Arizona

Elle Marlow On Western Screenwriting

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As western as they get!

Elle Marlow is one of my absolute favorite writers, as well as one of my favorite people. We go back a long time….to the days of Barrel Horse World, which is how we met years ago before either one of us knew anything about the writing world. It’s always so much fun to have her on the blog!

She not only has a great writing voice, but she has a wicked sense of humor as well as being no non-sense and down to earth. She also loves the west, and believe me when I say she has been a life long student of western history and knows what the real west was like. Because of that, she really does make THE perfect western screenwriter. She’s got some new projects in the works to talk about, including Return to Remembrance, directed by John Marrs.

Return to Remembrance, The Movie

Return to Remembrance is a short film, about an ex-Confederate Army Captain who returns home expecting to spend the rest of his life with his wife and son, only to find them gone and the town deserted. As he struggles to deal this reality he develops a relationship with a woman who is the only remaining occupant of the town. Can these two outcasts find love and happiness or are they doomed to a miserable existence?

John Marrs & Elle Marlow

You’re working on a film right now – what is it about and how did you come up with the story?

Hi. Thank you so much for having me on your blog. And yes, I’m working with actor/director/producer John Marrs on a short western “concept” type film – I am extremely humbled and honored to be working with someone as talented as he is.

Return to Remembrance is the title of the film. Think of it as a glimpse into what will become a much bigger world. This concept film will run approximately 25 minutes of screen time, showcasing the two main characters who are also the only residents of a forgotten mining town that has seen incredible violence. The two main characters must deal with their past and a budding relationship that questions whether there will be a future for them, and the town itself. I love this story. In just a small amount of time, it hits all the bases of storytelling. A compelling back story, strong and dramatic characters and a setting that is every much part of the cast as the people themselves. There are so many stories that have never been told about the western experience. I think filmmakers tend to focus on those stories that made front page news. But what about the everyday people and what drove them, what broke them and what pushed them to fight for survival in impossible circumstances? Those are the stories that I’m developing.

What do you think is the main message of the film and why is it important?

I’d have to say the main message of Return to Remembrance might be that it’s important to rise from the ashes. That a past does not have to define your future.

What inspired you to write this particular story?

I love Arizona history. And it’s fascinating to me that even now, in our modern era, It is common to wander off the beaten path and run into forgotten ruins of an old mining camp, ghost town, etc. When you walk upon the ruins of a homestead, you begin to wonder about the lives that took place during that time. These were ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. I want to tell those stories. So, the town of Remembrance was born. A forgotten town with the ironic name. For a town to survive, it needs people to see value upon building a life within it. As of now, the town’s future is unknown. I’m waiting for the characters to tell me what to do.

How did you make the leap from writing books to writing screenplays?

How do I say this? If you read one of my books, you’re going to get a great story. Most of them are Amazon best-sellers. But to be honest, I edit and format everything myself which has compelled some people to complain about formatting and grammar. “It’s a terrific story, it absolutely should be a movie. But whomever edited this thing should be shot.”

I see those comments, have myself a giggle or a cry (depending which way the wind blows)and then my twisted brain thinks, “Well, heck. Let me turn it into a movie, then.”

Blackwater Burning was my first novel turned into a screenplay and was optioned immediately. Followed by Whiskey’s Women. Return to Remembrance is my third and the one that will actually find life on the big screen sometime this year. I’m beyond excited. I’m pinching myself.

However, Screenplays are a whole other animal than writing novels. The only difference is that after all that effort, the odds are against a writer that the screenplay will ever be produced. There’s a ton of rejection in this business which makes me wonder if I just have a penchant for self-loathing. LOL.

How are your screenplays different than the books that you write?

So far, all my screenplays are from the books that I wrote. I can’t wait to see what the future holds.


Thank you F.J. Thomas for having me on your blog. I’m a big fan of your stories and I am honored to be a a part of your journey. If your readers are interested in following the journey of Return to Remembrance The Movie, they can find it’s homepage on Facebook. All my books are available on Amazon and I’m listed on IMDb!

Happy Trails!

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Talking With Elle Marlow

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I met Elle on Barrel Horse World when I asked for input on my first story, Lost Betrayal. Elle sent me a story she had written years prior and I immediately fell in love with her “hell on wheels” writing style! She’s a fun cowgirl that doesn’t take herself too seriously. Her stories are full of life, just like she is! 

Hi. Thank you, for hosting me today. I love, love, love talking about my fur babies.

Tell us about how you got into horses.

My love for horses came from the summer trips my family would take from southern Arizona up to the White Mountains in northern Arizona. There was a riding stable there and when I was five, my father put me on a horse and I refused to climb down. I cried, cried and cried and clung to the saddle to prevent being peeled off. I’m still that way. LOL.

