Technology…can be frustrating! I have a new computer and the blog site was upgraded not long ago. Something isn’t connecting right or I am forgetting a step in publishing my latest blog. This one is from Sunday and it wasn’t published. So…here it is again.
I just finished watching the Academy Awards, a yearly ritual for me, and I enjoyed it as much as ever. I love movies and the entire process that goes with making them. The emotions that come out during the Oscar awarding process are priceless. I’ve had my dreams about achieving an Oscar.
When I first wrote my screenplay about Sir Francis Drake’s 16th century adventures in the Caribbean, I pictured it being produced and eventually becoming an Academy Award winner with me walking up to that stage to receive my Oscar for best screenplay. I named one of my first drafts “El Dragon,” the Spanish derogatory name for Drake, who was stealing as much Spanish gold and jewels as he could plunder from Spanish ships.
I received compliments on the script, which was read by more than a few in the show business industry. Their advice was invaluable and I did about eight rewrites—good experience but no results and no funding. Rather than give up on a great idea and a passion for me, I turned the saga into an historical adventure novel—Melaynie’s Masquerade—by adding a feminine touch. My daring young heroine would be a native of Plymouth, England, Francis Drake’s hometown. I envisioned a young woman with guts and daring in an era when females stayed home with husbands and children.
Melaynie was jealous of her older brother who was signing aboard Drake’s ship and sailing off to strange new lands in tropical climates. She made an outrageous decision to masquerade as a captain’s boy for Drake, and since her brother couldn’t talk her out of her plan, he agreed to help and even kept her secret from her father and other brother.
Her yearlong voyage brings dangerous encounters with Spanish enemies and a crocodile, new friendships and a romance with a Spanish envoy, who discovers her disguise. When she returns with Drake to England, still masquerading as a young male, she finds she is pregnant. The fiction I created has many fascinating twists and turns along the way. Read it if you want to know what happens. Check it out on Amazon–there’s a link on this blog.
I never gave up on the possibility that my book might become a movie. And to that end, I daydreamed about my choices for the cast. Who would play Melaynie? Years ago I pictured Christina Ricci, who is small and feisty and an excellent actress. Since then I’ve thought of Kristen Stewart, Saorise Ronan and, of course, Jennifer Lawrence, who got the Oscar for best actress tonight.
For my hero, the fabulous Francis Drake? My first choice was Kenneth Branagh and at one point even tried to get in touch with his agent. Since then, I’ve considered Jude Law, Colin Firth, and most recently the multi-talented Bradley Cooper.
Bernardino, the Latin influence and brief love affair for Melaynie, seemed to call for Antonio Banderas a few years ago. Currently, I might cast James Franco.
Diego, the brave African character, who was a Spanish slave and actually did exist and later sailed with Drake around the world, was an ideal part, I felt, for Djimon Hounson (remember “Amistad”?). Nowadays, perhaps Idris Elba.
The creepy Jerome, who threatens Melaynie in various ways, might be played by Geoffrey Rush or Bill Nighy—they are both talented in playing a wide variety of characters.
The location for my movie dreams for Melaynie’s Masquerade would have to be the Caribbean. Where else but an island in that beautiful sea where the action (most of it is real history) really took place? Besides, I plan on going along to do some sort of supervising or rewriting…