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Back in 2008, the American romantic fantasy film, Twilight, became a phenomenon. The vampire/werewolf storyline was an adaptation of the book by writer Stephenie Meyer in 2005. The film became a hit, and amassed a huge following that led to sequel films and popularity. Vampires were cool again and fantasizing about a hunky werewolf was normal. The film's protagonist, Bella Swan is swept into a whirlwind of danger, the supernatural and unexpected love when she meets Edward Cullen in rainy Forks, Washington.
Twilight became the biggest selling fantasy book and the biggest film hit for Stephenie Meyer. Not to mention it made Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson soar into Hollywood stardom. Stephanie Meyer herself is quite an interesting person, especially considering she got the idea for her hit story.
The Spelling of Her Name Came From Her Father
If you haven't noticed Stephenie Meyer's name has something peculiar about it. Most people spell Stephenie with an 'a' instead of an 'e' at the end. When Googling her name, you might make the same mistake in spelling her name, but don't worry, Google will fix it for you.
The spelling of her name was her father's idea. Stephenie was born to financial officer Stephen Morgan and Candy Morgan. Her father took his name and added an 'i' and 'e' at the end of it and Stephenie Meyer was born.
She Thought About Being a Lawyer
Meyer, after receiving her BA in English from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, thought about becoming a lawyer. Like many writers, she felt she couldn't make it in the industry. Later on, after the birth of her first child, she only wanted to be a devoted mother.
It didn't help that Meyer had no real experience in writing on a professional level. Her only previous work experience was as a receptionist for a property company. Being a writer is never easy with writers blocks or even coming up with a scrap of an idea. But, sometimes inspiration strikes.
She Married Her Childhood Friend
There's nothing sweeter than a good love story. Stephenie Meyer's story will have you clapping your hands together in awe. Meyer met her future husband when she was just four years old. After a number of years, Meyer reconnected with her childhood friend, Christiaan Meyer.
Stephenie and Christiaan got married soon after in 1994 when Stephenie was 21. Together they had three boys. Their oldest son is named Gabe. Their two other children are named Eli and Seth. When Twilight was written they were only babies. Now, they're full-grown adults and teenagers.
Her Husband Retired From Working After Her Success
With Twilight already hitting shelves in 2005 and was soon adapted to film, Stephenie gained huge success. The book was flying off the shelves when the news came that the story was becoming a film. The film became a hit when it premiered in 2008 and the rest was history. The sequel films only added fuel to the fire and more popularity.
Long lines of waiting tweens and adults would line up outside malls for hours to get an autograph by Meyer and the cast. Not to mention Hot Topic became the hub for all things Twilight. With the huge success of the films and books, Meyer's husband retired from being an auditor to take care of their kids.
Twilight Came From a Dream on June 2nd, 2003
When inspiration strikes, it strikes hard and this time it was gold. Meyer has explained in many interviews where the concept for Twilight came from. She has explained that it came from a dream she had one night. The idea was simple, but it was enough to get Meyer's to start writing. She dreamed of a human girl falling in love with a vampire who had a specific thirst for her blood.
The dream started the book in chapter 13 and she continued to the end. She then backtracked and wrote the rest of the book. Meyer finished the book in three months while staying up at night or when her kids were asleep. When writing she only referred to her main protagonists as 'he' or 'she'.
Her Book Was Rejected Nine Times
Getting a publishing company interested in your book is a huge hurdle to go over. When Meyer's finished the book, her sister was enthusiastic about the story and its potential. She convinced Meyer to send it out to agencies and see who would bite. A total of 15 letters were written out to agencies. Five of those letters were left unanswered and nine were rejections. It tends to dampen the enthusiasm of publishing your work.
Alas, one publishing company saw the potential in Twilight. Twilight caught the attention of Jodie Reamer at Writer's House. Meyer finally had an agency to represent her and her book. Soon after, eight publishing companies fought over the rights to Twilight. In the end, Little, Brown and Company won and offered Meyer a $750,000 three-book deal.
Her Inspiration Comes From Jane Austen and Listening to Muse
Meyer has credited many well-known writers for her inspiration in writing. She explained that she admired writers such as Charlotte Brontë, Emily Brontë, Jane Austen and Shakespeare. Fans may not know that each book in the Twilight series is inspired by her favorite writer's work. Twilight was inspired by Pride and Prejudice, New Moon (2009) by Romeo and Juliet, Eclipse (2010) by Wuthering Heights and Breaking Dawn (2011) by The Merchant of Venice.
Having a good playlist and listening to music while writing can be very inspirational. Stephenie has posted on her website playlists of songs that have specifically inspired each work. She often finds inspiration in Muse, Linkin Park or Coldplay. It was a no brainer Twilight's soundtrack included "Supermassive Black Hole" by Muse. The films lead single, "Decode" by Paramore was even nominated for a Grammy in 2010.
She Has Two Other Books Outside of the Twilight Saga
After the success of the Twilight saga and its film adaptations, Meyer wrote two other books outside the franchise. She had written Midnight Sun, a retelling of Twilight but from Edward Cullen's perspective, and planned to release it following Breaking Dawn. Sadly, the draft of the book was leaked online and instead, Meyer decided to focus on other books.
She ventured into the new genre of adult-sci-fi. In 2008, her new book titled The Host was released by Little, Brown and Company. The book followed a young girl named Melanie Stryder and Wanderer. In the book, humans are inhabited by an alien 'soul' who takes control of your body while the host is still present in their mind.
The book stayed on The New York Times Best Seller list for 28 weeks. The book was also made into a film adaptation, released in 2013. Afraid of killing of her favorite characters, Meyer let go of the idea of writing sequels. Meyer later wrote an adult action thriller titled The Chemist, released in 2016.
She Has Her Own Production Company, Fickle Fish Films
In 2011, Meyer created her own film production company alongside Meghan Hibbett. Because of Fickle Fish Films and Meyer produced the last two films in the series, Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn- Part One (2011) and Breaking Dawn- Part Two (2012).
Fickle Fish Films also produced Meyers adult sci-fi book, The Host. The film starred Saoirse Ronan as the protagonist of the film, Melanie. They also produced the 2013 film Austenland based on the book by Sharon Hale. Fick Fish Films produced the film adaptation of Lois Duncan's Down a Dark Hall.
Stephenie Meyer is a Mormon
Meyer's core beliefs as a Mormon greatly inspired the storyline for Twilight and the following book installments. Meyer and her family grew up in the Mormon faith and attended LDS Church. She actually met her husband, Christiaan, at church. Meyer openly admits that her beliefs in abstinence, no alcohol or smoking is translated in the films.
In Twilight, there isn't a character that is seen drinking or taking part in R-rated acts. This also translated to the other films. Meyer was often urged to include a steamy sex scene but went against it. She explains that her characters were more concerned with the direction their lives are going in and the turmoils they have to face.