Exclusive Interview with Writers M.J. Anderson & Richard Rossner about Their New Mystery-Thriller: “Dishonor Thy Father”
A beautiful surgeon, an obsessed detective and the bizarre murder that sparks their passion combine in Dishonor Thy Father, a newly published mystery-thriller inspired by the real-life issue of honor killings.
M.J. RICHARDS is the pen name for the screenwriting team of M.J. Anderson & Richard Rossner. They are writer-producers of film and television with several movies and TV Series to their credit, including co-writing the family feature film, “How to Beat a Bully” and the romantic comedy, “Cold Feet.”
Mike Robinson is a novelist, screenwriter, and literary editor, based in Los Angeles. His novels include The Enigma of Twilight Falls trilogy, The Prince of Earth, Skunk Ape Semester, and The Atheist.
M.J. and Richard, you’re both accomplished comedy writers. Why dive into the murder-mystery genre?
RR. To me, writing is writing. The writer’s process is to observe something curious…then explore it. It could be explored as comedy, drama, mystery…even poetry. In the instance of Dishonor Thy Father, I became aware of the practice of honor killing and was horrified by it. The fact that it happened in the United States seemed like something different that not a lot of people knew about. With a sensitive subject like this, it wasn’t appropriate to do it with comedy.
MA There are lots of ways to develop a story. In some cases, you can take the same story and fashion it in either a dramatic or comedic way. However, because of the serious nature of honor killings, this was a project that seemed from the start to be dramatic and suspenseful, not humorous.
Although both Richard and I have strong backgrounds in comedy writing, each of us has done other genres as well. Richard has written some Nightmare Room episodes, and I wrote three episodes of Friday-the-13th, The Series, as well as a suspense film script set to go into production next year. Some people say that mystery-thrillers have some relation to comedies since both genres have an edge to them. Bottom line, we dove into this novel because we were passionate about the story.
Were you tempted to use humor in the story to lighten the subject matter?
RR. While we didn’t want to handle the subject matter with humor, characters always have quirks and idiosyncrasies that can be used to break tension and add a little humor.
MA. All comedies should be punctuated with drama, and dramas should have a bit of humor. But you must remain true to the story you are telling and the characters that populate it. There are examples of projects that do both — for instance, the film Parasite had many funny moments, but then turned to being extremely dramatic and shocking. A good writer must be aware of the tone he or she is creating. Switching tones can be jarring, but sometimes, if done with skill and craft, it can be effective. In Dishonor Thy Father, we generally kept it dramatic and mysterious.
Did you find you needed to use or develop different writing muscles for this genre compared to your usual comedic work?
RR: Curiosity and exploring are two of the “writing muscles” we use. The basic question we would ask is… “What if?” In Dishonor Thy Father, we kept asking “What if?” As the characters and plot moved forward, we would keep asking, and each answer would lead to another “What if…?” We wanted the twists and turns to be a real surprise, so the “What ifs?” kept ratcheting up the suspense.
MA: I think when you develop a story, you are always using the same muscles. Your creativity and imagination are the main ones, along with any research you may do that the project requires. If it’s a true story, you would be including real situations and people. Even so, many true stories are dramatized with fictional elements to make them more compelling. In my opinion, comedy is actually harder, because I think people have to be innately funny to write comedy. Often, writers can be talented and skilled, but they might not have that extra “funny bone.”
How did you find/enjoy writing this genre as opposed to comedy? More difficult?
RR: It was harder for me. Marilyn is particularly good at plotting, so it was a walk in the park for her, right Mar? But it was a fun exercise to create a complex story with complex characters and take them through an extremely challenging set of circumstances.
MA: Well, we didn’t have as many laughs in the process! When you write comedy with a partner, or in a room with other comedy writers, there can be a lot of jokes and gags that don’t necessarily get into the project, but that provide fun and giggles. Writing a mystery, we don’t have quite the yuks! Nonetheless, it’s wonderfully gratifying to come up with ideas, twists and turns that may even surprise you as the writer. Oftentimes, the characters take you on a journey that you hadn’t even envisioned at the start.
