Here we are at the very start of National Novel Writing Month! I will try to share at least a short post with you each weekend, to tell you my thoughts or what I’ve been doing. I’ll also be giving you my word count for the week and see if I can make it to 50,000 words by the end of the month.
Now, for the past two years, I’ve tackled a Tolkien/Middle Earth fanfiction. Giving Bilbo a twin sister and exploring a universe where instead of Aragorn Heir of Isildur it is Ringorn Heiress of Isildur. It wasn’t until I was close to reaching my goal each year that I realized . . . I have barely started these stories, they could potentially become triple digit chapters or a mini series. Oh, I haven’t given up on them. I am still working on them off and on as the mood and inspiration strike me. But. This year, I decided to visit a new fandom, one that I basically grew up with.
Okay, I loved Disney’s animated version as a kid. I loved Robin Williams’s performance as the Genie. I just overall loved the characters and a story that shared that not everything was as it appeared, wishes were powerful, and being honest and keeping your promises are important. I’ve seen both sequels a few times. (I prefer King of Thieves. I really only enjoy the song “Forget About Love” from Return of Jafar.) I vaguely recall seeing an Aladdin tv episode involving a skeletal-handed man trying to take over Al’s body before I found most to all of the episodes on YouTube. (Mozenrath is really the only truly memorable villain in the series in my opinion.)
So when I learned that Aladdin was next up for a live action remake, I wondered how it would go, especially since I have enjoyed most of their remakes so far. But I refused to get excited about it. <glares at the subtle/not-so-subtle agenda shoved into Beauty and the Beast> However, after I read Plugged-In’s review of the movie . . . I may have gone a little crazy. I found and favorited the album on Spotify (falling in love with the epic Cave of Wonders’s voice and Jasmine’s awesome solo). Actually bought the soundtrack after finding it at a local store. Went to watch the movie in the theater with a friend (first theater experience ever!!). Bought the movie’s novelization. And bought the DVD shortly after it became available. Yeah, it currently holds the record for most stuff I’ve bought in connection to a Disney film.
But, most important is that after watching the movie for the first time, one of the revised lines made me wonder: what if Aladdin really was a prince and had lived in Agrabah as a street rat in order to get to know the people? And thus my NaNoWriMo project started to take shape.
However this was way back in spring/summer of this year. Would the idea actually percolate for that long? Well, it has.
I plan to use both Will Smith’s and Robin Williams’s Genies and incorporate elements of both the animated and live action into the retelling. Some stuff I’ll wait and see what happens. Other things I know for certain that I want. It may be a challenge to bring out a clear conflict with Aladdin no longer lying about being a prince. Even if Jafar has no idea about that.
I will be borrowing Dalia and Jasmine’s gorgeous wardrobe. I want to show Jafar originally finding the Cave of Wonders. I plan on borrowing from both final battles. I’m going to have to be coming up with new impersonations for RW’s Genie to pull off. Plan to weave in a bit of tv series lore. And just try to craft a plausible version of if Aladdin was really Prince Ali.
Now, part of why I’m hopping onto this carpet ride is because I would like to see if I can actually be almost finished with the story as a whole when I am coming up to the 50,000 words mark. If that is possible, it will be double satisfaction for me. Reaching the goal and finishing the story. That will be awesome.
Current word count as of this posting: 2598.
Hope to update you next week.
Oh, and if would like to hear something that semi-inspired my project, check out this cool video: Prince Ali (Mashup Duet) - Robin Williams & Will Smith.
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