News - Spectral Witness

"The writer should be very proud of this accomplishment." 

This is a quote from the professional critique by Scriptapalooza on my screenplay, 'Glass Lake', from which I've adapted my new novel, 'Spectral Witness'.

After four drafts and months of work that included not only tossing 80% of the script after the first draft (I am RUTHLESS in rewrite but 80%? Ouch!) but entirely changing my actual PROCESS for writing screenplays I was elated by the critique given to me by Scriptapalooza. 

I love this script for many reasons. I love it mostly because it changed the way I write. And in changing the way I write, the CHARACTERS actually gave me the story.

It's a thrilling thing, spine tingling even, when a character does something you did not expect and gives you your entire story right there in one moment. 

That's what happened here. In my first draft I had an intriguing idea but I knew there was something missing. 

It took throwing out everything I learned about writing screenplays from film school, dozens of books and multiple writing seminars to find the core of this story in one singular moment when a character did something and I realized, for the first time, WHY she did what she did. 

It literally made me gasp when I wrote it because I DIDN'T KNOW SHE WAS GOING TO DO THAT!

A lot of writers will tell you about those moments when a character does something you didn't see coming.

Stephen King will tell you. He talked about it in his book on writing, appropriately and perfectly titled 'On Writing'.

Scriptapalooza gave the script its highest rating, 'Recommended'.

"The character work is solid, the protagonist Alex and her daughter Rose are both sharply drawn and feel like fully realized leads (the quick witted banter between mother and daughter is endearing and one of the script’s highlights). The small town is the ideal setting for a psychological thriller, setting grisly murders against a beautiful backdrop. The dialogue remains one of the strongest parts of the script (as mentioned above, the conversations between Rose and Alex)."


Having a screenplay earn a green-light for production is one of the most difficult challenges in the writing world. Though my script has received great notices by professionals in the film industry, it has not, and likely will not, ever be given life before the camera. Disappointing, but part of a writer's lot.


But, I love this story. More importantly, I love these characters. I did not want them to languish for eternity in the oblivion of a dark desk drawer. Besides, it was a hell of a lot of work. 


Luckily, the technology of this era offers a way to introduce Alex, Rose, and Nate to a global audience. When I started writing I was using a manual typewriter and carbon paper copies. Changing a word meant typing a page again. 


And so here they are, at the beginning of their story.  


Spectral Witness will be published in its entirety in August 2012.