Jackson native gets Hollywood's attention with novels

A new writer may be coming to the Hollywood scene.

Jackson native Randy McWilson last month published the first of four installments of his novel "Back to Normal: Paradigm Rift," and with a little luck, he's hoping to see it hit the big screen.

McWilson began "Paradigm Rift" as a screenplay, and from there, the idea quickly grew.

"I was traveling deep into the Bootheel for a video shoot with my friend, Ron Pokracki, in January of 2011," McWilson recalled. "I had just finished writing two feature-length film screenplays, and we were discussing scripts and story ideas. My friend mentioned that he had had a dream recently that could possibly be turned into a movie script. He said that it involved a man falling asleep and waking up in the late 1940s or early 1950s."

Several hours later, McWilson and Pokracki worked out the basics of the story, the title, "Back to Normal," and within a few months, the story was structured into the basic three-act format most movies follow.

Normal isn't a physical state in this instance, but rather a place -- Normal, Illinois, a city of about 50,000 people. The story revolves around a group of "jumpers" who travel back to Normal at the beginning of the Cold War in the 1950s.

McWilson said he intended for the story to be a screenplay, but after some urging from readers, he was convinced to alter it. He finished the 350-page novel in June, and, according to Amazon.com, the next two novels -- "Tradecraft" and "Crossover" will be available in summer 2015.

"When I made the decision to convert 'Back to Normal' into a book series, initially I estimated that it would take a trilogy -- three novels to cover the story," he said. "As I neared completion on book one, I re-evaluated my plot lines and discovered that it would actually take four books to convey this fascinating drama of time travel and conflict."

He said although he had no problem writing a 500- to 700-page novel to meet his trilogy deadline, he was worried such a large novel would scare away readers.

McWilson toyed with the idea of writing since he was in high school -- calling his interest a "puppy-love infatuation" at the time. He said the writing itself quickly fizzled, but the desire was still there. Since 2000, McWilson has worked in the Career and Technology Center in Cape Girardeau as a digital media instructor and, to him, teaching is his primary passion.

"My writing endeavors are usually crammed into late-night sessions or weekend binge-writing. Teaching is not merely a position to me; it is a passion for me," McWilson said, adding that imparting knowledge, skill and inspiration to the next generation is his "true, professional love" rather than that of a "high school crush."

Since its release in October, "Back to Normal" has been well-received, McWilson thought, and he was surprised at the wide demographic it's reaching.

"My initial thought was that 'Back to Normal' would interest a college-age and older demographic. I wasn't convinced that a historical thriller would appeal to high school students," he said. "But now that the book is out, I have been very pleasantly surprised."

The novel is being reviewed by television production companies in Los Angeles, and McWilson is hopeful it will be picked up and turned into a TV show.

"I have a manager in Hollywood, Tom Klassen. ... An intern working at Credence Talent initially discovered my writings, and spent weeks convincing Mr. Klassen that he should read my pilot episode. Tom finally did and was so thrilled," he said. Since then, Klassen has read two more of McWilson's episodes and has informed him he thought the screenplay has the potential of a show such as "Lost" or "Under the Dome."

smaue@semissourian.com