Has your Judaism had any influence on this story, your writing in general, or your life in general?
RR. There wasn’t really a Jewish influence from my perspective on the story…other than that the basic Jewish philosophical emphasis is always on supporting and encouraging life. Even when terrible things are done, the punishments seek to balance the scales, in order to support life and living fully. And although the Torah allows capital punishment, it is purposefully made a difficult punishment to employ.
I suppose Judaism colors my writing and my life in general, because this religion is so behaviorally as well as philosophically oriented. If there is a question about what should be done in a situation, Judaism has prescription. And while I don’t know all of the prescriptions and rationales, I have a broad understanding of the principles, and that understanding is kind of like a computer’s operating system…it’s always working, but you don’t necessarily see it.
MA. With regard to our book, I don’t think Judaism had any particular influence on it. In general, Judaism is for me more cultural than religious. I consider myself a nice Jewish girl.
What made you choose the topic of honor killings around which to center your story?
RR: I read an article about an honor killing in Florida. I couldn’t believe it. I could, at some level, wrap my brain around a terrible and deadly custom that might be practiced in strong fundamentalist religious communities in foreign countries, but here in the U.S.? Once someone decides to come to the United States, I thought there would be a recognition and embracing of our culture and standards. Honor killing is so antithetical to the American way of life. That’s not to say that people don’t commit murder out of envy, jealousy, greed, anger, etc. But to kill one’s own daughter as an acceptable custom because of a perceived shaming of the family name…I couldn’t understand that. And the more we found out about it, the uglier the practice became. If a girl is seduced or even has non-consensual sex with a man…the onus is on the girl! The perpetrator isn’t generally held accountable or punished in any way. It defies logic.
MA: After reading about this horrible practice, it sparked us to want to bring more awareness to the subject. Since we are storytellers, it seemed natural to want to put it into a fictional story — that could bring attention to it, but in a form that was accessible to everyone. There are enough sad stories in the news. This way, we could highlight the subject, but have it surface in a compelling and fascinating mystery.
What kind of research did you do? Did you contact any organizations involved with the topic?
RR: Our research was scouring the news for articles about honor killings. The whole business was so sad. Our hearts wept for the victims.
MA: Also, throughout the novel, because several characters are Muslim, we and our co-author, Mike Robinson, would research other things about the culture, religion, and customs. We wanted to present different sides of Islam and show that, just like in other religions, there are members who observe differently and have different perspectives. We also have characters that are Italian, African American, Hispanic and White Anglo-Saxon Protestant. We wanted to make it truly diverse. Quite a bit of the story takes place in a Los Angeles hospital, so there are numerous ethnicities represented. Another thing that we included was the fact there is unfortunately much dissension in the world now — and that is also addressed in our mystery.
RR: Once we had the novel written, we approached Yasmine Mohammed, an ex-Muslim author who started the organization, Free Hearts Free Minds, to help girls and women dealing with this issue. She gave us one of our blurbs on the back cover. We will also be having her as a guest at one of our online live events.
MA: We also received an endorsement from Phyllis Chesler, a noted feminist icon, activist against honor killings, and author of A Family Conspiracy: Honor Killings.
How long have honor killings been practiced?
RR: It seems that honor killings have been around since ancient times. Sadly, old habits die hard.
Are honor killings always female?
RR: The only cases I’ve heard about are all against women.
MA: What’s more, the supposed reason for an honor killing can be something that’s not even sexual in nature. Wearing clothing that isn’t modest enough; interacting on social media; dating out of the faith; it can be anything that the men in the family view as shameful behavior. Usually, it’s just women who are the victims, but I just read about an honor killing where a newlywed couple was murdered. So, that would have included her new husband as well.
Which countries/cultures/religions/ethnicities practice honor killings today? How prevalent is it in those countries?
