Deb Tawna isn’t well acquainted with the silver screen

I don’t watch a lot of movies.

I know that sounds snobby, especially when I add that I strongly prefer reading books.

It really isn’t some high-minded literary thing, I swear. It’s more an issue of attention span and the fact that I don’t have one. Books keep me engaged because I’m an active participant, but sit me down in front of a movie and I guarantee at least 50% of the time I’ll nod off within 15 minutes.

That’s my longwinded way of prefacing the sad fact that I rarely ever think of my books in terms of what they might look like on the movie screen. I know this is one of the most fun things for a lot of authors. Who would play the characters? Where might they film the movie? Would the love scene last three hours like it’s supposed to?

But since we’re all talking about the movie thing this week, I decided to spend some time browsing online photos to see if I could determine which actor and actress most closely resemble my mental picture of Juli and Alex from Making Waves.

Here’s what I came up with:

Meg Ryan as Juli, Pierce Brosnan as Alex from Making Waves.




Now I’m fretting that I’ve just ruined your ability to come up with your own mental picture of the characters.

Then again, I know that’s not always how it works.

The second book in my contract (currently called Believe it or Not and scheduled for release January 2012) is the only one I’ve ever written where I not only have a very clear mental picture of the hero, but name the precise actor he resembles. In case you’re wondering, he’s John Cusack.

But not everyone shares my deep and undying love of John Cusack. Not even my agent.

Even though there are at least half-a-dozen instances in the book where I refer to the character’s resemblance to John Cusack, my agent insists he looks completely different. No John Cusack resemblance at all. Same goes for one of my beta readers, who insists he looks like actor Matthew Fox.

So maybe the imagination really is much stronger than the written word. Hey, I’m OK with that. In fact, I invite you to imagine my characters however you wish.

Well, as long as they’re hot.

6 Replies to “Deb Tawna isn’t well acquainted with the silver screen”

  1. Sorry. Those aren’t Juli and Alex. 😉

    I know what you mean, though — I’m always afraid to mention casting suggestions for my characters, because I’m afraid I’ll somehow inhibit the enjoyment of a reader who’d rather mentally cast the book herself. Or himself.

    Never fear, though. Unlike our esteemed agent, I happen to think John Cusack is hawt. Not as hawt as Hugh Jackman, mind you, but still pretty steamy.

  2. I’ve tried to cast my characters, but they never quite match the movie actor. For example, Willem, in my first book, is a darker, buffer, stronger Heath Ledger from The Patriot. Same concept, different ideal. I think i am not making sense. and I LOVE movies.
    hmph. I can’t make it work. And the heroine, forget it. She’s too close to being like ME to be like someone else. And I’m trying to change that.

  3. I do watch movies, and I’m still awful at imagining actors for people in books – mine or others.

    The key for me with most tv and movies is doing something else while I watch it. I can’t sit still long enough either.

  4. I’m with you. I read fiction every night. My husband watches movies. Some folks like both equally. I’m a book girl. The joy of reading is that we CAN each come up with our own vision of a character. I’ll take Pierce Brosnan in any role, anytime. Not a big Meg Ryan fan since she stuffed her face with goop to try to maintain the “cute.”

  5. Eh, those are definitely Juli’s blond curls. Otherwise, I don’t really know. I DO know that Drew does not look like John Cusack. I don’t care what the author tells me. Closer to Matthew Fox but not quite sure that’s right either. I’ll think about it.Or not. I’ll let you decide.

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