What is Stephenie Meyer doing now that “Twilight” has come to an end? Will she be writing any more books?
—Claire Bradford, Metairie, Louisiana
The “New York Times” best-selling author, 39, hasn’t forsaken writing permanently, but at present time, she isn’t planning to create any more books in the “Twilight” saga. She did try her hand at adult sci-fi with the novel “The Host,” which was released in 2008.
For now, however, Stephenie Meyer has switched creative hats, and is trying her hand at producing movies. She got her first experience as a producer on the five “Twilight” movies, as well as the movie version of “The Host,” but her newest film, “Austenland,” is the first time she has produced a picture that isn’t based on one of her own works.
“It was a lot easier and harder in some ways,” the Hartford, Connecticut-born author/producer says. “Easier because this wasn’t my story. There was no pressure on me. With ‘Twilight’ there was so much. It felt very freeing to not have that.”
“Austenland” was a natural for Meyer, an admitted fan of Jane Austen, having previously said she based “Twilight” on “Pride and Prejudice.” She says, “If there was a Jane Austen camp, I would go no question. One of the things with making this movie, the author Shannon Hale I were like, ‘Maybe if we make the movie, they’ll make an Austenland and we can go to it.'”
Meyer says that she is currently enjoying the collaborative aspect of filmmaking, rather than the loneliness of being a room “quiet and sad” writing books.
“On ‘Austenland,’ I got to hang out with ladies all day,” she recalls. “It was very social and kind of community. I liked it a lot. It’s a different thing from being alone and writing.”
More film projects are in the works for Meyer, who has optioned the rights to “Down a Dark Hall” and “Anna Dressed in Blood.”
