy. So can we expect a science fiction or fantasy book from you in the future?
It is definitely possible. I have a lot of love and admiration for those genres so we will see.

As a comic writer, can we expect to see you at San Diego Comic Con 2009?
I might go although I tend to go to smaller conventions.

Do you remember how you found out that your mini comic, Me & Edith Head was nominated for an Eisner Award?
That was actually the first comic that I ever wrote! I think I found out through an email or a phone call or something but it really was an honor.

What's next?
I have a new comic that my artist is working on right now. It is a new story in the FlyTrap series.

Heroes Sighting

Today I was walking around downtown LA and guess who I saw? Brea Grant who plays Daphne Millbrook aka the Speedster was filming a scene for Heroes on a "NYC" street (I based that off of the NYC taxi cabs that were placed around her). She did a few takes, it was over, and I went up to get a picture with her.



I Love LA.

Eagle Eye Review

I went to an advanced screening (and Q&A) of Eagle Eye last night, hosted by Jeff Goldsmith of Creative Screenwriting Magazine. I must say that I enjoyed the film very much up until the very end.

First, reasons why it was so good…The introduction was amazing. I loved everything about the setup of bringing the two main characters together, Jerry (Shia LaBeouf) and Rachel (Michelle Monaghan). The dialogue was brilliant, especially for Jerry. All of the action was incredible and goes above and beyond expectations. The actors were very strong, there is no doubt that they delivered. I keep going back in forth in my mind whether I am pleased or not with the amount of character development in this film...there was not enough depth for each main character that I usually would desire - but for this film, it was just enough to get a feel for each character but left more room for the bigger problem at hand. I am glad there was no romance between Jerry & Rachel but they did connect because of going through all that they did together.

Now as far as the story goes, I love the plot and all of the build up to the resolution. But all throughout, this film has too many comparisons to other films..."2001: A Space Odyssey," “Minority Report,” “The Fugitive,” “Enemy of the State,” and “I-Robot.” I was very disappointed in the end. I was waiting all of that time for an ending that I have seen before and would rather not have seen for this film. I did not expect such a predictable ending. Also, I was disappointed with and would rather have seen Jerry really die in the end. Sure, Shia LaBeouf is a main character and in America, we just can’t seem to have films where the good guys die. Seriously? God forbid we show a bit of reality. Then, while Billy Bob Thornton is a good actor, he just seemed really random. I was a bit sad when his character died.

So...I am not telling you to see it and I am not telling you to skip it.

Characters with Patricia Verducci

I was able to talk with Patricia Verducci, writer and director of the 1996 film, True Crime. She has also written screenplays for Touchstone Pictures and FX. Her short films have appeared at festivals all over the world and even at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. I attended the "Writing Your First Screenplay" panel at the UCLA writer's faire not too long ago where Pat was a speaker on the panel. I would have loved to ask her a million questions but I really wanted 2 questions answered after the panel and here are her answers to those questions.

When writing, I tend to come up with so many interesting characters but I never know how to divide up the main and supporting characters. So what is the maximum amount of main characters that can generally be put in a film?

The rule of thumb for most movies is one main character. This person is our window into the story and his/her experience is our experience as we watch the film. However, there have been some great films, ensemble type movies, where we follow the journey of more than one person. But even in these films, there is usually one person that we follow more closely and are more invested in. My rule of thumb for secondary characters is that they should only be in the story if they somehow contribute to the journey of the main character. So that's usually how I judge whether a character makes the cut or not-- what does he or she DO that pushes or pulls my protagonist?

Do you find that it is a smart move to create a certain charm about the antagonist if you want people to like the protagonist and antagonist? Or just stick with the antagonist as only the enemy to not confuse the audience?

I think the more interesting, nuanced and sympathetic/empathetic the antagonist is, the better. We have to be able to see this person as fully human or we fall into caricature/cartoon-land. We have to understand WHY this person is doing what they are doing, and what's at stake for him or her. One of the most interesting bad guys I've ever seen in movies is played by Gary Sinise in Ransom. He's a cop who kidnaps Mel Gibson's kid, kills his girlfriend, and is absolutely ruthless, but the writer, Richard Price, gives him one speech that explains to us, the audience, why he behaves the way he does. He feels inferior to men like Gibson, and the stakes for him are huge-- his self esteem.

What are you currently working on right now and how is the process going?

Actually, I've finished a script about a real life prison escape from Alcatraz and it's making the rounds as an independent film. And I just worked a few days as a story consultant on an animated project for Disney/Pixar. I usually work on live action films, and it was fantastic to see how much more collaborative and visually oriented developing a story for an animated film is. The experience really cemented for me the importance of "seeing" the film in your head as you're writing.

