Hollywood remake of BuckNC classic tale -DragonHeart
This is done with the full permission of the original author – this permission was given to me by Buck In a e-mail on the first day of July in the year of our lord 2012, don't believe me? Go ask him.
I've actually done this kind of thing (remakes) before – with the fan-fiction story "Longbottom Rose" originally done by 'ForeverLaDonna - don't believe me? Go and read it
I begin as all good stories should begin - with a longstanding 'BuckNC' tradition - - a authors rant
Billybob's - Authors rant
Or
"Once upon a time" – Sherman - set the way-back to the year 2009
In a far-away place called Hollywood, the lords and ladies in charge of this fantasy land - while searching for obscene profits and lacking in any original ideas of their own, stumbled upon the unique concept of the 'REMAKE' in which a classic film is redone by someone else. That is what I intend to do with Dragonheart.
"Why change near perfection?" you ask in awe …"Glad you brought it up.
BuckNC my mentor - kept his original story PG13 throughout …mainly because - in my view - most authors writing HP Fiction want to match JKR writing style – which to me translates to writing to her target audience of primarily twelve year olds. These young individuals, ( - boys and girls - )…as we all know, believe that romance gets in the way of a good story and that even snogging is a totally gross activity, while 'doing it' is simply …out of the question.
In other words …sex is a term that was used almost exclusively to denote gender.
As a man who was married at nineteen to a eighteen year spouse with a bum in the oven, I found the concept of JK Rowling's charters that would be 18 (Ron) and 19 (Hermione) years old during the opening months of 1998, …having no interest at all in …physical intimacy a bit of a stretch. I think that they would have the same desire to acquire hands on experience on this subject as I did as a boy.
First Warning:
Yes we are talking - premarital - non-graphic, non-detailed …broom-cupboard style shagging. So …if you find the concept of this type of hp story offensive – hit the back button now,
So this story will be rated - M - for mature – but not NC17 …for I don't write graphic smut. Read my other stories - if - you don't believe me. As a matter of fact - I'm not all that hot writing first-kiss kind of fluff either. The sex activity in this story will be for the most-part … merely foreplay - meaning …actual sexual activity will be implied instead of described in a NC17 style. However - the adult subject matter as in the banter between characterswill include adult slang – swear words etc. - typical of sexually curious teenagers – savvy?
Second Warning:
This tale will be AU …which means it will be set in an alternate universe – as far from the world JKR wrote about in books six and seven, which means dear reader …that my version of Ron, Harry, Ginny and Hermione will behave very differently than JKR's …characters. So of course the people in my tale are going to be 'OUT OF CHARACTER / and OUT OF CANNON' …duh!
Again if you can't handle it – hit the back button.
Third Warning:
My remake of BUCKNC great story Dragonheart will be in later chapters in many ways very different from the original version, while retaining some of the best - humorous bits – especially at the beginning, that made me smile when I first read it …but taking the best part of the original is normal for anyone who knows anything about a stereo-typical Hollywood style remake. The further into the story the less it will resemble BuckNC great work.
The differences will be most glaring …especially in one vital aspect. For this tale will turn a long cherished theme of the original Dragon Heart fan fiction story on its head. Instead of the old 'worn out' concept of a thick, dim-witted, knuckles dragging on the ground, Ron …mucking up his relationship with Hermione by some grievously thoughtless mistake or verbal blunder and then having to eat humble pie throughout the rest of the story to win her back.
My remake will put a large part of the blame for the Angus in this semi-classical RW/HJG ship squarely on the shoulders of Ron's best-mate and a intellectually brilliant and romantically confused Hermione. There have been others who have attempt to do this, give Hermione human flaws - and have been flamed in tar and feathers for their trouble. We who sail in uncharted waters are few and far between - - mostly because in the mindset of fanfiction Hermione is cast in stone as being portrayed in only one narrowly defined way.
If the concept of the always-perfect Miss Prefect Granger, the grand know-it-all semi-feminist of JK Rowling's seven books, messing up a romance with Ron - is beyond your preconceived notions of how Hermione would act.
Then abandon this ship now.
FourthWarning:
This is going to be a RON – Hermione romance, it doesn't start out that way but it will end that way. For those of you who are attracted to the Draco bad-boy personality, go and indulge your …preference …elsewhere.
A semi-Classic Disclaimer: All characters of the Harry Potter books are the sole property of J. K. Rowling, and Time Warner. This remake of the BuckNC classic Dragon heart is strictly for non-profit Internet entertainment of those few who will read it … and if JKR wishes to sue me, tell-her I do not have a dime to my name.
Legal clarification: I am not a lawyer. (American version of the British solicitor) and I have no idea what constitutes fan-fiction plagiarism in compassion to fair usage of an already written fan fiction story.
oooooo
We go back now to the year 2009 - when I first attempted my remake – when I published the below.
Plagiarize: to take ideas/writings from another and pass them off as your own, (Webster's New World Dictionary –concise edition)
I freely admit that there are parts of this tale (at the beginning anyway) that are taken largely- intact - from BuckNC original story. I give him full credit for it - - in thought, word and deed.
I have altered his version, to suit my vision of the same events, but if these differences aren't good enough for the powers that be meaning BUCKNC him-self and he decides to tell me to pull this story …then so be it.
oooooo
News flash, (sometime back in 2009) - BuckNC says "NO"
Okay, okay - I'm back. Hey I was out of retirement for a little while to Beta your long winded fic. That alone earned me a lifetime of retirement. ;-p
As for re-writing... ah how to be nice about it. No. Not because I'm not honored by it, I am. I just don't think you got the general theme and plot down. I read your
version - which contained a great, great, great, deal of my writing and very little of yours. (An/ - I only posted two chapters when I was stoppedin 2009)
Second, you missed the point on Dumbledore sending Ron to the Preserve. You wrote it as if it was about love. In fact, Professor Dumbledore could care less about two teenagers love life. He has his own problems with the Order and Harry. Dumbledore wanted Ron in Eastern Europe to back up Charlie Weasley on Order missions. Basically, he used Ron like a Pawn on the chessboard.