RR: It is most often associated with Muslim countries and cultures. Iran, Turkey, Jordan, but there have been instances in the U.S. in different cities. Just recently there have been articles about honor killings in Bakersfield, CA.
MA: Recent articles in the LA Times, ABC News, Associated Press and other media outlets have reported on honor killings in various foreign locales, including Iran, Pakistan, Turkey, Jordan and Palestine. Activists in Jordan indicated there were at least 9 slayings there in 2020, but probably many more that were unreported. Human Rights Watch says Jordan suffers from 15–20 such crimes annually. The killings are often extremely brutal and sometimes even done in public. Sadly, in many of the foreign countries, the murderers — if prosecuted at all -are given minimal sentences, which doesn’t act as a deterrent to others. There have also been recent articles about honor killings in Texas and California. When these crimes happen in the U.S., the perpetrators are held accountable. Just a few days ago, an Egyptian-born taxi-driver who was on the FBI’s Most-Wanted Fugitives List for killing his two teenaged daughters in 2008, was arrested in a small town in Texas. But it’s taken 12 years to find this man. Hopefully, he will be brought to justice.
How did you happen to choose Iran as the story’s kick-off location?
RR: I don’t remember how we chose Iran. It probably was the source of one of the articles we read when we began developing the story.
Are honor killings legal in those countries? Have they been outlawed in any countries?
RR: Interestingly enough, Iran recently banned honor killings. Sadly, making something illegal doesn’t prevent it from happening. Have you noticed that people sometimes still rob banks? Iran recently had three honor killings in one month.
What was your creative process for coming up with the story and writing it together?
RR: After reading an article about an honor killing that happened in Florida, we began talking about using an honor killing as a device to create a murder mystery. We wrote a very detailed treatment for a film. It was a terrific story and a well-developed plot with very complex and interesting characters. We were planning to pitch it and try to get an assignment to write the script; however, we had other screenplays to write on assignment so we couldn’t take the time to write a spec script. So, Marilyn had the idea to turn the treatment into a novel. We thought with the novel published, we might more easily sell the film rights to a studio.
Although we’re writers and have credits in film and television, books and articles, we had never written a novel before. Marilyn met Mike Robinson, who was a novelist. He loved the story and wanted to work with us.
MA: I’m in a number of writer’s groups, which is where I met Mike and talked about what we wanted to do. We showed him the treatment and talked about the story and characters in depth. He would go off and write a chapter or two. Then, we’d review the chapters, make notes or additions, or sometimes rework some of the pages and send them back to Mike. We’d also have conversations, discussing how to develop it further. As it was being written, new ideas, characters or situations would come up as part of the process. The “voice” of the writing is Mike’s and we’re happy to say he’s an expert at deftly-written prose.
RR: Overall, it was very much a back-and-forth ping-pong process, until we had a completed manuscript. It truly was a collaboration.
If this story has additional life beyond the novel, do you see it as a movie, TV series, play?
RR: Absolutely! As I said, we originally envisioned this story as a film. We’re thrilled that the book turned out so well and that it has received such excellent reviews. Today, there are so many cable networks and streaming services, there is a huge need for content.
MA: With that in mind, Dishonor Thy Father could be a film, a limited series, or an ongoing series. We’re very excited about the possibilities.
If a movie, who would be your dream director and stars?
MA: Ideally, I would like to have a female director. There are so many wonderful women directors, and thankfully, in today’s Hollywood, more of them are getting opportunities to work on bigger and better projects. Kathryn Bigelow, Patty Jenkins, Emma Thompson, Catherine Hardwicke, Olivia Wilde, and so many more. As far as stars go — again, there are a myriad of possibilities for our leads, surgeon Tara White and detective Mike Tucci. Margot Robbie is a sensational actress who has done all kinds of roles and she has her own production company — so we’d love to get it to her. Both of the leads are fascinating, complex individuals, so I think there are numerous stars who would be great and who could bring dimension and excitement to the parts. I always felt the sexual dynamic of Dishonor Thy Father was similar to that of previous films I loved, Sea of Love with Al Pacino and Ellen Barkin; and Basic Instinct with Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone. So I’d like to see the younger versions of those actors in the movie version.
