Eneh Akpan Writes: Stephenie Meyer

Showing posts with label Stephenie Meyer. Show all posts

Sunday, February 3, 2013

20 Final Lines From Horror Novels

It was a trifle easier coming by grabbing first lines for my article Explosive First Lines of 30 Great Books which I posted on this blog in 2012 than it was finding equally absorbing and memorable last lines albeit, from horror literature for this post.

Because reading a final line could be a little bit like trying for Egyptian hieroglyphics 'specially, if you've never read the quoted novel before, you will find that some paragraphs are a little on the lengthy side. It's meant to give you a whiff on events leading up to the final scene. So you won't be kept too deep in the dark. And don't think because these are collected from horror stories, there would be an excessive gilding of dark matter. There is a hiatus from all the madness, you see.

1. Desperation by Stephen King

"Do you understand the reference, David?"
David took the blue pass. "Of course. First John, chapter four, verse eight. 'God is love.' "
She looked at him for a long time. "Is he, David? Is he love?"
"Oh, yes," David said. He folded the pass along its crease. "I guess he's sort of . . . everything."
Cynthia waved. Mary waved back and gave her a thumbs-up. Steve pulled out and Mary followed him, the Acura's wheels rolling reluctantly through the first ridge of sand and then picking up speed.
David put his head back against the seat, closed his eyes, and began to pray.

2. Dark Mountain by Richard Laymon

He went for the stairs, took them three at a time, and reached for the door handle. The door swung away from him. "Sorry it took so long," Smeltzer said. "Had to use the john." "No problem." Jake turned away, not even trying for a glimpse of the wife, and trotted down the stairs. From behind him came her voice. "This really is the pits." "Better safe than sorry," Smeltzer said. "Of course."

3. Girl of My Dreams by Richard Matheson (from The Unexplained)

It was the arm of a dead woman that he clutched. With a gagging sound, he jerked his hand away. He gaped at her, unable to speak or think. Then, as he backed away, his eyes were drawn to the calendar on the wall and a phrase crept leadenly across his mind: one of these days. Quite suddenly, he began to laugh and cry. And before he fled, he stood at the window for an hour and twenty minutes, staring out, wondering who the man was, where he was right now and just what he was doing.

4. Vittorio The Vampire by Anne Rice

Pray it never takes a slaughter or a rape for you to see this light in those around you. God forbid it that it should demand such a price. Let me pay the price for you instead.

5. Strangers by Dean Koontz

Soon, when Dom had passed the gift to her, as she would ask him to, she'd be able to heal with her touch. More important, with only her touch, she would be able to pass unto others the power to heal themselves. The human life-span would increase dramatically overnight-three hundred, four hundred, even five hundred years. Except for accidents, the specter of death would be banished to a distant horizon. No more would the Annas and Jacobs be wrenched away from the children who loved them. No more would husbands have to sit in mourning at the deathbeds of young wives. No more, Baruch ha-Shem, no more.

6. Hannibal by Thomas Harris

We'll withdraw now, while they are dancing on the terrace-the wise Barney has already left town and we must follow his example. For either of them to discover us would be fatal. We can only learn so much and live.

7. Mr. X by Peter Straub

But since you have put a question to me, I can ask one in return. Are you sure-really sure-you know who told you this story?

8. The Great and Secret Show by Clive Barker

It would not be long before dawn, and at the first sign of the sun they'd have to go to sleep. But until the light came-until the real insisted upon their imaginations-they stood watching the darkness, waiting, half in hope and half in fear, for that other sea to rise from dreams and claim them from the shore.

9. Shadows by John Saul

From the first time since she'd brought him home from the Academy, Brenda MacCallum knew that her son was going to be alright.

10. The Host by Stephenie Meyer

"It's a strange world," I murmured, more to myself than to the other native soul. "The strangest," he agreed.

11. Dr. Death by Jonathan Kellerman

"So no way you'll stop."She played with her hair. "Who knows what I'll do?"

12. Bloodline by Jill Jones

Jonathan rolled over on the bed and tugged her into his arms. "It doesn't matter," he said, grinning and running his hands through her hair. "I have all I want in my arms right now."

13. The Reapers by John Connolly

After a time, he nodded, both to himself and at the man who he knew was following his progress: Louis, the killer, the burning man. Louis, the last of the Reapers.

14. Shadow Prey by John Sandford

The thing called Stephanie Bekker heard the words "Jesus Christ," and then it was gone forever, leaving a single bloody handprint six inches below the Princess phone.

15. Covenant with the Vampire by Jeanne Kalogridis

The overwhelmingness of it (the perfume on the other character's body) offended my predatory senses, but the spicy fragrance could not hide for me, the scent of one undead; a non-odour, born of absences-the absence of warmth, of the strong animal smell of the living.

