tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22425259836242294382024-03-05T16:11:59.982-08:00I Am a Tie-in WriterThe Blog of the <b>I</b>nternational <b>A</b>ssociation of <b>M</b>edia <b>T</B>ie-in <b>W</b>riters.IAMTWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11274356672643795289noreply@blogger.comBlogger134125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2242525983624229438.post-87280985722583408912013-11-03T11:29:00.001-08:002013-11-03T11:29:45.970-08:00Clancy the Tie-in SlayerThere's<a href="http://slayerlit.us/interviews/interview27.htm" target="_blank"> a great interview on SlayerLit</a> with Lisa Clancy, the editor of the BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER tie-ins. It's well worth a read if you're interested in the tie-in biz and how it works.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2242525983624229438.post-56845248677419184752013-10-29T13:33:00.001-07:002013-10-29T13:40:51.469-07:00Inside Amazon's Kindle Worlds Program<a href="http://www.leegoldberg.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/deadman_csui_v1._V358430453_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="deadman_csui_v1._V358430453_" class="alignright size-full wp-image-18881" height="180" src="http://www.leegoldberg.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/deadman_csui_v1._V358430453_.jpg" width="315" /></a>There have been lots of questions and concerns among professional tie-in writers -- the authors who write books based on TV shows, movies, games, etc -- about Amazon’s new <a href="https://kindleworlds.amazon.com/" target="_blank">Kindle Worlds program</a>. So the <strong><a href="http://www.iamtw.org/" target="_blank">International Association of Media Tie-in Writers</a> </strong>approached Amazon's <b>Philip Patrick, </b>Director, Business Development and Publisher of <a href="https://kindleworlds.amazon.com/" target="_blank">Kindle Worlds</a>, to see if he’d be willing to answer some questions from our members and, to our delight, he was. Here are some of the questions and his replies:<br />
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Q: I have a mid-list career (and growing) as a cozy mystery writer, and as an indie publisher. Work in tie-ins has become harder to find and less lucrative over the last couple years, and I've mostly stepped back from the field. Initially I dismissed <a href="https://kindleworlds.amazon.com/" target="_blank">Kindle Worlds</a> as a bad bet. But now I am rethinking that. Do you see this program as a way to expand the troubled tie-in market for authors and to create more opportunities for franchise holders?<br />
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<b>Philip Patrick:</b> We see <a href="https://kindleworlds.amazon.com/" target="_blank">Kindle Worlds</a> as another option for all writers and readers, and a great opportunity for professional writers to explore the stories and Worlds they feel passionate about. Licensors have an opportunity to deeply engage with their enthusiastic fans, and earn new revenues from the Worlds they created. Our job is to create the best possible experience for writers, readers, and World licensors.<br />
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Q: There's lots of fanfiction out there and the vast majority is awful. What kind of curation is <a href="https://kindleworlds.amazon.com/" target="_blank">Kindle Worlds</a> going to do, not so much for adherence to franchise rules but in terms of writing quality?<br />
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<b>PP:</b> Part of our mission at Kindle Worlds and Amazon Publishing is to act as a laboratory and develop new ways for writers to be creative, to connect with readers, and to earn money. In the case of Kindle Worlds, we don’t see ourselves as curators, because part of our job is to open up these Worlds to writers and readers who feel passionately about their characters and stories. Ultimately our customers will decide which writers and stories they enjoy through their reviews, but the quality is already coming through: Kindle Worlds stories have received great reviews – more than 840 customer reviews, in total – averaging around 4.3 stars. The prospect of selling a book and having it get reviewed by passionate fans makes a writer better, we think.<br />
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<a href="http://www.leegoldberg.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/315x180_Tile._V359875366_.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="315x180_Tile._V359875366_" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-18882" height="180" src="http://www.leegoldberg.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/315x180_Tile._V359875366_.jpg" width="315" /></a>Q: What other properties does KW expect to acquire? Can you talk about what type of properties they are interested in and what makes them appropriate for KW?
<b>PP:</b> It all comes down to great storytelling, compelling characters, and vibrant geographies that writers are excited to explore. <a href="https://kindleworlds.amazon.com/world/DeadMan?ref_=kww_home_ug_DeadMan" target="_blank">Some Worlds are going to be more current than others</a>, of course, but there are many iconic works and characters that Kindle Worlds writers are going to love.<br />
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Q: What is the criteria and process for selecting worlds/franchises/properties, how are the owners compensated, etc? Can authors contact Amazon about licensing their books and short fiction for Kindle Worlds? Basically, what opportunities exist for authors on the licensing side of KW?<br />
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<b>PP:</b> We are always looking for new Worlds from authors and other licensors, and because royalties are split three ways – between the licensor, the writer, and the publisher – there is incentive and opportunity for all three.<br />
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Q: KW allows authors to keep their copyrights. Yet the effect of the agreement is work-for-hire. Can you explain your thinking?<br />
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<b>PP:</b> Kindle Worlds differs from works-for-hire in that our authors retain 35% of net revenue of their books’ sales. We like to think of our royalties as an incentive to write really good stuff, so it sells well for a long time. Authors get to contribute to a World and make an on-going profit off their original works in that World, which is really cool, a win-win for the author and the World. An author grants us an exclusive license to the story and all of the original elements the author includes in that story. We then allow the original World licensor and other Kindle Worlds authors to use those new elements. That seems fair to us and it’s why we have the rights set up as we do. If a writer doesn’t want to make that concession, we understand and we have a lot of ways they can publish their own original work on Amazon.<br />
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Q: The audio royalty seems low, as does the sublicense royalty. Can this be negotiated on an individual basis?<br />
