Amy Shearn's "Animal Instinct"

Amy Shearn is the award-winning author of the critically acclaimed novels Dear Edna Sloane, Unseen City, The Mermaid of Brooklyn, and How Far is the Ocean From Here. She has worked as an editor for Medium, and her work has appeared in the New York Times Modern Love column, Slate, Real Simple, Martha Stewart Living, Oprah, Coastal Living, Poets & Writers, Literary Hub, Catapult, The Millions, The Rumpus, and many other publications.

Shearn has an MFA from the University of Minnesota, and currently lives in Brooklyn with her two children.

Here the author dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, Animal Instinct:

I have thought about this one a lot, as this is my first book I actually have a film agent for. I think it would actually work better as a limited series, is that allowed?

I'd love to see Melanie Lynsky or Lizzy Caplan as Rachel, the main character -- someone who is earthy and sexy and has a bit of an edge.

Her ex-husband could be Will Arnett.

Rachel's best friend Lulu is kind of a Phoebe Waller-Bridge type if she can do an American accent and not steal the show... I believe in her.

Then we'd need a diverse variety of hot men and women to play Rachel's various paramours. And there's one character -- I don't want want to give too much away -- but they have a small but mighty role that should go to someone nonbinary and/or androgynous -- ER Fightmaster or Mae Martin or maaaaybe Kristen Stewart.

Okay, hear that movie producers and showrunners? It would be a great show!

Visit Amy Shearn's website.

The Page 99 Test: How Far Is the Ocean from Here.

Writers Read: Amy Shearn (March 2013).

Q&A with Amy Shearn.

My Book, The Movie: Dear Edna Sloane.

The Page 69 Test: Dear Edna Sloane.

The Page 69 Test: Animal Instinct.

Writers Read: Amy Shearn.

--Marshal Zeringue