The Midnight Dance — Behind the Scenes: Chapters 8 - 11
Chapter 8
In this chapter, Elam hangs out with Cynthia and experiences another cross over event with The Spindle’s Curse.
Cynthia
I probably still haven’t written The Spindle’s Curse BTS at the time you’re reading this, but you’ve probably guessed for yourself that Cynthia is the fairy godmother.
She was largely inspired by everything Janet Evanovich has ever written (she always has an elderly character who kicks ass and is often a neighbor). I tried to hint at her everyday magic whenever I could. Firstly with her apartment full of pretty things, and then with the tea (witchy vibes). Later, we’ll add a tarot deck.
The blends that Cynthia serves are real and available from a store called The Tea Crew (at time of writing).
“Cynthia and Brian must have been close. I hear some of their conversation after he gives me the keys. He’s not moving in with a “nice young man”, like Cynthia expected, but returning to his hometown.”
I struggled with how much of the interaction between Cynthia and Brian to include. I didn’t want to repeat too much of what was in The Spindle’s Curse, which was this:
I had to break the news to Cynthia. At first she thought I was leaving to move in with Philip and she was overjoyed. “He’s such a nice young man.”
“You’ve changed your tune. What happened to ‘the rich aren’t like us’?”
She shrugged. “They say you see a person’s true colors in a crisis.”
Now we also get to see that Cynthia has a car. Because in The Spindle’s Curse, Brian was worried she didn’t. It’s an ancient orange Volkswagen Golf because it’s basically a pumpkin 🙂
“She tries to convince me to try on clothes, but the only clothes I need are dance clothes and those are not something I’d buy second hand.”
Little piece of sneaky irony here. This is the same thrift shop where she brought Brian. She doesn’t dress Elam for a ball (Cinderella), but she did dress Brian for a ball.
Chapter 9
Charles’s attack (and attack)
Charles arrives at Elam’s after finding a slip of paper with the address in his wallet and assuming (rightly) that it will be the apartment that Elam told him about. Pretty big leap, but the man’s desperate.
He’s feeling a whole bunch of conflicting emotions here. On the one hand, Elam is already the best thing that’s ever happened to him. On the other hand, Elam represents everything that he wants and thinks he can’t have because Elam is young, beautiful and free with his sexuality. Elam scares him.
Sure, he’s scared that Elam is a con artist, and seeing Brian running from his flat seems to confirm that, but his real fear is much deeper and that’s why his reaction is so huge that even he can’t understand it.
This was the very first scene I wrote for The Midnight Dance, because it had to make sense when read alongside the same scene from Brian’s point of view in The Spindle’s Curse. Here the two are together:
The Spindle’s Curse:
The first call comes a few minutes after Dad’s. I don’t actually know if it’s Mom because it’s that computerized voice and it tells me to go across the Williamsburg Bridge, immediately. I grab my backpack and dash out, nearly knocking over some suited dude on the stairs in my rush.
The Midnight Dance:
I’ve just reached the fourth floor, when one of the doors opens and a short, dark-haired man flies out and nearly bowls me over as he rushes past me down the stairs, clutching a phone to his cheek and a bag to his chest. I do a double take. Goth Sloth. From The Spindle. That was definitely him.
Those who’ve read The Spindle’s Curse will know that Elam isn’t actually standing in the doorway of Brian’s apartment here, but Cynthia’s and will know why they’re both there. But Charles just sees Elam and is surprised, confused, overwhelmed and jealous (as we’ll see more of later!)
Chapter 10
In this chapter, Cynthia drives Elam home and he decides to run away once and for all.
As with all the other locations in this story, I chose a real place for Elam’s house. This one actually ended up being written out though so I had to choose somewhere unpopulated. If you go to 1819 Muliner Avenue in the Bronx, you’ll find a children’s playground. The actual house that I used as a basis for Elam’s was further up the same road, because I spotted one with a shed out back on Google Maps so I knew that was possible in that area.
When they arrive at the house, Elam reflects on his childhood. This is where we tie back to Cinderella. Mom died, dad raised him until evil step mother came along. We just have a little homophobia thrown into the cruel mix now.
“That you, Ashley?”
Like the name “Cinderella” is a play on the ashes/cinders left in the grate, I wanted Elam’s stepbrothers to have a similar “ashy” name that they tormented him with. I’m still not 100% sure it works, as Ashley can also be a boy’s name, but I guess nicknames can be dumb.
Chapter 11
This chapter gives us more “day in the life” of Charles. We get to see him at work (feeling awful) and interacting with his mom.
Missy
Missy is full of color, sometimes even clashing color, as a contrast to Charles’s grayness.
It’s what will make them a great team when he’s open to that. He tones her down, she brightens him up.
Missy sees herself as a very traditional secretary and she dresses the part, while following the 2018 return of 1960s style trends. Her wardrobe wouldn’t be out of place on the set of Mad Men.
More ridiculous research
I worked out rehearsal dates for The Nutcracker based on show times from a poster I found of the actual 2018 production.