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<b>PP:</b> No, we don’t negotiate individual terms. We feel the royalty rates are very competitive.<br />
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Q: With the price of the work to be set by Amazon and with the royalty rate set at 35%, what incentive is there for a writer to write stories longer than 10,000 words? If a longer story is going to get the same rate as a shorter work, it would seem to make the most sense for a writer to write more short works than one longer one (e.g., 5x 10k word stories rather than 1x 50k story). Can you address this seeming inequality of payment?<br />
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<b>PP:</b> The current standard author’s royalty rate for works of at least 10,000 words is 35% of net revenue, while shorter works (between 5,000 to 10,000 words) pay authors a digital royalty of 20% of net revenue. Kindle Worlds is an option and a choice for authors – we think many will quite like the choice.<br />
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<a href="http://www.leegoldberg.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/tile_vampire-diaries_3._V381288068_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="tile_vampire-diaries_3._V381288068_" class="alignright size-full wp-image-18883" height="180" src="http://www.leegoldberg.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/tile_vampire-diaries_3._V381288068_.jpg" width="315" /></a> Q: KW reserves the right not to publish submitted works. Could you provide some information as to what happens during the review and approval process? What happens after a writer hits the submit button? Does Amazon review the story, does the IP holder review the story? Are there editorial changes to be made or is the story simply approved or denied without editorial changes to be made?<br />
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<b>PP:</b> Every Licensor sets <a href="https://kindleworlds.amazon.com/world/DeadMan?ref_=kww_home_ug_DeadMan" target="_blank">Content Guidelines for their Worlds</a>. Once a writer submits his or her story, we review it to ensure that it follows those Content Guidelines for its World. The pre-publication review process typically takes a day or two. If we have questions during the review, we reach out to the author to figure out answers. But there is no storyline approval a writer has to go through. This is an open playing field with some boundaries (the Content Guidelines), but if a writer writes within those Guidelines, then we very much expect to publish the writer’s story.<br />
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Q:What are the top three mistakes writers are making when submitting stories to KW and what can writers, professional and amateur, do to make the KW process easier on themselves from submission to approval?<br />
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<b>PP:</b> Great question. My biggest piece of advice would be to follow the Content Guidelines and really focus on a story that will appeal to a World’s core fan base. As you all know, that takes some work to do. But it is worth it.<br />
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Q: Will Amazon promote works by established authors differently than works by "fans"? Would KW let readers know our credits so they can take that into account when deciding whether to make a purchase? If so, how do we let KW "editors" know during the submission process that we are pros with published books, also available on Amazon, to our credit?<br />
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<b>PP:</b> Every story will ultimately stand on its own merits, particularly the stories our customers respond to with positive reviews and recommendations. Amazon highlights all of an author’s works through their author pages, both previously published novels and Kindle Worlds titles.<br />
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Q: Say an author wants to write a <i>Quantum Leap</i> novel (expired show) or <i>Person of Interest</i> (a current Warner Brothers Television show). Can an author work with KW to obtain a license to write in that universe?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcmcOyP1CuHByxB-I3PHwy05Wd7LYhwabeYClnoNMOgIW0L0OGI7IEFOt3tgPtzM5qrnvhpSChNdJM72GQco4sM0enrM1w8dk_XexwFXK4qbpXL7JsgT094CYTTfaY874l2-pzYb_5Dznx/s1600/tile_315x180._V381122512_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcmcOyP1CuHByxB-I3PHwy05Wd7LYhwabeYClnoNMOgIW0L0OGI7IEFOt3tgPtzM5qrnvhpSChNdJM72GQco4sM0enrM1w8dk_XexwFXK4qbpXL7JsgT094CYTTfaY874l2-pzYb_5Dznx/s1600/tile_315x180._V381122512_.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>PP:</b> We know that a lot of <a href="http://www.iamtw.org/" target="_blank">IAMTW</a> members have long and deep relationships with both current and expired properties and we’re happy to receive suggestions. Our feedback email on site is checked on a regular basis and that is a great way to reach us.<br />
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Q: How does the editorial staff handle creative control specifically related to the individual property? An example: I write a <i>Vampire Diaries</i> novel where I kill everyone off. Readers complain that I don't have the voice right, I clearly have never watched the show, etc. Do readers have a say in whether a KW book remains in print? Will KW ask an author to do a rewrite in response to reader reviews?<br />
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<b>PP:</b> One creative challenge in Kindle Worlds is that incredibly passionate and knowledgeable fans are typically among the first readers. If a story misses the mark, those fans will voice their response through customer reviews. How a writer responds to customer reviews is really up to him or her. We wouldn’t put a book out of print or demand re-writes based on customer reviews alone. The Kindle Worlds platform is flexible enough, though, for a writer to rework and republish their story based on customer feedback. That’s a unique feature of digital publishing overall: a writer can modify his or her work almost in real time, as they receive critical feedback. We’d gladly accept a new version of a book if a writer wanted to make changes after customer reviews came rolling in.<br />
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Q: At the moment the requirement to have a US bank account is a barrier for non-US writers to become involved with Kindle Worlds. Are any plans to relax this or provide another route.<br />
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<b>PP:</b> Yes, we are working to make the platform more accessible globally.<br />
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Q: Do publishers and license holders (Universal, Paramount, etc.) see this program as a real threat to the tie-in publishing world as it exists now? Are they unlikely to allow KW fiction if an existing book line (for example, <i>Monk, Star Trek, Leverage, Supernatural</i>, etc.) already exists? The argument against KW could be "why would a reader buy a $7.99 <i>Supernatural </i>book if they can get the KW stories for significantly less?"<br />
