CHAINSAW HONEYMOON—Putting the Pieces Together

My guest today is a fun guy, as well as a talented screenwriter and novelist. Steven, Jordan Dane, and I have a lot of laughs on Twitter. Our private chats are even funnier. They crack me up. Anyway, Steven includes humor in his horror stories, so when I discovered he had a new book out I couldn’t wait to share the good news. With one caveat: give us a behind-the-scenes look at Chainsaw Honeymoon.

Enough babbling. Welcome to Murder Blog, Steven!

Thank you so much—I am so pleased to be here. Gee, Sue, I feel like I should’ve brought along a couple of dead bodies. Fortunately, readers can find them in my book.

Maybe it’s the fact that I live in a houseful of women. Or that throughout my life I’ve been surrounded by women who have had a strong influence on me. Whatever the reason, a few years ago I set out to write a screenplay about a crazy-smart girl named Ruby who is determined to get her parents back together by any means necessary. Back then, I had the characters pretty much fleshed out. I had smart dialogue and lots of manic scenes I hoped would explode off the screen. But for some reason, I just couldn’t make it work. After a dozen drafts, I finally set it aside to the sound of that WAH-WAH-WAH trombone burping in the background.

I’d been writing screenplays for years—one of which actually sold. And Chainsaw Honeymoon was pretty much my last shot before deciding my time was better spent writing novels. Since then, I managed to publish three novels and a novella, as well as short stories and a children’s book. As I was about to begin working on a new paranormal story, I got the uncontrollable urge to go back and revisit my young adult story and see if, just maybe, I could turn it into a novel.

Well, it worked.

The Research

A lot of sweat equity goes into creating a story, much of it having to do with research. They say you should write what you know which, of course, is bollocks—you should write what you feel. And in my case, I wanted the city of Los Angeles to play a prominent role in my story. So, even though having lived in LA most of my life, I needed to ensure that I described the neighborhoods, as well as stores and restaurants, accurately. Also, I wanted to reflect the rich ethnic culture we enjoy here. In my case, the Internet was my best friend.

As a writer, you have to be careful about relying too much on online research. There’s a lot of great information out there, but there’s also a lot of dreck. Much of what I used in the book I already knew about from years of personal experience. Even so, I still looked things up. As far as the locations I was unfamiliar with, I could have actually driven there to see for myself, but learning how to do effective online research is essential. What if I’d been writing about Cleveland? Or Chicago?

Movie Lingo

There are lots of references to movies and television in the book. In fact, each chapter contains a quote from some horror movie. For those, IMDb is a great resource. People love adding their favorite movie quotes. But here again, you have to be careful. In their irrational exuberance, some people misquote a character. So, in each case, I tried to find the actual clip where the actor says the line. That’s where Netflix and Amazon Prime come in. Many movies are available as part of the subscription. There was one movie I had to rent, though.

As for the movie production side, I used to make small, independent movies. I did have to do research to update my knowledge, though. As an example, editing has completely changed. It’s all done on computers. And instead of waiting for “dailies” to be printed at the lab, directors employ video assist to immediately watch the scene they’ve just shot.

Dialogue

As a former screenwriter, I like to think I write pretty good dialogue. In the case of Ruby and her friends, I had to channel my inner fourteen-year-old girl. Not easy! This mostly involved relying on my experiences with my two daughters and their friends. Also, I employed online research to vet the slang I wanted to use. Finally, I used online resources as well as friends to ensure my Spanish slang was correct.

Speaking of which. There’s a short scene where Ruby describes an encounter with a guy from Minnesota. For that, I reached out to Sheila Cicchi over at Brownielocks, who was happy to correct my Minnesota slang. Thanks, Sheila!

If you want to see for yourself how everything came together, you can purchase Chainsaw Honeymoon at Amazon. For a limited time, the Kindle version is on sale for $1.99. And be sure to “give me a jingle if you got any questions.”

Book Description

Now on sale at Amazon.

“In this tale of a daughter literally trying to scare her estranged parents back together, Steven Ramirez combines the horror/slasher film and literature genres with the light comedy/romance of a Cary Grant film. Both genres present challenges on their own. What is amazing about Chainsaw Honeymoon is how Ramirez surmounts both of these demands. Added to these accomplishments is his ability to present the viewpoint of a fourteen-year-old girl. In the form of Ruby, Ramirez imparts to readers all the confusion brought about by puberty; the emotional neediness camouflaged by sarcasm; the obsession and continuing frustration with boys; and the bonds female teenagers forge with one another.” — IndieReader

“Whether your favorite form is surreal, tongue-in-cheek, word play or hysterical, you’ll find ample portions of each to keep you laughing. The pace is fast, told from several points of view, and full of surprises that make for an unforgettable read.” — Readers’ Favorite

“The writing throughout the novel is sharp and smart, depicting the City of Angels like a key character, setting the stage for the plot to unravel, while also capturing some of the strangest sides of the film industry. Ruby is a precocious and fascinating narrator, and the supporting cast of friends, actors, and unexpected allies drive this novel forward.” — Self-Publishing Review

Life, love, and a few dead bodies. Just another day in LA.

One year ago, Alan and Stacey Navarro underwent a painful separation, leaving their daughter, Ruby, to live with her mom and an over-caffeinated Shih Tzu named Ed Wood. People split up all the time, and  most kids might get over it, providing they can still Snapchat. Not Ruby. A bright, funny fourteen-year-old who loves shoes and horror movies, she is on an insane mission to get her parents back together. But she can’t do it alone. She needs her two best friends, her dog, an arrogant filmmaker, a bizarre collection of actors, and a chainsaw-wielding movie killer. What could possibly go wrong?

Chainsaw Honeymoon is “hysterical fiction” and like nothing you’ve ever read. There’s romance, drama, and a creepy talking doll called Mr. Shivers. Cutting a breakneck, jagged swath across present-day Los Angeles, this book hurls flaming balls of movies, music, horror, and comedy-like some kind of possessed pitching machine. Is this real life? Better ask Ruby.

For fans of John Green, Robyn Schneider, and Ferris Bueller.

About the Author

Steven Ramirez is the author of the acclaimed horror thriller series Tell Me When I’m Dead. A former screenwriter responsible for the funny, bloody, and action-packed movie Killers, he has also published Chainsaw Honeymoon, a comedic young adult novel, and Come As You Are, a horror collection. Steven lives in Los Angeles. He enjoys Mike and Ikes with his Iced Caffè Americano, doesn’t sleep on planes, and wishes Europe were closer.

Author Website: http://www.stevenramirez.com/

Author Twitter: https://twitter.com/byStevenRamirez

Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StevenRamirezWriter

Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/StevenRamirez