Should we all be writing books instead?

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  • #31
    Re: Should we all be writing books instead?

    So many great responses (and crazy DD responses!). Seems like old times! Thanks everyone. I will respond more later to specific ones.

    Also I debated for 10 minutes whether my thread question belonged in the screenwriting or business advice section... and I guess I picked the wrong one.

    ----

    I was thinking about the reason I keep trying to write movies is because I grew up in the 80s with movies. And the hero eventually won. Rocky taught me to keep on trying when I fall down. Every comedy told me by Act 3 the hero would be on top. If faced with a life and death scenario, I would be John McClane and save the day. Movies that I grew up with taught me to be optimistic. Like Kirk says in Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan "I don't believe in the no win scenario."

    So my movie upbringing, the 80s in America where it was the feeling you could be whatever you want to be in life and the fact that when I played sports that we were allowed to lose at (no participation trophies for me) and learn failure all made me perfect to keep on trying to write screenplays and break in.

    I wonder what it's like for the younger crowd, do they give up easier? Are they smarter for that?

    Is there any accomplishment in never giving up or am I just Charlie Brown trying to kick the football?

    Comment


    • #32
      Re: Should we all be writing books instead?

      Originally posted by catcon View Post
      Just remember, you're talking as a moviegoer. As a writer, when you're the I.P. content owner you too will want to exploit the hell out of it for all it'$ worth.
      A fair point. We'll see how much longer this exploitation will work, however.

      Comment


      • #33
        Re: Should we all be writing books instead?

        Originally posted by TravisPickle View Post
        A lot of novelists wish they were screenwriters.

        Why?

        It pays more (when it pays).
        Which is why we earn much more selling film rights to our books!

        Comment


        • #34
          Re: Should we all be writing books instead?

          Originally posted by lostfootage View Post
          I agree on both points. I wrote two novels. They are novel novels, not screenplays adapted into novels. If a feature is a 10k run, a novel is a marathon. Everything took me 3-4 times as long. Technically, when I word count my screenplays, they are 20k words usually. My novels are 90k and 100k words. So that gives you an idea of the shear amount of words involved. Definitely writing a novel to make a TV series or a movie is doing it the long, wrong way. But one thing that's very satisfying about novel writing is getting the full picture out of your head intact. It's like the writer's cut of the movie in a way a screenplay isn't.

          And yes, I second Gucci being a manager or agent. Seriously -- the right personality and energy. Have you ever considered that, G?

          Thanks for the nice words, gang.

          I haven't just considered it, I DID it, kinda, with my ex. But, I fukked up. My name wasn't on these deals and therefore not in the trades, I let her take 100% credit even tho I was actually the dude running numbers and fighting the studios. I got HALF the money on those deals, but zero credit. I suppose I could come out as "THE ACTUAL DUDE WHO SOLD GONE GIRL" and I guess I kinda already have (on here), but it might hurt me in the long game. It may appear like I'm trying to take ALL the credit, not really my point, my point is simple "In truth, it was her client, but I'm the dude who ACTUALLY made that deal. It went down word for word what I said. 'This is what we say, this is what we do!'" That's the God's honest truth.

          If I hung my own shingle, I'd have to figure out how to leverage that truth. Maybe it's possible, IDK. But, definitely, I'd give good notes and be 100% for the writer. I've already done that on a scary deal "LET'S PUSH ALL THE CHIPS IN... WE'RE ALL IN. WE'RE GOING FOR IT. TRUST ME. IT'LL WORK!" in favor of the WRITER (remember her?) if she gets the best deal WE get the best deal. I don't see any other way to operate.

          But I promise you this: My ex will NEVER come on this website to dispute my claim that I sold GG if this gets back to her. Because she knows it was me, and she'll look stupid if she tries to.

          Anyone wanna give me a job as a manager? I'll kick ass, promise! LOL

          I don't really want to leave the industry................ but, I need to get paid.
          Bruh, fukkin *smooches*! Feel me? Ha!

          Comment


          • #35
            Re: Should we all be writing books instead?