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<b>PP:</b> This is a new option and a choice for those licensors. Kindle Worlds may not be attractive for everyone, and that’s fine. But the response so far has been very encouraging, and we continue to receive useful feedback from all of our partners: licensors, writers, and fans.<br />
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Q: On the author side, are the publishers pressuring franchise holders NOT to do business with KW because they are concerned fewer pro authors will work for them, with the restriction and tiny royalties/advances, when they can get a bigger royalty writing for KW?<br />
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<b>PP:</b> You’d have to talk to them.<br />
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Q: Is one of the things holding back KW from acquiring more name-brand franchises (<i>Star Trek, Superman, X-Files, Twilight Zone, Dr. Who</i>, etc.) that franchise holders are worried that allowing non-pro, cheaper Kindle World’s fiction will diminish the value, financially and creatively, of their properties?<br />
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<b>PP:</b> First, I’d say we are thrilled with the Kindle Worlds we’ve launched to date, and very excited about what we have coming up. This is a new business and a complex one at that, so we’ve always expected it would take some time to develop. That said, we are constantly adding new World Licensors and will be announcing new Worlds in the coming weeks and months.<br />
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Q: How likely are we to see vintage TV (<i>WIld Wild West, Remington Steele, Mannix, Lost in Space, Knightrider, Hart to Hart, Stargate, Farscape, etc) </i>and movie properties (<i>Dirty Harry, Independence Day, High Noon, Bill & Ted, Breakfast Club, etc) </i>included in Kindle Worlds? The franchises on KW now don't seem to be the ones likely to draw lots of passionate readers or writers.<br />
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<b> PP</b> :Those are all great suggestions; we are actively exploring many different properties, so stay tuned on that front. I’d challenge the idea, however, that the Worlds we have don’t draw passionate readers or writers. Since June, we’ve published more than 250 Kindle Worlds titles, and they’ve earned hundreds of positive reviews, with an overall review average around 4.3. We’re thrilled with the response to date.<br />
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Q: Where does Amazon hope to see the KW program a year from now?<br />
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<b>PP:</b> The response so far has been very encouraging. We are thrilled with writers who have been publishing with us and the readers who have been buying their stories. And we’re excited to continue to add new Worlds for writers and more stories for readers.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2242525983624229438.post-52535580267907165922013-04-19T22:32:00.001-07:002013-04-19T22:32:17.109-07:00Crispin is a Grandmaster<br />
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<i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">Alien</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">, <i>Zorro</i>, <i>Star Wars</i>, <i>Star Trek</i>, <i>V</i>, and <i>Pirates of the Caribbean</i>—what connection do these diverse and wildly successful franchises share?<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">Acclaimed bestselling author Ann C. Crispin.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">The International Association of Media Tie-In Writers</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;"> is thrilled to name Ms. Crispin the 2013 Grandmaster, the highest honor awarded by the organization. The annual award, also known as the Faust, </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">recognizes her achievements writing novels and short stories based on movies and television shows. </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">A supremely talented writer and generous mentor, Ms. Crispin has authored twenty-four novels and several short stories. She teaches writing workshops and seminars and co‑founded Writer Beware, </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">an invaluable blog and online resource which has exposed countless scams that prey on writers.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;"><u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">In addition to her tie-in work, Ms. Crispin created the wonderful <i>StarBridge</i> series aimed at young adult readers. She also collaborated with the legendary Andre Norton on two novels in the <i>Witch World</i> series.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">The award will be presented at a ceremony in July at Comic-Con in San Diego, where the IAMTW will also be presenting the Scribe Awards, honoring the best tie-ins of the year.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">IAMTW </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">(<a href="http://www.iamtw.org/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">www.iamtw.org</a>) is a professional organization for authors of books based on TV shows, movies, and games. The organization is dedicated educating the public about our field, enhancing the professional status of our members, and to providing a forum for tie-in writers to share information, support one another, and discuss issues relating to our industry.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2242525983624229438.post-13915145868924644872013-04-12T22:52:00.004-07:002013-04-12T22:52:45.794-07:00Scribe Award Nominees AnnouncedThe <a href="http://www.iamtw.org/">International Association of Media Tie-In Writers</a> is pleased to announce the nominees for the 2013 Scribe Awards for excellence in media tie-in writing. The winner will be announced at a ceremony at Comic-Con in July.<br />
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ORIGINAL NOVEL NOMINEES<br />Star Trek Rings of Time Greg Cox<br />Star Trek The Persistence of Memory David Mack<br />Pathfinder City of the Fallen Sky Tim Pratt<br />Dungeons and Dragons Online Skein of Shadow Marsheila Rockwell<br />Darksiders The Abomination Vault Ari Marmell<br />Mike Hammer Lady, Go Die! Mikey Spillane/Max Collins<br />Tannhäuser Rising Sun, Falling Shadows Robert Jeschonek<br /><br />ADAPTED NOVEL NOMINEES<br />Batman The Dark Knight Rises Stacia Deutsch<br />Clockwork Angels Kevin Anderson<br />Batman The Dark Knight Rises Greg Cox<br />Poptropica Astroknights Island Tracey West<br /><br />AUDIO NOMINEES<br />Dark Shadows The Eternal Actress Nev Fountain<br />Dark Shadows Dress Me in Dark Dreams Marty Ross<br />Doctor Who Companion Chronicles Project Nirvana Cavan ScottUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2242525983624229438.post-25549773311497835182013-04-12T10:18:00.001-07:002013-04-12T10:20:42.915-07:00Scribe Award nominees announced!Here are the nominees for the Scribe Awards for excellence in tie-in fiction for the calendar year 2012. The winners will be announced at <a href="http://www.comic-con.org/cci">Comic-Con International in San Diego</a> in July.
