Read and respond with a comment to Christopher Moore interview. What is your experience with contemporary vampire fiction? Classical vampire fiction (Dracula)? Have you read Twilight or Anne Rice?
www.chrismoore.com/writing_vampire.html
Read first chapter online:
http://www.chrismoore.com/writing_vampire.htm
http://www.chrismoore.com/interviews/writing-the-vampire/
Watch the following videos and the videos on the video bar.
http://watchmojo.com/index.php?id=8330
http://watchmojo.com/index.php?id=8357
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Bhb744dw18
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/22/the-new-vampires-9-possib_n_620202.html#s103541
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBsNmM3ADp0&feature=related
Read to pg. 117 for Tuesday
Desire Giddens
ReplyDeleteOctober 6, 2011
Contemporary Writers
The interview is really long, and took a while to get through, but he’s funny, and it makes me want to read his writing. Personally, I’m going to go into the book with a positive mind, though I usually don’t like vampire novels. It’s not that the idea of vampires is scary or something, it’s just the way some people (Stephanie Mayer) chooses to portray the supposedly nightmaric creatures. When you look at classical vampire fiction like Dracula or any Anne Rice novel, you see how particularly terrifying vampires are. I just hope that Moore keeps that, though he leans to a funnier side.
I'm interested to see how Moore blends horror and humor in this novel. As for my previous experience with vampire literature, I've only read Twilight and the play version of Bram Stoker's Dracula, and I enjoyed Dracula a lot more. This is probably because it was terrifying--full of suspense and gore.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, the idea that "anyone can become a vampire" isn't one that I take to very well--I prefer the suspense that comes with the mere idea that there is a bloodthirsty creature on the loose. However, if Moore's novel is written well to provide the suspense I like so much, I will probably enjoy it.
Shannon Kalia
ReplyDeleteChristopher Moore’s interview gives a lot of insight on how he crafts his literature. A lot of his writing, such as “Bloodsucking Fiends,” he considers reactive writing, because he is writing about vampires in response to all of the contemporary writing about vampires that have been published recently, such as the Twilight series, and older books, such as the Anne Rice novels. He uses humor in a lot of his writing, calling himself an exception because humor is rarely ever in horror novels. Unlike what most writers say, about including irony in stories, using symbolism, and using characterization and lots of description, Moore says to just write and not worry about that being the main focus in your writing, and if it is meant to turn out that way, it will. He also avoids using lots of description so the reader can visualize what the setting is and what’s going on is like, and doesn’t include large amounts of a characters past unless it is relevant to what is going on. He also says external conflict is better than internal conflict, because more things get blown up, making it interesting and fun. He gives a lot of good writing tips at the end of the interview, too, and the interview gives a lot of background information and opinions on vampire writing from the author.
I haven’t really read a lot of contemporary vampire fiction, or classical vampire fiction as well. I’m not a very big fan of vampires in stories, so I probably wouldn’t read it on my own. I’d like to read an Anne Rice novel, though, because I’ve only heard good things about her writing. I’ve read the whole Twilight series and did enjoy the books, but I think they sometimes lacked character development and the plot could be unbelievable. The protagonist, Bella, was also kind of annoying and whiny. But besides that, I did enjoy the Twilight series a lot and thought the books were enjoyable to read.
I already think Christopher Moore is hilarious. The interview was really funny, but it was hard to follow at times since the text was so small in liked to be in large blocks of text. However, I liked his advice to young writers. Also, I found the “dumb-shit author things to say” were funny. I’ve yet to crack open Bloodsucking Fiends, but I’m very excited and since it’s supposed to be a quick read I think I might do it all in one sitting. Unfortunately, I have not read much of vampire fiction other than Twilight. I admit to liking it in the seventh grade, and I’ve read all of the books in the series. I’m excited to read Moore’s writing, though. I hope that he blends his humor with his horror as well as he says he does.
ReplyDeleteAshley Lawson
ReplyDeleteChristopher Moore is hilarious. Even in his interview he makes jokes and says things that made me start laughing. When the interviewer asked him is he likes internal or external conflict better, he said, “External, because more shit gets blowed up.” He also gives really good advice about writing such as, “I think one can write a magnificent story without the slightest consideration for symbols, archetypes, mythology, or allegory AND consideration of those elements over good character development and storytelling is how literature teachers kill a lot of good young writers.”
I have read and seen the movie Twilight and it is the contemporary vampire story, however from what I have read so far in Bloodsucking Fiends and what I learned about Christopher Moore, this book is not original or cliché. I have started reading Bloodsucking Fiends and it immediately caught and held my attention.