BTW, for the record - I used an Outline when I wrote my story. I cut and removed several chapters to stay on point with the plot. Yes I know I added them back in on the second posting. Yet I still removed some chapters to stay with the plot of Ron and Hermione growing up.
My main argument is I question your ability to stay on point. Can you show me an Outline and plot that you want to use. I got the feeling that you sort of wrote your own story with chapters that were "independent" of an Outline. Hence the parts where you went over and re-over the same material you already wrote about. Not to mention you could write like a 5,000 word chapter and not cover any new ground. That was a bit frustrating to me and several times I had to keep saying to myself that it was your story and not mine.
Sincerely,
BuckNC
Billybob An/ - The above message is what shut me down the first attempt of doing a rewrite back in 2009. At the time he was right of course – for those of you who remember the BuckNC original – Albus didn't care a-rats ass about Ron's heart-broken feelings – he was just sending reinforcements to the order's operations in Eastern Europe. That I failed to convey that as a Hollywood remake – as the director putting my stamp on a film – I was changing Albus motivation –was my fault and not Bucks. If this concept of Hollywood changing a great book is odd to you - compare the JKR books to the movies made of them. Anyway when Buck read my first few chapters back in 2009 and said it was shite – I believed him – without question. He said no – so that meant NO and I instantly pulled my rewrite
Once again for those you did not see it at the top - - I now have permission to post my remake of Dragon heart – by the original author – made during a bout of temporary insanity (that he will recover from before I get to far with this)
Anyroad – on the off chance he lets me go forward – I must ask. Do you still want to read a 200,00 plus word remake that makes war and peace in word count - compare to a one page pamphlet?
Alright then - you've been warned
Signed
Billybobcs
PS: do you realize that this Authors Rant has been as long as half the HP completed stories currently in on the internet?
That's a sad thought – isn't it?
OoOoOo
And finally: no beta reader was harmed in my original remake, because I left the back door open and they all ran away – screaming in horror.
However – and this is important - I need a beta reader, this time - no – that's not right - I need a full blown – Editor - for this remake. Someone who can take a healthy red-pencil to my amateurish attempt to rewrite a classic
To Buck; - I was dead serious, I refuse to demean your work - with my shortcomings as a author – failures you know too well getting in the way - so help me get a editor …or this stops Here.
Billybob-notes:
Before we begin this rewrite it is necessary to set the scene - by that I mean a transition from the world of that JKR created in all seven books in regard to CANNON based events - - and the world BuckNC created before book six and seven was published.
It is prudent to recall dear readers - before the last chapters in book six came out there was no reason for us in Fan-fiction to believe that Harry and friends would not be coming back to Hogwarts for their seventh year.
Because of those - "events"- in the last two books …this story became AU …meaning alternate universe – meaning that the characters in this story - WILL NOT BE BEHAVING AS JK ROWLING WROTE THEM? - So don't go throwing the charge of not writing Hermione in cannon – okay?
The below is the transitory scene I mentioned – I hope it works.
Prequel:
"Albus, where are you?" Minerva McGonagall asked as she entered the Headmaster's office.
"Back here Min," Came the reply.
"Albus, you shouldn't be messing with that silly mirror, you should be resting. I've told Mr. Potter as you requested, to meet you here right after the evening meal, and I believe…"
"…Come in and join me Minerva," Headmaster Dumbledore said in tried tone, "spend a little time reflecting on the choices you've made, see how things would have been had you made different decisions and gone down a different life path than the one you're on now."
"Honestly Albus, I never understood your fascination with the Mirror of Alternatives, what possible use is there in watching our dopenhangers living their separate lives in an alternate universe. The last time you invited me down here, we watched Harry Potter become gay, Ginny Weasley becoming romantically involved with Draco Malfoy while her brother was dating Miss Parkinson. Not only would Molly have a stroke when she learned of her only daughter having a sexual fling with a Malfoy, but can you imagine the Parkinson's reaction to Ronald courting Pansy?"
"That one …was a bit far fetched - I grant you that, but this one is much better," Albus said with an amused chuckle.
"What good does all this do Albus; I thought you were researching a cure for your hand …"
"…There is no cure," Dumbledore said abruptly interrupting his assistant Headmaster, "no way to undo my own foolishness. My time has all but run out, it seems, - but, before I go on to the next great adventure, I have to fill Harry in on all I have learned about Tom Riddle. If I don't return from my off-campus trip with Harry tonight, you'll find an envelope on my desk containing my last will and testament and detailed instructions for you and the Order."
"Albus, I don't know what to say,"
"Don't say anything old friend, I've had a full life filled with my fair share of mistakes and regrets. I think, in acknowledging the errors we humans make is why I've come to enjoy the Mirror of Alternatives, not only does it entertains but it also gives me perspective on all the second guessing that we humans put ourselves through every time we make a blunder. I have watched my alter ego's make different life choices, making different mistakes while taking a different fork in the road of life than I did in this one.
"So come …my dear friend and watch with me a universe where I never put on that accursed ring, watch how some of the children we taught make their own mistakes, and deal with their errors. Your just in time for the good part, he is going to catch them in the act…"
"Who's he - - and he'll catch whom doing what?"
"I won't ruin it for you, sit – have some Muggle popped-corn and enjoy the show"
Professor McGonagall sat down, grabbed a handful of popcorn and stared into the large and cinema wide-screen shaped mirror, after a moment an image appeared.
End Trans – for now