16. Others by James Herbert

Me? I'm enjoying the short time I have left. When the pain eventually gets too bad, then that's when I'll use drugs again, but only those prescribed by the medics. I'm still nervous of death, of course, but I'm no longer afraid. I've glimpsed it, remember? Besides, I've got someone waiting.
Metaphorically speaking, of course.

17. Killer Dreams by Iris Johansen

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes as the water flowed over her. She'd tell Joe about Montalvo's call over dinner, but right now she wanted to relax and forget about everything but Joe . . .

18. Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill

"Your bag," the boy said. "You might need something in it."Alinger smiled fondly, went back up the steps, took it from the boy's cold fingers."Thank you," he said. "I just might."

19. The Shadow Out of Time by H. P. Lovecraft

No eye had seen, no hand had touched that book since the advent of man to this planet. And yet, when I flashed my torch upon it in that frightful abyss, I saw that the queerly pigmented letters on the brittle, aeon-browned cellulose pages were not indeed any nameless hieroglyphs of earth's youth. They were, instead, the letters of our familiar alphabet, spelling out the words of the English language in my own handwriting.

20. Dracula by Bram Stoker

"We want no proofs. We ask none to believe us! This boy will some day know what a brave and gallant woman his mother is. Already he knows her sweetness and loving care. Later on he will understand how some men so loved her, that they did dare much for her sake."

Akpan

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

10 Writers Whose Fiction Reflect Their Life Stories II

It’s amazing what we can learn when we study the lives of those who have excelled and made their mark in their chosen field. There are lots of facts about the life stories of the authors presented here I wasn’t even aware of before I did research for this article. But these experiences came to be the striking peculiarities that preserves their work in the hearts of readers of every generation.

See for yourselves.

5. Stephenie Meyer (1973- )

Four years after her birth, Meyer’s family relocated to Phoenix, Arizona and she thinks herself a native since she moved there at such a young age.

Meyer felt out of place among the otherwise wealthy population of Chaparral High School in Scottsdale, where she received her secondary education. She also married her childhood sweetheart. (Well, not really. They barely if ever, exchanged words as kids though, they attended the same church and social activities.)

Most of the students at school rode Porsches but Meyer never had a ride until she was in her twenties. Bella Swan of the Twilight series readily comes to mind when we think of a fictional character who’s had a similar experience. Almost everything about Meyer’s childhood fits perfectly into Bella’s profile.

6. Ian Fleming (1908-1964)

Ian Fleming worked in the British naval intelligence during World War II and was involved in the planning of high profile intelligence operations.

Fleming proved himself resourceful during the war. He plotted and carried out dangerous missions often involving rescue operations.

Fleming’s traits including golf handicap, his taste for scrambled eggs, his love of gambling, and brand of toiletries became Bond’s as soon as the character was created.

Fleming admitted that Bond “was a compound of all the secret agents and commando types I met during the war.” – Wikipedia.

7. Maya Angelou (1928- )

Some will argue that her life story which Angelou has published in six volumes should be termed autobiographical fiction and not autobiography. Whichever side of the wall you pick, we can still appreciate the fact she has taken pains to gather her life story into books which are no doubt, works of great literary worth.

Before becoming a writer, Maya Angelou had tried her hands on several other items including dancing in nightclubs. She eventually, produced a Calypso album, which she titled Miss Calypso.

Maya sometimes slept in the same bed as her mother and her mother's lover, Mr. Freeman, who eventually, raped her. They found him kicked to death three days later after the court failed to sentence him. For five years, Maya was a mute because she believed her telling on Mr. Freeman had killed him. Her muteness was cured when recited one of her poems to a family friend and since then, she’d discovered the power of poetry.

8. Bram Stoker (1847-1912)

Stoker was bed-ridden until he was seven. His mother was a writer and told him tales of the macabre while he lay sick and worn in bed and this probably influenced his choice of genre in later years.

He was dedicated to Henry Irving who he worked for as personal assistant while also managing the Lyceum Theater.

Henry Irving was a real-life inspiration for the character of Dracula, tailor-made to his dramatic presence, gentlemanly mannerisms and affinity for playing villain roles. – Wikipedia

Stoker may also have used the battle for his wife, former Florence Balcombe, whom he fought over with Oscar Wilde, in a scene where some men battle for the hand of the female character, Lucy Westenra who receives three marriage proposals in one day. And also, his son Irving Noel Thornley Stoker, who is named after three different personalities, in the naming of the son of the character Jonathan Harker, whose son is named after the men (about four in all) who helped him to destroy Dracula and rescue his wife from the villain’s spell.