Harrison Frank
ReplyDeleteOctober 110, 1943
Writing Contemporarily
Christopher seems to be from an entirely different state of mind than other writers in his, and similar, genres. In essence Moore is a fantasy/horror writer. Though as opposed to other such writers (J.r.r Tolkien, whoever the hell wrote twilight, etc) he refuses to take himself seriously. In the interview he emphasizes his distaste for serious "literature." He advocates writing for entertainment rather than the exploration of deeper issues. With his vampire trilogy Moore is poking fun at, while also expanding, the vympyre tale in a comical, and thus more completely, manner.
Christopher Moore is a pretty funny guy. I like how he plans to mix horror and humor which isn't something many writers do. The interview kind of dragged on but I understand what he is trying to say.
ReplyDeleteAs for vampire literature as a whole, I feel as though it is everywhere which is very annoying. Once everyone saw how Twilight was booming, people wanted to hop on the bandwagon. Authors need to become more original instead of trying to do what everyone else is doing. This "vampire forbidden love" thing is getting old and the fad needs to past on already. Its literally everywhere, books , television ... I'm just waiting to see what else is out there.
Emily Teitsworth
ReplyDeleteOctober 6, 2011
Contemporary Writers
I am not one for comedic writing, and I especially dislike comedic novels. For me, vampires and comedy do not fit together. Though, after I read Moore’s interview, I am generally interested to see how he blends the two. I also liked the advice he gave young writers. He mentions that we must learn to be storytellers before we learn to write literature. There is significance in finding your writers voice before you worry about all the correct research and language, because hidden under the perfected language and literary elements lies the true bare bones of your imagination.
I was never a huge fan of vampire fiction because of the gore, blood and darkness of it, but my opinion changed in the 5th grade. That’s when I first read the book Twilight by Stephanie Meyers. When my teacher first gave me the book, I detested reading it because all he told me was that it was a book on vampires. But after reading the first chapter, I instantly fell in love with the book and it was hard to put it down. I love the story line and it proved me wrong that all vampire books aren’t gory and dark. Now that I am reading Christopher Moore’s Bloodsucking Fiends, it only validates what I learned from Twilight. His book has a sense of humor almost bringing light into what is typically a dark and draining topic. I like his style of writing. To me its very blunt and straight shooting. His words are simple yet they flow together like any other sophisticated piece of literature.
ReplyDeleteMy response to the interview is a good one. I loved his honesty with the answers to the questions he was asked. It was almost like he was going against the “rules” of writing and using his rebellion to his own advantage. I like how he said something and then used an example to back up his claim in the interview. He desputed the fact that irony was no longer used in fiction which also something that I liked. Overall I thought it was a good interview and he got his point across.
Erin Cotton
Angela Rollins
ReplyDeleteI've read literally no classical vampire fiction. However, I have read Twilight and an even more frustrating House Of Night vampire series. I've also read the Vampire Diaries. This is where my vampire expertise ends. Although I enjoy these novels, they're really not my favorites. I've never read Dracula, but I hope eventually I will.
I'm also not someone who normally reads parody novels. So, since I'm neither a vampire person or a parody person I'm not exactly excited for this novel. The author seems interesting from the interview, and I'm sure the novel will be just as interesting.
I personally found while reading the interview that Moore tends to take writing as something casual. I personally enjoy a good horror novel (i.e. Stephen King) and especially horror movies, and as such, I am alright with the violence and gore generally presented. I feel however that this book is not going to be as much of a horror novel as much as a young adult comedic romance novel. I got the impression straight from the start that the book might not have the same literary value as, for example, Fugitive Pieces. By taking a look at Moore's interview, I gathered that he is generally writing for a more casual audience, producing work that is more fit for a high school student than a hardcore literary critic. Which, in all honesty, isn't a bad thing; but based on his style of writing observed through his interview, I have a vague feeling that this is not my type of novel.
ReplyDeleteContemporary vampire fiction was never intriguing. Mystical creatures never grab my attention, therefore I think vampires suck. Somehow, Christopher Moore's interview and biography separates himself from the average "vampire writer." While reading a genre such as this, I would prefer it to be comedic because I honestly can't take it seriously. "I was reacting to a lot of the writing I was seeing from other contemporary writers of vampire fiction, that is sort of depressing, dark, obsessive attention to detail that didn't seem particularly important or to move the story forward," Moore said. I completely agree with him. In order to continue with a specific genre, you must bring some sort of originality that would make an impact on the reader and force them to like it. I don't like depressing novels, and I can't even imagine how much I'd hate a depressing vampire novel. Hopefully Moore brings something new. We'll see how this goes...
