We all fantasize about our novel being made into a movie, don’t we? Now-a-days people make book trailers for the book itself. It’s an intimidating concept, unless you have unlimited funds and can hire people. Instead, I found a decent compromise using Tiktok. Tiktok’s algorithm isn’t great for literary writers, as far as I can tell, and the longer your video, the shorter its reach. Also, their editor is somewhat limiting. For instance, the slides can’t be re-ordered once you upload them, and there aren’t any smooth transition effects for changing the photos. It’s also time-consuming to order the blurbs using their timer function. But I love that you can use the music Tiktok has contracted with for free.
When I imagine Blue Woman Burning the movie, Pink Martini ‘s songs “Le Premier Bonheur du Jour” and “Que Sera, Sera” would be a major soundtrack theme. “When I was just a little girl, I asked my mother, what will I be….” is the perfect reference to the flawed relationship between Fallon and her disappearing mother. The unbalanced-carousel background music of Pink Martini’s version is a beautiful expression of that feeling of “unreality” you get when you’re being snowed by a narcissist parent.
If I could use Pink Martini’s music for free, I’d use the “Ken Burns” effect in Mac’s iMovie slide show application. My father took the pictures I used here in Chile way back when, and they feature the family members the main characters of my novel were partly based on. A few of the images are from Unsplash. Then I clicked on “effects” and selected “visual” and “water for that ripple over the top. And that’s all she wrote. For today.
Intrigued? Excellent.
But first watch the video. Hope you don’t have to download Tiktok to view it. Email me if you do. Contact.
Book Playlists and Other Fun Things
Heck, here’s a link to my whole BWB spotify playlist. Enjoy!
To support local bookstores, order from the Northshire Bookstore in Saratoga Springs, NY. My book of magical realist short stories Strange Appetites is available now, and Blue Woman Burning will be available by December 9th, 2021.
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Links to Other Book Trailers
Here are some other book trailers to look at. For some you need a talented niece and iMovie. I’m pretty sure that’s music that comes with the package. Exciting!
For this one, you need access to royalty free clips for which you need to pay a subscription fee.
The first, The Colony, totally works for me. Judging from the use of several clips of the same people, I’m guessing they actually filmed the clips? I don’t know. Maybe the subscription services come with a few clips of the same people.
Obviously, my trailer is a little less Hollywood suspense, and more about flavor and texture. It takes all kinds. I’m betting that it’s best to make your trailer match your book. Blue Woman Burning is a psychological page-turner, but not a thriller.
A Writing Life: Lâle Davidson 