9. Tananarive Due (1966- )

Tananarive Due is one of a handful of black science fiction and fantasy writers. Due at one time worked as a journalist and columnist for the Miami Herald. She had at some point in time been in a relationship with a guy who she said, “turned out to be different.” She believed this man was out to deceive her.

A few years after the relationship between Due and this strange fellow ended, she reworked her personal experience and created a character she called her ‘perfect guy’ by re-inventing her former boyfriend.

The novel conceived by this idea is called My Soul to Keep. And the plot revolves around the life of a young newspaper reporter who is still in her twenties. The woman later discovers her husband is a 500-year old immortal from a culture of immortals.

10. J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973)

Tolkien grew up around the Sarehole Mill and Moseley Bog in England and loved exploring these places. As a child, Tolkien was bitten by a large baboon spider in the garden, an event which later had echoes in his stories. His adventurous mind led him to his Aunt Jane’s farm of Bag End. The name occurs in his fiction. Frodo Baggins, Samwise "Sam" Gamgee, Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck and Peregrin “Pippin”–the characters from his books may have been the fictionalized Tolkien and three of his childhood friends, Rob Gilson, Geoffrey Smith and Christopher Wiseman, with whom he formed a semi-secret society which they called the “T.C.B.S.” (Tea Club and Barrovian Society).

In a 1968 letter, Tolkien details his trip to Switzerland on a summer holiday. A trip, which called to mind Bilbo's journey across the Misty Mountains in his The Lord of The Rings book. A scene from the book, which includes “the glissade down the slithering stones into the pine woods”, is directly based on his adventures as their party of 12 hiked from Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen. – Wikipedia.

After his mother’s demise at age 34, Tolkien lived in the Edgbaston area of Birmingham in the shadow of the Victorian tower of Edgbaston Waterworks which is believed to have influenced the images of the Dark Towers within his works.

These are writers who have endeared themselves to our hearts by creating masterpieces from their personal experiences in life. Writers who we, no doubt perceive as geniuses. No wonder they say it’s the ordinary things of life that are the real miracles.

Keep your pen bleeding!

Akpan

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Explosive First Lines of 30 Great Books

The Poet is a novel written by Michael Connelly. He had Stephen King do the introduction to the book for him. In said introduction, there’s a place where Stephen King wrote:

“I’m a sucker for good first lines, collect them in a little notebook the way some people collect stamps or coins…”

And that got me thinking waoh!… I can do that, too. On a serious level, I’ve bought more than one novel simply on the basis of a good first line. They seem to act as starters, like King stated above, pulling the reader into the story while they are barely aware that they’ve been sucked through reality’s fabric into the world of make-believe!

I collected the following first lines from books off my study bookshelf. I did not arrange these in any particular format. I only picked the closest book and pumped the content into my Word Document.

Have fun!

“The terror, which would not end for another twenty-eight years–if it ever did end–began, so far as I know or can tell, with a boat made from a sheet of newspaper…”

Stephen King,

“Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the spaces between the notes and curl my back to loneliness…”

Maya Angelou,

Singin’ and Swingin’ and Getting’ Merry Like Christmas

“You would think that such a day would tremble to begin…”

Thomas Harris,

Hannibal

“He seemed incapable of creating such chaos, but much of what he saw below could be blamed on him…”

John Grisham

The Pelican Brief

“When I finally slither out mewling, I’ve already given Mama hard labor, because she’s been cussing and screaming seventeen hours. Then there’s a calm until she sees me. Then she starts howling worse…”

Christopher Wilson

Cotton

“I hadn’t planned on going anywhere…”

Terry McMillan

How Stella Got Her Groove Back

“A few minutes past one o’clock in the morning, a hard rain fell without warning…”

Dean Koontz

The Taking

“Not twenty minutes has passed since you left me here in the café, since I said No to your request, that I would never write out for you the story of my mortal life, how I became a vampire…”

Anne Rice

Pandora

“In the darkness, he touched her arm and said, ‘Stay here…’”

Michael Crichton

State of Fear

“They moved swiftly, silently, with purpose, under a crystalline, star-filled night in western Siberia…”

Tom Clancy,

Red Storm Rising

“The music was as much a gift as sunshine, as rain, as any blessing ever prayed for…”

Bebe Moore Campbell,

Your Blues Ain’t Like Mine

“The first day of school was even worse than he’d thought it would be. Part of it was the weather. It was one of those perfect days when any normal ten-year-old boy would rather be outside… But Josh MacCallum wasn’t a normal ten-year-old, and it didn’t seem as though anyone was ever going to let him forget it…”

John Saul,

Shadows

“I knew it would begin with the end, and the end would look like death to these eyes. I had been warned…”

