Gappy and the Young 
    Vampire Adventures      
  • About Gappy
  • Gappy's Books
    • A Surprise for Gappy
    • Gappy Disappears
    • Gappy is Kidnapped
    • Gappy and the Thieves
    • Gappy's Great Escape
    • Gappy and the Witch's Curse
  • About the Author
    • About the Author
    • Favorite Books, Movies and TV
  • Blog & Weird Stuff

Hollywood News and the Next Book

5/18/2014

 
Wow, I can't believe I haven't posted since January!  There are two pieces of news to get you up to date on: 1) Gappy's journey to the big screen/Hollywood, and 2) Book 7. 

You might know that all six of Gappy's Young Vampire Adventures have been optioned by a movie producer in L.A.  She loves the Gappy series and is excited to be working on getting a movie deal for him.  The first three books, A Surprise for Gappy, Gappy Disappears, and Gappy is Kidnapped, will comprise the first movie, and Books 4-6, Gappy and the Thieves, Gappy's Great Escape, and Gappy and the Witch's Curse, will make up one or two subsequent movies.

The producer sent me a spare copy of the screenwriting program she uses, called Final Draft.  I'm not very computer literate so I asked my husband, who's a computer wiz, to figure it out and show me how to use it.  It is easy to use and has some neat features.  When you enter a discussion between two people, it automatically fills in that character's name because it assumes the person is going to be responding to the first character.  It also has a really cool feature, in that it has a number of different audio voices you can assign to your characters, and then you can tell it to read the script out loud, using the voices you have assigned to the characters.  I haven't done that yet, but I'm looking forward to trying it.

Anyway, around the beginning of this year, after the contract had finally been signed by all parties, I set to work on the screenplay.  I had previously written the first 10 minutes in Word, up to the point in Book 1 where Gappy finds out that he is turning into a vampire, and once I had downloaded the proper screenwriting software and had a lesson from my husband, I converted what I had done thus far into the program.  Then I spent a free day off in my favorite coffee shop downtown and listed all the scenes in A Surprise for Gappy and Gappy Disappears.   I've spent so much time writing at The Daily Grind that I simply must acknowledge them at the end of Book 7 . . . but, back to the scenes: Each scene appears as a digital index card on the right side of the screen. You can decide how many you want to see at once, you can given them headings, make notes in them, describe the action, etc. 

There's a format to use when you begin each scene.  You have to put INT. or EXT. for interior or exterior, where the action takes place, i.e. Gappy's Kitchen, and whether it's morning, afternoon, evening, midnight, etc.  The scene headings from the index cards appear on the left side of the screen, which is the actual screenplay. Below the screen heading, you type in a description of the action in that scene, and then you start your dialogue, which the program arranges in a column down the middle of the page.   You can also add in parentheses below the character's name the way the character is speaking, e.g. chuckling, angry, sadly, sighing, etc.

I spent the weekend filling in all the scenes with the action descriptions and dialogue and quickly learned that less dialogue is better than too much.  That's my main problem: I'm way too wordy and find it difficult to pare down.  Keep in mind that one page of screenplay represents roughly one minute of movie time, and you only have a thin strip down the middle of the page to fit the dialogue into.  You also can't say what a character is thinking, like you can in a book, unless you want the audience to hear his/her thoughts, which sometimes does happen in movies.  In Gappy's case, I don't think that's the way it's going to go, so therefore I have to write in facial expressions, body language, and movement in order to impart what the characters are thinking or feeling at that moment. 

Remember, one page is equal to one minute? Well, Books 1 and 2 took up 70 pages of screenplay and I still had to add Book 3, Gappy is Kidnapped, which is about three times the length of books 1 and 2 combined!  A children's movie should ideally be about an hour and a half long - i.e. 90 minutes.  That meant I only had 20 pages left.  The producer told me not to worry about the length for now, just to get it all down, and we would cut it down afterwards.

I took a break from screenwriting to concentrate on finishing Book 7 (no title yet but probably something like Gappy in Disguise or Gappy Goes Under Cover).  After a jaunt to the UK for my aunt and uncle's Golden Wedding Anniversary, the producer e-mailed me to ask if I had started writing the screenplay again because she has people to talk to and they don't really take you too seriously until there's actually a complete screenplay that's close to the final draft. 