Do you have horses and what do you do with them?

Currently, there are only two horses on our little acre. We have Josey, my big sorrel mare named after my book, Josey’s Mountain. Josey is a big sweet heart.  She has a motor to match and I am still unsure as I type this just exactly what I want her future to be.  For sure, she gets lots of trail rides and carrots, but whether or not I take her back to a barrel pen, I just don’t know.  I don’t bounce like I used to, and my confidence has been shot for a while. But, you can never say never, and I might just get the need for speed once again. Meanwhile, she’s happy to be my lawn mower and trail buddy.

The other horse here, is a very old mare named Firefly. Firefly is in her 30’s and we keep our eye on her every day. She’s a tough little horse with a heart to match. She is just Josey’s companion, and she does a good job at it. 

Do horses inspire your stories?

My horses DO inspire my stories. I have learned so much about humanity through horses. (Funny how that works.) I only have one or two books that don’t mention horses.  LOL.  I think I have an addiction.

My newest book release, is Walks With Him-Comanche Bride. Yes, it is a romance, but the plot revolves around, (surprise,) a ghost-horse. Can our Native hero catch the horse to pay for the bride? Will she let him? Oh, the drama!  It was a ton of fun to write this book, and It will appeal to romantics and horse addicts alike. You might disagree with how our hero manages to capture the ghost-horse, (I’m trying not post a spoiler,) but that’s the fun of fiction writing. I get to do what I want. 😊

Walks With Him was inspired by a painting I picked up at Good Will thrift stores. YUP. I stared at the painting and wondered about the woman who painted it. It is dated 1869 or 1969 and I got to thinking about what life might have been like for her.

This book releases on November first, and is one of 15 titles available on Amazon. Wow, fifteen titles. I need to get a life. 

Speaking of titles, what is your favorite book that you’ve written?

My favorite book? That’s like asking a mama to name her favorite child. I’m sorry, I can’t! I can’t do it!

How can folks keep up with you?

You can find me on my blog at www.ElleMarlow.Blogspot.com

Or on twitter as @ElleMarlowWrite.

Thank you so much for your time today. If you love a good historical romance, and love that will stick with you long after you finish the story, this is for you. Elle Marlow

Here’s a little information and excerpt on Elle’s latest book, Walks With Him….

Moves The Wind…is how the Comanche describe a stallion that eludes capture. It is said that the beast is both horse and spirit, running free between this world and the next. To ride this horse is the greatest desire among men—until she came into their world.

Abandoned in the wilds with sickly baby sister, Ivy wanders into the path of Comanche out on the chase. He is terrifying with his long hair and body made from the granite cliffs that surrounds them, but she needs him to save her sister’s life.

The Comanche name her Walks With Him, and her beauty has started a war from within. One man wants to enslave her, the other wants to win her heart and set her free. The price is impossible. The first brother to capture the special horse will get the woman. The real prize is who the woman gives of herself.

Her name is Walks With Him and this is her story.  

Excerpt: He considered Ivy as he allowed his gaze to roam over her. Her concern for her sister was admirable, her skepticism of love mirrored his own. She stood before him, her hair long and loose. Her fine features and round green eyes told of a woman that was delicate on the outside but made of tougher things on the inside. It was an attractive combination.

It was inappropriate to openly stare, but he couldn’t help himself. Rio was a larger woman, and so her buckskins hung loose on Ivy, but even that did not hide the curves that laid underneath. Curves that kept him awake at night. Yamka talks of Baby Deer’s beauty, but in his eyes, Ivy was the one who was most beautiful in both looks and in strength. Even now, when she was so clearly tired from the hard work, and to this strange new life she found herself in, she carried herself tall. In her, he saw the things that mattered. his body honed into her every move as if she were something he’d spent days hunting. He’d never experienced such an awareness in another person. However, the likelihood of anything more than him being able to admire her was slim. A prize like Ivy would end up with the son of a council member or a council elder himself.


Author Bio: 

Thank you, for hosting me on your blog today. I am very excited to introduce to you my latest historical Native romance, Walks With Him-Comanche Bride.  

About Me: Hello! My name is Elle Marlow and I am a proud born and raised Arizona girl. I feel blessed to live in the southwest where I get to enjoy the beautiful Sonoran Desert, ghost towns, horses and most importantly, cowboys!

I have a wonderful husband and so many kids that the old lady in the shoe has nothing on me. I love to write about the west and it gives me a darn good excuse to get out and explore. 

 

You can find me and stay updated at www.ElleMarlow.Blogspot.com  

Follow my Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Elle-Marlow/e/B00IDC61A0/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2?qid=1509462655&sr=1-2

Or on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/ElleMarlowWrite 

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