Nikki SooHoo

If you have seen the gymnastics film, “Stick It” or have read the Alice Sebold book, “The Lovely Bones” and have heard about the film adaptation, then you may have seen or heard of Nikki SooHoo. Nikki played Wei Wei in “Stick It” and has appeared on “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody,” “Drake & Josh,” and “Phil of the Future.” I got the chance to talk with the 20 year old California native one week ago about ‘The Lovely Bones” (which is sure to be a hit) and more.



Let’s start off with your latest upcoming film, “The Lovely Bones.” What attracted you to the character of Holly?
What I liked about it was the depth of her character. She comes off as unloving but she still has a really serious side to her and is also really young at heart.

In the book, the main character, Susie Salmon is raped, murdered, and dismembered so it is very much a horror and as it goes on, becomes a drama and thriller. How would you say those genres translate on film?
Peter Jackson (Director) did a really good job taking the scenes from the book that were really graphic and made them so that they implied things in the film but did not really show it. It is not really a blood and guts type of horror film but it is definitely a thriller.

As the setting is very different than most places, that being heaven, I want to know if you believe in heaven and how you envision it if so?
I do believe in heaven. I really like how Peter Jackson envisioned it…a perfect place that becomes anything that you imagine. It is calm, beautiful, and very happy go lucky.

Did you get to meet Alice Sebold, the author of “The Lovely Bones” and talk with her about your character?
I have not gotten to meet her yet. When we start PR for the film, we will most likely get to meet her.

Do you feel that the film has stayed true to the vision of the book?
It stays true to the vision of the book but it is not a lot like the book. The order of the scenes in the book are in a different order in the film, to make more sense out of it. The message still definitely comes through. As far as heaven, I think Peter Jackson took it and went crazy with it (laughs). He created so much for us, so some of our scenes were not written in the book.

The film also includes Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon, Stanley Tucci, and Michael Imperioli. What was it like having those actors be part of the film?
Unfortunately for me, I did not get to spend much time with them because our shooting schedules were completely opposite. The last day that they were filming in New Zealand was the first day that I was filming in New Zealand, so I got to meet and greet them. My main shooting was with Saoirse Ronan.

Tell me about being set with Saoirse Ronan who plays the main character, Susie?
Her and I connected like two peas in a pod. We played hand games while we waited on set, we sang songs and danced in our makeup trailer, we went out to dinner on our off days. We even had our on handshake right before we started scenes. What’s funny is that she is only 14 years old and at the time of shooting, I was 19 years old. She is very mature for her age though.

What was the experience like filming “The Lovely Bones” in New Zealand?
It was amazing. To get to go to a country that I did not know much about…once I got there, I really appreciated their culture and they have gorgeous landscape. The people there are amazing. It is a lot different there compared to living in Los Angeles.

The film is based in 1973, so describe what you like best about the fashion on set?
For part of heaven, we got to do a fashion show. The wardrobe department looked through issues from that time period of major fashion magazine. Wardrobe was ridiculous, everything was handmade!

Moving on to what you are currently filming…how would you hope that "Bring it On Cinco" differs from the rest of the “Bring it On” films?
I hope that we get a lot more PR. Having Christina Milian as our lead will help with that since she is established in the industry. Also, there can be good acting in an active film. It is fun to watch the action but all of us actors have been working really hard and rehearsing outside of our rehearsing schedule to put this together well.

Where is “Bring it On Cinco” filming and what is the plot?
The story pretty much takes place in Malibu but we are filming all around Los Angeles, CA and Northridge, CA. I can’t give away the plot just yet.

As for the film, “Stick It,” I know there were tons of professional gymnasts but how much gymnastics did you learn?
We trained for 3 months prior to filming to look like a gymnast and be able to do the finishing act of the routines. We could not do the actual stunts but all of the dancing on the beam for my scene at the end was all me.

For your big routine at the end, did you get to choreograph the dancing?
I did not choreograph it myself, they brought in choreographers. We worked together though and they would take my advice on what I felt would go better on the beam.

Having been a member of the LA Sparks kids when you were younger and studying dance in school, which style of dance best fits you?
After LA Sparks kids I became more of a hip hop dancer. What is great about UCLA is that it is very cultural. I get to learn so many types of dance but I am very much part of the hip hop scene and it really helps with work as well. I also got to see a lot of people from LA Sparks kids when filming “Bring It On Cinco” because a lot of dancers were hired so that was pretty cool.