I received the e-mail on a Wednesday, which is Grandma Day in our household, so after I'd put my granddaughter down for her nap in the afternoon, I set to work putting Book 3 into the screenplay.  I then worked on it all weekend and finished it Sunday night.  The total length - about 175 pages!  I also wrote a page of ideas about how to cut down the length and e-mailed the screenplay with my idea sheet to the producer.  The first read-through and idea sheet were well received and I can't wait to get it back from her and see her editing suggestions, added directions, etc.

Book 7 is written and I've edited it a couple of times so far.  I'm going to get back to it in a while so that I can look at it with fresh eyes and do another editing read-through.  A friend of mine is helping me with some Spanish translation, and then it'll be done!  All I can say for now is, Stay Tuned!


Star




Arizona, here I come!

1/15/2014

 
Flying to Tucson, Arizona tomorrow to immerse myself in desert and add the finishing touches to Gappy's seventh vampire adventure.  Should be a fun trip!

Book Signing at Market Block Books in Troy, NY 7/27/13

7/31/2013

 
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So, the book signing was very successful, and I sold a lot of books between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.  It only took about 10 minutes for the first people to come looking for me after seeing the announcements I'd posted all over the place online and in e-mails.  I think it the local interest helped because the bookstore is right next to the Troy Farmer's Market where Gappy's adventure begins in the fourth book, Gappy and the Thieves.  It also features Oakwood Cemetery, just down the road where Uncle Sam is buried and where Gappy's adventure really heats up and becomes quite scary.  Below is the news article about my Gappy books, which came out in the Troy Record newspaper on Friday, July 26th, and the poster made up by Market Block Books to announce the book signing.

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Radio Interview

6/15/2013

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So, at looooong last, here is the interview from my Network Arizona Radio Talk Show.  Been a bit incognito these past months, but life has just been so busy, what with sick parents, renewing my marriage vows and organizing the whole event and reception, travel, work, etc., etc.  Hopefully, life is settling down now so I can get back to writing Gappy in Disguise.  Just got back from the Azores in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, where I got in a few horseback rides.  I'm looking forward to taking some more lessons and passing that info on to the next book.  Having never really been around animals -- except for a rabbit and a dog or two -- Gappy needs all the help he can get in his next vampire adventure, which includes riding a horse . . . and reeeealy fast!  Hope he can manage not to fall off!  Stay tuned.
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Ripley's Believe it or Not Radio Interview

11/1/2012

 
Yesterday, Wednesday, October 31st, I did a quick author interview with Ripley's Believe it or Not Radio.  Part of it was to do with Can Vampires be Good Role Models for Children.  My answer was a resounding Yes!  If you've read the books, you will know that Gappy is just a normal kid who goes through all of life's experiences as other regular kids.  He deals with bullies, he's not very good at math, he's loyal and sticks by his friends through thick and thin, he works hard to solve problems and doesn't give up, he's compassionate and kind, etc.  Also, as commented on by the teacher of a fourth grade class that I visited to talk about my books and the joy of writing, Gappy also has to deal with being different.  Already shy and somewhat serious which makes him an appealing target for bullying by Billy Tompkins, now he has the huge, secret identity of becoming a vampire, to boot.  Imagine how hard that must be?  Kids can relate to Gappy and if they model his behavior, they can't go wrong - except for the part about hiding his secret identity, that is and the various evasions that that incurs.  However, he has to do that to protect the vampire race from discovery by regular humans - regs, so I think he's allowed.  Although the interview was taped yesterday, which is kind of appropriate, seeing as October 31st is Halloween - OOOOoooooh - the segment will air sometime in December.  I'll post the podcast when it comes out.  I also told Ripley's about the reeeeeally weeeeeird things that happened to me while I was writing Book Six of the Young Vampire Adventures: Gappy and the Witch's Curse.  I still can't believe that they happened.  They were really spooky.  See below blog entries for details.

