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Vamping it up! (How to dig your teeth in and get on)


Today, I'm firmly ensconced under a parasol in the garden, cast cast, tea made and blog prepped. What cast you say? Pray tell?

Well, myself and my latest partner in crime, Jacky Dahlhaus, have committed to making 'Blind Faith' my little short that was nominated in Tokyo and tells the story of Gwen, a blind girl who's in love with the park busker.

Jacky and I met as two authors chosen for the 'Twisted 50 - Volume 2' anthology. A group of fifty horror stories selected via @Create50 and put together to give writers a chance to get their work out on Amazon. Discovering we lived in the same area, we decided to meet for a coffee and chat. From there, I discovered Jacky ran Aberdeenshire Film Productions and we both wanted to get films made. Hence, we made up our mind to collaborate, put the world to rights and laugh over endless lunch.

Jacky has done everything from novel writing to short story, production and direction, so while we were lounging about the park waiting to pounce on unsuspecting actors, I pounced on her to get the low down on how she got into the whole writing malarky.

So, Jacky, when did you write your first novel and what was your inspiration for it?

In August 2015 I dreamt about a girl running, bumping into a vampire and instantly falling in love with him. I told the dream to my kids and they said it was awesome and that I should write it down. I sat behind my computer for a fortnight and wrote 55K words; the first draft of my first novel. I enjoyed it so much, I never looked back and kept on writing.

Why did you decide to focus on vampire stories and stories of the paranormal?

I've always liked fantasy stories. From an early age I read books by Tolkein, Terry Pratchett, and Anne McAffrey. It takes you away from the everyday humdrum. So much is possible in fantasy stories. (Can I be half a foot taller and less of a hobbit? Ed.)

How long does it take you to complete a novel and have you sped up over time?

I've never been so fast as that first time. Now, it takes me four to six weeks to write an initial draft. I have become better at it by planning ahead. I still don't plan the nitty-gritty details as I prefer to let my characters lead the way. I love to be surprised by them. If I am surprised, then my readers will be too.

Any tips for first time novelists who are just starting out?

Know thy grammar and punctuation! Nothing's worse than having a great story but people not wanting to read it because of bad grammar and punctuation. You can hone your story-telling skills over time. You've got to have your grammar and punctuation down to a T before anyone wants to read it.

So, how did Aberdeenshire Film Productions get started?

I knew it was a false hope that my books would be discovered and that they would become films on the silver screen. At least, I didn't have the patience to wait for that (I'm not known for my patience :D ). So, I created AFP to make it happen myself. I put an ad out on MeetUp, gathered some film enthusiasts with certain skills and together we film my short stories. It's so great to see my creations come to life!

What was the first movie you directed?

The first movie we made was an adaptation of a Dutch poem I wrote. We began filming simply; one location, one actor, no dialogue. We were all 'noobs' and taking it easy. After that first one, we shot a short at two locations with two actors and some dialogue. We slowly progressed. I have written scripts that are more intricate, but they require planning and money. Planning is not my strong point. We can't seem to get funding, unfortunately.

What mistakes did you make and what was the most important lesson from them?

We have learned so much since the first movie! Never have a clock in the background of your movie because of continuity issues. Filming outside is also tricky. You'll have to plan for all sorts of weather. Even indoors, filming through windows gives continuity issues with the weather changing from sunny to overcast, to a downpour in no time. Flow issues in the story have never been a problem for me due to my experience in novel writing. You also need good actors. Good actors can make a bad script look okay but bad actors can't make the best scripts work.

How much was your initial budget and did it change over time?

The initial budget was zero and this has never changed. Each AFP member pays their annual fee and this covers the insurance (and website in the past which we have now ditched due to the cost). Most money goes into props and providing crew with food and drink during shots. We can't afford the locations we want. We tried to get funding through Creative Scotland, but they seem to be only interested in full-length movie productions.

Is there anything that you think holds writers back from producing their own material and if so, what would you recommend they do to start out?

I don't see a reason why writers can't produce their own material. I write, produce, and direct my own stories. If I can do it, anybody can! With phone cameras being as good as they are today, you can be a one-person show. The sky is your limit! If you don't want to do it all on your own, seek out others through social media; join FB groups, start a MeetUp group, tweet about it. Anything that brings you together with like-minded people.

So, if you were a vampire, who would you bite first and why?

Without thinking, I'd have to say my husband. After nearly thirty years together, I still love him dearly and can't imagine life without him! (I better not say Hugh Laurie then! Ed.)

On that note, I left Jacky to storyboard and headed home to remove the crucifix, stake and kilo of garlic and settle down to write.

 

If you'd like to read any of Jacky's work you can follow the links below.

Releasing A Vampire: https://amzn.to/2ZpOjGk

Short Shockers: https://amzn.to/338sD3F

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