Q: The bulk of your published work is in playwriting (247 scripts to date), but you are also a prolific novelist. When did you write your first novel and what made you decide to pursue the novel form?
Christina: I wrote my first novel in 1972. It remains unsold to this day because, frankly, it is mind-numbingly awful and I really didn’t know what I was doing. I set the thought of novels aside until 1990 because I was (and still am) having much more fun writing for theatre. Revisiting novels gave me a chance to hone my research skills and give my characters backstory and “thought bubbles” that might otherwise be cumbersome in stage and screen.
Q: Have you ever had a literary agent? What are the benefits of going solo?
Christina: My first and only agent got me through the doors of HarperCollins with romantic suspense, and I’ll always be appreciative of that. Unfortunately, romantic suspense was the only thing she knew how to sell and she, thus, wanted to limit me to that category. Going solo gives me more creative freedom along with keeping a higher share of royalties.
Q: Which is your favorite novel genre and why?
Christina: As a reader, I love historical fiction and being able to immerse myself in other cultures and earlier centuries. Mysteries rank high in my estimation as well since I enjoy the challenge of figuring out which clues are real and which are red herrings. As an author, I like the lighter, whimsical fare of chick-lit. I co-authored my first one, While You Were Out, with my writing partner, Jamie Dare. Two more books—Saving Captain Cupid and Til the Cows Come Home—are currently in the works. An amusing anecdote about my relationship with Jamie: We’ve been penning projects together since 2012 but have spoken only once on the phone and have never met in person. Hey, if a system works, why mess with it?
Q: Does your experience in playwriting help or hurt your novel-writing efforts? How so?
Christina: Having spent 16 years as an actress/director, I always cast, envision and direct each scene in my head before I actually write it. This helps tremendously with both structure and pacing along with “hearing” whether the dialogue sounds realistic. I also embrace the habit of using my architectural software to design 3D sets for the characters in my plays and novels to virtually walk around in.
Q: How many projects do you usually have going at once? Are they in multiple genres? How do you stay organized and focused?
Christina: Between six and ten. Since they are all in a diverse array of genres, it’s easy to maintain balance because there isn’t any overlap of characters and plots. In addition, the amount of research in which I am always occupied means that whatever I learn can be applied to multiple projects and save copious amounts of time.
Q: Many novelists dream of selling film rights to their novels. You are also an experienced screenplay writer and instructor. What advice would you give to novelists who want to transform their own work into screenplays? Should they even try?
Christina: First and foremost, authors need to respect the differences between a print medium and a visual medium. Not everything transitions successfully from one form to another. In the online screenwriting classes I teach, I often encounter authors whose friends have told them their book would make a great movie and can they use that for their homework assignments. The biggest obstacles they hit, however, are: (1) starting their film in the wrong place, (2) incorporating way more backstory than is necessary, (3) having characters explain things ad nauseum to one another that both parties presumably already know, (4) not having a sustainable conflict, and (5) trying to adapt a 400+ page story into a 110 page screenplay without sacrificing any characters, conversations or scenes. For those who want to go the DIY route, it’s imperative to master the craft, study existing films in their chosen genre, and study screenplays online. The alternative is to shop the book itself to reputable film agents who have the connections to place the project with the right production company.
Q: Do you have hobbies or interests that are not writing-related?
Christina: My husband and I are both gourmet chefs and enjoy traveling, both domestic and international. I also play the piano, am a skilled photographer, dabble in architectural design and am learning Portuguese.
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