Hope everyone had a great Labor Day. I know I did - went to a fantastic Renaissance Faire in Southeast PA (yes, I am a geek that way), and did a lot of labor around the house.
I thought I'd share this link with you to get you all riled up about the possibilities of your work. Now, I know that you may or may not have an agent, and that you may or may not be published, and perhaps those things are your next steps. Getting your book out as a movie probably isn't even a glint in your eye right now.
Perhaps that's ok, but when I dream, I like to dream big. Now I may have mentioned one of my favorite novels, The Pillars of the Earth, here before, and I was ecstatic when I heard it was coming to TV. Then I looked at this site with the eyes of an author.
What a dream. Imagine your book being made into a film - the characters that existed in your head for so long suddenly coming to life. The location, the words, YOUR words, being spoken and visible for all to see. What a thrill that must be.
That's my goal. No, I'm not writing for the big screen, I'm writing a novel. But for me, a history buff, technology in film has made our history much more accessible than its ever been. I've seen the Titanic sink, William Wallace fight, and a medieval cathedral built. Now I want to see Jeff and Ben, the heroes of my book, actually fight in the Revolutionary War. If it ever comes to that, I'll be a complete mush-head, I know it.
So dream big. Don't be afraid to go for whatever brass ring you've got in front of you. Some may be happy with a small advance check, some for a Newberry Prize, some with just the words of an agent that say "they want to buy your book". Whatever it is, keep that end in mind. As a great man once said, "If you can dream it, you can do it."
I think we've all been there, even if we're loath to admit it.
ReplyDeleteI mean, every author has thought at some stage about what actors would play their characters in the movie. Maybe you didn't say it out loud, but I can guarantee if you're writing fiction, you've made at least one list in your head. I know I have.
Thing is, much as I'd love to see my work on the screen, I have zero faith in Hollywood's ability to tell a good story. Good writing seems to be seriously lacking nowadays, and I'm terrified of selling the rights to a book only to see it butchered and my other works tainted as a result.
'Course, the other option of setting up a studio and producing a film independently is just as scary, but at least then you'd have control.
Good point, Claire, and I know a lot of authors have "right of first refusal" built into the contract purchasing the rights for their book. That basically means the author must approve the script before the movie can be made. Follett did this with Pillars of the Earth (although I still have no idea why he allowed certain changes), but it's difficult to get. The reason is many scriptwriters know how to make a book marketable and know how to weave a story in two hours or less. It is a different world, and sometimes they get it right (Harry Potter comes to mind) and sometimes they blow it (see Dean Koontz's Watchers for an example of how to completely destroy an adaptation!)
ReplyDeleteI also agree with you on the original story telling - Hollywood is in reuse mode because once they know something works, that's all they'll fund. Inception was the last good original movie I saw. Other than that it's either franchises or retreads. Getting pretty dull...