Why did you decide to write this screenplay?

As the author of crime novels, I was fascinated by the relationship between a fictional detective and his creator. Stephen King accurately and wickedly depicts the arrogance of writers who play God with their characters, who are actually just projections of themselves. The author in this story, Sam Landry, suffers enormously because he has the hubris to mess with time and space - but all of us as writers claim that as our territory. As in many Stephen King stories, deep subconscious desires, such as Landry's wish to become his own character, become actualized - with destructive consequences.

What was the most challenging part of adapting this story into a screenplay?

The story was structured loosely and written in first person, neither of which are helpful elements for a screenplay. It wove between time periods and events in an intuitive but not always logical way, so I had to deconstruct the narrative and rebuild it according to the linear requirements of film. It is quite a complex meditation on identity, pride and punishment, and the writing life. The challenge was to preserve Stephen King's voice and clarify his intentions - and figure out a way to end the story that would work on film.

You had to write different versions of the same person in different time periods. How did you use this as a tool to separate fantasy and reality, and how was it used to blend fantasy and reality?

Umney's voice in 1938 was quite distinct from Sam Landry's jargon in 2005. Their points of view and goals were different. Umney's world was stylized, and Landry's was realistic. So language played a large part. And on screen, you'll see how the fabulous production values we achieved by shooting in Australia delineate the two worlds.

How does Umney's Last Case differ from some of Stephen King's well-known horrors, and how does it fit into his collective body of work?

This is an intellectual maze in which the horror comes from the main character's own ambitions, not an outside force or deranged antagonist. What stands out is the theme of guilt and punishment, specifically in terms of writers who are successful or somehow overstep their bounds.