About A Good Man: Another Conversation with Vanessa Morgan

In December of 2010, I first interviewed Vanessa Morgan, after having read her unnerving novella,  Drowned Sorrow.  I'm thrilled to present another interview with this writer, in which we discuss her latest project. 



1) Welcome back, Vanessa!  Tell us something about your new work, a screenplay called A Good Man, currently in preproduction with Radowski Films.  Although I haven't read it, I did read the description of it, so I know it's about Louis Caron, a "good man", a vegetarian who cares about homeless people, animals, and the future of our planet.  If Louis seems too good to be true, then trust your instincts, because he has a sinister side as well--in fact, he's a vampire.  The story, the screenplay, the film--it  all sounds very exciting to me!

VM:  A Good Man is a dark comedy with a few horror elements.  I could best describe it as American Psycho with a vampire.  Some people have also compared it to the TV-series Dexter.  It's a fun and moving story that turns the vampire myth completely on its head.  It's not the kind of vampire story you've seen before and if you think you know how things will turn out, then think again.

                         Cast Members of A Good Man

Pierre Lekeux as Louis Caron

Flavio Tosti as Vincent

Matthias Pohl as himself

Avalon, Vanessa's cat

2) What is it about vampires?  I want to know why America and Europe are so intrigued by these mythological beings, who have demanded center stage since the publication of Dracula in 1897.  What do you think? 



VM:  Although vampires have always existed in literature and film, that 'thing' about vampires is actually a quite recent phenomenon that started with Twilight. There have never been as many vampire books and movies as there are now.  Modern vampires are handsome and sexy, whereas the vampires in mythology are ugly and evil-looking.  The Ghanan Asasabonsam vampire, for example, has iron teeth and hooks for feet, which they drop from treetops onto unsuspecting victims.  Certain regions in the Balkans believe that pumpkins and watermelons would turn into vampires if they were left out longer than 10 days or not consumed by Christmas.

(True, the Twilight series transformed gruesome vampires into sexy, sparkling beings, made them acceptable aesthetically, then gave them the spotlight.)


3) How did you learn to write a screenplay?  How does this type of writing differ from other forms? Did you take any classes, and/or have any special teachers or mentors?


VM:  It's the same as with learning to write novels.  You always learn more by practicing and listening to what reviewers have to say about your work than by actually reading books about it. I didn't take any classes and didn't have any mentors or teachers either, but I'd love to have one because you evolve more quickly with a good mentor.  That said, writing a screenplay is different than writing a novel in the sense that a screenwriter can't tell what's in the character's mind; everything has to be shown, everything has to be visual.  Structure is also important, because a screenplay (and the movie for that matter) quickly becomes boring if you put too many scenes in it for character development but that doesn't move the story forward at the same time.  In books, you can get away with that, but not in a screenplay.  My experience as a screenwriter has obviously influenced my work as a novelist in that I am more concise and more visual than most other novelists.  I 'explain' a lot through the images and details I portray.  Sometimes it's about two characters talking about ordinary things, but it's actually about something more profound that you can only 'get' once you have read the whole book.  I love putting information into details that seem irrelevant at first.



4) Did the screenplay change a lot during the rewriting process?



VM:  More than you can imagine and not always for the better.  Everyone was quite wild about the first draft I wrote of A Good Man, but although it was fresh and original, it missed some character development and the second half of the story wasn't really going anywhere.  I said I wanted to cut the second half and put the mid-point scene as the second turning point near the end (for those who have read A Good Man, I'm talking about the important Emma scene).  My producer argued though that I should keep the same structure and transform the second part into a revenge story.  I didn't think it was the right thing to do with the characters and the story because it really felt out of character for the people I created, but I tried anyway. Three drafts later, the screenplay had become slow-moving, overly long and not very logical.  Everyone said that the first part of A Good Man was brilliant; it was the second half that focused on the revenge story that had a million problems.  It's true that the first draft had developed nicely; it stayed the same in terms of structure and story, but I added some really interesting character development that added a lot of originality and depth to the story.  But once I came to the mid-point, I had no idea what to do with the story apart from the final two scenes.  I then decided to not listen to my producer anymore and to just follow my intuition with A Good Man.  I went against all advice and cut the second half of the screenplay, put the mid-point near the end and added a few scenes to have a good transition between all the parts.  Just by cutting the second part and changing the structure, I changed A Good Man from the revenge story with lots of murders that my producers wanted into a touching character piece about why we sometimes end up ruining our own lives and that of others without really wanting to.  I sent the new draft to my producer and a day later he wrote to me: "Brilliant structure and story.  Very surprising and very touching."  We were finally ready to move forward with the production.

