Many years ago, I wrote this little short called Daddy's Home. It was filmed twice. Since then, I basically forgot about until Kevi Lenihan "Leitskev" asked if he could rewrite it into a short story. I said yes, of course. He's been busy producing short audio videos, not sure what the proper word is, but those are actually hugely popular. Some people doing creepy pasta stories have 1M+ views. Anyway, this is what he did with Daddy's Home. 8)

Here is one of the filmed versions: https://www.simplyscripts.com/2010/12/09/daddy-is-home-filmed/

Thank you for linking, Don, I had never seen the film. The process here is interesting. I wrote the prose version of this about 7 years ago. I changed the ending, but couldn't remember why until watching the video. In a short story, we are inside the head of the main character. So the final scene, where we see her finishing up the grave, would not be possible in prose. So I needed to come up with something horrific that the character would be aware of right before death.

It's interesting how different forms of storytelling have unique needs that can determine the direction of the story. The version I put together is narrated, so everything that happens is through the narrator's eyes. Even the scene in this original where she knocks him out with a surprise hit on the back of the head would not be possible in the prose or radio version.

Wow, Kevin!

I'm so impressed.

This kept me riveted and on the edge of my seat from start to finish. Very 'Misery' like, in a good way, but enough differences to make it its own story. I don't know if I read the original script but I'm guessing Pia is quite onboard and thrilled with the finer details you've added to this prose version - things that could only be imagined and cleaned out from the blueprint of the screenplay.

I watched the filmed version as well and could see the problems in a visual story that you had to overcome for the audio telling. I was wondering how it was all going to end and you didn't disappoint. I won't spoil the surprise.  :D

I looked up the main guy's IMDb too - he has such a great cadence to his voice.
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2449182/
Tom Pfost? I take it that is him? A Grand Theft Auto credit? He deserves more work.

Anyway, great stuff!
Looking forward to more.

Thanks for checking out. Tom is a great guy and he's looking forward to doing more work with us. I've got a bunch more stories ready to go. But I'm also open to doing someone's story from here if they're interested and the story is good. I'd love to have a small group of decent writers working together on these kind of things.

I did recognize the Misery comparison, so I tried to recognize that with a little humor inside the story.

Quoted from leitskev Thanks for checking out. Tom is a great guy and he's looking forward to doing more work with us. I've got a bunch more stories ready to go. But I'm also open to doing someone's story from here if they're interested and the story is good. I'd love to have a small group of decent writers working together on these kind of things. I did recognize the Misery comparison, so I tried to recognize that with a little humor inside the story.

My pleasure, Kevin.

Yep, the squeaking tub being wheeled in was a goodun.

I presume these stories have to be horror to qualify?

Horror, dark mystery, dark paranormal. Kind of in the area of creepypastas.

I actually had the character in that say something like "this chick is crazy, good thing I'm not a novelist or she'd have me slaving over a typewriter.

Quoted from leitskev Horror, dark mystery, dark paranormal. Kind of in the area of creepypastas. I actually had the character in that say something like "this chick is crazy, good thing I'm not a novelist or she'd have me slaving over a typewriter.

;D Very good.

Gotcha! Closest thing I have is Whiteout in my Sig, which someone requested the other day but as soon as I mentioned an Agreement they disappeared off the face of the earth. Typical.
It's pretty dark.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to hearing more of these and I hope you find some more from SSers, and post them.

Just read Whiteout, very good work! I had not read a script in a long time, 2 or 3 years. As I was reading I was remembering the challenge of converting these to prose or to audio play. If you wanted to make that attempt, we could talk.

It's so different in screenplays. The POV begins with the driver looking in his rearview at the girl. But if you wrote this as prose, you usually adopt one character to show the story through. You could choose the driver, but then when he dies, the story is over.

The main thing you were shooting for here is the reveal that she's not just an innocent victim but a killer who took revenge on her cheating, abusive fiance. You don't want the readers to know until the end. So in converting this to prose you'd have the challenge in deciding how to do the reveal.

It's kind of fun to think about different ways. Two come quickly to mind. One, you can have the driver not die so he lives to see her brought out in cuffs. Or two, the POV character can be the girl, and we just don't know until she in a sense tells us at the end. This seems truer to your original script. You just have to decide how to convey that. In the script, you create suspense when the hunter shows up, hears the music. We wonder if the girl is dead. But then the shock comes of seeing her in cuffs. Film is story in images, so that's perfect. But in prose, it would have to be different. For example, maybe she's inside the car, music softly playing. She can see the hunter through the thni layer of snow on the window, but he can't see her, so she tries to reach the radio to turn it up. Something like that.

I understand completely.

Arguably, with prose you can tell a lot more too.  :D

Anyway Kevin, I PMd you.

Btw, I think imdb now accepts writing credits for audio podcasts, so reach out to Kevin if you have something you think might fit.

Just understand that your story might be altered, in order to fit the need.  :)