Anniversary Celebrations: Author Visit and Give-Away: Jay Bell - and some super exciting information!

We have a huge treat today - we are welcoming clubhouse favourite Jay Bell in again, with news about one of our favourite books being adapted for the big screen. That's right folks, Something Like Summer is being made into a film. Read on for news of this plus cast photos and how you can help. Jay is also offering up a fabulous prize!

Welcome Jay, it is, as ever a huge pleasure to have you here. Over to you.

The book was better than the movie. Most people have uttered this phrase at least once. You’ll read a book and love it, let your friends drag you to the cinema even though it can’t possibly be as good. When the credits roll, your friends turn to you with big eyes, eager to hear your verdict. That’s when you say it. The book was better. I’ve been in that situation many times before, and yes, I’ve certainly made the same claim. In many cases, I find the assertion to be absolutely true. It’s funny then to find myself in my current position. A book that is very special to me is being adapted for screen, and as usual, I’m both excited and apprehensive. This time though, the book in question is one I wrote. So if the book really is better, why am I so desperate to make sure the Something Like Summer movie comes to pass?

One of the biggest draws for me is being able to see the characters clearly for the first time. I have a pretty vivid imagination. Some of my characters I can visualize quite well. Others not so much, but nothing can compete with an actor bringing a character to life on screen. It’s always a little shocking when casting news is first announced, since it’s rare that a real-life person matches what you imagined. Sometimes you get lucky though. I’m pumped that Ben Baur will be playing Jace, because he really does look like the character in my mind. That won’t be the case for everyone, but there’s an upside regardless. Even if the actor’s appearance doesn’t mesh with what you imagine, being able to see someone act out crucial scenes—observing their range of facial expressions and the nuances of their body language—all that gets absorbed and reused the next time you read about those characters. That happened to me with the Harry Potter books. The casting was hit and miss for me, but soon it was hard to imagine anyone but the actors. While I did briefly mourn my personal concepts, the reading experience became even more immersive than before and really helped make the stories and characters feel more real.

Visuals are a strong advantage of a movie adaptation. So is sound. I don’t just mean the score, which helps guide the emotional journey of the audience. In some books, music is a big part of the plot, which is difficult to communicate in a medium of black and white text. The main character of Something Like Summer is Benjamin Bentley, and singing is one of his passions. His talent is important at multiple points in the story, and I’m excited this will be true of the movie too. Austin McKenzie will be playing Ben and Ajiona Alexus will take the role of his best friend Allison. The best part? Both of them can sing. Really really sing. The movie won’t be a musical, but music will be at its heart, helping to transition the story through its twelve-year plot. While I might have included clumsy lyrics and descriptions of singing in the book, seeing Ben and Allison tear up the stage together will be a much more memorable experience. People will be able to set the book aside and play the song from the talent show scene if they want, or read along while listening to it in the background. How cool will that be?

Movies are also a social activity. It’s possible to read the same book as someone, but it’s not something you can experience at the exact same time, laughing or crying on cue together. I like the idea of Summer gaining that group dynamic. Not everyone enjoys reading either, so for the first time these characters I love dearly will reach a new audience. The movie is also likely to be dubbed or subtitled into more languages than the book is currently available in. So there are many reasons why I want this project to happen… but will the book still be better? In some ways. Books don’t have limited runtimes or budget constraints. That means more detail, more plot, more everything—the only true limit being your imagination. That’s hard to compete with. But as we discussed above, there are definitely some things a book can’t do that a movie can. So instead of saying the book is better, perhaps it’s fairer to invert that phrase and turn it on its side. The movie is always different. When done right, a screen adaptation will complement the book it’s based on, revealing to us the story’s highlights while helping to enhance our own imaginations. From what I’ve seen of the script, that’s just what the Something Like Summer movie will do. 

We need your help to make it happen though. Right now we’re running an Indiegogo campaign to help fund the movie, and even if cinema isn’t your thing, one of the perks for contributing is a new and exclusive Something Like… story. You can find out more at this link: http://igg.me/at/likesummer Even if movies aren’t your style, if you could help spread the word, I would adore you even more than I do now. Need a bribe? How about winning a free set of Seasons series books? That’s Something Like Summer, Winter, Autumn, and Spring. To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment below! Thank you in advance for any help you can give. Hopefully I’ll see you in the theater. I’ll be the guy one row back, annoyingly rustling his bag of Twizzlers during the most romantic scenes. Sorry! I just can’t resist the things!

Wow - exciting stuff hey! I hope they supply plenty of tissues along with the popcorn - my heart's still not recovered from reading this book! Thank you Jay for popping by, it's been a real pleasure. We're very excited about this film!

Jay has brought with him an amazing giveaway. He is offering a paperback set of the Seasons books to one lucky winner. That's four books in total, Summer through to Spring. Comment below, telling us which book you'd like to see made into a film and if you have any actors in mind for the MC's. As ever please leave a way of contacting you (e-mail, twitter, facebook) as well as your name. A name will be picked using a randomiser on Wednesday 3rd December, 12pm GMT. Good luck!

To find out more about JAy Bell, visit his Goodreads page.