 Upcoming Media Events - Gappy Hits the Airwaves

10/18/2012

 
Hiya, regs.  Well, Gappy's vampire adventures are going national on the airwaves!  Next week I will be taping an author interview with the "X" Zone Radio/TV show out of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The 'X' Zone Radio Show" is broadcast internationally and syndicated by The 'X' Zone Broadcast Network (http://www.xzbn.net/)  and on the TalkStar Radio Network, Monday - Friday from 10 pm - 2 am Eastern / 7 pm - 11 pm Pacific and then repeated in its entirety from 2 am - 6 am Eastern / 11 pm - 3 pm.  Podcasts are  available on Apple iTunes and at ‘X’ Zone Podcasts - http://www.xzonepodcast.com/.  I'll let you know when my podcast's up and running.

Also, for those regs living out Arizona way, I will be doing a live 30-minute call-in program on 1100 KFNX's "Networking Arizona" show from 3:30 - 4:00 pm (Arizona time) on Friday, February 15th.  If you're not in their broadcast area, you can listen on the web at www.1100kfnx.com and, of course, I will post the link to the podcast.

Can Vampires Be Good Role Models for Children?

9/30/2012

 

Wow, how time flies!  Is it really two months?  The Meet the Media seminar in October turned out not to be a good fit for the World of Gappy, due to its being a non-fiction event.  However, Gappy will have two ads in an offshoot publication, the Radio and TV Interview Report, in October.
 
Can Vampires be Good Role Models for Children?  If you've read Gappy's books, you know that he is not your normal, everyday vampire.  On the contrary, he is quite a moral individual, who agonizes over the lengths he has to go through to hide his secret.  He definitely believes in doing the right thing, frequently risking reprimand from the Vampire Council by using his powers to help others and save the day.  His friends, cousins, and fellow campers at Camp Widdershins, the summer camp for young vampires and their vampire and non-vampire siblings (see Book Three: Gappy is Kidnapped and Book Six: Gappy and the Witch's Curse), are fiercely loyal to each other, stick by one another, and are thoroughly nice kids, except for the occasional bully, of course.  But, even bullies can turn a new leaf, as readers of Gappy's adventure series can attest to.

Meet the Media

7/26/2012

 
Signed up for a meet-the-media conference in New York City in October.  Great chance to network, meet TV and radio producers, journalists, agents and publishers and receive coaching on pitching Gappy's vampire adventures, finding the right hook, etc.  They only have space for 100 people, so I'm waiting with bated breath to find out if I'm deemed worthy to attend.  Wish me luck!

Where to Write?

5/19/2012

 
I write where the mood takes me.  I know some authors have a set or favorite place where all their writing takes place, e.g. a cozy corner of their house where their computer is set up and they can take breaks to look out of the window, or get a cup of coffee. They are more disciplined than I am.  I don’t have a set place.  I actually renovated a room in my house as a library, with built-in wooden bookshelves and a corner nook for my desk and computer in front of a window where I can look out onto the cemetery opposite. The cemetary has a pond in front of a really cool stone-arched chapel my grandkids call “the Castle” because that's what it looks like. See the illustration from Book 4, Gappy and the Thieves. The library was meant to be my writing place. I spent so much money on it, and it’s perfect.  It’s even got a fireplace.  The problem is, I seldom feel like writing there unless it’s a miserable day outside and the warm reddish wood glowing in the light of my fake gas fireplace is calling to me.  Maybe this is the reason I sometimes take my computer to a little artsy coffee shop.  Or sunk into a comfy couch at Starbucks or Panera’s, enveloped, I go where the mood takes me.  My issue is sunlight, or indeed any bright light.  I can’t get enough light, and I write much better with light.  In fact one of my favorite writing places is the parking lot of a park called Frear Park, which is just down the road from my house.  When I was writing Book 6, Gappy and the Witch's Curse, I found that I really enjoyed coming home from work and parking in the parking lot at Frear Park by the tennis courts.  I would write for hours, longhand, looking out onto a wide expanse of green grass peopled with the occasional kids playing a pickup game of softball, or a Dad flying a kite with his young son. I suspect that as I work on Book 7, or, rather, Book 1 of the Teen Vampire Adventures, which I think might be titled Gappy in Disquise, I'll be spending a good part of my after-work hours sitting in Frear Park.  
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    Author

    Star Donovan, author of the exciting Young Vampire Adventures, a series of books about a normal boy named Gappy, who gets the shock of his life when he learns that he is turning into a vampire and then proceeds to hurtle from one dangerous adventure to another.

    Gappy makes it to TV!!

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