Discussion Questions
1. To which character did you relate the most? Why?
2. In Chapter 3, 4 & 10, Nora views herself as part of a continuum. Beautiful Mess treats one continuum—the art and evolution of film—as a microcosm of the continuum of life. It analyzes how random encounters in a large city can change lives across space and time. How do random encounters among the novel’s characters impact each other? How does young Del’s first encounter with Marilyn Monroe impact his life—and the lives of others—in the future? Can you recall a random encounter in your life that left you forever changed?
3. How does Del mature over the course of the story? What lessons does he learn about life and career? How do Felicia, Tristan and Nora help him grow? How does Del help the other characters mature?
4. In what ways to Del and Nora parallel each other? Del and Tristan? Del and Felicia? Nora and Felicia? In what ways do they contrast with each other?
5. How do ambition, emotion, sex and religion drive Del? Or do they? How do these factors drive other characters?
6. Nora’s pseudonym, Jumelle, means “twin.” In what ways is Nora Jumelle a modern incarnation, or “twin,” of Marilyn Monroe? In what ways do the actresses differ?
7. Like her pseudonym, Nora’s birth name, Tasmyn, also means “twin.” In other words, although she changed her surname, she failed to escape her true identity. In what ways does Nora try to escape or alter her reality, both past and present?
8. Although Del is drawn to Felicia, he alienates her in Chapter 60. They end their relationship. With respect to Del, is this the result of self-protection, self-absorption, or both? Del reflects on this separation in later chapters. How does his response differ from the way he might have reflected on past romantic encounters when the novel began?
9. Both Felicia and Tristan provide guidance to others. How do these two characters differ in their approach, motivation and perspective? How do those factors end up preparing them—or not—for an emergency?
10. William Shakespeare wrote, “All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” Marilyn Monroe brought her public persona to her film roles, yet that persona did not necessarily match reality. Prior to reading Beautiful Mess, what was your perception of Marilyn Monroe? In what ways do we all perform for those around us? In what ways might we all constitute a “beautiful mess”?
11. Do you have non-relatives you consider family? By the end of Beautiful Mess, in what ways might Del, Nora, Felicia and Tristan constitute a family? How do you define family? Do you have non-relatives you consider family?
A Conversation with the Author
How did you arrive at the idea for Beautiful Mess?
In 2010, I read a biography about Marilyn Monroe for pleasure. I had seen some of her films and loved them, but knew little about her. When I read that she had spent time—against her will—in a mental care facility, I was stunned. Imagine being fully functional and of sound mind, but losing your freedom through no fault of your own. I considered how frightened she must have felt, wondering if she would ever escape, pleading for someone to believe her. And all because she was misunderstood. Then I considered how such an experience might scar its victim. Would it change her perception of life? Would she grow paranoid of others, especially after those she trusted had betrayed her? As a creative individual, what might she find as a therapeutic activity to regain her confidence?
After all these years, I still couldn’t shake my horror behind her predicament. I remembered she was once married to author Arthur Miller, who, I was surprised to learn, wrote and co-wrote some of her films. I considered their familiarity with each other as spouses. Did she observe Miller as he wrote? Did she read his drafts or offer opinions? Did she learn from him as a creative force? In that light, the idea of a screenplay penned by Marilyn Monroe seemed plausible.
The compelling nature of all those facts and questions led to the backstory behind Beautiful Mess.
Then came Del Corwyn, the main character. For American actors and actresses, it can become a stepping stone to better roles. For foreign actors and actresses, it can open the door to American film, which is considered the best and most successful in the world. But through the years, I’ve wondered about actors and actresses who receive Academy Award nominations—perhaps even win the statue—who immediately disappear from the box office. Think about it: Mercedes Ruehl, Juliette Binoche, and Jean Dujardin were all lauded after their wins. But when was the last time we heard from them? It was in this vein that Del Corwyn was born.
Marilyn Monroe appears in several flashback scenes. How did you prepare her dialogue?
During my research, I found a terrific book called Marilyn: Her Life in Her Own Words by George Barris. Barris was a photojournalist and one of the last people to interview Marilyn Monroe. That interview formed the basis for his book. Along with photos from their session and the journalist’s commentary, the book featured lengthy quotes from Marilyn as she told her life story in her own words. Because Barris conducted his interview in 1962, the year she died, but it also matched the time setting for Beautiful Mess. In other words, that was the way Marilyn spoke—literally—at that time. So I used her tone and word choices as cues to shape her fictional dialogue in my novel.
