Zombies? What Zombies?
I recently finished reading the wonderful novel, TRUE GRIT. Portis's voicing of Mattie Ross is exceptional, and, having seen the Coen Brothers' movie before reading the book, it was impossible to not see Hailee Steinfeld, Jeff Bridges, and Matt Damon behind the words.
Also extraordinarily impressive is the job the Coen Brothers did in bringing the book onto the screen. There is a southern lyricism and bare-faced honesty in the writing, which they preserved, which is truly inspirational.
So what does this have to do with zombies?
Sometimes while reading, I am overtaken by the voice of the writer. This is very easy to have happen with a narrator like Mattie Ross. I admit that Portis's clarity is extraordinary. Simple, bold, honest. That is exceptional writing and being exposed to exceptional writing has inescapable influence.
And, sometimes while reading, I will have a stray line pop out of nowhere, and have a character suddenly speak to me. In this case, the voice (male, but not Rooster's or La Boeuf's) said to me: "I did not take as easily to grave robbing as some."
I jotted it down in a Word document, and kept reading. By the time I finished TRUE GRIT I had an unrelated story taking shape in my head, set in my fictional Mill Town, somewhere in Ontario, in 1897 (a period I am somewhat interested in from other writing perspectives, and I have been engaged in reading other material from the late 19th century and early 20th century as I am slowly preparing work on another novel).
And that is how KILLING WALLACE CRAWTON, a late-19th Century zombie story came to be.
Also extraordinarily impressive is the job the Coen Brothers did in bringing the book onto the screen. There is a southern lyricism and bare-faced honesty in the writing, which they preserved, which is truly inspirational.
So what does this have to do with zombies?
Sometimes while reading, I am overtaken by the voice of the writer. This is very easy to have happen with a narrator like Mattie Ross. I admit that Portis's clarity is extraordinary. Simple, bold, honest. That is exceptional writing and being exposed to exceptional writing has inescapable influence.
And, sometimes while reading, I will have a stray line pop out of nowhere, and have a character suddenly speak to me. In this case, the voice (male, but not Rooster's or La Boeuf's) said to me: "I did not take as easily to grave robbing as some."
I jotted it down in a Word document, and kept reading. By the time I finished TRUE GRIT I had an unrelated story taking shape in my head, set in my fictional Mill Town, somewhere in Ontario, in 1897 (a period I am somewhat interested in from other writing perspectives, and I have been engaged in reading other material from the late 19th century and early 20th century as I am slowly preparing work on another novel).
And that is how KILLING WALLACE CRAWTON, a late-19th Century zombie story came to be.
Comments
Post a Comment