Stephenie Meyer,

The Host

“It was hope undid them. Hope, and the certainty that Providence had made them suffer enough for their dreams…”

Clive Barker,

Everville

“Thankfully, Longview's streets weren't stacked with cars and bodies. Kendra drove past the industrial districts, those smoke stacks that no longer belched white, the waterway now clogged with logs that, in saner days, would have gone to the Weyerhauser mill to build houses and make cardboard boxes. Nothing moved…”

Steven Barnes & Tananarive Due,

Devil’s Wake

“There are people who like change. There are even a few who thrive on it. That’s not me…”

J. A. Jance,

Breach of Duty

“I’m dead. You want to talk about my family and here I been dead to them for fifty years…”

James McBride,

The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother

“Death is my beat. I make my living from it…”

Michael Connelly,

The Poet

“Early in the spring of 1750, in the village of Juffure, four days up river from the coast of The Gambia, West Africa, a manchild was born to Omoro and Binta Kinte…”

Alex Haley,

Roots

“Girl, take a look at the brother who just walked in…”

Brenda Jackson,

Whispered Promises

“My redemption began in hell…”

James Herbert,

Others

“Stupid me–I fell right into the old pattern and spent a week pretending I was a moving target. All along, a part of me knew that I was hitching toward southern Illinois because my mother was passing. When your mother’s checking out, you get yourself back home…”

Peter Straub,

Mr. X

“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again. It seemed to me I stood by the iron gate leading to the drive, and for a while I could not enter, for the way was barred to me…”

Daphne du Maurier,

Rebecca

“No one can deny that Chief the Honorable M. A. Nanga, MP., was the most approachable politician in the country… I have to admit this from the outset or else the story I’m going to tell will make no sense…”

Chinua Achebe,

A Man of the People

“When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow…”

Harper Lee,

To Kill A Mocking Bird

“Brrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinng! An alarm clock clanged in the dark and silent room…”

Richard Wright,

Native Son

“When my mother was pregnant with me, she told me later, a party of hooded Ku Klux Klan riders galloped up to our home in Omaha, Nebraska, one night. Surrounding the house, brandishing their shotguns and rifles, they shouted for my father to come out…”

As told to Alex Haley,

The Autobiography of Malcolm X

“I was sitting at my desk doing my nails when the door opened and the spy sneaked in…”

Elizabeth Peters,

Street of the Five Moons

“That smashed elbow was still in a crooked cast after a month of repeated surgery…”

Herman Wouk,

The Hope

“Robert Langdon awoke slowly…”

Dan Brown,

The Da Vinci Code

Bonus

“On a very hot day in August of 1994, my wife told me she was going down to Derry Rite Aid… The next time I saw her, she was on TV. That’s how you identify the dead here in Derry…”

Stephen King,

Bag of Bones

I sincerely hope you were inspired to make a grab for one of these stunning reads!

Read with passion!

Akpan

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Twenty Tools for Fiction Writing (Part Two)

Here we go with the second and last part of this great adventure. I hope you had a terrific moment the last time, cause I sure did. Sometimes, you don’t need people to hit you upside your bingo with a hammer. Often a word or two of advice is enough to set you off reproducing literary children like a geyser in full swing.

That’s precisely why I'm doing this. Twenty successful writers digging into their pretty-stocked archives of experience and sharing their finds in succinct and well thought-out manner.

May we thread in their footsteps!

1. The idea is to write it so that people hear it and it slides through the brain and goes straight to the heart.

– Maya Angelou

2. The worm that destroys you is the temptation to agree with your critics, to get their approval.

– Thomas Harris

3. A writer is someone who has written something today.

– J. A. Jance

4. Writing isn't like math; in math, two plus two always equals four no matter what your mood is like. With writing, the way you feel changes everything.

– Stephenie Meyer

5. When I write I pretend I'm telling a story to someone in the room and I don't want them to get up until I'm finished.

– James Patterson

6. There isn’t time to talk about someday writing that short story or poem or novel. Slow down now, touch what is around you, and out of care and compassion for each moment and detail, put pen to paper and begin to write.

— Natalie Goldberg

7. Readers will stay with an author, no matter what the variations in style and genre, as long as they get that sense of story, of character, of empathetic involvement.

– Dean Koontz

8. Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please.

– Mark Twain

9. Books aren't written - they're rewritten. Including your own. It is one of the hardest things to accept, especially after the seventh rewrite hasn't quite done it.

– Michael Crichton

10. Two of the most difficult areas to write in are humor and the occult. In clumsy hands the humor turns to dirge and the occult turns funny. But once you know how, you can write in any area.

– John D. MacDonald

Keep that pen of yours bleeding.

Akpan