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<ul><b>Original Novel</b> </ul>
<ul><i>Star Trek: Rings of Time</i> by Greg Cox </ul>
<ul><i>Tannhäuser: Rising Sun, Falling Shadows </i>by Robert T. Jeschonek </ul>
<ul><i>Star Trek: The Next Generation: Cold Equations</i> Book 1: <i>The Persistence of Memory</i> by David Mack </ul>
<ul><i>Darksiders: The Abomination Vault</i> by Ari Marmell </ul>
<ul><i>Pathfinder: City of the Fallen Sky </i>by Tim Pratt </ul>
<ul><i>Dungeons and Dragons Online: Skein of Shadows </i>by Marsheila Rockwell </ul>
<ul><i>Mike Hammer: Lady, Go Die! </i>by Mickey Spillane & Max Collins </ul>
<ul><br /></ul>
<ul><b>Adapted Novel</b> </ul>
<ul><i>Clockwork Angels </i>by Kevin J. Anderson </ul>
<ul><i>Batman: The Dark Knight Rises</i> by Greg Cox </ul>
<ul><i>Batman: The Dark Knight Rises</i> (YA novelization) by Stacia Deutsch </ul>
<ul><i>Poptropica: Astroknights Island</i> by Tracey West </ul>
<ul><br /></ul>
<ul><b>Audio</b> </ul>
<ul><i>Dark Shadows: The Eternal Actress</i> by Nev Fountain </ul>
<ul><i>Dark Shadows: Dress Me in Dark Dreams</i> by Marty Ross </ul>
<ul><i>Doctor Who: Companion Chronicles: Project Nirvana </i>by Cavan Scott & Mark Wright</ul>
Congratulations to all the nominees! Keith R.A. DeCandidohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02888632340947887676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2242525983624229438.post-65671593003038573132012-07-13T22:46:00.002-07:002012-07-16T17:47:37.590-07:00Scribe Award Winners AnnouncedBestselling author Kevin J. Anderson was honored as this year’s Grandmaster at the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.iamtw.org" target="_self">International Association of Media Tie-In Writer’s</a> annual Scribe Awards ceremony, held Friday night at Comic-Con in San Diego.<br />
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Anderson was honored for remarkable achievements in the tie-in field, which include more than one hundred novels, adding up to over 20 million books in print in thirty languages. His work includes the <em>Star Wars</em> "Jedi Academy" books, three internationally bestselling <em>X-Files</em> novels, the Superman novels <em>The Last Days of Krypton </em>and <em><a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.amazon.com/Enemies-Allies-Kevin-J-Anderson/dp/0061662550%3FSubscriptionId%3D0G81C5DAZ03ZR9WH9X82%26tag%3Dzemanta-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D0061662550" rel="amazon" target="_blank" title="Enemies & Allies: A Novel">Enemies & Allies</a>, </em>many novelizations (<em>Sky Captain & The World of Tomorrow, <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.amazon.com/League-Extraordinary-Gentlemen-Movie-Novelization/dp/074347676X%3FSubscriptionId%3D0G81C5DAZ03ZR9WH9X82%26tag%3Dzemanta-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D074347676X" rel="amazon" target="_blank" title="The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (Movie Novelization)">League of Extraordinary Gentlemen</a>, </em>etc.) and, of course, the ten globally bestselling DUNE novels he has co-authored with Brian Herbert.<br />
<br />
Receiving the honor was, for Anderson, “like receiving a standing ovation for something that was already fun in the first place, and I am very honored to be recognized by my colleagues in this particularly challenging line of writing."<br />
<br />
He wasn’t alone accepting honors on Friday. The Scribe Awards, recognizing excellence in the field of media tie-in writing for Best Original Novel in Speculative and General Fiction genres, Best Adaptation, Best Young Adult novels and Best Audio performance, were also awarded at the event, which included a lively panel discussion with the winners and nominees.<br />
<em><br /></em><br />
<em>Cowboys & Aliens</em> by Joan D. Vinge was the winner for Best Adaptation, <em>Dungeons & Dragons – Forgotten Realms: Brimstone Angels </em>by Erin M. Evans took the prize for Best Speculative Original Novel, <em>Mike Hammer: Kiss Her Goodbye</em> by Max Allan Collins & Mickey Spillane won for Best Original Novel, and <em>Thunderbirds: Extreme Hazard </em>by Joan Marie Verba was honored for Best Young Adult Novel. <em>Mike Hammer: Encore for Murder</em> by Max Allan Collins & Mickey Spillane won the Best Audio award.<br />
<br />
Collins was “blown away” by his double win this year, but was particularly pleased that “the work I've been doing to bring Mickey Spillane's unpublished, unfinished material to fruition has earned this kind of recognition."<br />
<br />
The <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.iamtw.org" target="_self">IAMTW</a> (<strong>I Am</strong> a <strong>T</strong>ie-In <strong>W</strong>riter) is dedicated to enhancing the professional and public image of tie-in writers...to working with the media to review tie-in novels and publicize their authors...to educating people about who we are and what we do....and to providing a forum for tie-in writers to share information, support one another, and discuss issues relating to their field.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2242525983624229438.post-83086686112700475792012-05-25T13:01:00.001-07:002012-05-25T13:01:39.916-07:002012 Scribe Award NomineesThe International Association of Media Tie-In Writers (www.iamtw.org) co-founders Lee Goldberg & Max Allan Collins are pleased to announce the 2012 nominees for the Scribe Award, honoring excellence in media tie-in writing, and the naming of author Kevin J. Anderson as this year's Grandmaster for his lifetime achievement in the field.
Anderson is the author of more than one hundred novels, adding up to over 20 million books in print in thirty languages. His work includes the STAR WARS "Jedi Academy" books, three internationally bestselling X-FILES hardcovers, the Superman novels THE LAST DAYS OF KRYPTON and ENEMIES & ALLIES, many novelizations (SKY CAPTAIN & THE WORLD OF TOMORROW, LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN, etc.) and, of course, the ten globally bestselling DUNE novels he has co-authored with Brian Herbert.
He has won or been nominated for numerous prestigious honors, including the Nebula Award, the Bram Stoker Award, and a New York Times Notable Book prize...and now he can add IAMTW Grandmaster to the list of his extraordinary achievements.
The awards will be given at a ceremony in July at this year's Comic-Con convention in San Diego.
