Film locations for The Silver Stopper

The first draft of the script for the short film about Colette is finished! It wrote itself really; it’s been amazingly quick and easy. I’m not too sure about the title of the short film, though: I like my title The Silver Stopper for the Colette short story, but I wonder if it’s not exciting enough for a film. It needs something more thrilling, something that says: Parisian love triangle circa 1905! In the classiest way possible, of course.

The director, Toni, and I went to see the Katherine Mansfield house in Thorndon, recreated as it would have been when Katherine was growing up there in the 1890s. It’s beautiful, and would be perfect as a film location. We haven’t yet asked them if we can film in the house — I will be surprised if they say yes, to be honest (I had to hand over my bag in case it scratched the wallpaper, so I can’t imagine they’ll want actors lounging around in corsets on the white, lacy bedcovers or sitting on the embroidered chairs), but it won’t hurt to ask.

The hunt for locations begins! We need a 1900s kitchen, two bedrooms, two salons, and a hallway with stairs. This last requirement will seem odd if you live in Europe, where most hallways have stairs. But the only stairs in our home, and in most people’s homes here, are for going up or down (steep hills) to the front door. Stairs are almost exotic! We also need a horse — you’d think the horse would be the most difficult character to find, but in the weird, wonderful and surprising place that is New Zealand, we already have a few potential horsey actors.

The script is different from the story in that I’ve taken out all scenes of Parisian exteriors — it’s impossible to make Wellington look like Paris, so we’re not going to waste our time trying. There are three exterior scenes, but these are in gardens and woods, which can easily stand in for Paris. Never mind, descriptions of beautiful grey brick walls, pale blue shutters, and wrought iron balconies bursting with red geraniums, I haven’t abandoned you, I’m still keeping you in Nights in Paris!

J’ai fini le premier brouillon de mon scénario pour un film sur Colette! C’est épatant! Maintenant il faut trouver une ancienne maison pour filmer… pas façile en Nouvelle Zélande!

Taking Colette’s masterclass in writing fiction

I’m still working on the Nights in Paris novel as well as the short film. I’m very pleased with the beginning of my next Colette chapter; it can be hard to know how to start a new chapter. It’s a bit like the daunting task of stuffing a duvet into its cover: you have a clear picture of the end result, but how do you know which corner to tackle first? I’ve taken a tip from the great master — or rather, great mistress — herself: Colette, of course.

Colette often begins her chapters with a conversation, or an action; in that respect, many of her novels are like plays. She acted on the stage for many years, and I think this second, theatrical job helped to hone her shark-like instinct when writing: straight to the point, never deviating, pared down to the absolute essentials. Reading her novels is like taking a masterclass in writing prose that is watertight and incredibly focused: I’m thinking especially of Chéri, Julie de Carneilhan, La Retraite Sentimentale, and Duo / Le Toutonier.

My latest chapter of Nights in Paris starts with Colette opening the door of the marital apartment, apprehensive and afraid of seeing her husband because it is the morning after the night before, and the night was spent with Missy… luckily I have some (dusty) memories of this kind of sordid melodrama, so while I’m writing I can relive the emotional turmoil… oh joy!

Par où commencer un nouveau chapitre? C’est comme empailler un duvet dans sa housse: on le prend par quelle bout?! On trouve la reponse en lisant Colette. Chéri, Julie de Carneilhan, La Retraite Sentimentale, et Duo / Le Toutonier sont des romans d’une précision admirable, dont les chapitres commencent souvent, comme des pièces de théâtre, en pleine conversation.

A script for Colette

Something wonderful and completely new is happening with The Silver Stopper, my Colette short story based on my novel Nights in Paris. The Silver Stopper may be made into a short film — which makes me almost hysterical with joy! My writing is visual and descriptive, so I can see the whole film in my mind, which may be useful for Toni, the director… or annoying! We plan to start writing the script this weekend. I’ve had a look at a script writing program: writing a script is hugely different to a novel or story, but I am full of naïve, idealistic energy at the moment, so I’m not (yet) daunted.

