Katniss is the only character I’ve felt such a strong connection with. I think she would be my dream role. Before I read THG, my friend came up to me and said you look like Katniss! After I read the book, I got my mom to read it, and she kept on pointing out that the reactions/personality Katniss has, are like mine. I’ve either said/done the exact same things or had similar problems.
I am currently 14 years old, but no one ever mistakes me for being younger. They think because I am so mature, I am 15-23+. Even random strangers/high-schoolers think I am at least 16. By the time this movie is filmed, I should be at least 15.
I’m 5′5, 125 lb, I have olive-toned skin, grey/hazel eyes, long dark hair. People never guess my ethnicity because I’m mixed. I’m part Asian, but people have guessed Native American/Indian. This senior at school called me Pocahontas when I had my hair braided and was wearing a dress/UGG boots. People think I’m really intense when they first meet me. I care about my family (I am protective of my little sister) but I don’t always show it through my emotions. My mom is a nurse -she likes natural organic/herbal medicines and foods.
My hobbies/interests are mainly singing, but I’ve been dabbling in theatre/film/acting. Theatre is sometimes harder, because I sometimes refuse to put on a show for people. If that makes any sense. I can do it, and I enjoy it. I feel like Katniss in that respect. As a freshman I was in a musical where I was a girl, Hunter, Cadet.. I could show what really goes on inside Katniss’s head, and not just what the Capital shows. I do like pretty dresses (who doesn’t) but I’m not a tomboy or girly-girl. I can’t be sexy, and I couldn’t handle people being fake, so I often sat by myself during middle school. I can be fierce, and I have a sarcastic sense of humor.
*I write music, play guitar/piano, make jewelry, do gymnastics, archery, fishing, paint/draw, swimming, camping, rock-climbing, gardening/planting flowers…I love the woods and nature, but I have nothing against hunting. When I was younger, I’d always hang out with guy friends and play survival games/climb trees in our forest 
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*Sorry about this being so long. (oops!) I don’t have an agent, and I don’t live in LA (I live in the Northwest). I have close friends/family in Southern California who have said I could live with them, although my dad has been thinking about moving back down there. My dad’s old friend/roommate is a producer who has made movies with Christina Ricci, Liam Neeson, Justin Long, and others. He tends to make more graphic R movies, but he likes comedy.
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I know it’s easy to relate to a character when it’s from their POV. I’d never really wanted a solo in choir before, but there was this one song I really connected with, and I ended up getting the part. I feel the same way about this.
*WHAT CAN I DO TO PREPARE FOR A ROLE LIKE THIS AND IMPROVE MY CHANCES? I really wish I could meet Suzanne Collins. There are several questions I want to ask her.
I want a little feedback on the opening to my story. It’s about a teenaged celebrity (Greyson Belle Winters) and her struggles to stay normal with all the pressures on her. Think of it as a novel similar to the books in the Secrets of My Hollywood Life series. Please note, this story starts off with a teenhollywood.com article that introduces the relationship between Greyson Jake, but it isn’t featured below.
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“Greyson? Greyson. Greyson Belle Winters, look up from that stupid iPhone of yours and listen to me!” my mom complains, giving me her best evil eye.
I smile sheepishly and take a sip of my citrus-infused water. “Sorry. I was reading that Teen Hollywood interview. What were you saying?” Jake laughs. My mom sighs. “I was saying, Kate, Penelope, and Elsie should be here any minute. Now turn your gadget off before I smash it with my Gucci.” I take her seriously. Her brand new snakeskin tote weighs close to twelve pounds. I have no idea what she keeps in there.
Just then, Jake’s mom storms out of Cut Peel’s kitchen door with a tray of food, dressed in her usual printed baby tee and destroyed jeans. She kisses Jake on top of his head and sits down. “Baby greens, hiziki, and cherry salad with a miso dressing alongside an organic rosemary pork roast,” Elsie explains as she sets down the dishes, “I’ve got twenty minutes. Where are Kate and Penelope?” Our agent-publicist duo is surprisingly running late. I can’t ever remember them being late. Actually, I can’t remember being able to go anywhere without being hounded by the paparazzi.