GRANDMASTER: KEVIN J. ANDERSON
GENERAL FICTION / BEST ORIGINAL NOVEL:
ROYAL PAINS: FIRST DO NO HARM by D.P. Lyle
MIKE HAMMER: KISS HER GOODBYE by Max Allan Collins & Mickey Spillane
BURN NOTICE: THE BAD BEAT by Tod Goldberg
SPECULATIVE FICTION/BEST ORIGINAL NOVEL
STAR WARS: KNIGHT ERRANT by John Jackson Miller
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS – FORGOTTEN REALMS: BRIMSTONE ANGELS by Erin M. Evans
SUPERNATURAL: COYOTE’S KISS by Christa Faust
DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS: THE SHARD AXE by Marshiela Rockwell
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE PRICE OF FREEDOM by A.C. Crispin
BEST ADAPTATION GENERAL OR SPECULATIVE
CONAN THE BARBARIAN by Michael Stackpole
CRYSIS LEGION by Peter Watts
TRANSFORMERS: DARK SIDE OF THE MOON by Peter David
COWBOYS & ALIENS by Joan D. Vinge
BEST YOUNG ADULT
ME & MY MONSTERS: MONSTER MANNERS by Rory Growler (Ian Pike)
THE SMURFS movie tie-in by Stacia Deutsch and Rhody Cohon
THUNDERBIRDS: EXTREME HAZARD by Joan Marie Verba
BEST AUDIO
MIKE HAMMER: ENCORE FOR MURDER by Max Allan Collins & Mickey Spillane
DARK SHADOWS: THE LOST GIRL by D. Lynn Smith
HIGHLANDER: ALL THE KINGS HORSES by Scott Andrews
DOCTOR WHO: THE MANY DEATHS OF JO GRANT by Cavan Scott & Mark WrightUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2242525983624229438.post-26480746566925022942012-05-09T12:59:00.003-07:002012-05-09T12:59:58.381-07:00How To Enter the 2013 Scribe Awards<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">The IAMTW will present awards (explained below) for books published in 2012. We will also honor one "Grandmaster" for career achievement in the field. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;" /><img border="0" height="1" src="http://www.iamtw.org/images/mtk.gif" style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;" width="100" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;" /><img align="absmiddle" border="0" height="31" src="http://www.iamtw.org/images/star.gif" style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;" width="30" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;"> </span><b style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">BEST NOVEL</b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;"> (All Genres and Ages) </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">A licensed, original novel using pre-existing characters or worlds from a movie, television series, computer game, play, or an existing series of novels (i.e., new novels extending a literary franchise, i.e. DUNE, James Bond, etc.) </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;" /><img border="0" height="1" src="http://www.iamtw.org/images/mtk.gif" style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;" width="100" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;" /><img align="absmiddle" border="0" height="31" src="http://www.iamtw.org/images/star.gif" style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;" width="30" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;"> </span><b style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">BEST ADAPTATION </b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">(All Genres & Ages) </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">A licensed novelization based on an existing screenplay, whether a feature film, episodic teleplay, computer game, script, or play. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;" /><img border="0" height="1" src="http://www.iamtw.org/images/mtk.gif" style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;" width="100" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;" /><img align="absmiddle" border="0" height="31" src="http://www.iamtw.org/images/star.gif" style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;" width="30" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;"> </span><b style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">BEST AUDIO</b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;"> (All Genres) </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">A licensed audio play, not a staged reading of published work, using characters or worlds from a movie, television series, computer game, play or an existing series of novels. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;" /><img border="0" height="1" src="http://www.iamtw.org/images/mtk.gif" style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;" width="100" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;" /><img align="absmiddle" border="0" height="31" src="http://www.iamtw.org/images/star.gif" style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;" width="30" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;"> </span><b style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">GRANDMASTER</b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;"> (For Career Achievement) </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;" /><img border="0" height="1" src="http://www.iamtw.org/images/mtk.gif" style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;" width="100" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;" /><b style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">How The Scribes Are Judged</b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">The judging committees are made up of five of your peers from within the organization, writers who know the unique obstacles and restrictions that tie-in writers face, because they are tie-in writers themselves. The judges will read all the submissions in their category and select both the nominees and the winners. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;" /><b style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Rules for Submission</b><br />
<ul style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">
<li>Authors can submit multiple titles, but only ONE BOOK PER CATEGORY/ONE CATEGORY PER BOOK (i.e. you can't submit the same book in two different categories or multiple titles in one category. Authors who've done several books in any one category need to pick the one title that seems strongest and submit only that).</li>
<li>Only authors can submit their books for consideration but we encourage you to have your editors/publishers send the actual books on your behalf so you don't have to raid your author's copies or pay the postage.</li>
<li>Judges can submit their work, but obviously not in the categories they are judging.</li>
<li>The book must be a licensed work published for the first time between Jan 1, 2012 and Dec. 31, 2012. Only books with a copyright date of 2012 will be eligible for consideration. Entrants with books published in late December 2012 are required to get copies of eligible work into the hands of the category judges no later than January 15, 2013 to allow adequate time to review the titles. Galleys are acceptable.</li>
