Welcome to the party pal!

I'd been away from writing, for maybe some time...

There was a break of about ten years, I hadn't given up on screenwriting I just got caught up with other stuff. I moved to the other side of the world, battled illness (funny how the word battled immediately put that into perspective), self published a couple of non-fiction books, (one very well received and the other, well a rush job that probably should have stayed on the hard drive). Of course there were the extra mouths to feed, houses were moved, countries were moved again. Jobs were lost and new jobs were found. It was the circle of life, yet amidst all of that my brain, my creative, yearning brain just would not shut up.

I had been constantly kicking ideas around throughout these years, ideas evolve and characters blossom, some get left by the wayside while others stick with you like glue. Well I had come to the resolution that I had to do something, I had to start committing this stuff to paper because I wanted to get it out and share the things I had dreamt up. And probably deep down in the dark where the monsters play, I didn't want to selfishly take my ideas with me one day without giving them a chance in the wilds.

So, not long before Christmas 2012 I began solidifying one of my many ideas. It wasn't the one I wanted to write, it never is; that script is in waiting, ready for the right time just like its titular forever king Mr Pendragon. I settled on Patient Zero, regardless of the zombie overload that the Walking Dead was delivering it was a story I had, there were scenes I loved and my goal was to make it different. Once Christmas was out of the way I found my old love of writing started to flow, the dialogue came easily, I loved the characters and set pieces. By March 2013 I had the first draft well and truly in the bag. I tinkered a little and blindly threw it up for reads on The Blacklist, the website not the TV show. It hit an average score, which for a tired genre and my first foray in ten years I was actually happy with.

In short, the hero was the first zombie in this outbreak, he wakes trope-like in a military hospital a couple of days post infection. An investigative team arrive and discover him, they also discover he has his faculties and this sets him apart from the shambling masses. Its not long before 'Dutch' the heroic Patient Zero joins forces with this mercenary team and sets out to rescue his family from the zombie infestation.

Sounds awesome, right?

I know, I'd watch it. Why? Because it has perspective, its different enough to tell another tale and there are some scenes which would work beautifully on the screen, even if I say so myself. Now, I know I do need to go back and give it a rewrite and a polish, but given that Rick Grimes has pretty much killed the zombie market for now it can wait. 

However, here's a scene I'm fond of, forgive the cut and paste formatting...

INT. THE HOPKINS KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS 

Dutch enters the kitchen and crumbles to the floor as hope dissolves, he drops his weapon and can only stare at the broken body of Amanda. A keening wail rises from his throat, he is physically beyond tears, his grief will be anger. 

He crawls closer, the lifeless eyes are hard, he cradles the body whispering in tongues. 

DUTCH HOPKINS 

Nononononono, sorry Mandy, so so sorry, this whole fuckin mess, the bastards that did this, sorry, I should never have gone there, my fault, I should never have done this. 

He buries his head into her cold bosom, rocking, wailing, grieving. 

He lifts his hand to find it slick with her deep red blood. 

A click. 

He turns to see Thomas, framed in the doorway, his tear stained face behind the muzzle of Amanda's gun. Thomas and the gun are shaking. 

THOMAS 

Monster. 

DUTCH HOPKINS 

Thomas. 

The boys face changes for a second, then fear takes control. 

DUTCH HOPKINS (CONT'D) 

Thomas it's me. Dad. 

THOMAS 

(Shrieks) 

NO! Monster! 

He fires, high and wide and noisy. 

Thomas drops the heavy weapon and runs into the house.