There are already some difficulties we’ll have to contend with, such as: how much of a historical film should we make it? It’s set circa 1907, and Wellington has some historical homes, but not many. Also, how erotic to make it? There’s nothing worse than bad erotica, whether you’re reading or watching it. We could have corsets, shifts and lots of ruffles and ribbons: vintage clothing can be more suggestive and erotic than plain, unadorned nudity. And what about the accents? Do we make our Kiwi actors speak their lines in fake French accents? Aïe aïe aïe, I have a feeling that this could turn très mal, so we need to be careful! Still, it’s a very exciting time, the world is filled with possibilties…

J’ai la possibilité de faire un film de mon histoire de Colette! Je vois déjà le film tout fini dans ma tête — bien sur, c’est un film sensuel, voluptueux et très beau.

Anaïs Nin narrated by Marlene!

A big thank you to Nicola the web goddess! She’s fixed up my blog with a sparkling new template, added great new features, and found the most wonderful, sensuous video as a wonderful treat for everyone who reads this blog! Marlene Dietrich’s husky, sultry voice is an ideal accompaniment to these 1930s style photographs inspired by Anaïs Nin’s erotic writing; if I were to guess which specific story of erotica, I would say Elena from Delta of Venus. (Yes, I am a devotee!) I love this video because it is the visual image of my writing. It is a perfect translation of the atmosphere I am creating in my Colette and Anaïs novel, Nights in Paris.

Un grand merci à Nicola, qui a trouvé ce petit film, vraiment extraordinaire, sur Anaïs Nin. Ultra sensual et vraiment très beau, ce film est exactement l’atmosphere que je suis en train de créer avec mon roman sur Colette et Anaïs, Paris dans la Nuit.

A busy month for writing competitions

Actually, it’s the last two months that have been madly busy: just call me whirling chaos. There’s the Six Pack competition (NZ), the PSA competition (NZ), the Fish one page competition (Ireland), and an application for Creative NZ funding… and the writing of these stories (all different) to be fitted in around an equally busy time at work — no wonder there’s been no time to even think about the leaking roof! It can be quite melodious sitting on the loo, as the rain drips in two places very slightly out of time, so you get a dancing two-step plink-plonk, plink-plonk effect.

Meanwhile, chez Anaïs… I have a beautiful new picture of her on my inspiration board, wearing the transparent, black lace dress made famous in the film “Henry and June”. All that’s missing is the portrait of Colette and Missy, Colette at her desk, pen poised, the desk covered in papers, books and Toby-chien the miniature bulldog, while Missy standing at the window, looking like a serious, protective uncle. I haven’t written much of the Anaïs chapters lately, as I’m concentrating on Colette for the moment, but she’s still there in the background: the story is fermenting, gathering flavour and spices…

What I’ve been reading lately: “Extremely loud and incredibly close” by Jonathan Safran Foer. A friend lent it to me, and to be honest I opened the book a bit resentfully, or rather with bad grace, not expecting to enjoy it. I was mesmerised from the first paragraph, or maybe even the first sentence. I won’t spoil it by saying what it’s about: just read it, it’s brilliant.
I’m also simultaneously rereading Colette “Claudine married” (for research purposes), and comics by Roberta Gregory and Alison Bechdel (purely for fun). Also a fictional biography of Anaïs Nin — I won’t say who it’s by as I think my stories are much better!

Tout ce qu’il me manque pour mon mur d’inspiration, c’est le portrait de Colette et Missy, Colette assise à son bureau, un stylo à la main. Le bureau est un bazar de papiers, de livres, le tout surveillé par Toby-chien et Missy, debout à la fenêtre avec son air d’oncle plutôt sérieux.

J’ai une idée: je pense à traduire, dans chaque poste, un petit extrait de mon roman en français. Qu’est-ce que vous en pensez?

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