<li>For Audio Books, the entries must be full-cast radio-style plays, not readings of short stories or novels. They must be first released on CD or MP-3 and not first broadcast on radio (if, after released, the audio was picked up and aired, that is considered a secondary market). Audio entries must be forty minutes or more in length. Audio entries mustbeat a 2012 copyright.</li>
<li>All entrants MUST include a cover letter with each book or audio. The cover letter must include the following information: the Category you are entering, Title of the Book, Name of the Author, Publication Date, Editor & Publisher, and email & "snailmail" addresses and phone numbers for the author and editor.</li>
<li><b><u>A copy of all submissions—the book or, in the case of audio books, the CD or MP-3 as marketed, and cover letter—should be sent to each judge in the category you are entering and to the IAMTW.</u></b> Please send an email to<a href="mailto:tieinwriters@gmail.com">tieinwriters@gmail.com</a> for the list of judges and their mailing addresses. IAMTW members can find the <a href="http://www.iamtw.org/members/awards_judges.html"><b>list</b></a> in the MEMBERS ONLY section of this site.</li>
<li>A list of all the books submitted will be posted on the IAMTW site and updated regularly. The nominees will be announced, to entrants and the media, in March 2013. The Scribes will be awarded in July 2013 at Comicon in San Diego.</li>
</ul>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2242525983624229438.post-76340085072352787522011-12-15T09:36:00.000-08:002011-12-15T09:36:52.741-08:00Submissions Open for Audio ScribesOur apologies for the delay in putting the Audio Scribes category together. Because this category was assembled late in the year, we are extending the entry deadline to March 1st <b>for this category only.</b> Official language for guidelines for Audio submissions has not been developed, but programs fit the following general guidlines: Audio entries represent full-cast radio-style plays, not readings of short stories or novels, of licensed tie-ins based on games, television shows, movies, etc. Audio entries are first published on CD or MP-3 and not first broadcast on radio. If, after publication, the audio was picked up and aired, that is considered a secondary market. Audio entries must be forty minutes or more in length. Please send published version (i.e., the audio on CD or MP-3 as marketed). If that is not possible, include with your copies of the audio information on publishing. Audio entries must bear a 2011 copyright. Contact the IAMTW at tieinwriters@gmail.com for a list of judges to send your entries to.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2242525983624229438.post-62366077664691387332011-09-22T14:01:00.001-07:002011-09-22T14:01:19.141-07:00IAMTW Suspends Annual Dues for 2012<p><a style="float: left;" onclick="window.open( this.href, '_blank', 'width=640,height=480,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0' ); return false" href="http://leegoldberg.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c669c53ef015391cd8060970b-popup"><img class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a00d8341c669c53ef015391cd8060970b" style="width: 200px; margin: 0px 5px 5px 0px;" title="Gse_multipart38023" src="http://leegoldberg.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c669c53ef015391cd8060970b-200wi" alt="Gse_multipart38023" /></a> These are tough financial times...and writers, particularly those in the tie-in field, are hurting. </p><p>We want to do our small part to help out.</p><p>The<a href="www.iamtw.org" target="_self"> International Association of Media Tie-in Writers</a> is suspending annual dues for current and new members effective immediately and on through 2012...dues will be re-instated on January 1, 2013.</p><p>That doesn't mean we'll be shutting down and riding out the economic storm...quite the opposite. </p><p>We'll continue to introduce our members to tie-in editors and licensing execs with our quarterly mailing of member credits and contact info...we'll continue to put out TIED-IN, our newsletter about tie-in writing...we'll continue to give out the Scribe awards for excellence in media tie-in writing...and we'll continue to moderate our highly popular private discussion board for media tie-in professionals.</p><p>And over the next month or two, we will also be renovating our website, freshening up our Facebook presence, and adding an audio category to our Scribe Awards.</p><p>We hope this will not only help our current members but also draw some new professional tie-in writers into the fold.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2242525983624229438.post-71504220792119742992011-09-16T02:17:00.000-07:002011-09-16T02:18:00.760-07:00Tied-in to terror - John Passarella on Supernatural: Night Terror<b>Cavan Scott braves things that go bump in the night to talk to author John Passarella about his new <i>Supernatural</i> tie-in novel, <i>Night Terror
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAXZzm0CUvCrt08Ir3XsWgLoDs-551dpMAh7mlBJd_fjuPRzI4yw4wD5yC2aIZXGJXcSSv2hOfMMzBBNftlM0qUb-N7BisZtm6MpJE_sJfMm68npK-K_FxOySpbPpZFjKP0WphVLw1RRM/s1600/SN_NightTerror_FrontCover72dpi315w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAXZzm0CUvCrt08Ir3XsWgLoDs-551dpMAh7mlBJd_fjuPRzI4yw4wD5yC2aIZXGJXcSSv2hOfMMzBBNftlM0qUb-N7BisZtm6MpJE_sJfMm68npK-K_FxOySpbPpZFjKP0WphVLw1RRM/s320/SN_NightTerror_FrontCover72dpi315w.jpg" width="193" /></a></div>
<b>What can you tell us about <i><a href="http://www.passarella.com/night_terror.htm">Night Terror</a></i></b><b>? </b><br />
<i>Night Terror</i> is set late in season six of <i>Supernatural</i>, which followed the huge apocalypse arc that concluded in season five. I was told right up front by the editor that my book should be a "monster" book, not anything dealing with the angel/demon mythos that had ostensibly concluded.<br />
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The premise of my novel is that a sleepy town in Colorado becomes terrorized by nightmares that come to life, which includes everything from B-movie monsters to natural disasters to Nazi zombies.<br />
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I tried to include classic psychological and anxiety-driven nightmare situations along with the type of fantastical nightmares young sleepers might have. My family brainstormed with me around the dinner table a couple evenings in a row to help me come up with assorted nightmares.
