Translating the screenplay into a short story was surprisingly a lengthy process. Whereas when creatively writing a novel manuscript the words come easily and uninhibited by pre-set limitations, something I was used to, Thicker Than Blood’s story had already been written and so that is what I had to follow. It was a lot of back and forth checking the screenplay as if a step by step guide or extended synopsis. I had to keep referring back to it as I often found myself writing in elements or perspectives or scenes that were not in the original screenplay. And although the short story only really needed to be based on the screenplay I wanted as much as possible, being the writer, to remain true to its original story.
In the end I found great pleasure in having the space to add more background information about Altaluna, Aurelia and Fred’s characters in the short story. Whereas the animation screenplay had been written for a visual, moving medium the short story allowed for more descriptive and creative writing freedom which I believe enhanced the character’s personalities.
When writing the script I wrote it in the voice of Altaluna and spoke about the other characters depending on how she would have viewed them. Altaluna’s language toward Aurelia was unimpressed, unflattering and mocking:
“…sweet Aurelia had looked like a brunette princess from an original fairytale…”
“…one of her homemade fire starters…I’d mocked her for it, last Christmas…”
“…Aurelia had looked plain and simple, as always…”
Her language toward Fred was both mocking and appreciative which reflects, much like her feelings towards her sister, how she overtly chooses to dislike him when privately she actually likes him.
“…in this love story, the prince charming-not-being-his-forte on no galloping horse, Fredric, had been useless…”
“…Fred—who’d looked awkward and pitifully cute in his bowtie, with his crooked spectacles, disorderly nut-brown curls and innocent rich eyes.”
That has to be one of the main characteristics of Altaluna’s character, her defensiveness. A quality that I found apparent when writing the short story. Her constant snobbish remarks and sarcastic commentary proves evidence of that.
“That’d been the main difference between us; Aurelia had liked to work, and I had liked to play. I’d almost gotten bored and had decided better than to stick around. I’d supposed that the newly christened murderer had been tired and that her hands had hurt after all that chopping. Poverina. Poor thing.”
“Don’t misunderstand me and the affair and my lack of guilt over it. Or do, I don’t particularly care.”
These were all revelations that would come in handy when the time came for recording the voice over for Altaluna.