At the same time, some readers will know her only by her film appearances. So even though those roles were fictional, I tried to capture the essence of her language—as well as physical nuances—in a way that would remain accessible to those readers, too. The precision and poise with which she spoke was not a coincidence; it was a byproduct of her training with acting coaches, who hammered the importance of diction until it became habitual for her.
One interesting tidbit: In Chapter 48, Marilyn refers to her psychiatrist as “my Jesus” and explains to Del what she means by that. During my research, I stumbled across a documented conversation she had had with a close acquaintance, which captures that reference. Marilyn sought answers. Inner peace. As soon as I stumbled across that conversation, I considered my characters—Felicia is a minister and Nora is on a spiritual search—and knew the coincidence was too perfect to leave out of the novel. So I created a fictional conversation between Marilyn and Del that captured Marilyn’s view. So her view, that “my Jesus” figurative reference to her psychiatrist, is a documented fact. As also mentioned in Chapter 48 (and documented fact), her first foster parents were evangelical Christians, so spiritual seeds were planted in her life early on.
Why did you select titles of Marilyn Monroe’s films as subtitles for Parts 1, 2 and 3 of Beautiful Mess?
That was a fun idea! It was an ode to Marilyn’s career, as if it were a story arc itself. So each point in Marilyn’s career corresponds with the relative point in the Beautiful Mess story arc. A hidden nugget for her fans. That said, the subtitles still hint at what will unfold. As Young as You Feel was one of Marilyn’s earliest films and a minor role for her. It centers around a man who is young at heart but told he is too old for a career. That storyline resembles the disconnect between Del’s self-perception and his reality.
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is a film from Marilyn’s heyday, the midpoint of her career. This section of the novel captures Nora—a Marilyn parallel—as her star rises. The title also foreshadows the novel’s fictional Academy Award race: Nora is raven-haired; her competitor, Charlize Theron, is a blonde.
The Misfits was Marilyn’s final completed film. Not only does that title signal the final pages of Beautiful Mess, but it captures the quasi-family bond that has emerged. All four characters are misfits in their worlds: Del is a misfit in his life stage and career arc. Some of Felicia’s more traditional peers would frown upon her role as a female minister. Tristan is a life coach who lacks training or qualifications. And Nora struggles to find her place in an industry that adores her not for who she is, but for her portrayals of who she isn’t.
Marilyn’s final project, interrupted by her death, was the unfinished film, Something’s Got to Give. I wanted to use the title as the subtitle for the Epilogue to indicate my characters’ “family” relationship would remain in progress, but couldn’t justify it. The title indicates tension, but an epilogue accomplishes the opposite: it ties up loose ends and brings the story full-circle. With a standalone novel, readers seek a sense of completion.
Did you find any aspects of this novel a particular challenge?
My main character, Del Corwyn, is 78 years of age. In my own reading, I come across few protagonists in that age bracket. The most recent reads that come to mind are The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks and Insomnia by Stephen King. So I believed such a protagonist would lend Beautiful Mess a unique angle. My life never matches those of my characters, so it’s always a challenge view life through their eyes. That said, living through my teens, twenties and thirties provided a reference point, albeit limited, for my previous main characters. However, in Del’s case, I didn’t have that advantage. Plus, I needed to take Del one step farther: He doesn’t see himself as his true age. So after aging him physically and emotionally, I needed to pull it back a notch, tint his psyche with immaturity, and give him opportunities to behave like a man in his thirties or forties. That was fun. Here’s a guy, Del, who feels so young and keeps fit, yet realities of life—lower back pain or retirement planning, for instance—prevent his complete escape into his fantasy world. Del maintains a youthful idealism, yet has endured enough punches in Hollywood to have grown savvy and cynical.
What motivates you to select one book concept over another?
In general, three elements tug me toward a writing project, including a novel like Beautiful Mess:
1. The story emerges from my gut—I trust instinct.
2. Commercial and target-audience appeal.
3. Potential to inspire or encourage the reader.
The third element fascinates me: The same collection of words triggers diverse responses among readers. It can serve as entertainment for one person. It might inspire another to reach for his or her dreams. And that same novel could uplift someone enduring pain or contemplating suicide. It’s such a privilege, and it’s like fuel during my writing process.
How do you view your connection with your readers?