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Of course, the Winchester brothers head to the town to stop whatever is causing the nightly mayhem, and soon realize that because of their horror-filled personal histories (for example, one brother has spent time in hell; the other was possessed by the devil), they had better not fall asleep, perchance to dream.<br />
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<b>How did you come to write for <i>Supernatural</i>? </b><br />
<b></b>I've been a <i><a href="http://www.cwtv.com/shows/supernatural">Supernatural</a></i> fan since the first season's first show and my enjoyment of the show has grown as the mythos has become richer. My wife is a huge fan, as are my two sons, so my writing <i>Night Terror</i> was almost as exciting for them as it was for me. I reclaimed some of the cool factor father's tend to lose in the eyes of their children once they hit their teen years.<br />
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<b>Do you think you have to be a fan of a show to write a successful tie-in? </b><br />
Every writer would probably have a different answer to that question. My answer is yes, I need to be a fan of the show. That might limit my options for writing tie-ins, but I need to feel the same elevated level of excitement and intensity for tie-in projects that I have when I'm writing my own novels. I would never want to take on a project where I felt I was going through the motions of writing just to earn a pay check.<br />
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<b>Did the storyline change much from the original outline during the writing process?</b><br />
Not a whole lot. The biggest changes were subordinating the ultimate cause of the living nightmares in the overall plot, accelerating the story and expanding the scope of the nightmares.<br />
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I talked to [show-creator] Eric Kripke's assistant on the phone and she suggested adding a town-wide tragedy to the mix to expand the "reason" for the monster's appearance. She also told me to take a "no censors, no budget" approach to the novel, meaning I should show more violence than they are allowed on network television and take advantage of the cost-free special effects afforded by printed words on the page.<br />
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One fansite said <i>Night Terror </i>has the feel of a Supernatural feature film, so I think I succeeded on that front.<br />
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<b>How did you first start writing tie-in books?</b><br />
After my first, co-author novel, <i><a href="http://www.passarella.com/wither.htm">Wither</a></i>, came out, the San Francisco Chronicle reviewed it and said that it "hits the groove that makes TV's <i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</i> such a kick."<br />
<br />
I was a huge fan of Buffy and reading that review, I thought, maybe I could write a Buffy tie-in novel.
I approached Lisa Clancy, the editor of the Buffy books at the time with that quote and my stated enthusiasm for the show and asked how I should go about being considered to write one of the novels.<br />
<br />
She told me to write a complete 10-12 page outline and a scene featuring all the main characters, which would ensure I could write their voices. That was the first time I wrote a
complete book outline from start to finish in such detail before writing the book itself. I decided if I couldn't nail the characters' voices in the sample chapter, I wouldn't bother submitting the proposal.<br />
<br />
Members of my family were also fans of the show, so I asked some of them to read my sample chapter and let me know if I had accurately captured the voices. They thought I did, so I submitted my proposal and it was accepted.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLWyDhPHAZ86dYc7L-VxOWtdEIDzCqnyK-bZ8A9hREJ4ww6XO0y_1d9uJv4ZfqUeO0vlWTyw7x_o4rYN9X1UPxEWcNKpqm8oy6PwLDKKx7JzM-yLfERpwhXkG9FgfBNMOsFwHRvMGKH5o/s1600/ghoultrouble200w324h.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLWyDhPHAZ86dYc7L-VxOWtdEIDzCqnyK-bZ8A9hREJ4ww6XO0y_1d9uJv4ZfqUeO0vlWTyw7x_o4rYN9X1UPxEWcNKpqm8oy6PwLDKKx7JzM-yLfERpwhXkG9FgfBNMOsFwHRvMGKH5o/s320/ghoultrouble200w324h.jpg" width="197" /></a></div>
While writing that novel, <i><a href="http://www.passarella.com/buffy.htm">Ghoul Trouble</a></i>, the editor said I would be a good fit for the new <i>Angel</i> tie-in novels and asked if I would consider submitting a proposal for one. That book became<i> <a href="http://www.passarella.com/angel.htm">Angel: Avatar</a></i>. A few years later, the new editor called with an open slot for another <i>Angel</i> novel, and that turned into <i><a href="http://www.passarella.com/monolith.htm">Angel: Monolith</a></i>.<br />
<br />
For <i>Night Terror</i>, Cath Trechman, the <i>Supernatural</i> tie-in editor at <a href="http://titanbooks.com/">Titan Books</a>, found me through my website, saw I had written other tie-ins and wrote supernatural thrillers, thought I would be a good fit and asked if I'd be interested in submitting.
So, other than my first inquiry for Buffy, each tie-in book has resulted from an editor contacting me, and that's always a good feeling.<br />
<br />
<b>What was the biggest lesson you learnt when you first started writing tie-in material? </b><br />
As I mentioned, if I hadn't been able to make the characters sound on the page the way they sounded on the screen, I would have stepped away from the tie-in world. I had heard stories of otherwise successful writers who had tried and couldn't do it. I hadn't tried before so I didn't know.<br />
<br />
I think that's the first thing you have to learn about yourself as a tie-in writer. Can I capture the character voices, then the tone of the show, then develop a story that feels compatible with the show's universe?
<br />
<br />
Also, the deadlines are much tighter than for general fiction -- two to three months
is very common -- so you have to work fast. That's where having the book completely outlined is invaluable. No worries about writing yourself into a corner or experiencing writer's block. Any logistical, story structure problems would have cropped up much earlier, in the outline stage.<br />
<br />
<b>You also write non tie-in material. How important is it to you that you create your own sandpit rather than just playing in someone else's? </b><br />
<b></b>Obviously, with your own novels, you have complete creative freedom and expression. It's your creation, your spell to weave. You can kill off any of
your characters, take the story in any direction you want. Your story's success equates to your success.<br />
<br />
With a tie-in novel, you have to return everything the way you found it. You can't kill off lead characters (unless you can resurrect them convincingly) or alter the show's canon.<br />
<br />
I always
describe media tie-in novels to readers I meet as having the feel of lost episodes. It doesn't change what you know from the show, but if you enjoy the show then the book is something you should also enjoy.<br />
<br />
Creatively, with tie-ins, the setup work – character development and world-building – is already done for you so you can jump right in to the story. On the publication side, the tie-in novel will have a limited readership. By that, I mean it will be a tough sell to anyone unfamiliar with the show.<br />
<br />
And, since tie-ins are work for hire, you basically get your payment up front and there's little chance of earning much else from a title no matter how successful it is.<br />
<br />
Of course, odds are the show has more fans than the average mid-list writer. So you hope fans of the show who do read the tie-ins will like your work enough in that world that they're willing to
venture into your own worlds.<br />
<br />
All of my tie-ins have been for supernatural properties and since my own novels are supernatural thrillers, my odds for crossover readers are better than they'd be if my own novels were westerns or romance novels. Even with <i>Night Terror</i>, a few early readers have already emailed me and said they want to try out some of my own novels, such as Shimmer. So that's the best case result.<br />
<br />
<b>What's the biggest challenge of writing a tie-in novel? </b><br />
Nailing the voices and tone of the show. You have to be a good mimic in your writing. Writers strive to develop their own voice, characters and style. When you tackle a tie-in project, the licensed property's characteristics take precedence. It's not necessarily harder or easier, but it's a different skill set. Being a fan of the show certainly helps when you're trying to fit something into the existing show's continuity without repeating something that has been done before.
