Wow, I have a really terrific guest post from a fabulous author! Please welcome Ada Adams as she shares how ReVamped went from tv script to novel. Plus there is a giveaway at the end to win a Kindle copy of ReVamped!
A simple mission turned deadly.Nineteen-year-old vampire Dawn has led a sheltered life within the confines of her father’s presidential headquarters. Upon being sent on a mission to revamp four goofy misfits into guardians of a peaceful little town of Angel Creek, Dawn believes that all her dreams have finally come true. What starts off as a simple task, turns into something unexpected, changing Dawn’s life forever and leading the action-loving, thrill-seeking vampire teen on a path of mystery, danger and intrigue.When a human girl is kidnapped by a group of rogue vamps, Dawn discovers that there is more going on in Angel Creek than meets the eye. And it all connects to Ethan, the cute newcomer who seems too perfect to be true, Sebastian, the mysterious vampire with a turbulent past, and even Dawn herself. Dawn must not only succeed in revamping the troubled recruits, but must also prevent the vampire race from being overtaken by a malevolent villain who has a strange and obsessive fascination with her. As threat escalates, romance blooms, and ghosts from her past begin to surface, Dawn is sure of only one thing: her life will never be the same.
Character
(Re)Development – From a Script to a Novel
ReVamped was
originally created as a TV pilot script for an action/adventure comedy show
about a group of misfit vampires and the girl responsible for revamping them
into protectors of a small town. One interesting thing that I encountered while
transforming the script into a novel was the fact that my characters had to be
almost completely redeveloped. I found this to be especially true for the main
character of Dawn (who actually used to be named Gabrielle).
Dawn, uhh, I
mean Gabrielle from the script was a
lot different the Dawn you meet in the novel. While both girls were extremely
strong physically, Gabrielle had a much tougher personality. And, unlike
nineteen-year-old Dawn (who was born in 1996), Gabrielle was a
two-hundred-year-old vampire. She was one no-nonsense, smart, strong, sarcastic
vampire chick!
However, once I
began turning the script into the novel, I found that her sarcasm didn’t
translate well on the page. In fact, she was often coming off as a little mean.
In a show script, you can write a sarcastic line, and as long as the actor
delivers it properly, it can come off as very funny and incredibly charming.
However, if the actor happens to take it into too much of a sarcastic extreme,
then you get an unlikable character. I’m sure we’ve all seen our fair share of
such characters in film and TV. When writing a novel, writers don’t have the
luxury of relying on talented actors to make the words jump off the page.
Still, we have to ensure that the character will come off the way he/she is
supposed to, or else, the reader will interpret them as unlikable individuals.
While writing
the novel, I found myself having to tone down Dawn’s sarcasm, and having to amp
up her humanity and vulnerability. As a result, I chiseled away some of
Gabrielle’s perfections and got a very “human” vampire character (who is still
able to kick a lot of butt, of course)! Dawn is also very shy and somewhat
inept when it comes to guys—a trait that was definitely not part of the script.
When I read
through the script (now that I have spent a lot more time with the novel), I
see Gabrielle as someone that Dawn could have easily become—an older version of
what Dawn could have been if she hadn’t met the misfits, Sebastian, and Ethan.
However, now that she is on a journey with them, I definitely think that Dawn’s
life and personality development will take a much different turn.
I thought that I
would share a scene from ReVamped’s script and compare it to a similar scene in
the novel. By the way, Alexander is Sebastian—another name, history, and
personality change that I’m so very happy I made! Alexander actually had a very
good reason for hating the president (which didn’t make it into Sebastian’s
story, but it did have something special to do with Gabrielle). Burk’s Falls is
Angel Creek.
When performing
the scene from the script, the actors can, of course, easily ignite the
tension, attraction, and the sparks between the characters. However, if you
read the dialogue on the script, the passion between the two is almost
non-existent. Personally, I think that the novel scene is much, much better.
What do you think? :)
* * * * * * * *
REVAMPED
SCRIPT
EXT. BURK’S FALLS CITY LIMITS – DAY
CUT
TO:
GABRIELLE
crosses into the town and passes by the “Burk’s Falls” sign. She is holding a
large leather binder in her hand. She pauses and opens to the first page.
CUT TO:
A
PHOTO of ALEXANDER, 21 (rugged, unsmiling).
GABRIELLE
Alexander Johnson. Turned in 1845 at age 21. Son of wealthy
British shipbuilders who disowned him upon his transformation.
CUT TO:
EXT. SMALL DRIVEWAY OF A DILAPIDATED HOUSE -
DAY
Alexander
working on his car in front of his house. His back is turned to Gabrielle. Gabrielle
walks towards him, still reading the file.
GABRIELLE
Brooding, mysterious, strong, but self-deprecating. Ugh. Who
wrote this crap?
