Young Writers Society

II loved Twilight. Read it as it was becoming big, but I didn't hear it everywhere I went when I was reading. Well, now I do. It's a household name. And I have to say something. It was a wonderful book... up until she began ruining it-- in my opinion-- by writing Eclipse and Breaking Dawn. Those were her downfalls for me.

But what is so amazing about Twilight? Why do we love it so much? Yes, Edward Cullen sounds hot, but guess what! He's a complete copy. Ever heard of "The Vampire Armand" by Anne Rice? Well, IncognitoTemptation is reading it. Armand is seventeen years old. a beautiful, handsome seventeen-year-old vampire, who Edward Cullen was based on. Isn't that character plagurism or something? But as I think about it, Twilight could be giving some very mixed views to some readers. Yes, you all may think: 'Oh, I know Edward isn't real!' but if there are any guys out there who have read Twilight, let me ask you this: Have you ever seen any man in real life who acts like the "princely" Edward Cullen?

It was the weekend after the movie when this whole this started for me. I heard about fourth graders who had seen the movie, and were talking about how far they were in the book! Hello, they don't even know what real romance is! I don't even know what real romance is and I'm four or five years older than them. The problem is, I see this in a bad way. What if these young kids think that one day their fairtytail Edward Cullen is going to come along? What if he does come along one day, but he holds secrets close to him that no girl wants. What if he hurts them? Then will they begin to curse those stupid views that they had of Edward Cullen?

And crazed fan-girls. Let me tell you. If I see another one of them ask to be bitten by Rob Pattinson, I will want to murder them. They are immersed in a story that isnt' real. At one point I thought Edward was amazing, but then it hit me. This is fiction, not reality. Fiction twists the worlds to make it look a million times better-- or worse-- than it really is.

So tell me, why is Twilight so great? I don't even think that the writing is anywhere near as good as Ann Rice's. It cannot be compared to any of those great writers out there who thrived on making a good story that she mended into hers, and made it her own.

(Perhaps you should put a warning for spoilers up?)
Survey says: Fantasy!

In my opinion, there are a lot of sexual undertones and a general kind of -- I'm not really sure how to phrase this -- instinctuality in it? Like, Bella's this weak, helpless thing that's constantly getting into trouble in the form of mortal danger, and there's the hot cold guy who hates her (in the beginning) to rescue her, shelter her with his arms. Eddy's constant nuzzling and smelling and touching is the more animal side. Girls think that's hopelessly sweet.
As much as I hate to admit it, that's classic teen-girl fantasy. The "forbidden love" aspect is just the sugar in the cookies.

Moving on, Jacob is introduced, creating more teen-bait: one girl, constantly in mortal danger, the love interest of two supernatural people who come to love her fiercely for no apparent reason. More fantasy. Because they love her, they put her in constant danger, so they leave, et cetera; long-distance love, a illusion many teens believe actually works. Bella whines about it for about five hundred pages in New Moon; it's called wangst and teenagers are rather fatally infected with it.

The beginning hate aspect of Bella/Edward (henceforth known as Bedward*) is also a fairly common plot device in most modern romance... you know, they have to be opposites so they loathe each other in the beginning but reconcile, eventually, to their tender little nuances and pet peeves and such. More mysteries of love the media heaps on us, movie after movie...

Really, it just gushes with teen melodrama and angst, plus a little supernatural jazz for the fantasy-inclined readers. It's a bull's eye for the age group.

I can't say much more because I have yet to put myself to the considerable danger of reading 3 and 4.

*Cobella, anyone?

Ah, well I apologize if I ruined anything for you. I will put that up. You put up a very good point. I do believe that while reading those little "Bedward" moments were cute and all, but it became a little much after a while, especially when-- being a thirteen year old-- the thoughts of "Is this real?" "Is there ever going to be a man as perfect as him?" et cetera, et cetera. But the problem I found was, though teens love this style, it became a predictable and slightly boring saga after a while. Competition between two supernatural boys, fighting for the love of the vulernable innocent girl who they think is unbelievably pretty. hello! We're not all unbelievably pretty (even though Bella is average.) But in my experiance, in the stories I have read about teen drama, it's all the same. It's the pretty or shy girl who gets the guys competing for her love. It's the one who's perfect in every way that wins her heart. I venture to say cliche.

But after all, these are our own opinions, and I am just anticipating the mad rush of angry fans nearly yelling at me to take back what I have said about Twilight. A warning in advance, I will not do that. It's against my morals. I fight for what I believe in. Shouldn't we all?

I have no idea if I really got to my point, but what I'm trying to say is that Twilight is a copy of almost every other teen story, with the whole drama and love triangle thing. The supernatural bit could be unique in a sense, if a number of characters were not copied from Ann Rice's "Vampire Chronicals."

