Originality

Has anyone else noticed all the remakes lately? I turn on the radio and a surprising number of "new" hits are actually remakes of old songs. Either that or they are at least heavily sampling something from the past. It's the same with movies. I could hardly believe it when they remade Footloose last year! And now in 2012 there are remakes like 21 Jump Street and Fright Night. Next year, I hear they are coming out with a new Superman and even remaking Steel Magnolias. It makes me wonder: Where are all the original ideas?

I think what bothers me most about some of these remakes is that sometimes it just seems that the studios or musical artists just want to make a quick buck. Rather than put in the time and effort of actually doing something new or original, they simply hire new actors to tell the same exact story in the same exact way. Then, they push it out to the public saying, "Remember this movie you loved when you were younger? You've just got to go see the remake, it's awesome!" Something about it feels so manufactured and passionless.

But what about when a true artist takes an old story and makes something new out of it? The Dark Knight series of Batman remakes has been amazing and I honestly can't wait for The Dark Knight Rises this summer. On the other hand, that series still has unique elements that weren't there in the original films. Of course, you could also say the films were just a remake of the comic books since that's where Batman got his true start, but at least the Batman Begins trilogy tells the story in a new way.

What about Snow White and the Huntsman? Old story. New twist. In the previews at least, I haven't seen any reference to seven dwarves. I haven't seen Snow White in the kitchen whistling and cooking for seven tiny men or roaming through the happy woods with deer. Instead, there are scenes with her in full body armor, wielding a sword and shield. I think I'm going to like this Snow White (even if I don't always love Kristen Stewart).



When a remake is done with a totally new twist, it can be powerful and exciting. Then again, when it's just a straight remake, I often get frustrated and confused. If you're not improving on it, why do it? Just to make money? I'd much rather see people take a risk on something original than something regurgitated. That's one reason I love this new revolution of self-publishing. I love the freedom so many authors have now of telling their own stories in their own unique way (or completely reimagining something old and giving it an exciting new twist). Less limitations and more creativity in story-telling is much more exciting to me than straight remakes of something that's been done several times before.

What are some of your favorite remakes? What about remakes that disappointed you? Is there something you've always wanted to see redone? I'd love to hear your opinions on this!

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Sarra Cannon

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Sarra Cannon grew up in a small town in Georgia where she learned that being popular always comes at a price. Now, she lives in North Carolina with her amazing husband and her teeny tiny Pomeranian,Snickerdoodle. Books and music are her greatest passions. She has never been a cheerleader, but it's possible she knows a few things about casting spells.


The first book in her popular Peachville High Demons series, Beautiful Demons, is now available for free at most ebook retailers.

Coming Into Your Own

When I was a senior in high school, I was not the most popular girl in the world. On the outside, I was kind of a goody two-shoes. A girl who did everything right - joined all of the clubs, got straight A's, etc. etc. But on the inside, I was an awkward mess. I had no idea how to put together cute outfits the way some girls seemed to do effortlessly on a daily basis. My face was constantly broken out. I felt awkward in my own body, never knowing how to act in a crowd or get into the parties.

I found out later that a lot of the people in my school thought I was stuck up, but that wasn't the truth at all. In truth, I was painfully self-conscious. What other people saw as confidence, I felt as never-good-enough.

That's when my mother showed me an audition announcement in the paper. The Macon Little Theater was putting on Fiddler on The Roof, one of my absolute favorite musicals. I'd grown up watching the movie version of the musical and singing along, especially with the character of Hodel, the beautiful second oldest daughter who falls in love with the revolutionary and follows him to prison in Siberia. The moment I read about the audition, I knew I wanted that part. I didn't care that the theater was almost an hour away.

When I got to that audition and saw how many other girls my age had shown up, my self-doubt rose to the surface. But the second I got on the stage to sing, I was a new person. I was Hodel. I felt instantly transformed. I won the part and loved every minute of my time working on the musical. I met new friends that saw me as a true part of their group. I found new confidence each time I stepped onto the stage. I found a beauty within myself I hadn't realized was there. For the first time in my life, I had come into my own.

And isn't that something we all love about Young Adult fiction? Isn't that something we can all relate to? We've all felt awkward at some point in our lives, haven't we? One thing I love about reading YA is that we recognize ourselves in these young heroines. We know her pain. That gawky girl resonates with us. The heroine who doesn't yet understand who she is or what her true destiny is? She's just like us.

There's magic in that moment of coming into your own. Of suddenly finding that one thing that you were always meant to do. The one place where you suddenly shine. For Harper, the main character in my Peachville High Demons series, it's not until Book 5 that she truly comes into her own and realizes who she is and where her power comes from. It's a powerful moment, just like it was for me playing Hodel in that community theater production. I found a confidence that year that led me to take other risks. Risks like self-publishing and quitting my job to become a full time writer.

Do you have a favorite YA heroine that we get to see come into her own? What was one moment in your life where something suddenly clicked and you knew you had found something magical for yourself?

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Sarra Cannon always secretly wanted to be a cheerleader. And a witch. Now, she writes about both.  She is the author of the Peachville High Demons series, available now in ebook format. Sarra lives in North Carolina with her amazing husband and her teeny tiny pomeranian, Snickerdoodle.

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