Monday, April 21, 2014

R: Rick Riordan and Regular Show

I'm posting today on a few recent writing inspirations I've discovered.

Never judge a book by its movie. I committed the cardinal sin and watched The Lightning Thief before I read Rick Riordan's book. Never again. Why did I wait this long to read Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians series? These books overflow with memorable characters, witty dialogue, great action sequences and hysterical moments. I have searched to the ends of the earth for books for my reluctant reader of a son. Last week, I threw a copy of The Lightning Thief to my thirteen-year-old. He just turned fourteen and I still have a hard time thinking he's that old;-) I said, "Read it. You'll love it." He did--in three days. I almost passed out. As I stood there staring at my kid with my mouth hanging open, he said, "Mom, get me book two." Why am I so impressed with this writer? He writes from a male first person point-of-view and thinks like a teenager.

Over the years, I've put up with a ton of annoying cartoons watched by my thirteen-year old. But lately I've been eavesdropping (I'm a pro:) on his favorite show. I have found myself snickering and chuckling as Regular Show played in the background or on his iPod. Any fans of this show? "Get back to work or you're fired. Do me a solid. Yeah-yuh!" I usually just hear the script, because I'm too busy to sit down and watch. I love the dilemmas, mishaps and messes these two best buds, Rigby and Mordecai, get themselves into every episode. The best part is how they get out of each one.

My second son is also the inspiration behind one of the secondary characters in my WIP. His love of maple syrup, pyrotechnic outbursts, and endless pranks keeps me cracking up (and freaking out). Seriously, I can't make this stuff up. Every time he does something, I say, "Yep, that's going in my novel."

Do you have a favorite author? In what ways do they inspire your writing? Do you have a favorite t.v. series that inspires you?

#atozchallenge #amwriting #RickRiordan #PercyJackson #MondayBlogs 

On occasion I have watched a full episode of Regular Show. These two are perhaps the funniest ones ever. (Rigby and my son could pass for twins) If you get a chance, watch the rest of the meatball sub episode (at least the part of inside the limo:) and you will know what my life is like everyday living with my youngest teenage son.




23 comments:

  1. I keep hearing great things about the Regular Show....I just haven't gotten around to it yet. I'm a fan of silly and funny, though, so I think I do need to watch this one soon. I'm also a Riordan fan. That Lightning Thief movie did the world he created no justice!

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    1. I never understood why the movie producers didn't just follow the book. It was brilliant.

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  2. Since I don't have kids, I'm out of tune with any kids' shows.
    Funny that your son is giving you so much fodder for your writing.
    Writing convincingly as a kid or teen is tough. I had to do it in my third book and still have no idea how I pulled it off...

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    1. Well, if you ever need to borrow some of my kids...;-)

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  3. I got hooked on a TV show on Netflix earlier this year and, after I was finished, I came up with an idea for a YA series that was vaguely similar in concept. I don't know if it will ever sell, but I'm having fun writing it!

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  4. Great point about not judging a book by its movie! My 9 year old daughter hates reading anything except for graphic novels (ie comic books), and she recently read the graphic novel version of Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief :)

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    1. Didn't know there was a graphic novel of Percy Jackson. I would've tried that first with my son.

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  5. Hi Jennifer, I am a huge Rick Riordan fan. I love the speed at which his stories move, the obstacles that tumble in one after another for the main characters and the amazing humour in them.

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    1. I appreciate Riordan's humor the most in the Percy Jackson books!

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  6. Love Riordan, and Regular Show is a guilty pleasure at our place. Yea Yeah! :)

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  7. I like Rick Riordan. I LOVED the Percy Jackson series, and the first couple books in the companion series, but these last ones... There are just stretches that get so boring. I hit an action sequence and hope he's finally hit his stride again...and then it dies. *sigh* I didn't read the last two in the series because I barely got through the two before them. I might be done with Riordan, but I would go back and read his Percy Jackson series again.

    True Heroes from A to Z

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  8. I've never heard of this show til now, but it's totally funny! Thanks for introducing me :) And I know, I really need to read the Percy Jackson books!

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  9. I love Rick Riordan's books! Anything with humor is on the top of my fave's list. My 10yrold daughter is also a fan- the Percy Jackson books are her favorite of everything she's read. I passed on The Lightening Thief to my 9yrold son, but unfortunately, he didn't feel the same. :( Too soon maybe.

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    1. Someday! I've waited a long time for son to become a fan of reading.

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  10. Never heard of The Regular Show. I'll add that to the long list of shows to check out...eventually.

    Liz A. from Laws of Gravity

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  11. I haven't read this author yet and I'm not familiar with the show.

    I've found many shows to be inspirational. After watching them, I think about how the shows could have been written differently or the characters stay with me.

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    1. Me too! Regular Show has this way of giving you the unexpected and great plot twists--all in about 15 minutes:)

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  12. Yay for getting your son to read and want more! No, I haven't heard of "Regular Show." This may be a shocking admission, but although I read A LOT as a teen/twenty-something, I love films and TV shows far more.

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    1. I do have my fav shows that I LOVE, but I will always be reading:) I can't stop.

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