I have been researching and writing a horror screenplay. The theme is about family. About what it means to be your brother’s keeper. It asks the question to the exclusive family society what is our responsibility toward one another. Does it ever end?

And if serious mistakes are made, and they always are, do our family loyalties override our ability to see what is true or do we justify the behavior with shared life experiences only privy to the family?

Sometimes family members behavior is so foreign we wonder if we really know anyone as well as we thought. Which should naturally lead to the thought, does anyone really knows us.

It is fun and enjoyable to tease one another about the qualities and quirks that have clearly been passed down through generations, but some issues or personalities are never discussed. We deny any ownership of those unacceptable pesky little traits.

When we extend the familial loyalties to our friendships we often find deep satisfaction in discovering a friend to share and confide in until the dark day when their actions and expressions are contrary to the impression they diligently planted in your heart. When the truth is hitting us over the head, do we walk away, grab a bat or draw a line that breaks the deal?

But I digress or do I?. This is about a screenplay. The logline is, a brilliant and impulsive detective persuades her introverted brother to leave their small town and the haunting reminders of their childhood tragedy behind and enjoy big city anonymity only to be exposed as the prime suspect in her serial killer investigation.

Kind of different from the historical genre I am typically drawn to. I have been told this is more marketable. I don’t know if that is true, but I am giving it a shot in an effort to be my own keeper.