“They’re late. So while we’re waiting, I’ll be in the bathroom.”Cut Peel is located in a lush garden in Santa Monica, and Elsie wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s open and airy, with glass walls, bamboo furniture, and waterfalls bubbling everywhere. I wave and say hello to a few people I know as I make my way across the spacious seven thousand square foot room to the quiet bathroom. No one is in here except for the bathroom attendant. I regloss my lips and turn sideways to get a good look at myself in the mirror.
“Greyson Belle Winters. What a surprise,” a smooth, sarcastic voice quips from behind me. I whip around, the tie-dyed skirt of my Sass and Bide chiffon dress twirling out around me. It’s Freesia Macintyre, another well-known teen queen. Did I mention that she hates me since I took her number one spot on Teen Vogue’s Most Fashionable Starlets list last year? It’s too bad, because she used to be really nice: to me and to everyone. She’s transformed into the classic Hollywood bad girl now.
“Oh. Hi Freesia. What’s up?” I try to be polite. She smirks and pulls her hair up into a high ponytail. She turns to face the mirror. “Not much,” she starts, which tells me she’s here for something big. “I’m here on a business meeting. About Jack Holton’s new fantasy movie.” I inwardly take her diss. She knows Jack is one of Hollywood’s best directors – one that anyone would die to work with, especially me. I’m a sucker for fantasy movies.
“That’s great, Free.”
“Oh, shut up.” She turns on her four-inch Jimmy Choo wedges to face me. “Stop the fake friend act. And don’t call me Free.” I take a step back, now completely irritated.
“Well, excuse me for trying to be polite,” I say, looking up at her smirk. Why did I have to be only five foot two? “I was trying to be the bigger person.” She rolls her eyes as I head for the door, tipping the attendant who has put on her headphones, most likely to drown her out. “By the way, I think your outfit proves why I was number one of Teen Vogue’s list!” I giggle slightly as I walk away, even though I feel a little bad, too. But, hey, she brought up Jack Holton!
“GREYSON! Hi there, girl!” shrieks Penelope. She’s definitely the more hyper half of the Walsh sisters. She stands up to give me a kiss on the cheek while Kate just sits there, typing away on her Blackberry. She looks up a moment later and smiles at me. “Sorry ‘bout that. Hi Greyson, hi Jake. How’s life?”
“I just had a run-in with the flower witch in the bathroom, if not good.”
“What? Where is it?” Jake jokes, turning to look around the room. Being six minutes older, he likes to take the older brother role and protect me. I never really need the help, but since he’s my best friend I cut him a lot of slack.
I sigh. “It is across the room, holding court with the Holton people.” My crew turns in their seats to look around. They spot Maria Andersen, Jack’s personal assistant, up in the balcony eating area, along with several associates from Emage Pictures talking animatedly with Freesia’s party. Kate smacks down a folder full of prospective offers and stands up with an evil gleam in her eyes. “I’ll be right back.” We watch as she makes her way up the stairs and starts talking to the group.
While everyone tries to read my devious agent’s lips, I read over what Kate left behind. There are plenty of offers for me right now – more than most peopl
Over a year ago my good friend wrote a great gardening book but it got a bad review. I think it was partly because the title of the book was misleading. My friend said that she had a contract that gave the right to name her book to the publisher. She says it’s common. Have any authors heard of this? I would think an author would have the right to name her own book.
So, the title didn’t really describe the book content and actually made it seem like the book was about a specific topic, which was only covered in the first chapter (annuals). The book was about organic gardening practices for the home gardener and mostly about lawn, tree, and shrub care. But there was a small bit about typical garden center annuals in the beginning of the book.
Anyhow, the book got a bad review and it was posted on Amazon. It was clear that the reviewer simply did not read more than the title or perhaps the first few pages of the book and totally missed the what the book was about. The review made it seem foolish to write about organic gardening with annuals– when 9/10ths of the book was about perennials. The review was unsigned so my friend could not do anything about it. But it’s the first thing anyone sees.
Sales have been poor and I think it’s because of the bad review and misleading title. My question: there have been some average reader reviews posted that are very positive and seem a lot more accurate than the professional one at the top of the Amazon page. But my friend is convinced that people do not read the reader’s reviews and has begged me not to post a snarky review blasting the pro review at the top. But it seems like someone should correct a blatant error.
Do people read Amazon reader reviews? Would a rebuttal help or hurt?