Are you almost finished studying at UCLA?
Right now I am supposed to be a 3rd year but I am taking time off for the fall quarter to film “Bring It On Cinco.” I am taking an online course right now but I plan to continue studying after filming.

What would you say are the different challenges you face being both a comedic and dramatic actress in both television and film?
That is difficult. One of my hardest challenges is not laughing. You can’t break character and need to stay in your zone. In “Bring It On Cinco” I play a very monotone, sarcastic character that is very different from me. People laugh all the time when I am reading my lines and it is so hard for me not to laugh too!

Who would you love to work with in a film or on television?
Dakota Fanning is my favorite young actress. Everything that she is in I am so attracted to and I would love to work with her.

E! The Daily 10

I was seen on the E! show, The Daily 10 today during #7 of the countdown for Emmy Awards Red Carpet coverage from the Fan Box aka Bleachers.

If you did not see it, reruns of that episode are going to air tomorrow at 3:30am, 8:30am, and 12:30pm.

I love E!

(That is not to be taken out of context.)

Heroes Premiere Tonight + What I'm Watching

So the Heroes Season 3 Premiere is tonight and I am stoked!

If you are wondering what other shows I am watching this fall, the list is below. I must say, I am so glad that Big Brother 10 ended at just the right time because all of my fave shows are coming back and I would have been terribly conflicted. I do not mind watching episodes on hulu.com or official network websites when I cannot watch them during their original run but I watch so much television, it is just overwhelming! I am a writer, so it is not only about being entertained but studying and analyzing the shows as well. Anyway, here is my list.

Sunday
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (ABC) Premiere Sept 28 8pm
Desperate Housewives (ABC) Premiere Sept 28 9pm

Monday
Heroes (NBC) Premiere Tonight 8pm
Terminator:SCC (Fox) 8pm
Chuck (NBC) Premiere Sept 29 8pm
One Tree Hill (The CW) 9pm
Samantha Who? (ABC) Premiere Oct 13 9:30pm

Tuesday
90210 (The CW) 8pm
House (Fox) 9pm
Privileged (The CW) 9pm
Fringe (Fox) 9pm

Wednesday
Pushing Daisies (ABC) Premiere Oct 1 8pm

Thursday
Ugly Betty (ABC) Premiere Sept 25 8pm
The Office (NBC) Premiere Sept 25 9pm
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (F/X) 10pm

Friday
Ghost Whisperer (CBS) Premiere Oct 3 8pm
The Starter Wife (Fox) 10pm

I am so excited for the return of Lost in 2009 as well.

Shows That I Enjoy But Am Conflicted With:
(Either it conflicts with another show and I do not remember to watch online or the storyline just doesn't grab me every week)
Grey's Anatomy
Law & Order: SVU
Medium
CSI: Miami
Life
The New Adventures of Old Christine
The Big Bang Theory
How I Met Your Mother
Eli Stone

Show That I Should Be Watching That I Am Not:
Gossip Girl (The CW) - Okay, here is the deal. I wanted to read the series before I started watching the show. So many people have told me that the show is not even following the series but I do not care. I love reading so I would like to do this first. The goal is to read the series, rent Season 1 DVD, watch Season 2 online, and be all caught up by the time Season 3 starts.

So if you did not know about my TV schedule, now you know!

Emmy Awards 08 Red Carpet

On Sunday, September 21, 2008 I was a fan in the bleachers for the 2008 Emmy Awards Red Carpet. I had an incredible experience and I would love to come again next year. There really was no time to sink in the fact that all of this talent was walking past me, it really was overwhelming and the experience of a lifetime. Since I was in the bleachers and I do not have a professional camera yet, these pictures that I am about to show are not perfect so keep that in mind. Thanks.

Chandra Wilson
Grey's Anatomy


How did I get a picture with Chandra Wilson? It just so happens that E! was reporting from the bleachers at certain times and I was sitting right next to them. E! Reporter, Sal interviewed Chandra Wilson and right after the interview I snagged a picture with her. Also, if you watched the E! Red Carpet coverage and saw Sal interviewing Chandra Wilson, you saw me in the background!

