so, not to make myself sound geeky or anything, i’ll admit i am a total hunger games fan. i ate those books up like sees candy when i first got them several years ago and waited nearly impatiently for the third and final book to be released. i then read that book in a matter of three hours (“NO ONE BOTHER ME–I MUST KNOW HOW IT ALL ENDS,” i sadly shrieked to the poor family while shoving the book close to my nose). so now that the movies are being made, i’ve further geekified myself by waiting impatiently for those (march, march, why are you so far away?!?). i admit at first i was a bit surprised by some of the casting choices (oh, how kristin chenoworth would have been a supreme elfie, and . . . and . . . woody harrelson as haymitch? couldn’t it have been someone like robert downey jr.?), but i’m going to trust that things will work out because suzanne collins has given her blessing and approval of these choices.

this leads me to something bugging me lately – acceptance of the author’s vision. lately, i’ve been reading a lot of book blog posts about how the reviewers find certain books in a series “wrong” or “not true to the story.” and, as an author, this makes me scratch my head. of COURSE these books are right and true to the story. these are the author’s works–not the fans’, despite how we end up taking these stories to become our own after ingesting them. the author is the one who created the world, the characters, and the plot. things happen because they author makes them happen. things end because that’s the way the author meant them to. i know, in particular, a lot of people had issues with the end of mockingjay, the last book of THG trilogy, and this truly makes me scratch my head. “i hate it,” some said. [SPOILERS FOR THE THREE OF YOU OUT THERE WHO HAVEN’T YET READ THESE BOOKS]”it should have been gale with katniss, not peeta, in the end,” others fumed. “she had kids. katniss didn’t want kids. obviously the wrong ending! peeta is a monster for forcing her to have kids!” others wailed. “why did prim have to die? finnick?” was heard often.[END SPOILERS] my goodness. i’ll tell you why.

because suzanne collins said so.

we, as readers, can certainly not like how a story goes. i’ve done that a lot. we, as readers, can handily say, “this book sucked,” or “i didn’t like it,” and the author will accept that, because that’s how this goes. when we writers write (i lump myself as both a writer and a reader, as all authors should), we know that not everyone is going to like what we put out there, and THAT’S OKAY. tough, but acceptable. but i truly think that readers must also accept that a book is also an author’s vision, at least as it is in its current form (fanfic is different and ought to be treated as such–once the book is released, its world is out there to interpret as need be by the people visiting it). it isn’t fair to say the book wasn’t true to a story. the author always has a reason for doing what they do. i know i’ve personally agonized over choices, but have always made what i feel is to be the truest action for the characters and story. sometimes i don’t even like doing it, but it has to be done, because that’s just how the story goes.

anyways! i’ve rambled, but you knew i would. the true reason for this post is that a song has been released from the upcoming soundtrack to the hunger games movie. and it’s by taylor swift AND the civil wars. the civil wars! i love me some civil wars! called safe & sound, you can only imagine how katniss, peeta, rue and co. might hold onto such a concept while they’re fighting for their lives in the arena.

i regret to inform you i won’t be posting the actual mp3. i have a 99.9998% suspicion it would be yanked down nearly immediately. instead, i share with you the video (which really isn’t a video, but just the song with the poster) so you can listen to it and ruminate on how lucky we are that we do not live in a dystopian world, no matter what we feel about our government, taxes, society etc . . .

i remember tears streaming down your face
when i said, “i’ll never let you go”
when all those shadows almost killed your light
i remember you said, “don’t leave me here alone”
but all that’s dead and gone and passed tonight

just close your eyes
you’ll be alright
come morning light,
you and i’ll be safe and sound . . .

go HERE to buy the single.