Q: What can we expect from you in
the future?
A: Hopefully, many, many stories across all genres. I have two novel
projects currently in the works, one mystery/thriller, one western, plus
outlines for a couple of other novels once these first two are finished. I also
have a sizable back catalogue of screenplays that I hope to turn into films at
some point, and I’m writing more scripts all the time (five new feature-films
in 2020 as of August).
A: There are three main
protagonists in the novel: Maria, Eamon, and Maisey.
17-year-old Maria is grieving the loss of her father when the world falls into a state of disarray. She embarks on a 120 mile trek toward her only living family member through harsh, blizzard conditions.
Eamon, once a kind-hearted lumberjack, is now consumed by an undying fury following the slaying of his family. He wrestles with inner turmoil as he finds himself drawn more and more toward acts of violence.
Maisey is a two-time college-dropout trying to finally do something worthwhile with her life by rescuing the five-year-old boy she found abandoned in a dumpster. But when the child’s abusive mother returns and attacks Maisey with a razorblade, she is left permanently disfigured.
Each protagonist comes from different walk of life but each finds themselves stuck in the same dreadful situation as the world around them falls apart at the seams. They are bound through shared personal tragedy as they each embark on their own journey for revenge. These characters each desire revenge for different reasons, seek them through different means, and are changed by this pursuit of vengeance in drastically different manners.
Q: How did you come up with the
concept and characters for the book?
A: The post-apocalypse is my
favorite setting. I’ve spent a great deal of time thinking about the ways in
which the world would change if the rules of civility were lifted. The growing
political tensions of the contemporary U.S. were a strong motivator in setting
the apocalypse here and now. I lived for many years in the state where the
novel is set and would often explore the abandoned structures scattered across
the towns and the concrete ruins out in the forests, imagining them
apocalyptic. Many locations in the novel have real-life counterpoints around
New Hampshire, including Maria’s home where the novel opens which was based on
the apartment I lived in throughout high school. Everything in the book is
driven by the apocalyptic setting; the ways I believe people with different
life experiences would act and would be changed.
A: The Fall of Polite is my
self-coined term for the end of the civilized world. I wanted a unique phrase
that could signal the novel as a post-apocalyptic story in an abstract way
without saying it outright.
A: For the cover, I reached out
to an artist friend of mine whose work I’ve loved. It was their first time
designing a book cover, and I think they knocked it out of the park. If any
other authors would like to commission a cover design from them, you can reach
out through Kayleea.com
A: I learned a lot about the
differences between writing screenplays and writing prose. As I was far more
accustomed to writing in screenplay format, I kept catching myself sticking to
unnecessary structure and formatting conventions in the early stages of writing
the book. Once I shook those habits, I found writing prose to be an incredibly
liberating feeling. That freedom in the writing made exploring the setting and
characters an extremely enjoyable experience that felt fresh and exciting.
A: I’m a huge of Elsie Fisher
after her incredible performance in ‘Eighth Grade’. I would love to work with
her and I could honestly see her playing a role in practically all of the
stories I have written thus far.
A: Exploring the post-apocalyptic
world was easily my favorite part of writing the book. I’ve found that almost
all apocalyptic books, movies, and games are set far into the apocalypse or
begin at the very start of the apocalypse, and then jump ahead (often by having
the protagonist wake up from a coma oddly enough). One sort of mission I had
going into the book, if you want to call it that, was to start right at the
beginning of the chaotic collapse of society and progress forward in real time
without ever jumping ahead. I wanted to show the full devolution of society
through the eyes of the characters and watch the civilized world crumble into
full lawlessness and progressively harsher violence and turmoil over the course
of the book. Getting to thoroughly explore that chunk of time that the vast
majority of apocalyptic stories skip past was a great joy.
A: I strongly root for characters
hijacking the story. I greatly admire filmmakers like Mike Leigh, Sidney Lumet,
and John Cassavetes who encourage freedom and improvisation from their casts,
allowing the characters to dictate the story. To paraphrase Mike Leigh, if you
know exactly what is going to happen before it happens, then it isn’t nearly as
exciting.
A: The most fun character to
write was probably one of the antagonists, Georgie the mute sharpshooter. I’ve
always found mute characters intensely interesting and writing from this
ruthless killer’s point of view was always interesting.
Q: Is
there a writer whose brain you would love to pick for advice? Who would that be
and why?
A: I
would talk to S. Craig Zahler for hours and hours. He’s the writer with the
most similar style to myself (and I might be secretly attempting to model my
career on his). I find his high level of output inspiring and I aspire to
become as good at titling pieces as he is. I’ve certainly taken some cues from
his work in regards to keeping stories surprising and in writing violence that
feels visceral and heavy.
this looks like a great read
ReplyDeleteThe blurb was confusing but the concept is interesting.
ReplyDelete