It’s time for a new excerpt of the slowly project of converting a screenplay into a novel.
Those who have followed this project from its inception know that the characters have had their genders reversed. Not in the context of the story, but as a practical point.
Originally, the lead boy was Charlie. He had a crush on Lacey, and was best friends with Davey. Davey had a big brother, Mike, who they had to invite into their summer project because he had a truck and a driver’s license. Charlie hated Mike. Not just because he was a huge jerk (he was) but also because Lacey had a crush on Mike.
During the editing process, the producers felt they had a better shot at selling the film if it revolved around a female lead. So Charlie became Lacey, Lacey became Charlie, and Mike became Darlene.
So Lacey’s problem is that she likes Charlie, but Charlie likes Darlene.
Darlene still needed to be all the things Mike had been: older, a badass, and handy with a wrench. And the object of someone’s desires.
Here’s my take on Darlene…
On Darlene:
Out in the sun like that, Darlene glowed, her green eyes framed by shocks of blond hair that had fallen from her loose pony tail, and Charlie basked in it. Without the grease and sweat the architecture of her face was clear: a composition of features that individually might be too strong, but together were almost classical. It was easy to imagine her chiseled from marble, a sword in her hands, one foot on a slain dragon.
Liking it? Please like the Rocket Summer Facebook page…