Putting a Face to the Words

A popular discussion topic in the Rites of Spring (Break) spoiler thread is who I would cast were there a) to be a movie about my books and b) people who would actually let me have a hand in casting it.

Let us be clear on this matter: there is currently no SSG movie or television production in the works, though producers are welcome to contact my literary agent or film agent at their earliest possible convenience. Were there to be such a project, I would have absolutely no part in the casting thereof.

(In passing, did anyone read that EW article about the original proposal for the Twilight movie that featured Bella as a track star demon hunter with night vision goggles? Was anyone else really curious to see that film? Sounded cool, though of course utterly unlike Twilight.)

Anyway, I have, upon occasion, fake-cast SSG for the delight of blog readers everywhere. But I change my mind all the time. Currently, I’m thinking Hayden Panettiere might make a good Clarissa.

Not that it really matters, since the person I “see” in my head is hardly ever an actor — especially one currently making the rounds on the CW (which seems to be where most youngish twenty-something actors pay their dues in teen shows).

Of course, since the actual “casting” of a cover model for Rampant, I’ve been able to see what most readers will think of when they see my protagonist, Astrid. Some people are capable of completely ignoring the cover image and description of a character — I find myself pretty locked in by it — or worse, warring between the cover image and my own imagination. The entire time I was reading Uglies, I kept getting confused, because my mind’s eye image of Tally looked much more like she ended up looking on the cover of Specials, but occasionally, I’d get flashes of the Uglies cover model’s face. When I read romance novels, I am, oddly, often envisioning the characters in paint and pastels, more cartoon than live action. I’m actually glad they’ve moved to more photographic shots.

This is, by the way, one of the big arguments in favor of the “headless cover” trend. Without a head, the model won’t be warring with the reader’s imagination and author’s description. But that’s not a foolproof system. Take, for example, the cover of Secret Society Girl, and compare it to the description of Amy on page 9, where she describes her hair as being a “shoulder-length bob.”

So, not so much. Her hair is even longer a year later, on the cover of Rites of Spring (Break). I can’t believe how fast it grows!

Kidding. It just goes to show that slavishly matching the description of the character doesn’t always make for the strongest cover.

Though the yellow bikini and the tattoo are a great touch.

Right, I was talking about the cover model for Rampant. She’s very beautiful, and I think she’ll make an excellent Astrid.

But lately, I’ve been thinking of a different character from Rampant altogether. Last night, I went to see the Mamma Mia! movie.

I’ve long been a fan of Amanda Seyfried. She blew me away as Lilly Kane on Veronica Mars, (and here you thought playing the dead girl wasn’t a juicy part), and she is equally talented at broad comedy (Mean Girls), and dishy sopa opera dramatics (Big Love). To every part, Seyfried brings an irrepressible brightness and lust for life.

Which is why, were there to be a movie made of Rampant, I would love her to be cast in the part of Philippa Llewelyn. She’d be perfect. So much fun, with such a depth of feeling and a great energy.

Of course, this probably means nothing to anyone except the two or three people who have actually read Rampant.

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