Glorious Color

Posted by on



No doubt we’ve all read books with vivid scenes that stay with you, though details of the plot fade with time.  For me, one of those books was a science fiction novel I discovered as a kid.  The characters live on a vast space ship.  Generations have come and gone and they no longer even have stories of earth.  Their entire world is the ship and the drab struggle to survive in a brutal, broken society.


At one point. a group breaks into an unknown compartment where they find various containers.  When they open them, they become riotously, gloriously drunk…on color.  You see, they’ve found cans of paint.  Beauty explodes on their senses and they splash it on the walls and themselves, reveling in this amazing discovery.  Life is no longer just about survival.

Wow.

 This scene in the novel reminds me of the Wizard of Oz.  The plot hardly needs to be recounted, but Dorothy’s world in Kansas is monotone.  She struggles to be understood and find a place where she fits.  Kansas is actually a very nice place, but the movie portrays how she sees her life, not reality.  In the 1930s, black and white films were the norm, so my grandmother said it was particularly stunning when Dorothy opened the door and the brilliance of Oz burst into view. 
  
Sepia tone (original color of
the Kansas scenes in The Wizard
of OZ)
The same building in black and white
 (the way many of us grew up seeing
 the Kansas scenes in The Wizard of Oz)

And in color
We know that in Oz, Dorothy learns an important lesson about home and heart.  Does anyone else think that when she wakes up in Kansas, it would have been interesting to see her surroundings in full color?  Not the same as Oz, of course, but in the warm, welcoming tones of home.  It would have been a visual representation of everything Dorothy has learned on her journey.  I wonder if they considered shooting the end of the movie that way.  At least as a writer I get to “direct” my story endings.


Nature's canvas (not Sci Fi)
It’s ironic that I don’t remember the title or author of the science fiction novel (Asimov, Heinlein, someone else?) because I hope to create vivid images and stories that will stick with readers the way this one has stuck with me.  A little of it is the desire for a second kind of immortality, and also hoping to have an impact, creating an opportunity to see and think about life in different ways.  But mostly I want to write stories that entertain.  After my father died, my mother read stacks of romance novels.  They helped her get through a very difficult time.  If I can do that for someone, my hours at the computer have been well spent.

Best wishes for a wonderful summer.

Callie


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/callie.endicott.author/

FINALLY, A FAMILY (May 2019)
Harlequin (Paperback):  www.harlequin.com/shop/books/finally-a-family.html
Harlequin (eBook):  https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/finally-a-family.html
Amazon (Kindle): https://smile.amazon.com/Finally-Family-Emerald-City-Stories-ebook
Amazon (Paperback):  https://smile.amazon.com/Finally-Family-Emerald-City-Stories


Comments

  1. Janice CarterJune 18, 2019 at 3:58 AM

    Wonderful photos Callie! You’re so right when you say that books can help us get through hard times. All kinds of books, too, with romance at the top of the list of course.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Callie EndicottJune 19, 2019 at 4:13 PM

      Thanks! This blog is a great opportunity to share my pictures. My mom liked the sweet romances best. When we traveled together (we were both fans of road trips), she'd buy a stack at a benefit shop and donate them back when she was done with them.

      Delete
  2. Laurie IJune 18, 2019 at 4:49 AM

    I love the pictures. I enjoy reading descriptive books. Although I believe it’s discouraged in writing, I like when an author describes surroundings and the characters’ feelings. I can really get lost in books like that. I personally don’t mind the “telling.”
    And I agree that escaping through the pages of a book can help us through rough patches in life.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Callie EndicottJune 19, 2019 at 4:19 PM

      I sometimes think I look for blog topics that support lots of pictures. I don't recall if this book had a lot of description about the characters feelings, but I knew what it was saying. Especially the scene with the paint. One of my favorite sci fi novels is Rendezvous With Rama by Arthur C. Clarke. The plot was basically exploring an alien landscape inside a vast cylindrical object passing through the solar system. Little else, but the images were so vivid. Sequels have been published, but they're filled with political intrigue, etc., and I haven't liked them.

      Delete
  3. Virginia McCulloughJune 18, 2019 at 6:14 AM

    Beautiful photos. I love celebrating place in a book. I think providing relaxation and escape--healing escape at that--is a goal and purpose worth pursuing! Thanks for the post.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Callie EndicottJune 19, 2019 at 4:23 PM

      Thanks! I've read books where a setting is described in detail, and others where the location is drawn in broad strokes. For me, the emotional content of the scene, the characters and where they're at, helps define how detailed I should be.

      Delete
  4. rozdennyfoxJune 18, 2019 at 6:35 AM

    I love when the setting is like another character in the book. I want to visualize a town, a beach scene, the wilds of another country, planet, etc when I read. Thanks for the lovely photographs.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Callie EndicottJune 19, 2019 at 4:28 PM

      One of my favorite compliments was someone who said they loved how detailed my settings were. They went on to talk about some of those settings...with elements that weren't in the book. To me this meant I had created the kind of literary canvas where their imagination was free to fill in the details. I'm glad you like the photos!

      Delete
  5. Patricia BradleyJune 18, 2019 at 8:32 AM

    Love your photos! Books have always been my escape and I love it when a author draws me into the setting.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Callie EndicottJune 19, 2019 at 4:32 PM

      I love feeling as if I've visited a new place in books. And yes, they're my escape as well, both fiction and nonfiction. Glad you enjoyed the pictures. I still don't have a new digital camera (my good one is nonfunctional), but doing my best with the one that's still working.

      Delete
  6. Beth CarpenterJune 18, 2019 at 9:54 AM

    Beautiful! I especially love the purpleish flowers bordering the ocean. I've never thought about making Kansas in color at the end, but it's a wonderful idea!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Callie EndicottJune 19, 2019 at 4:38 PM

      The photo with the flowers and ocean was taken on a vacation in Monterey, California. I don't think the picture does it justice, the color in real life takes your breath away. Much as I love The Wizard of OZ, I think it would have been interesting to make the ending in color. I still love the film, though. It's such a great classic.

      Delete
  7. Liz FlahertyJune 19, 2019 at 4:05 AM

    I love the pictures. A thoughtful post. I'm like Roz--I want the setting to be a character unto itself.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Callie EndicottJune 19, 2019 at 4:48 PM

      Setting is important to me, too. I know some writers think we should reduce description, adjectives and adverbs. A well-known author spoke at a writer's conference I attended years ago, spending over an hour of the keynote address on the subject. I confess that I'd never read her work before, but we were given a signed copy of her latest publication in our "goody" pack. Sad to say, I found her writing sterile with little sense of setting. She's successful, so it obviously it works for her, but I want more.

      Delete
  8. Callie EndicottJune 19, 2019 at 4:49 PM

    Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Ajay SharmaSeptember 26, 2019 at 3:53 AM

    Thanks for posting such a good content,
    This is Vipin kumar, we have skilled professional developers with 12+ years of experience. If you have any requirement regarding Android & iOS mobile app development then you can contact us at tel: +1-877-659-9068.

    ReplyDelete
  10. vipinOctober 10, 2019 at 7:08 PM

    Thanks for sharing information,
    Hire a vehicle on time, Trexeego offer the best service for book taxi online nearby you. We have a wide range car like as Sedan, Xylo, Nissan, Indigo car with expert driver anywhere in India. Feel free or call now at this number +91 7992315344.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment