Student pens juicy novel

It's not exactly the classic struggling novelist story.

December 2002: the University is blanketed by ice and power is out across town.

Alex McAulay, a graduate student in English, is writing a book to pass the time.

"I did it for the fun of it and to be able to say I did it," McAulay said. "I was doing it sort of as a big experiment - is it possible to write a book?"

Apparently it was. At the end of the ice storm, McAulay had what he refers to as a "large chunk" of a book written.

Cut to June 2005. McAulay, 28, gets a call from his agent who informs him that his manuscript is being optioned by MTV Books for publication - and they want to make it into a movie.

"I probably had a mental breakdown; I don't remember too much," McAulay said. "I was shocked when I heard the message from my agent on the answering machine."

McAulay's describes his book, "Bad Girls," as "Lord of the Flies" meets "Mean Girls."

"'Lord of the Flies' is a book I've always loved even when I was forced to read it back in high school," McAulay said. "I guess I always thought it'd be interesting to see what would happen out there if it were girls instead of guys."

But McAulay said he never entertained any ideas of movie production when he was writing the book.

"In the back of my mind was always the idea of publishing it, but never an MTV interest, much less a movie interest," he said. "I mean, it was basically 'Lord of the Flies' with girls, so it's not exactly MTV-ready."

And McAulay doesn't seem worried about an MTV audience making the connection between his novel and 2004's "Mean Girls."

"In some ways I think it's a double-edged sword," McAulay said. "Fortunately I think enough time has lapsed between the two projects.

"In one sense it might be overkill, but it might also help prime the pump for the release."

McAulay said Lindsay Lohan and Hilary Duff are rumored to be vying for roles in the movie.

"I think it'd be funny to see the two in a movie together," McAulay said. "Because it's got such a weird appeal, I mean, they're two movie starlets."

Despite all the talk of film production and script revision, McAulay said he and his fiancee aren't bogged down by the movie industry.

"It's been fun, and I think it's good that we live in Chapel Hill and not in the vortex of general craziness that surrounds it all," he said. "The agents take care of a lot of it, so we don't get to be too involved with it."

McAulay is aware that, in the hands of others, his work might go in different directions.

"I'd just hate to see it become one of those lame teen horror movies with the generic victims because that's not what it's about," McAulay said.

That "lame teen horror" direction is something McAulay said is plausible if the movie were to fall in the wrong creative hands.

"A female director would bring a cool edge to it and would help the film avoid going in that teen slasher direction," McAulay said. A female director would ensure a focus on women as characters rather than victims, he said.

McAulay, however, hasn't let his newfound fame get in the way of his writing. His second manuscript is finished and is about to be sent to various publishing houses.

"It isn't quite fine-tuned, but it's sort of a sick romance story influenced by psychological suspense and horror," he said. "It's got a lot of Stanley Kubrick and Stephen King in it."

In an effort to stay busy, McAulay said he is beginning production on a third manuscript.

The as-yet-untitled story revolves around the isolation of Ocracoke Island in the North Carolina Outer Banks.

"Bad Girls" is available in bookstores everywhere, and the as-yet-untitled film is still in the preliminary stages of preproduction.

 

Contact the A&E Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.