5) Did you use character traits of people you know for the screenplay?

VM:  I love using real people for my books, but for A Good Man I abused this and so the book is populated for 99% with people I know *looking down with puppy eyes*.  The main character, Louis Caron, was obviously based on Pierre Lekeux, the actor who is going to play the part.  I observed him in real life and in his interactions with women and it really helped me in creating an original vampire character.  I particularly loved the idea of an old vampire who suffers from arthritis and who is so insecure about his wrinkled face that he seduces ugly women as a means to feel better about himself. The hypochondriac vampire Madame Renaud was loosely based on my own mom (sorry mom, I hope you don't read this).

6) Why did you write the screenplay for A Good Man, Un Homme Bien, in French, originally?

VM:  

The Belgian production company Radowski Films asked me to write a screenplay for them about a vampire.  It had to be in French, because they already had some French actors in mind to star in the movie, so I did.


(How many languages do you know, anyway?)

VM:  I speak Dutch, English, French, Spanish and a little bit of German.  I love writing in different languages and chances and I'll most probably write screenplays in Dutch and Spanish as well some time soon.



(Impressive!  Very likely, each language influences your writing in numerous and various ways.)


7) Which actors would you choose if there were to be a Hollywood remake?



VM:  I think Steve Buscemi would be brilliant as Louis Caron, because he is odd and charming at the same time, and he can be funny without losing depth.  For the other characters, I would choose Melissa George as Emma and Jim Sturgess as Vincent.

Superb casting choices, Vanessa!  Steve Buscemi, in particular, is a wonderful, quirky (character) actor.  I'd love to see this film, either the original version (if it becomes available on DVD, please let me know), and/or as an American remake in the future.  It sounds like it would be quite entertaining.  I remember watching a werewolf movie (whose name eludes me, unfortunately) many years ago as a teenager, and being absolutely transfixed.  I think this film would have a similar effect on me.  Thank you for this follow-up interview, Vanessa, and best of luck with A Good Man!

Crazy for the Hop

I'm crazy for the Hop! To my knowledge, and correct me please if I'm wrong, this is the original Hop, which has inspired others to pop up in the great, wide blogosphere. Hosted by Jennifer from Crazy-for-Books, this brilliant BOOK PARTY lasts from January 14 until January 17, and is a fun way for book bloggers to socialize, connect with other book lovers, and discover new book blogs. I discovered a wonderful blog in this manner a few months ago, Leslie's blog, Under My Apple Tree. If you'd like me to visit your blog, please leave a comment and I will try to stop (or hop) by.

Each week, Jennifer chooses a question from those submitted by book bloggers for discussion. This week's question hails from Barb from Sugarbeat's Books: Why do you read the genre that you do? What draws you to it?

Another good question! Mostly I read fiction, classic, older novels as well as more contemporary works (some before they are even published). I suppose I'm drawn to fiction because I like a good story, and find a lot of truth in fiction. However, I also read other genres, including non-fiction. To read only one genre would be too limiting. My interests determine what I read. Every once in a while, I will purposely read something outside of my "comfort zone", outside of the the usual types of books I read. For example, I read (and reviewed) Duma Key by Stephen King and Drowned Sorrow by Vanessa Morgan; both of these are horror fiction, a genre I do not often read; this departure from my normal reading was refreshing and exciting. What about you?

A Conversation with Vanessa Morgan

Seems it never rains in Southern California, except when I am working on something related to this book, Drowned Sorrow, in which water plays a leading role. While I read the book, it rained steadily, and last night as I began to work on this interview it suddenly started to rain with a vengeance. Mere coincidence?

Having recently reviewed this eerie, chilling novella by Vanessa Morgan, I'm thrilled to now present an interview with the author.

1) Welcome, Vanessa! Please tell us a bit about your background and the inspiration behind Drowned Sorrow, a supernatural 
thriller. How did you begin your career as an author of horror fiction? 



VM: I’ve always been a horror girl. I’ve been fascinated with everything paranormal and horror since I was just a toddler. I don’t even know where it comes from; I just know it’s been there ever since I was born. I remember coming home from school and going to video stores just to watch the covers in the horror movie section. I could stand there for hours just looking at them and hoping that I could watch them one day. Oh, and I tortured my Barbie dolls and acted out horror stories with them. So amidst all this abnormality, I think it’s normal that I started to write horror fiction.


