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| Gone to Mum's |
Had an interesting email today, that while i won't divulge the contents, will skirt around the edges.
It concerned my short story " GONE TO MUM'S " published with 14 other short stories in an anthology called NEXT STOP HOLLYWOOD: 15 Short stories Bound for the Screen, edited and collected by the wonderful Steve Cohen and published by St. Martins Press in 2007.
I have always told people about the story, and the circumstances of it's story. Today, out of the blue, i was asked for the story (amongst other things) by someone i have no clue as to who they are, other than they bought the book and loved the story. So, for fun, for practice and because i can, i will tell all about thegenesis of " GONE TO MUM'S ".
The story revolves around Kelly and Ray, and in it's short form a very quick telling of their relationship. Long form is way different.
Ray, in a nutshell is me. It is also my sometime writing partner Ray, but mostly me.
Kelly is a little more complex. Kelly is based on four women i have known in my life, one of whom was actually called Kelly, but mostly another called Marie. Of the four, three have passed on. Two were very good, close friends of mine, the other two were people i loved and cared for very, very much at different times in y life. One of them still stands upon this planet and is a constant source of inspiration for me. I hope she knows this.
Like Kelly in the story, Marie died of cancer, specifically cervical. Hard-headed wench she was, and like Kelly in the story, she kept things to herself, refused to acknowledge her condition until it was too late, and paid the ultimate price. At her funeral, i was asked to write her a story. It was something she asked before she passed, and was passed on to me. We had had some small adventures, and i thought they were interesting, so i agreed and promised to do the best i could. It took me nearly 20 years to find a way to tell the story in a way that made sense, was entertaining and didn't piss anyone off.
But where to start.
Just on her own, Marie wasn't the character I needed to be. she was a wonderful person, a terrific mum and so many things, but i needed more to give her story justice.. I have been fortunate in meeting some amazing people in my life. Once i had an idea of what i wanted, i started to create workable characters. Like i said, Ray was easy. Just picked moments from my life that fitted and moved them about a bit. Then i looked at who i was involved with during those moments and it all gelled. Four girls, all special, all important to me, three gone but not forgotten, one still here but far away. They were perfect.
The events, up to where i get married then divorced happened. From the divorce on is where the story moves into mostly fiction. Everything before that happened, in a mixed up sort of order, and spread amongst the four girls at different times in my life, in different places. The fight on the side of the road, true. The fruit pickers, real people, some combinations of people to cut the cast of characters. the bit in the desert, the chinese restaurant, how i found out about her death, the trip south, the sign on the door, the house itself, all real.
The story sat for about seven years, complete as is/was. Quirky romance, a little comedy, a little drama. I had no little box to neatly fit it. There was no one specific genre for it. o i kept it. I'd kept my promise. The story was done, it was good. But i needed people to see it.
So oneday there's this competition. Looking for short stories to start making original movies. i was going to send in one of my spec fiction pieces, the changed my mind. why not send the "white elephant" story that didn't really fit anywhere. I had nothing to lose. so off it went.
i gave up hoping after about six months.
two months later, nearly midnight, the phone rings. wife answers. some guy from the US asking about my story. I'm thinking it's a friend playing a joke. It's amazing how sobered up and awake a person can get once reality hits. Out of more than 600 hundred stories, my little tale i had no idea what to do with is selected with fourteen others. someone other than me thought it was good.
since then i've pushed it as hard as i can. Being published in america made it difficult, if not impossible to get here in australia I imported fifty myself, copping the loss to get the book in the hands of people who might be able to push it further toward the ultimate goal of seeing the story played out on the screen.
i that time i've had nothing but positive responses. Most people cry. The one person i was sure would didn't. My wife, who cries little except in movies like UP, bawled her eyes out. Guys seem to find bits of it funny (read the story. you'll know which bits). people love the story. i love the story.
Is this a shameless plug to get people to buy the book, even after it being out for over 2 years? bloody oath it is. It's a good book. The stories are well written, not only mine, all of them. whether they are based on real times and people, i can't speak for anyone else. except for altering the times,changing some names and mixing some characters, my story is personal and true. It's sad and funny and tense where it needs to be, just like the parts of life that inspired it. If you can find it, buy the book. if you are in movies or TV, pick the ones you like best and make them.
in closing, thanks to all those who helped in any way with the making of that story, especially the four girls who still mean so much to me. I miss them every day, can see their faces everytime i read the story, or think about the story.
Like i said. I've been lucky.
thanks.
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Posted by rvc on 2009-11-07 06:47:10 | Rating: | Views: 13
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