The Art of Inspirational Writing-Norma Pastor

Book Reviews, Movies — By Chris Hlad on April 24, 2012 at 6:23 am

By Chris Hlad

The beautiful thing about cinema is that there is such a variety of topics out there: drama, horror, comedy, romance and truly uplifting and inspirational movies. Take your pick; depending on your mood, you are going to find something that fulfills your immediate entertainment cravings. The important thing is that these films do their job, be it making you terrified for a short period of time, or being a voyeur into somebody else’s romantic fantasies. In the case of inspirational movies, this writer finds that the key component is this: a message. And so did Independent Movie Producer Suzanne DeLaurentiis, who has signed on to bring the novel to the big screen.

And that is exactly what I have found with Norma Pastor’s upcoming novel and film “The Young Alchemists”. It’s no secret (unless you are in complete denial) that our planet is having some serious issues, to say the least. Never mind the wars and genocide that we read about on a constant basis (not that this isn’t an issue of the utmost importance), but we are also effectively destroying the planet on which we live.

As Ms. Pastor says, “It is not a mystery that Planet Earth and us its inhabitants are going through a very difficult planetary situation that if not healed in time could force Mother Nature into a self-cleansing process that could end life in this planet. Through “The Young Alchemists”, I want to inspire and educate our children in a very entertaining way to become aware about the dangers of our planetary situation.”

Makes sense to me, but I am curious as to what this self-cleansing process is exactly. “If the human race does not change in every aspect, Mother Earth is going to do it. There are plenty of examples thought history, especially with all of the recent earthquakes, tsunamis, droughts and everything else. Mother Earth is essentially saying ‘Give me a break and stop this’. One way of making this happen is by teaching our next generation – our children.”

This is, without a doubt, a lofty concept that could only come about through real life experiences. “It’s all a compilation of travels and life experiences. When you really get in touch with your divine self, you can see things that others can’t. And that’s where the story came from.”

It revolves around six fifteen year old kids who enter the Golddigger Academy for training, and they need this training to become the Alchemists that they already are but are not aware of. Before they become members of the New Order, they have to go through training that is not only focused on the physical for self- preservation, but they also must know how to be able to be able to see things through their inner eyes. Oh, and aside from the inner aspects, they also have new technology at their disposal, all of which they will use to make the world a better place.

In a very real way, this is an exact reflection of Norma herself. “This project is so important to me because it’s a mission for me. I see our kids today who are exposed to negativity in films, so what I’m trying to do is to change and influence concepts that will help our kids to achieve a new level of consciousness. And this new level of consciousness is that we always have two choices: to do what is right or do what is wrong.”

But the question remains: What exactly is an Alchemist? Sure, you could do a Wiki Search and get some random definition, but why do that when you’re talking to a real life Alchemist? As she says, “An Alchemist is a person whose great ideal is to transform what is not good in this world to something better, be it the actual world or people in general. An alchemist has a purity of heart that is in harmony with your divine self – this becomes a perfect duality and it becomes your mission to help others reach this state.”

But her mission doesn’t stop there. “My plan is that in the near future, through The Young Alchemists Foundation, we will create programs and very entertaining educational documentaries that we will show at schools and other places where our younger generation can be exposed to the ideals of an Alchemist.”

The concept of good versus evil is not a new one, but the way Ms. Pastor is presenting it certainly is. I think the tentative description of the novel and upcoming movie states it better than I ever could: “THE YOUNG ALCHEMISTS ARE COMING TO SAVE THE PEOPLE OF EARTH.”