Lisa Delstein
House


Susan Sarandon



Debra Messing


Tate Donovan
Damages, The OC


Brooke Shields


Nancy O'Dell


Kris Jenner


Jeremy Piven


Entourage


Michael C. Hall
Dexter


Mariska Hargitay


Nicollette Sheridan


Marcia Cross


Ryan Seacrest Interviewing Kathy Griffin


Josh Groban


Kathie Lee Gifford & Hoda Kotb


Leslie David & Phyllis Smith
The Office


Jenna Fischer
The Office


Angela Kinsey
The Office


Kate Flannery & Creed Bratton
The Office


Brian Baumgartner
The Office


Eva Longoria Parker & Tony Parker


Denis Leary


Tina Fey & Bill Maher


Ryan Seacrest Interviewing Vanessa Williams
And John Krasinski (The Office) waiting to the right


Sandra Oh


I took over 200 photos at the event and 65 of those photos are up on my Myspace. Some of the photos you may have to take a second glance, because there may be more than one celebrity in them!

Shaun Livingston Foundation Party

I attended the Shaun Livingston Foundation "Get a Cue Challenge" Party in Santa Monica this past Thursday night. This was the first time that I reported from the red carpet. It could not have happened without Shaun Livingston's publicist, Neeta inviting me so I give a special thanks to Neeta of Ideal PR.

Pictures from the Red Carpet courtesy of Forever Photography.

I had the pleasure of meeting so many talented individuals.

I was first introduced to Matthew Borlenghi from Days of Our Lives. He plays, Anthony Marino...the new Mayor of Salem. Matthew says, "Yes! I’m a Mayor. That’s when you know it is daytime TV, when a guy like me can become Mayor of a city." He adds, "You do not know if I am out for the good of the people of Salem or the good of Anthony Marino."



Also from Days of Our Lives, I met McKinley Freeman, who plays Evan on the show. I asked him how his character, Evan has changed for the better or for the worse and he replied, "I don’t know how much that I can give away but it is definitely for the better for now."



Then, Omarosa walked onto the red carpet. I got a chance to talk with her briefly. She has a new book, The Bitch Switch: Knowing How to Turn it On and Off that will release in October 2008.



Next to walk the red carpet, Schatar from the VH1 shows, Flavor of Love and Charm School.

"For those who don’t know, I am a classically trained musician. I trained in opera so I know music theory. I have a 5 octave range (sings). Also, I am finally doing my own show, titled, What’s Next."



Pictured With Schatar: RonReaco Lee (Do Not Disturb).

I was then introduced to Joyful Drake, who you can see on the new season of The Game (The CW). Her character, Sheila is an Essence news reporter. Joyful says, “She is smart and sophisticated and she is very nosy. Sheila can get into anything, but she can also be very sincere and redeem herself. She just wants to get a juicy story and sometimes she crosses the line.”



Funny guy, Kwame Boateng (Everybody Hates Chris) was on the red carpet as well. He has an upcoming film, Not Easily Broken with Morris Chestnut coming out in January 2009 and a new Nickelodeon show, The Norton Avenue All Stars.
On the new Nickelodeon show, Kwame says, “It’s like Little Rascals meets puberty. It is a teenage show that is very kid friendly. It is a really fun show.” I had to ask him why he decided to cross over from Everybody Hates Chris to Nickelodeon. He said, “I was a guest star on Everybody Hates Chris and with this Nickelodeon show I am a series regular. Now I am hitting a broader audience. Every kid watches Nickelodeon so it is a huge move.”



From The Lakers, Jordan Farmar had this to say about Shaun Livingston’s foundation, “I am happy Shaun is doing something for the community that he is excited about so I am here for support. I started my own foundation last year and I know how important it is to have support from celebrities.”



Others that I got the chance to briefly talk to on the red carpet include: Katie Gill (The Mentalist, An American Carol), Marcus T. Paulk (Moesha, Another Cinderella Story), Abercrombie and Fitch Model Billy Marquart (Janice Dickinson Show), Kofi Siriboe (The Long Shots), Charles Porter (Don’t Fade Away) Menyane (Notorious) and Mekhi Phifer (ER).








If you love Mekhi Phifer but have not been watching ER (NBC) on Thursday nights, this 15th season is the last. Mekhi told me that ER shoots 9/10 months out of the year! But if you are all about the big screen, you won’t have to wait long to see a lot more of him there. He has many upcoming projects that you will want to look out for.



Also in attendance, D. Woods of Danity Kane, Vida Guerra, 2008 Olympic Volleyball Players Lindsey Berg & Kim Glass, and William Allen Young among a long list of attendees.






Lastly, of course I got to meet Shaun Livingston. As for the future of his foundation, Shaun had to say, “I want to partner up with charities and continue to bring celebrities in to promote this.”



The "Get A Cue Challenge" Party was a very successful and very memorable night. There were celebrities left and right no matter where I walked, all enjoying themselves and raising money and awareness for a good cause.

For more information about the Shaun Livingston Foundation, go here.