What’s next on the creative project horizon for you two? Is there another completely different genre you’re considering?
RR: We wrote a romantic comedy feature, Cold Feet, that is supposed to shoot in South Africa. Of course, the pandemic has halted film production everywhere, so we’re not sure when that will happen. We also have numerous other stories we are either pitching or writing.
MA: In addition, we wrote and produced a comedy feature, How to Beat a Bully, a few years ago, and we are coming out with the middle grade novel for that next year.
As far as promoting your new book Is concerned, how has that process changed for authors during the pandemic?
RR: It seems that now the creative arts often require a jack of all trades, master of all. We’re learning about how to best use social media to promote the book.
MA: The main thing the pandemic has changed for authors is that there are no longer in-person book signings or events where we’d sell tons of autographed copies. (of course!). So, we’re planning some Facebook Live or Zoom events and are also doing press releases, social media outreach — and a wonderful interview article from the fabulous Mark Miller — oh, that’s YOU!
Have there been any acclaimed movies or TV series or plays dealing with honor killings?
RR: While there have been some American films about honor killings, they haven’t broken through as major hits.
Why did you decide to use pen names for this novel? Do you want your real identities kept secret for this interview?
RR: The truth is, we couldn’t put three author’s names on the book, because then there wouldn’t be room for the title! Although that’s sort of a joke, it’s also true that three names just doesn’t look good on the cover of a book. We also thought it might be a good to distinguish it from our other mostly comedic work.
MA: We had thought of using a pen name for the three of us, but since Richard and I are a screenwriting team, we decided to use Mike Robinson & M. J. Richards. Since my middle name is Joyce, and I sometimes go by M.J. Anderson — the M.J. is for me.
RR: And I’m the Richards … Richard Rossner.
MA: The hardest part is figuring out how to put the author photo up for M.J. Richards on Amazon.
Dishonor Thy Father is available now on Amazon.
M.J. RICHARDS is the pen name for the screenwriting team of M.J. Anderson & Richard Rossner. They are writer-producers of film and television with several movies and TV Series to their credit, including co-writing the family feature film, “How to Beat a Bully” and the romantic comedy, “Cold Feet.”
M.J. (aka Marilyn Anderson) wrote for Murphy Brown, FAME, Sherman Oaks, and Friday the 13th — the Series, and she was on the writing staff of the series Carol & Company, starring Carol Burnett. Marilyn is the author of the humorous relationship book,”Never Kiss a Frog: A Girl’s Guide to Creatures from the Dating Swamp,” and the personal finance book, How to Live Like a MILLIONAIRE When You’re a Million Short. She was honored by the Writers Guild of America as a writer of one of the 101 Best Written TV Series of the Past Seven Decades, and she won a LUMINAS Award for the Positive Depiction of Women in Film & TV.
Richard Rossner is the co-host of several podcasts, including The Dark Side Of and Unexplained Mysteries. His background includes performing as an actor in theater, television and film, and he was a member of the The Groundlings. In addition to writing for various TV shows, he was a writer for the historic “Live Aid Concert” which raised $125 million dollars for famine relief in Ethiopia. Richard also works with his wife in their company, The Power Of Play. They use Applied Improvisation, creativity and laughter as tools to help people with cancer in their healing process.
Mike Robinson is a novelist, screenwriter, and literary editor, based in Los Angeles. His novels include The Enigma of Twilight Falls trilogy, The Prince of Earth, Skunk Ape Semester, and The Atheist. ‘
Mark Miller is a humorist who has performed stand-up comedy in nightclubs and on TV, written on numerous sit-com staffs, and been a humor columnist for the Los Angeles Times Syndicate. His first book, a collection of his humor essays on dating and romance, is “500 Dates: Dispatches From the Front Lines of the Online Dating Wars”. His website: http://www.markmillerhumorist.com/.