(In college, a friend and I would throw some of our dolls down the staircase from up above just to see the shocked reaction of the "proper" girls in the dorm. It was great fun to us at the time, and the thought of it now still makes me laugh.)


2) Megan, Jenna, Michael, Nigel, Eva, Kenny, and others are vivid, life-like characters in your book. Are your characters based on real people?

VM: I needed all these different characters because they had to show a clear image of the villagers and what they were capable of. It was difficult to link all of them together without making the story too complicated and without revealing the twist ending. It was important to get to know these people and their feelings, but just not quite well enough so they’d keep some secrets from the reader. Almost everyone in the story pretends; they are sometimes even lying to themselves. They weren’t based on real people though. On the other hand, the character of Jennifer in The Strangers Outside was entirely based on my sister; most of the dialogue and actions are things she actually said and done.


3) I shouldn't forget to mention a very unique character in your story. Water--Moonlight Creek Lake in particular--is also a character of sorts in your book, with the power to change people. Please elaborate a bit about how that evolved.

VM: It’s true when you say that the lake is as a character in Drowned Sorrow. All the characteristics of a character are present: it thinks, moves, kills… it’s the driving force behind the story and the people in it. I didn’t know it was going to be that way in the beginning; this is one of the things that evolved during the rewriting process.


4) Your short story, The Strangers Outside is being (or has been) filmed, and soon Drowned Sorrow will be made into a movie with Alison Carroll, to be directed by Drew Barrymore. I think that must be incredibly exciting! The setting and creepiness of the book set the stage for an unforgettable movie. When were you first contacted about this? Do you appear in any of your films?

VM: I got contacted for the movie adaptation of Drowned Sorrow right after the book got released in 2009. A movie producer had read it and thought that the visuals from Drowned Sorrow would make for a great movie. I have no idea how close they are to filming the movie. It’s a slow process. The Strangers Outside, on the other hand, got adapted at lightning speed because it wasn’t as ambitious in terms of budget. The shooting is now finished and the film is in the editing stage. I’ve seen a few rushes and I’m impatient to see the completed movie. I’ve posted photos of the filming locations on my blog. And, no, I don’t appear in any of my films; I prefer to be discreet. My cat Avalon appeared in The Strangers Outside though.



(Vanessa, please let me know as soon as Drowned Sorrow is released as a movie. Now I want to see The Strangers Outside as well, and find your fabulous feline in the film. I love that it was filmed in Belgium.)


5) Which songs, bands, or music would you like to include on the soundtrack for the film version of Drowned Sorrow?

VM: I love all sorts of music, but I don’t think that Drowned Sorrow is the kind of movie that would benefit from bands and singers. In my opinion, a minimal creepy soundtrack is the best option, something in the vein of The Shining maybe. Alex Corbi, who also made the soundtrack for the film adaptation of my book The Strangers Outside, is the first name on my list when it comes to finding a good composer.



(I also greatly enjoy many types of music, and agree that a minimal creepy soundtrack will be best for the movie.)


6) Who are some of the authors who have influenced your writing? Which horror films have had an influence on your work?

VM: I believe that every author influences my writing in one way or another. Every author has helped me on a subconscious level to determine what I want my books to feel like or what I want to avoid, but I think I’ve been influenced more by horror movies than horror literature, probably because I’ve seen almost every horror movie ever made, even the ones that no one ever heard of.

Some book critics have compared Drowned Sorrow and The Strangers Outside to the work of M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense, The Village, The Happening). I believe that Shyamalan and I have a lot in common – the human element that is as important as the horror story, the twist ending, the mystery… Other names that I feel have had an influence on me are Jaume Balaguero, Guillermo del Toro, John Carpenter, John Hancock, David Cronenberg, Ahn Byeong-ki, Hideo Nakata…. Several Spanish and Asian names as you can see. But it’s the same as with books; I think every movie influences me in some way even when I don’t think about them when I write.


7) Do you like being compared to Stephen King?

VM: I have to admit that it has helped my career quite a lot. Stephen King is such a household name that people know immediately what they can expect from my books when they read that I’m the ‘female version of Stephen King’, so I’m certainly not going to complain about it.


8) 

You're a highly imaginative writer. Do you brainstorm for ideas? Do you carry around a notebook to jot down ideas? How do you refine your work? How many drafts do you typically write for any particular project? I apologize for all the parts to this question--but I am curious!