I believe the written word forges a bond between reader and author. When readers choose to buy a book, they’ve chosen to invest their valuable time in the story. If they decide to continue reading past the early chapters, a bond forms. At this point, I believe the author determines the depth of the bond. In other words, the greater my emotional investment—the more vulnerable I allow myself to become as an author—the deeper the reader will connect with what they read. If readers feel you’ve been honest with them and they’re satisfied with what they read, a degree of trust results. And hopefully, by the end of the book, readers trust the author enough to invest part of their lives reading that author’s next novel.
Sketching the Story
“Whatever works!” That’s the method authors use to plan their stories.
I sketch most books in advance, telling the story in synopsis form in a document that ends up 50 to 100 pages long. By capturing details early, it provides a roadmap and reveals where I need to fill holes in my logic. So most of my “creating from scratch” work occurs while planning—not when writing the manuscript! That means I can take advantage of momentum when I write the first draft, plowing through the narrative and minimizing roadblocks that cause delays. At that point, the manuscript process becomes a matter of mathematics: 1 + 1 + 1 as I write the novel day by day.
Because I’m in storytelling mode during the sketch, the action unfolds naturally and I record as much as possible. Much of the dialogue you read in my novels I lift from the sketch verbatim! The sketch itself is informal—a structured brainstorm, spilling everything I can onto paper—and filled with run-on narrative. Some of the details help me step into the character’s psyche and are never mentioned in the manuscript. Why? By the time I start sketching, I’ve determined my characters, conducted research, and constructed their biographical information, but those details don’t always propel the action.
That isn’t to say all questions get answered in advance, or that things won’t change in the manuscript! You’ll find my sketch for Chapter 1 below, along with margin notations to myself—as I mentioned, the sketch was handwritten. Maybe you catch the links to the final product!
Chapter 1
Fade in. Del Corwyn. Age 78 but looks and acts and feels much younger. Sunrise. Gets out of bed. He slept alone, but he sleeps in the buff (he would do that). Stands up, works a few cricks out of his lower back. Opens curtains of bedroom, slides open glass doors, and looks out at the ocean from his high hill in Malibu. It’s so high up, from this angle, the balcony railing hides his body from drivers on the PCH—he’s checked it out himself. He’d spent many nights stargazing in the buff. Now he feels crisp breeze rush over his body. —> Cool from rushing over cold Pacific Ocean. [Describe his trim, fit build.]
What goes through his mind? He has partially convinced himself he’s a young guy, and this isn’t an honest moment for him.
Pours himself a cup of coffee (coffeemaker programmed to brew at ____a.m.)
Strolls around his house w/coffee in hand. [Describe house—RESEARCH CELEBRITY HOMES?—and tie in some good memories from a couple of rooms—a small group of friends (celebrities from late 1980s) getting together, a random sexual counter he recalls, etc.]—GIVE IMPRESSION THAT HE’S VERY WELL OFF.
Puts on track suit and goes out for his daily 5-mile run. He’s done this for decades. When he returns, he showers and fixes himself a smoothie (like a young guy)—DESCRIBE INGREDIENTS, INCL PROTEIN POWDER, FLAX SEED, ETC—VERY HEALTHY AND FIT.
Sits at computer. First he logs into his Twitter account and tweets that he just finished his daily run, followed by homemade smoothie—ready for the day! 547K followers—he was surprised how easily he could learn the latest trends in social media and how to use—but he has plenty of time. After a cursory look at today’s news, he turns to a site about latest Hollywood developments (not trashy—for people in the industry—deals made, etc).
***He lives on past royalties, and also investments (via financial guidance). However, market taken severe hit since 2008 and he’s in deep trouble now—not enough royalties coming in to live on, and investments aren’t yielding what they used to.
Del has been out of Hollywood spotlight for decades. He has public reputation for being highly selective; but the truth is, he hasn’t been in demand since his career sank after a missed Oscar win. Industry people know this, but general public doesn’t—so his public persona doesn’t match his private reality. ***SHOW DEL CRAVING RELEVANCE TODAY. THIS PLANTS SEEDS TO MAKE HIM SUSCEPTIBLE! He holds dreams of returning to glory with a final career comeback in a stellar role and that elusive Oscar win, and that when his life ends (he knows he’s closer but also in denial), he’ll die in glory and as a legend. So he only takes rare roles as a featured/spotlight char to maintain his reputation. He rose to fame during Marilyn Monroe era.