            Originally posted by Cheese View Post
            GGXXX,
            I know this has been suggested before, but I'd seriously consider hanging your own lit management shingle. You seem to tick all the boxes of what it'd take to do it - you know how to schmooze, you know how to sell, and most importantly, you understand writers. I'd be willing to wager your Rolodex is fatter than half the managers out there, too. So please do this random guy on a message board a favor and think about it. I'd hate to lose one of the good guys in the industry to real estate.

            Thanks for this. Super appreciate! I'm trying my best to "stay in the picture." I do think I'd make a rad manager. I'm not afraid to call anyone. I'm not afraid to have drinks with anyone. I'm not afraid to WAIT for them to place a REAL number on the table or we walk the fukk away... bye! Oh, you're back with your REAL number? Gotcha. Cool. Let's talk.

            Side bit: on a small scale I'm making the deal for my chick's new car right now. I said "The dude will call at exactly 1 pm with the real number, that ain't the real number, watch. We say nothing til he comes back with the real number. Trust me!" Oops, he called at 1:30 pm, oh well I was off by a half hour. But we're getting the number we want. I'm 1000% ready to walk on any deal that is bullsh!t. Give me the real number or "BYE!". Swear to god, your agents aren't doing that! Seen it a million times. Taking the low number so ____ actor is happy and the partner who reps them. WTF!? Nope! I'm fighting for the writer. The actor is already rich. Fukk them.

            POINT: I'm probably a better deal maker than a writer. Which kinda sucks. I'd rather write.
            Bruh, fukkin *smooches*! Feel me? Ha!

            Comment


            • #36
              Re: Should we all be writing books instead?

              PM!!!

              Originally posted by GucciGhostXXX View Post
              Thanks for the nice words, gang.

              I haven't just considered it, I DID it, kinda, with my ex. But, I fukked up. My name wasn't on these deals and therefore not in the trades, I let her take 100% credit even tho I was actually the dude running numbers and fighting the studios. I got HALF the money on those deals, but zero credit. I suppose I could come out as "THE ACTUAL DUDE WHO SOLD GONE GIRL" and I guess I kinda already have (on here), but it might hurt me in the long game. It may appear like I'm trying to take ALL the credit, not really my point, my point is simple "In truth, it was her client, but I'm the dude who ACTUALLY made that deal. It went down word for word what I said. 'This is what we say, this is what we do!'" That's the God's honest truth.

              If I hung my own shingle, I'd have to figure out how to leverage that truth. Maybe it's possible, IDK. But, definitely, I'd give good notes and be 100% for the writer. I've already done that on a scary deal "LET'S PUSH ALL THE CHIPS IN... WE'RE ALL IN. WE'RE GOING FOR IT. TRUST ME. IT'LL WORK!" in favor of the WRITER (remember her?) if she gets the best deal WE get the best deal. I don't see any other way to operate.

              But I promise you this: My ex will NEVER come on this website to dispute my claim that I sold GG if this gets back to her. Because she knows it was me, and she'll look stupid if she tries to.

              Anyone wanna give me a job as a manager? I'll kick ass, promise! LOL

              I don't really want to leave the industry................ but, I need to get paid.

              Comment


              • #37
                Re: Should we all be writing books instead?

                I highly recommend podcasting as an alternative to screenwriting. In a matter of a few months, you could build an audience large enough to nearly guarantee someone would publish your book.

                Nothing is more important than distribution. Any opportunity to cut the suits out of the equation is a great move.

                Comment


                • #38
                  Re: Should we all be writing books instead?

                  Podcasting to promote your book? Or promote yourself so more people want a book from you?

                  Comment


                  • #39
                    Re: Should we all be writing books instead?

                    Originally posted by muckraker View Post
                    I agree one does not preclude the other. You're a writer, I don't think it matters much what the medium is, you're probably going to feel the urge to write something, so what's wrong with a novel? But don't expect getting published is any sort of easy road, and self-publishing is its own animal with a whole other set of $%&* to deal with, just a lot cheaper than self-producing your screenplay.