ReplyDeleteIn reading the interview with Christopher Moore, I realized how much I enjoyed Moore's zany humor. His writing is very, very funny, which should translate well in its application to specific genres—especially vampire literature. I don't really understand the whole vampire trend, but I do like parodies and comedy writing of all sorts. After learning more about Anne Rice and other vampire writers I feel like I am even more out of touch with the vampire thing, and my complete lack of knowledge of anything Twilight other than that it's written by some Mormon also illustrates that. I really liked Moore's comments on humor vs story. He says, "I think you could strip most of my books of the humor and they'd still tell a pretty good story, so I guess story is first." However, the humor is what makes it magical and so special—but it's not easy to do. When he says that "I guess humor is the bonus, and it requires some instincts that aren't absolutely required for a good story," he is absolutely right. This inserted into the lore of vampire fiction that I have not even scratched the surface of is very intriguing indeed.
ReplyDeleteTwilight is definitely lame to me. The only vampire i was ever interested in was Blade. Vampire fiction is not really interesting to me. With that being said i am enjoying Bloodsucking Fiends so far. I just see vampire stuff as overrated really. Most of the stories of vampires relate to love which makes it worse. if you are going to write or make a movie about vampires make them scary killers who know jujitsu not creatures who want to be normal and find a mate.
ReplyDeleteI really like this Christopher Moore guy. He's not as serious in his interviews. I liked his advice to young writers. Advice from authors is always useful especially when you want to pursue that as a career. How he blends horror and humor is interesting and im really interested in how the book will play out.
ReplyDeleteI do not usually enjoy vampire fiction. I think a large part of it is that I was first introduced to vampire fiction when Twilight was released and the its popularity surged. I have never really read quality, classic vampire fiction.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the interview with Christopher Moore I am hopeful that this will be a redeeming experience for me, and help me find a new appreciation for vampire fiction. Moore has an infectious sense of humor, that reflects in his answers and in the style of his writing. I am not quick to pick up on literary humor, so it might be a bit of a challenge. I don't always understand jokes, or literary humor, but I am going to enter with an open
I am not completely opposed to vampires themselves. I have always enjoyed reading historical accounts of vampire activity. I think they are and interesting fantastical species, and that their character attributes make interesting characters.
I am a little tired of seeing vampire fiction everywhere I go. I am not a follower of the fad, but I am excited to read Bloodsucking Fiends, and hopefully to acquire a new appreciation for, or view on vampire fiction.
Mariah Gonzalez
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this interview, I can honestly say that I'm excited to start reading Christopher Moore's novel, Bloodsucking Fiends. I haven't really had any experience with contemporary Vampire fiction, besides having read the popular and well known Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyers. (Going against the popular opinion of these novels, I actually enjoyed this series.)
The advice that Moore's provided to young writers is incredibly helpful. I enjoyed his sense of humor throughout the interview, as well as his "down to earth attitude." I also liked that he dislike's using symbolism as a way to confuse his readers. Along with this, I also enjoy the fact that he had no intention to change the way vampires are portrayed, only wanting to reflect off of old ideas in order to establish his own place in the genre. To me, this show's his creativity in being able to alter past ideas, another reason why I'm eager to read his novel. Overall, Moore seems to be the sort of author who generally wishes to entertain his audience, tell a good story, and be a role model for other young writers such as myself. After reading this interview, I have an even larger interest in reading Bloodsucking Fiends. Hopefully it lives up to expectations.
I enjoyed getting to know Christopher Moore through this interview. I was apprehensive about reading vampire fiction due to the reputation it has been given because of the "Twilight Saga" by Stephanie Meyers. But he is humorous and I like that he doesn't seem to take the vampire element seriously, so I am going to approach reading this novel with an open mind.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Mariah in that I enjoyed that he dislikes using symbolism as a way to confuse his readers. I also like that he's referring back to old ideas of vampires; he's not attempting to create a new portrayal. I think this is important because of the mixed feelings that Meyer's have given to vampire fiction due to "Twilight."
Christopher Moore's interview was alright, interesting to read. He seems very intelligent when it comes to the writing process an author has to go through, and very experienced with the lingo of vampire fiction. Although some people may think the vampire genre is tainted due to some book some Mormon lady wrote about a prudish chick with no emotions, but the vampire genre has always been an interesting and seductive storyline, and the author knows that and works with his to his best discretion.
ReplyDelete