The Twilight Trend | Teen Ink

The Twilight Trend

September 22, 2010
By courtneyloux13 SILVER, West Sand Lake, New York
courtneyloux13 SILVER, West Sand Lake, New York
8 articles 2 photos 6 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Dreams come true only for those who have the courage to take action."


I often venture online to yahoo answers (the books and authors section of course) just to see what people are talking about in the book world. And of course, Twilight is still a very popular subject. But one person has finally asked the question that I've been dying to answer, "Why does everyone suddenly hate the twilight series?" So, I enthusiastically clicked "answer" and typed away. Here's my view on it.

I remember sitting down with Twilight way before it was popular and I remember loving the book. I have always loved fantasy, vampires and all. So it was great when the Twilight series came out...

But, unfortunately all the screaming fan girls have completely ruined the books for many people, including me. Books are usually kept to ones self, something that you cherish and keep close to you. But once Twilight was made into a movie people seemed to forget about the books and focus on the actors/actresses and suddenly people claimed they loved Twilight when in reality they haven't even read the books. People don't get the same experience from the very poorly made movies. The Twilight Saga has turned into one huge marketing scam. Now there's Twilight clothes, bags, lunch boxes, water bottles, stickers, buttons, make up, perfume, etc. It's ridiculous. Enough is enough.

Bottom line is, the books were good. But then the fans got completely out of control and the whole series was made out to be something huge and amazing when really, Twilight was just another average fantasy book. The fans even managed to ruin the YA Fantasy genre for books, now authors are forgetting where fantasy originated from. It's no longer about the monsters and creepy crawlies, it's suddenly about the same "tragic love story" that countless people have written.

The fans killed twilight.


And I really believe it too. I don't like the idea of books being made into movies in general but creating a perfume/make up line based on books it's just absolutely mind boggling. The only visual adaptation that I've seen and thoroughly enjoyed is True Blood, based on the Sookie Stackhouse books, but even True Blood is NOTHING like the books!

Not to mention, Stephenie Meyer's other novel, The Host is also getting turned into movie. I haven't read The Host (I plan on it) so I won't judge, I'm just saying that The Host may not be that great but it's getting turned into a movie anyway and my guess is that it's only being made into a movie because of Meyer's huge success with Twilight. But like I said, I haven't read The Host so I can't judge (even though I just did.)
I think that people are truly forgetting the craft of writing and what it means to be a story teller. If it was up to me the whole world would be reading the old Grimm fairy-tales. I haven't read many classics at all but I'm not afraid to admit that I should. The classics are great examples of pure storytelling. All modern day novels are developed from plot lines that can be found in classics. Twilight, for example, is often compared to Wuthering Heights.
When NaNoWriMo rolls around this year I can only hope that I can produce a novel that makes people want to read and I can only hope it's a book I can look at and be proud of. I just want to write a well written and well crafted piece of fiction.

Movies seem to trample on the literary world. It's great that authors get wonderful publicity, it's true that movies do make people want to buy the books but still. I wish people would expand their horizons. I wish that the writers in Hollywood would stop seeing dollar signs and start coming up with original ideas. The same goes for writers too, it seems to me that everyone in writing field are just hoping on the wagon and following whatever craze is popular at the moment.
As a writer I would never want to write a story just because I think it would sell well or it's because that's what people are reading at the moment. I will always want to stay true to the story I feel I have to tell and I hope to do that in the most original way possible.


The author's comments:
The article says it all.

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This article has 6 comments.


on Aug. 11 2011 at 11:00 pm
Texas_Horsegirl BRONZE, Windom, Texas
1 article 4 photos 24 comments

Favorite Quote:
Love the life you live-live the life you love. ~Bob Marley

I remember when I would say "I'm too cool to read." lol. Then one day all I heard was "Twilight, Twilight, Twilight!" So, I read it, and loved it!

But then i started to read more, and I found out I love to read the long, boring draw-out classics. Then I thought, "Twilight sucks, these books are so much better...what was I thinking?" So thats my story...oh yeah and I've read th sookie stackhouse books, and I love it! And the show too!

I love this. Good work!


on Oct. 24 2010 at 3:04 pm
Believe_me BRONZE, Hickory, Mississippi
1 article 2 photos 6 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Everything the government touches turns to crap." Ringo Starr

Thank you for writing this! I read the books before the mega popularity, too, and its turned into this fad that I hate, even though I still love the books.      

I heard they were making another favorite series of mine - The Hunger Games- into a movie and i'm afraid it's going to end the same way.


on Sep. 29 2010 at 2:26 pm
courtneyloux13 SILVER, West Sand Lake, New York
8 articles 2 photos 6 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Dreams come true only for those who have the courage to take action."

Yes, exactly.

Fascinated said...
on Sep. 29 2010 at 2:04 pm
I agree. I liked the books, they took me to another world which is something I love in a good novel. But the movies and the fans ruined it. Those books are simple fun to read, they are not earth shattering or mind blowing or incredible. They just appeal to people like many other books do.

J. Rae said...
on Sep. 26 2010 at 11:19 am

I agree! It seems like so many people hate Twilight, and they haven't even read the books! They just hate it because they are tierdx of hearing it from the screaming fans and all of the advertizement. I wish thewy would read the book before they judge it. I'm not sure if I like the idea of turning The Host into a movie, I mean it's such an amazing book! Will people start hating it too, jsut becuase they get sick of all the talking about it? I just hope that people don't leave books behind for movies. Classics are amazing, Jane Autsten Novels and Wuthering Heights are personal favorites, but people judge them too quickly. They think that they'll be boring because they weren't written lately, and would rather watch TV with more action in it.

 


on Sep. 25 2010 at 11:44 am
deus-ex-machina14 BRONZE, Stewartsville, New Jersey
1 article 0 photos 439 comments

Favorite Quote:
"There are two main tragedies in life. One is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it." -Oscar Wilde

This is so true and very convincingly written!! Keep it up!!