In this edition of Sinister Magazine, we had the pleasure of speaking with Jared Michael Delaney, a Philadelphia-based screenwriter, playwright, and actor whose storytelling roots trace back to his Irish family, where captivating tales were a survival skill at the dinner table. With an impressive academic background, including an MA in Theatre from Villanova University and an MFA in Stage/Screenwriting from Queens University of Charlotte, Jared has honed his craft through extensive training with industry leaders such as Lee Jessup, Jen Grisanti, and the Sundance Co/Lab. His talents span screen and stage, with his plays performed internationally and his screenwriting earning multiple accolades in prestigious competitions. Known for creating emotionally complex characters and gripping narratives, Jared sat down with us to discuss Slumber, his latest screenplay that masterfully blends psychological horror with social commentary.

The Inspiration Behind Slumber

The story was inspired in a couple of places, actually. First of all, I heard a phrase used on a podcast I listen to, when the host referred to himself as “dreamless” when he sleeps. I was really struck by that. I don’t think it was a word I had ever heard before. And I started thinking about what that would mean, to be “dreamless” and how/why that could happen. Additionally, I have been really taken lately with the idea of cosmic horror, Lovecraftian, “beyond-the-ken-of-mankind” sort of thing. And we’re living in a world where corporations have incredible power and influence (and money, seemingly endless money). It doesn’t sit that well with me. As we know, horror is an excellent vehicle for that kind of commentary. So I threw all those things into the blender of my brain, and SLUMBER is what came out.

The Chilling Concept of a Sleep Drug

It’s not so much personal experience, per se, as it is rather seeing the effects that addiction can have on people. That’s nothing new, I suppose. But I’ve seen people around me suffer from addiction and seen the results it can have on a family and friends, careers and ambition. Addiction IS a shifting of reality, right? It changes how one perceives the world, how one interacts with it, how one prioritizes things of value. In a sense, the sleep drug in SLUMBER is just taking that to the next level, I think. But it’s already there.

Crafting a Resonant Protagonist

Yeah, our poor Sanders. He’s got it rough. I wanted a character who could reasonably be put into a position wherein he would have to deal with truly desperate people, as well as being actually empowered to investigate their deaths. In other words, I wanted there to be a reason for him to be doing what he was doing. So that’s how he became not just a cop, but a crisis intervention officer, someone who talks people down from ledges and bridges when they threaten to jump and take their own lives. What an incredible amount of pressure that must be. Character-wise, the weight was built in from the get-go. But nearly everyone I’ve ever met has had insomnia at one time or another (including myself). Most people who have suffered from that condition can imagine what it would be like if their sleeplessness was exacerbated by even HIGHER stakes, like saving others in this case. We all need to sleep. Something like a quarter of our lives is spent sleeping. So I’m hoping audiences will find some empathy with the place Sanders finds himself in.

Grounding the Antagonistic Force

To go back to Lovecraft for a moment, one of the reasons his work can be so unsettling is that things are fine until they’re not. And when they’re not, they’re REALLY not. But in his writing, he provides a tremendous amount of detail, so that, as the reader, you can really envision where these things are happening. Taking that as my cue, I worked to build in those kinds of details about the world Sanders is in, creating some specificity so that this narrative is connected with as many tendons to the earth as possible. Even some of the things Sanders says and opens up about—those details are VERY specific. A lot of those are from my own life or things I’ve experienced in some way, and I think that also aids in the grounding of it all. It feels true because it is. And as far as big pharma goes… I mean… yes, they do a lot for people. But they could do it cheaper. And they could spread it around a bit more. And stop inundating us with commercials every second of the day.

Blurring Reality and Hallucination

What an excellent question. I think, in my mind, this project, as filmed, would be tight, quick cuts, slamming us (as the viewers) into the same confusion as Sanders is in. I worked to build in moments at the end of each scene that would somehow lead into or echo the opening moments of the next scene, even if they were not related in a clear way. It’s my hope that watching Sanders knock on his desk in one scene that becomes him knocking on a door immediately in the next would demonstrate not only the strange, slightly sci-fi thing that he’s going through in this story but also the disorientation that comes with a profound lack of sleep.

The Challenge of Writing a Non-linear Narrative

The most challenging aspect by far is its non-linear structure. My background is in the theatre, wherein non-linear narratives are fairly common (or at least, not that unusual). So for me, it was building in JUST enough threads so that the viewer/reader wouldn’t get completely lost. It wasn’t easy. I found myself moving scenes around and having to build others I hadn’t considered in early drafts to make sure that, if you needed to, you could rearrange them in a somewhat linear fashion. (But even then, there are still a few pieces that slip and slide, time-wise.)

Standalone Story or Series Potential?

I think this is a story that is fairly complete on its own. But if anyone wanted to fund the sequel (or fund this project, for that matter), I’d be game to give it a try!

Where to Follow Jared Delaney

I’d love anyone to reach out and follow my work. I’ve got a website, jaredmichaeldelaney.com, and you can find my stuff on Coverfly and Film Freeway, of course. And if anyone was interested in my playwriting, in addition to my site, I’ve got a page on the New Play Exchange as well. I don’t have much social media, but I am on Instagram, @blackcowe1027. So by all means, drop me a line and say hello!