By Jules Lavallee
Kevin J. Howard is a world-renowned author/screenwriter with three published novels and twelve award-winning screenplays. He has three published novels: “Faithful Shadow”, “Precipice: The Beginning”, “Precipice: The Retrieval”. His published novels have won the Readers’ Favorite 5 Star Seal and “Precipice: The Beginning” won the Readers’ Favorite Silver Medal. Now, he is adapting his novels into a series.
When did your passion for screenwriting begin?
It was in 2012 that I became a screenwriter. I’d never even looked at a screenplay before deciding to write one, but I had an idea that just needed to be on the big screen. Having never seen a screenplay, I needed to at least know what the format was. I went on Amazon and bought a single book on structure, one that I still use to this day called “The Hollywood Standard” by Christopher Riley. Many would probably think it’s pretty crazy that the only instruction I’ve ever had in screenwriting came from a single book, but then again, writers are a reclusive bunch. 😊 When the first story came to me, I could see it as clearly as I could any film, playing out on the theatre of my mind. I followed the formatting, wrote my first screenplay in a couple of months, edited it a few times by myself and sent it out into the world. To my astonishment, “Identical Opposites” became a finalist in the Las Vegas Film Festival and The Beverly Hills International Film Festival. I couldn’t believe it. My wife and I traveled to Beverly Hills in 2013 to attend the Beverly Hills Film Festival and we sat next to Jon Voight at the awards table. Not just that, but I even won best audience member at the Jimmy Kimmel show the next day, so talk about a great trip!
You had taken off 8 years and started to write again. Tell us about this time.
In 2013 I went through a divorce, which caught me and my family completely off guard. At the time, I was a stay-at-home father and writer, building my career. My father often says that “if you want to make God laugh, tell him you have a plan”. I never understood that until my life was literally turned upside-down. I became a single parent of two autistic children and didn’t have an income. I was forced to put my writing career on hold and jump into the workforce, taking anything, I could at a time when there wasn’t much available. I spent two days a week with my children in therapy, learning to be the kind of parent they needed to be, but in return, I learned how to be a much better human being. I calmed myself and learned patience. With my life coming into focus, not to mention the pandemic giving us all far too much time, I turned back to my writing. I’d always been writing, even over the eight years I took off, but never as more than just to appease my insane need to type. I looked at my old work and couldn’t believe how much I hated it. My style had evolved with my new mindset, so I just began to write. The movies are all there, just as if I’m watching them while taking dictation. Since March of 2020, I’ve written six feature screenplays and a TV Pilot, all of which have won awards. Since June of last year, I’ve now placed in over 300 film festivals across 30 countries. I’m just completely blown away and honored by how well my work is doing.
You have three published novels: “Faithful Shadow”, “Precipice: The Beginning”, “Precipice: The Retrieval” and twelve award-winning screenplays, which have won a mammoth number of awards. Which is your favorite?
All of my screenplays are a part of me, but only “Faithful Shadow” draws from my actual memories. Yellowstone National Park is more than just two million acres of amazing wilderness, it’s also part of who I am. My mother and father met while they were working there in their early twenties. Not only is my very existence owed to the park, but my sisters worked there as well. So, following family tradition, I drove to Yellowstone in the summer of 2000 to work for the season. Young people from countries all around the world working, and partying, in the woods. The car accident in the first ten pages was inspired by my very real car accident in the park. I rolled my car three times, went down a hill upside down into a tree. My seatbelt was broken, and the airbag didn’t deploy, but I crawled out of the car without a single scratch. The tourists laid me down on the road, taking pictures of me while calling it a miracle, waiting for the ambulance to arrive. Yellowstone is a place of magic and wonder, so I wanted to share that with the world. Throughout the whole screenplay, there are lots of fun stories and scenes pulled right out of real life. When the young employees go hot potting in the thermal pools, that’s taken from a story my father told me. The evacuation of the Old Faithful Inn is based on the real evacuation in 1988, which I incorporate into the screenplay. “Faithful Shadow” originally started out as a novel that I adapted into a screenplay last year. The novel, self-published in 2012, won the 5 Star Seal from Readers’ Favorite.
Is there synergy in your novels?
All my work is written as it comes to me, which I’m sure is pretty obvious right, but what I mean is that there’s never a consistent genre or theme. This year I’ve written two horror features, two science fiction, a drama fantasy centered around a beautiful love story, an incredibly raunchy comedy and a thriller. I think everyone can find something they would enjoy, which is why it’s important to cover all genres. In all honesty, I’m just excited to get each screenplay out so I can move onto the next story. The worst part about getting a really great idea is waiting for the project you’re currently writing to end so you can start this new one.
You are adapting your books, Protector of the Emerald City, The Seedling, and The Precipice Series into shows. Tell us about these projects.
Turning my novels into one hour shows allows me to elongate the character development without the need to trim it down for a feature. I can share my true vision with the audience, letting them experience the footage that I’ve seen so often in my mind. It excites me to share this vision, to let the audience wait for the next episode with anticipation. For “Protector of the Emerald City”, I have four seasons within my mind and the first season almost completely written. “The Seedling”, which is a fantasy/drama, has two seasons outlined. “Precipice” will have three to four seasons as of right now, with the first season almost completed. What truly excites me, is that unlike having to wait in line for a movie or spend a lot of money, is that anyone would be able to watch it stream right in their home. To bring my work to the public, right to their very living rooms with just a flick of a switch, would be truly wonderful. “The Protector”, which is the name of the show adapted from “Protector of the Emerald City”, will have numerous seasons. It’s one of my favorite shows, because I like to think of Michael as my biblical Wolverine, moving through history battling demons and other monsters. “The Protector” is going to be a great series!
You have delved into comedy. Tell us more.
I have always been the silliest person I know, it’s just the truth. I like to make people laugh and I’ve been told my timing is great, plus being able to laugh at yourself is paramount in a writing career. The main character is actually an extreme stretch for me, because he is utterly deplorable. It’s interesting when you create a character that is just so despicable, he annoys even you, but part of creating a great story is giving your characters a real personality, whether you like them or not. The screenplay is about a man harboring an ancient creature’s blood, keeping it safe from the ancient evil that seeks it. When the ancient evil returns, the protector is in need of someone to help him regain his strength and prepare, but what he gets is a despicable idiot with an incredibly foul mouth. As it turns out, his prayers were answered after all when it turns out a moron is what was needed.
What has 2021 been like for you as a writer? What can we expect to see next?
This last year has been the busiest I’ve ever had on social media, which is a great thing since it’s always to give an update. I can’t tell you how beautiful it is to have people from 30 different countries tell you they’ve enjoyed your work. To connect with so many different cultures, to share an idea; its what writing is all about. I’m currently writing three new screenplays at the moment, devoting a few pages a day to each screenplay. I’m adapting my Precipice novel, which won the silver medal from the Readers’ Favorite Book Awards, into a television series.
My main goal now is to find representation. I don’t know how much farther I can go on my own, but it’s been pretty difficult to get through to literary agents or managers. I’m not really sure what it takes, but I’ll keep writing and one day it’ll happen. Being patient and positive is crucial.
Please share your social media handles.
My personal website: https://www.authorkevinhoward.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevinJHoward2
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kevin.howard.37266136/
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-j-howard-b7a430114
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cUDGJ1Aq_k
My Published Novels: https://www.amazon.com/Kevin-Howard/e/B008YXVR7U/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0