VM: Thanks. Coming up with creepy ideas is the easy part of the writing process. The ideas that I jot down in a notebook are almost always general story ideas for a next book. The brainstorming begins once I’m working on a new book, especially in the rewriting phase. I write at least four or five drafts of each book. The basis and structure of the book usually stay more or less the same; rewriting is more about character development and finding imaginative ideas that will turn the story into something special. My first drafts are already suspenseful and creepy, but they lack character development and substance. For Drowned Sorrow I also had to come up with a logical explanation to the story, but I didn’t want to explain the events in an obvious way. I wanted Drowned Sorrow to work on a subliminal level. There are many details and conversations in Drowned Sorrow that may seem irrelevant at first, but they are hints and explanations to what you will find out later. Therefore, I believe that Drowned Sorrow is a book that the reader will enjoy even more the second time around.

(Vanessa, I noticed some of the hints you speak of and am sure I'd enjoy reading your book at least one more time. I imagine I'll want to watch the movie numerous times as well.)


9) Where do you write? What advice do you have for aspiring authors, especially women?

VM: In my former apartment, I used to write at a desk with my guinea pig next to me, but now that I have a notebook and my guinea pig has left me, I write a little bit everywhere depending on my mood – desk, sofa, park, terrace, library, etc.

I don’t think there’s a difference between men and women when it comes to writing and pursuing a career. The best advice that I can give is: don’t give up. Your writing may be really bad in the beginning, you may even not be able to put a sentence together, but if you persist, you can accomplish great things. And also, write what you want to read. Constantly ask yourself: if I were to pick up this book from a bookstore without knowing what to expect, would I be happy with it? What would I want to see in this book that is not there right now? Asking these questions has really helped me in coming up with creepy stories.

Thank you, Vanessa. It was very gracious of you to do this interview for my book blog. You've whetted my appetite for horror fiction and movies. Please keep me posted about the release of Drowned Sorrow as a movie and your future work.

Thanks for reading!  Comments welcomed.

Drowned Sorrow

"Except for the few shops that had tried futilely to keep up, the village appeared as if it had been frozen in time. A large stone fountain graced what Megan loosely termed a town square, and around it sat four wooden benches. Though a gentle rain still fell, the few people she saw moving around it did so without umbrellas, as unmindful of the rain as if they walked in bright sunshine. They seemed extremely pale and moved at a slower pace than she was accustomed to seeing, but she only shook her head and grinned at whoever was looking in her general direction."
~Drowned Sorrow, Vanessa Morgan




When author Vanessa Morgan emailed me about reviewing her work, her novella, Drowned Sorrow, a supernatural thriller, captured my interest. Vanessa is also the author of The Strangers Outside (released in September 2010), a Kindle short story that's being made into a movie, filmed in Belgium.

Published in 2008, Drowned Sorrow is the story of a reporter, Megan Blackwood, who is anguished over the death of her 18-year-old son, Josh. Saddled with deep sorrow and guilt, Megan leaves her job, her marriage dissolves, and she decides to take a trip to a tiny, remote village called Moonlight Creek with her 14-year-old daughter, Jenna, and their dog, Oscar, in an attempt to reconnect with her daughter and begin healing. Although it was recommended to them by a friend, Moonlight Creek turns out to be a strange and ominous place, which always smells like mildew. Residents seem to possess an odd connection to the dark and sinister lake, the town's centerpiece. There is something supernatural about the lake that affects everyone in the village. For Meagan and Jenna, things go from bad to worse over the course of a few days stay at Nigel Matthew's damp, shabby hotel in Moonlight Creek.

After reading only a few pages of Drowned Sorrow, I was immersed in the story. Both the setting and the characters are well-crafted. Wonderful, creepy details abound, such as walls and ceilings that leak water around the corners and edges, and a grocery store that only sells water, which add to the menacing atmosphere. I can imagine this as a movie, with the eerie, icy cold lake that seems to have a mind of its own, the pallid, expressionless villagers, and the constant, dreary rain, dampness, and puddles. As I huddled with Drowned Sorrow and a cup of tea on my reading couch, the weather outside conspired with the book and it rained as I read (an unusual event for Southern CA at this time of the year). I was shocked not only by the chilling contents but by how great I thought this book was. It's everything horror fiction should be: creepy, scary, suspenseful, and yet also touching.

I thought this was a great read! Vanessa Morgan is a very talented screenwriter and novelist. Drowned Sorrow will be made into a movie, directed by Drew Barrymore. I can see this as the next The Shining, and will rush out to see the movie, even if Vanessa reneges on her promise to use me as an extra. ;)