Konrath, J.A. - DRACULAS (A Novel of Terror)

Joe

• • •

I think if you carry the Jenny/Randall dynamic I outlined into their final scene — she got the guy she loved back and now she’s losing him for good — it could tug at the heart strings.

While this is in my head, I’ll go into DRACULAS 2.8 now and turn it into 2.9

As for survivors, this is a horror novel - we’ve gotta have casualties. Lots of them.

Paul

• • •

Explain that to my wife when she cuts off the nookie. She’s a petty, vindictive reader who holds grudges against the artist.

I’m all for killing everybody, but I also want to have sex again.

Blake and I discussed your Dr. Driscoll, and we’re for it. It certainly sets up the sequel. But would Driscoll want the dracula bodies disposed of, or quickly packed in ice and whisked away to some undisclosed laboratory location?

I’m also fine with them putting Shanna into quarantine. Drag her off and experiment on her. Then, if Clay lives (perhaps now with an artificial leg where he stores ordnance) he can track her down and rescue her.

Joe

• • •

Driscoll would need only one body…and there’s the dead state cops right there in the parking lot.

Paul

• • •

If we’re talking full conspiracy theory here, they wouldn’t risk burning bodies and leaving either potential evidence or the chance for a foreign power to obtain DNA samples.

I’d think a team in full P4 containment suits, loading all biological matter into a refrigerated semi, a quick and dirty media blackout, a full sterilization of the area, and a quarantine of any survivors, and an instant cover story. Driscoll could even tell Shanna that she needs to be vaccinated against measles, as this was simply a measles outbreak and nothing more, against Shanna’s protestations.

If Driscoll knows about draculas, she’d know the danger of even leaving a cell of infected tissue on the scene, and flamethrowers don’t destroy teeth or bones.

Or not. Knowing our government, they might do a half-assed job cleaning this up. Then we could have some coyotes picking through the scraps, eating some infected flesh, and going werewolf Cujo on Durango…

Joe

• • •

This afternoon I added DRACULAS 2.10, which adds a few Randall paragraphs, and JEFF 9.0, the first “JEFF” scene described below.

Jeff

• • •

Fixed some typos. New version is 3.0.

I’m also doing an intervention for Jeff, to teach him how to count. Jeff is turning thirty-ten this month.

Joe

• • •

I didn’t think my changes warranted moving on to a new whole number, even though I added Paul’s requested fart joke.

And you got my birthday wrong, punk!

Jeff

• • •

You’re turning thirty-eleven?

Joe

• • •

Don’t feel bad. Blake is still in his mid teens.

Joe

• • •

Hey, I bought beer tonight and didn’t even get carded!

Blake

• • •

My birthday isn’t until December. So you’re all welcome to send me “It’s for your birthday AND Christmas!” presents.

Jeff

• • •

How about just some good wishes?

Blake

• • •

Just FYI, I have Adam emerging onto the pad and seeing Randall, Jenny, and the kids at the other end, standing at the edge and waving down toward a sea of flashing lights, yelling and trying to get someone’s attention. Since we’re all writing scenes that occur in the same place and time, we should probably keep apprised of what everyone else is doing.

Blake

• • •

How do we barricade the door to the helipad…any ideas? Big metal dumpster by the door? Some large piece of equipment they can use to briefly block the door?

Blake

September 18, 2010

With some swift kicks, the chainsaw, and some pushing and pulling, they could detach a few of the air conditioning units on the roof and stack those against the doors.

Joe

• • •

I’m adding to the end of this Clay section to make it consistent with the opening of Blake’s Adam 8.0 (to which I added one word from Clay: “Incoming!”)

Paul

September 19, 2010

Here’s how I see Clay’s roof scene. He’s got the kids and the baby. The TV copter is landing. The pilot sees a couple of draculas (attacking Adam maybe?) and suddenly decides landing is not such a good idea but Clay is there with the MM-1 and makes it very clear that the copter either lands or it flies off with a dead pilot at the stick. He puts the kids on board and Adam comes up to say good-bye to his daughter. We can switch to Adam’s POV here.

As for destroying the hospital, the army could drop a huge shaped charge onto the roof that will blast a plasma jet down through the floors (just like an antitank missile goes through layers of steel), frying everything within. Obviously, Clay won’t survive that.

Paul

• • •

Paul, this sounds great, and as always, your knowledge of ordnance, firearms, etc. is terrifying. Check out my Adam and Stacie scene first though, just to get a sense of what’s happening on the roof. The way it’s worked out, Adam will have his daughter in his arms when the draculas break through, get bitten, but then Randall saves him. At that point, Adam will walk over to Clayton and hand his baby over, knowing he’s been infected. It made sense for Adam, Stacie (and baby) to be together when she dies.

Blake

• • •

Adam and Stacie final scenes are up…Please check them out before you write your final scenes…I think it’ll make it easier to keep the timeline straight.

Blake

• • •

I’m putting Draculas 4.0 together…Joe thought it would help with figuring out where new scenes go, so I’m putting my new ones in, along with Paul’s and Jeff’s setting up what happens on the roof. We are super close, guys.

Blake

• • •

Hey, I see that you’ve got “The Sound of Blunder” listed as a bonus DRACULAS story. Make sure you double-check your contract—I think you’re a year away from being able to reprint it!

Jeff

• • •

Reprint? It’s an ebook. We’re not printing anything.

Joe

• • •

You’re gonna get in troooooooouble…

Jeff

• • •

Also, as one of the bonus extras, we’re including forty-six Harlan Ellison stories.

Joe

September 20, 2010

Thanks, Blake! You are owed an infinite number of chocolate chip cookies.

Jeff

• • •

Nice work, Blake!

I talked to the other guys. You did such a terrific job, we’re letting you finish all of our scenes too.

Hurry up. I’d like this done by Thursday.

Joe

• • •

Stacie’s death scene - very moving, Blake. I got a little verklempt.

Paul

September 21, 2010

Blake—I wound up with Adam’s last words. He’s your guy, so if there’s anything you want to change there, please feel free. If you think quoting Dickens is out of character, really, change whatever you want.

Paul

• • •

Finished the two big Jenny scenes. Get your hankies out.

They’re in the JOE folder. Blake, you can splice them into 4.2 when we’re sure no one else is editing it.

Joe

• • •