                    In addition to my dozens of unproduced features, pilots, short scripts, and web series, I have an unpublished full length play and two unpublished novels that I sometimes like to consider burning and throwing off a cliff for all the success they've brought me.
                    100%, novel writing is hard. And i may stink at it. It has it's own pain and suffering. However, I have found the past 10 years or so, more novels that seem written more loose than they used to be -- some even have scripts in them like Me, Earl and They Dying Girl. So I feel our social media world has opened up our ideas of a novel. They used to be very rigid and now I feel they are a little more free and more my writing style.

                    Comment


                    • #40
                      Re: Should we all be writing books instead?

                      Originally posted by ComicBent View Post
                      My answer is simple.

                      Write a novel and see what happens. That is the only way that you will ever know.

                      First, see if you can write one. Second, if you succeed in the first step, take a look at the manuscript and decide whether it is any good. Third, submit the manuscript to a publisher.

                      Start work now and try to have step one complete (at least a good first draft) at the end of eight months. That means by March 31, 2020.

                      A hint: Do not wait till around Christmas to start work.

                      Another hint, for anyone doing this: Do not go into the project with that old screenwriter's attitude that "grammar, style, spelling, and punctuation do not matter."
                      The advice no writer wants because then you have to actually write. But very simple. And very true.

                      Comment


                      • #41
                        Re: Should we all be writing books instead?

                        Originally posted by lostfootage View Post
                        I had the book epiphany a few years ago, and am now sitting on two novels that are in a connected world. I set out to write a thriller, realized I loved the main character's best friend, decided to write a short story about him and that turned into a novel. Then I finished the thriller. They are commercial, not literary. The thriller involves a dead body and a hunt for a missing brother, who is either the killer or the second victim. Blah blah blah.

                        Now I'm at the marketing stage and I find myself hesitating with sending out queries to lit agents, etc. I think part of me worries I'm just going to rack up another 50 rejections and will have wasted a few years. I don't know. One thing I did do is hire a developmental editor and did multiple drafts. These are not first drafts. The tires have been kicked.

                        So I will report back if I have success going this route. I should be able to tell if one or both have any legs over the next two months. Who knows!
                        Did you find writing one harder or the same? Just different?

                        Comment


                        • #42
                          Re: Should we all be writing books instead?

                          Originally posted by hscope View Post
                          I wrote and tried to sell screenplays for the best part of ten years before I'd had enough. I've now had two books traditionally published in the last few years, both based on unsold screenplays, with another adaptation out to literary agents and a WIP based on yet another script.

                          Can't say I've made my fortune, but it's very nice to be paid for my work and see my name in print - and see those screenplays pay off.

                          While I love writing novels, I miss screenwriting so I'm sure I'll come back to it at some point, hopefully to adapt my screenplay novel adaptations back for the screen...
                          Sorry you had to transition, but glad to hear someone else did it. Good inspiration.

                          Comment


                          • #43
                            Re: Should we all be writing books instead?

                            Originally posted by lostfootage View Post
                            I agree on both points. I wrote two novels. They are novel novels, not screenplays adapted into novels. If a feature is a 10k run, a novel is a marathon. Everything took me 3-4 times as long. Technically, when I word count my screenplays, they are 20k words usually. My novels are 90k and 100k words. So that gives you an idea of the shear amount of words involved. Definitely writing a novel to make a TV series or a movie is doing it the long, wrong way. But one thing that's very satisfying about novel writing is getting the full picture out of your head intact. It's like the writer's cut of the movie in a way a screenplay isn't.
                            If only the difference between screenplays and novels was the number of words!

                            The lure of novel writing for me is that I can get into the characters' inner world and explore the stories in much greater depth than I can in a script. However, my screenwriting experience has been invaluable in helping to convey the subtle visual aspects and how the scenes on the page 'look' for the reader (that's my intention, anyway). Each novel is a huge, time-consuming challenge, but overall I find it more satisfying than scriptwriting.
                            TimeStorm & Blurred Vision Book info & blog: https://stormingtime.com//

                            Comment


                            • #44
                              Re: Should we all be writing books instead?

                              I'm most intrigued that the novel is meant to be a finished product while the screenplay is just a blueprint that can one day lead to a finished product.

                              Comment


                              • #45
                                Re: Should we all be writing books instead?

                                How about a novel isn't finished until it's read (experienced) just like a movie isn't finished until it's viewed (experienced).

                                Comment

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