LaReina!

This isn't really a debate. It's more of a rant. ^_^

I could rant about hating Twilight all day, of course... but perhaps this is better suited for the lounge?

Oh, and Anne Rice's books are gorgeous. They are amazing.

Teenage girls like Twilight because it's what they want- it reads like a fanfic written by a teenage girl about her fantasy.

The relationship is perfect- Edward loves Bella, supports her, protects her- and never asks for sex.

Ah, okay, we shall take this to the lounge then! *jumps up* I figured it could be a debate. Debating between what's great/ not great about Twilight. I have yet to get reading Ann Rice, sadly. My friend keeps telling me abou it all.

what makes it so appealing? Hmm, something about the romance in the novel I presume. It's too icky for my taste and so I read it a bit and then tossed it into a corner. I'll rater be a Dresden files fanatic than a Twilight fanatic

Ha, okay, we can take this to The Lounge. ^^

In my time, the heartthrobs were Leonardo DiCaprio (Titanic) and the Backstreet Boys. I think young girls are just boy crazy. No, they don't have any idea of romance, but they can pretend to, and that makes them feel better. All grown up and stuff, I guess. XD

If you did meet Edward Cullen in real life, you would probably get a restraining order, lol. People who watch you at night before they even really know you are known as "stalkers" in real life. Ah, how we love fantasy!

I loved the series when I first read it, but then I realized it was just, well, bad. I couldn't stand it anymore, and I remember thinking that it was just repulsive the way Bella always stumbles around and lets Edward do whatever he wants to her (like dragging her to his car and breaking into her house to watch her sleep, or stalking her, or numerous other things that are either unsafe or just plain illegal.) I don't understand why people like it. The relationship is far from perfect.

I got through the first "Twilight" book feeling like I had read something EXACTLY like it before somewhere, so I definitely agree that it is a bit of a re-hashing of previous vampire novels, which I've read a lot of. I didn't exactly dislike the book, but I also didn't think I could handle another three of them, so I didn't go on with the series. It just seemed like one of those stories that the author was going to try and stretch out as long as possible just because of its popularity and the cash flow it was bringing in.
The movies, however, were terrible, in my opinion. Especially the acting! I saw the trailer for "New Moon" on TV and I thought it was a parody! I was shocked when I found out it was the real thing!

Edward and Bella do not have a healthy relationship. He's a control freak and a stalker. She's a damsel in distress void of any real personality. The plot is horrendously cliche. So why do people like it?

I feel like Stephanie Meyer stole Edward from another book, stole what little plot there is from Romeo and Juliet, left Bella an empty shell, came up with TERRIBLE plots for Eclipse and Breaking Dawn, and threw in a happy ending to make it even less realistic. Even fantasy can't be completely absurd.

One question for Stephanie Meyer.

How the hell did Bella survive her periods?.

Razcoon wrote:How the hell did Bella survive her periods?.

Simple. Period blood is different to the kind of blood you get when you cut your arm or something. I don't think Edward likes the taste of the lining of a womb. (Sorry, I can't help but answer that question like that whenever someone asks it).

As for the books themselves, meh, I'm not really a fan either. I agree with the people who've said they hate those annoying fangirls, but I also hate those people who constantly bash the books. I mean, no matter how well or how badly something is written, if it's popular, the writer clearly knows what he/she is doing. I think of it like Justin Bieber. I don't get it. At all. But a lot of people clearly do, so there's obviously some kind of attraction to him and his music.

Don't get me wrong because I am not a fan of the Twilight saga at all really. I don't mind the first book, but the rest of them don't do it for me. Yeah, it's as if Bella's a dog that Edward leads around, it's unrealistic, there are practically non-existent plots, but hey, some people like it, even if those people are obsessive teenage girls. There are far better writers than Stephanie Meyer, but in this modern world, popularity is what gets you known most of the time, not talent or skill. It's sad, but true.

Basically, if teenage girls want to fantasize about an unrealistic romance, then let them. They're only teenagers for a few years, so before they have to face the real world, let them have some fun. Hate the books as much as you like, but don't get whiny about it.

You don't understand. My best friend is a Twihard. She claims it's amazingly written and the plot is beautiful.

You know what Stephanie Meyer does right that makes her books popular? It's a simple formula: Easy to follow story (uncomplicated), impossibly perfect and sensitive boy who is still "manly", a girl with no personality taking first person so the reader automatically imagines she is JUST LIKE HER, and "forbidden love". I believe I just described both a disaster, and the formula for a book that appeals to the majority of teenage girls.