“Beastly,” the movie, was based on talented and published author Alex Flinn’s novel. On February 15, she took an hour from her busy schedule to speak about her works and writing background.
A Palmetto alumna, Alex Flinn has written a variety of novels, one of which she entitled Cloaked.
The novel, one of Flinn’s more recent works, takes its readers on a search for a frog-prince located somewhere in the Keys. Johnny, the main character, uses a magical cloak that transports him to any location he desires.
“I call it a road trip novel without the road,” Flinn said.
Flinn spent the opening twenty minutes of the event describing this novel, from its lavish Miami Beach hotel setting to its twisted plot. Afterward, Flinn read a “sneak peek” portion of Cloaked to the roughly 120 students and faculty members sitting in the Media Center.
“I thought it was interesting how she condensed five fairy-tales into a single book,” senior Elizabeth Gonzalez said. “She made it really interesting.”
For the middle chunk of her speech, Alex Flinn spoke about her writing inspiration: her surroundings, unusual people, and things that “bother” her.
Flinn described “tips” for good writing for future authors. She expressed herself as “observant” and found this aspect of her nature vital to create fictional stories. But according to Alex Flinn, other tips ranked higher on proverbial list.
When it comes to writing, “The first most important things is to write what you’re excited about writing, not what you think will be popular,” Flinn said. She also noted that “reading a lot, taking writing classes, and joining writing societies and clubs” are essential activities for students who desire to become authors.
Flinn mentioned her style of composing a novel- a task that takes her “roughly 18 months” to complete. Buying a “five subject” binder, Flinn dedicates the first three sections toward writing, the fourth section toward research, and the fifth section toward notes and “random thoughts.” Flinn, as another way of composing her novels, visits arbitrary locations- schools, restaurants, and parks- around Miami and observes people.
At the conclusion of the after-school gathering, English department chair and Literary Society sponsor Andrea Spivak distributed t-shirts via raffle with the faces of characters from “Beastly.” In an attempt to further promote the movie, Literary Society board members distributed free movie tickets, paper fans with the faces of “Beastly” characters, and candy boxes with the movie inscribed on the side to all attendees.
“I thought she had great reason for what she has written so far,” senior Crystal Zahler said. “I think it’s really funny how she writes about things that bother her. Overall, she was great.”