Gabrielle
stops in front of the car.
GABRIELLE
(CONT.)
Alexander Johnson?
Alexander
pauses, turning around to look at Gabrielle. When he sees her, he drops his
tools, startled. He quickly recovers, stands up and wipes off his hands.
ALEXANDER
(clearing his throat)
Depends. Who wants to know?
GABRIELLE
My name is Gabrielle. I’m here on behalf of the President.
You’ve been summoned as a protector of Burk’s Falls. I assume you know what
that entails.
Alexander
looks intently at Gabrielle, then recovers once again and scoffs loudly.
ALEXANDER
What happened to the High
School Musical gang? They were doing quite a number on the town from what
I’ve heard.
GABRIELLE
They're no longer with us. They served their century. The job is
your responsibility now.
ALEXANDER
(firmly)
No.
GABRIELLE
(incredulous)
What do you mean, “no”?
ALEXANDER
(smirks)
No. Nope. Nah. I don’t think so. Not interested.
Is that clear enough for you?
GABRIELLE
Whether or not you’re interested is beside the point. This is
your duty!
ALEXANDER
Yeeeah, no. I don’t know if your President told you, but I don’t
really embrace this whole “vampire fad”. I’m not interested in anything related
to vampires, being a vampire, or serving the vampire government.
GABRIELLE
What about your obligation to protect humans?
ALEXANDER
I’m not interested in humans either – not even the sniveling,
vulnerable ones so many vampire idiots fall for. You could say I’m only
interested in myself. So if you wouldn’t mind leaving, I’d love to get back to
work.
Gabrielle
rushes to stand in front of Alexander. They look at each other for a moment.
GABRIELLE
(firmly)
You can’t do that.
Alexander
suddenly becomes very agitated. He presses his face into Gabrielle’s.
ALEXANDER
Listen. For the past century I’ve been doing exactly what I
want, when I want. I don’t owe anything to anyone - human or vampire - especially not your president. Now leave
me alone before I make you leave!
GABRIELLE
(unfaltering)
You know that you can be prosecuted for disobeying the orders.
Every one of us must serve for at least a century.
ALEXANDER
(stony-eyed)
Then it’s a good thing
that I’m not one of you!
He
storms off into his house.
REVAMPED
BOOK
I
ordered Seth to wait in the car, and slowly made my way up the dirt path in the
direction of what I had hoped was Sebastian’s residence. The longer I walked,
the darker and more daunting the clouds above me became. Finally, with a
booming crash of thunder, the sky tore open, releasing a fresh downpour of cool
rain. This time, it was faster and heavier, pummeling against Hannah’s note and
drenching her small, neat writing.
I
considered turning back and meeting with Sebastian another time, but my
curiosity got the best of me. I examined Hannah’s note, squinting to make out
some of the smudged words.
Sebastian York is a twenty-one
year-old Scorpio. He has gorgeous light gray eyes, the color of sparkling
glaciers. His midnight-black hair is slightly curly, and just long enough to
make you daydream about running your fingers through his locks. He’s super tall
and really, really hot. Just try to peel your eyes away from all those lean
muscles! Yum! He’s brooding,
mysterious, strong, and self-deprecating (or at least, he seems like the
type)—the perfect vampire!
I
had to stop myself from reading the rest. Hannah’s report on Sebastian was a
little over-the-top for my taste. Not to mention, much too unbelievable. I
scrunched up the soaked paper and tucked it into the pocket of my jeans. I
smiled to myself, thinking that the bubbly redhead had a promising career ahead
of her as a writer of cheesy romance novels.
The
hike through the forest led to a secluded clearing. The trees parted, revealing
a striking building, more akin to a grand mansion, than a house in the woods.
While made in the same style as the buildings in town, the three-story
structure had a stately, regal air about it. Clad in white stone with Grecian
temple-inspired columns towering across its entire façade, it very much
resembled the majestic inn on the grounds of the Angel Creek Park.
The
driveway finally came to an end, and I found myself next to a luxury antique
car. Its cherry-red hood was propped wide open, and it took a moment before I
noticed that there was a figure tinkering with the machinery underneath. He
wore a pair of loose, black pants; the muscles on his bare back flexed as he
strained to tighten something with a metal wrench.
Hannah’s
words flashed through my mind as I stood frozen in place, observing Sebastian’s
profile. My gaze traveled along his tall, lean frame, my pulse quickening in
response to the wet raindrops sliding down his chiseled arms. Flustered, I
quickly raised my eyes up to his face, gliding over his sharp angular jaw and
high cheekbones, and finding a resting place atop his glistening, dark locks.
Embarrassed by my unexpected attraction to the vampire in front of me, I
sharply looked away, thankful for the cooling sensation of the wet raindrops
against my skin.
