Background
When I set out to write Bad Elf, I wanted to tackle Christmas in all its weirdness--trees in living rooms, Santa, toy-making elves, flying reindeer, etc. And I turned to my daughter as inspiration. Going through a mild "goth" phase, I thought...what if she were an elf at the North Pole? What would that world look like to a goth elf? What would get that elf excited, and frustrated? Jackie Rumpus sprang from that. His world grew from everything I ever thought I knew about the North Pole, and twisted around his perspective of it. He, of course, wouldn't call it the North Pole...it's just The Pole. It's his home. And he hates it. And he wants to run away to maybe some place less cold, where maybe he won't be so misunderstood.
As the story developed, I would pitch ideas to my daughter, and she grew more and more excited...asking all the right questions and offering suggestions...especially to how my goth-kid characters might behave. It was the most fun writing process I've ever experienced.
As the story developed, I would pitch ideas to my daughter, and she grew more and more excited...asking all the right questions and offering suggestions...especially to how my goth-kid characters might behave. It was the most fun writing process I've ever experienced.
Screenplay
The first words written were on a writer's retreat in the Dominican Republic, slightly tipsy from my first ever Zombie, "Holy hell, it's cold!" It felt like the right tone. During the week with other writers, we were all invited to share our first ten pages for a group read, and though I worked for it, I was pleasantly surprised that the group struggled to read it on account they were laughing so hard.
Some time later, the script was *almost* optioned for a television film, but it took a couple weeks for the producer and I to come to agreeable terms. But we did come to an agreement, I was ready to sign on the dotted line, and then the producer promptly disappeared on me. Hollywood is a weird place.
Read the log line, synopsis and first few pages on john-rae.com!
Some time later, the script was *almost* optioned for a television film, but it took a couple weeks for the producer and I to come to agreeable terms. But we did come to an agreement, I was ready to sign on the dotted line, and then the producer promptly disappeared on me. Hollywood is a weird place.
Read the log line, synopsis and first few pages on john-rae.com!
Novel
I originally thought tackling the script-to-novel conversion would help sell the screenplay, but that seemed to have the opposite effect (see Hollywood weirdness comment above.) However, the novel was able to reach real people, real not-Hollywood people, who were able to share their feedback...how it touched them and what the characters mean to them. And that was not only a surprise, but very much a kick to the feel-goods. More surprising, folks asked for more. When is the sequel coming? What happens to Jackie? And Candi? And Santa? Etc.
Jackie's world is about to get a whole lot bigger...with even more sinister villains than his hero/villain Krampus.
You can check out the first several pages on Amazon.com. Click on the Look Inside! feature.
Jackie's world is about to get a whole lot bigger...with even more sinister villains than his hero/villain Krampus.
You can check out the first several pages on Amazon.com. Click on the Look Inside! feature.