Suddenly,
Sebastian sensed my presence. His entire body tensed as he spun around; the
wrench firmly grasped in his hand, ready and poised for an attack. The moment
his eyes fixed on me, he froze, a look of sheer terror seizing his face. The
metal tool fell out of his hand, hitting the cobblestone with a loud clank.
The noise seemed to break the spell he was under. As his gaze connected with
mine, the look of horror that came over him just moments before immediately
vanished.
“Sebastian?”
I asked breathlessly, unnerved by his startling reaction.
He
didn’t reply. Instead, he continued to examine every inch of me with his cool,
gray eyes. My entire body blazed under his scrutinizing stare, but despite my
uneasiness, I couldn’t bring myself to look away from him. His gaze was both
terrifying and thrilling, all at once.
The
strong wind frantically tugged at my hair, as if trying to snap me out of my
trance. In spite of nature’s best efforts, I simply stood there, locked in an
unnerving staring contest with the mysterious vampire. A deafening clap of
thunder shook the earth, causing me to jump, and startling Sebastian back to
his senses.
“Who
wants to know?” he finally responded. There was a sharp edge to his smooth,
velvety voice.
“My
name is Dawn,” I said, attempting a smile. “I’m here on an assignment from the
Vampire President to train the new guardians of Angel Creek. Since you’re one
of the five vampire residents, I thought you’d want to know about the mission
and take part—” I paused abruptly, distracted by the angry scowl forming across
his face.
Another
earsplitting roar of thunder sounded before he spoke. “Not interested,” he said
curtly, his eyes still intent on me. He was boldly exploring my face, his gaze
slowly traveling down my body.
“Dawn,
did you say?” he asked curiously, his voice a little less brisk.
I
nodded, crossing my arms in a self-conscious effort to shield myself from his
gaze. “So can we count you in?” I asked hopefully.
“No.”
“What
do you mean no?” I sputtered in disbelief. I was quickly becoming
annoyed with the shirtless, ill-mannered vampire.
“No.
Nope. Not interested. Is that clear
enough for you?”
“Really?”
“Yes,
really—no.” He turned away, waving his hand in my direction, as if to
let me know I was dismissed.
“Why?”
I asked, stretching out to grab his arm. Thankfully, he had moved just before I
could reach him, as mid-grab, I realized that touching Sebastian was a bold
move I had not fully thought out.
He
turned around to face me, the heated look in his eyes causing me to take a
slight step back.
“I
don’t really embrace this whole vampire fad. I’m not interested in
anything related to vampires, being a vampire or serving the Vampire President.
Got it?”
“What
about your obligation to protect humans?” I questioned.
“I’m
not interested in humans either, not even the sad, vulnerable ones so many
vampire idiots fall for. You could say, I’m only interested in myself.” He
smirked, his tone once again reaching sub-zero temperatures. “So, if you
wouldn’t mind leaving, I’d love to get back to work.”
“But,
but…you can’t do that. When I tell the President that you’re here, he’ll order
you to join the group.” I was grasping at straws.
All
of a sudden, Sebastian charged toward me, thrusting his face directly into
mine. He was so close our noses almost touched. I raised my eyes to meet his,
the raindrops from his wet locks dripping onto my forehead. I fought the
temptation to blink, as droplets of water slid down my eyelashes. I was not
about to show him any weakness.
“For
the past century I’ve been doing exactly what I want, when I want. I don’t owe
anything to any human or vampire—especially
not the President. Now, please leave, before I make you leave!” he said through
clenched teeth.
“Fine!”
I yelled, pressing my fists tightly against my legs in an effort to prevent
myself from striking him. “But, just so you know, you’re a really sucky
vampire.” I mentally kicked myself for the lame retort. At the same time, I
also chastised myself for having wanted this aggravating snob to join the group
in the first place.
“Please
don’t come around here anymore.” With those final words, Sebastian stormed off
into the house, slamming the heavy door behind him.
I
was left alone on the wet driveway, feeling confused and angry, but also
somewhat excited by our meeting.
* * * * * *
"Many people sing in the
shower. I, on the other hand, write scenes in my head and act them out."
At age five, Ada read her first
chapter book - Pippi Longstocking. Ever since that moment, she developed an
intense passion for the stories and characters found within the pages of
literature.
In her career as an actress and a
writer, Ada currently spends most of her days immersed in imaginary worlds.
Much like the characters she enjoys playing and writing about, Ada is a martial
artist with a Black Belt in Shotokan Karate. She is also a big proponent of
lifelong learning, and has attained Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (it aids in
creating characters with unique quirks!) as well as a Master's of Science in
Education.
Ada strives to bring a fresh voice
and perspective to fiction. She has been writing creatively for many years.
"ReVamped" is her debut novel.
She lives in Toronto, Canada, and
enjoys adventurous nature hikes with her adorable puppies Cara and Oreo.