<i>Supernatural</i> was in the middle of its sixth season when I began work on Night Terror and I was familiar with all that history. Even show, I flipped through the show guides to refresh my memory of previous episodes.<br />
<br />
<b>What top tip would you give someone who's desperate to become a media tie-in writer? </b><br />
What works for me and what always comes first is being a fan of the show for which I want to write a tie-in. When I can't wait for the next episode to air, I know I have enough enthusiasm for the show to translate that energy into a successful tie-in novel.<br />
<br />
What helped a lot with<i> Supernatural: Night Terror </i>was having access to current scripts. For a while I had access to scripts that were five or six episodes ahead of what had aired. As a viewer, I was very accustomed to hearing the characters on screen. The scripts showed me those voices on paper, which is where I had to create them.
Initially, this was to show me how Sam's soul would be restored to his body, since my novel would take place after that event and I needed to be cognizant of the details. But it soon became apparent to me that the scripts were a great asset to have to immerse myself in the voices of the characters. I referred to them often during the writing process.<br />
<br />
<b>Supernatural: Night Terror<i> by IAMTW member <a href="http://www.passarella.com/">John Passarella</a> is available now from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Supernatural-Night-Terror-John-Passarella/dp/085768101X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1316163773&sr=1-1">Amazon US</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Supernatural-Night-Terror-John-Passarella/dp/085768101X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1316163884&sr=8-1">Amazon UK</a>, <a href="http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Supernatural/John-Passarella/e/9780857681010?itm=14">B&N </a>and all good bookshops.</i> </b><br />
<b><br /></b><br />
<b><i>For more information about the International Association of Media Tie-In Writers go to <a href="http://www.iamtw.org/">www.iamtw.org</a></i></b>Cavan Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16618353058521370179noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2242525983624229438.post-92101676964407314542011-09-10T22:11:00.000-07:002011-09-10T22:13:16.592-07:00When You Write About A Spy: Lessons Learned From Having Michael Westen In My Head For 3 Years<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 19px;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIxHb8hRN_4BYNR9VUPIXPZayl6sdbabxxe1SxzZtRzfhSdHWnnxMwC96nTGUZIx7C172kpvpWgTH3Jpj1oIcqgFtWtSGvzDV7Hswm-_3CM6uGGtfxUGWQE_fQkEXH5Z-aNy4NsClYRoEv/s1600/500x500_850002_file.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIxHb8hRN_4BYNR9VUPIXPZayl6sdbabxxe1SxzZtRzfhSdHWnnxMwC96nTGUZIx7C172kpvpWgTH3Jpj1oIcqgFtWtSGvzDV7Hswm-_3CM6uGGtfxUGWQE_fQkEXH5Z-aNy4NsClYRoEv/s320/500x500_850002_file.jpeg" width="198" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; text-align: left;">[Reposted from <a href="http://todgoldberg.typepad.com/">Tod Goldberg's</a> blog] My latest <i>Burn Notice </i>book -- <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Burn-Notice-Beat-Tod-Goldberg/dp/045123409X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1309940831&sr=1-1" style="background-color: yellow; color: #003366; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_self">The Bad Beat</a> -- came out this summer and since it's also my last <i>Burn Notice </i>book, after five of 'em, it feels like a good time to put a bow on the experience by talking about it a bit. First, since I've done it for all the previous books, a little behind the scenes info about the new book:</div><div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; text-align: left;">1. I completed the book on October 7th of last year and though it's the longest of the five books by about ten thousand words, it's exactly the same number of pages as the previous books...276 pages. Which either means I used very small words in the previous books or the people at Penguin are really good with margins and white space. Anything you happen to see in the current season of the show was written after I finished the book, as usual. So that means, as usual, for the fucktards who persist in writing to tell me I'm not keeping canon, uhm, and I mean this with all due sincerity, please, eat a bowl of dicks. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; text-align: left;">2. As usual, I like to use people I know in the book. The client in the book is named Brent Grayson, which is the combined names of my two nephews. There's a character named Marci, named for a woman who won a contest on the USA Forum. She wanted to be bad ass and I feel I've done her justice. One of the villains in the book is named Mark McGregor, after a childhood friend who asked to be in the book and what better way than to make him an evil genius? One of Michael's aliases is Kurt Riebe, which is the name of a former student of mine's boyfriend. Again, he asked, so he got in. Rest assured if someone has a name in the book, they're named for someone. It turns out a lot of people want to see their name in a spy novel. Who knew? </div><div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; text-align: left;">3. The book touches on one of my current obsessions: do we need notaries? I mean, really, aren't they all just fronts for illegal actitivites? There are three businesses I do not quite understand still existing in the 21st century: notaries, piano stores and waterbed repair shops.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; text-align: left;">4. I decided, since this was going to be my last book, that it would be fun to use Sugar, who appeared in the first episode of the show. It's one of the coolest things about the show, in my opinion, in that Matt Nix and the writing staff have always recognized when they have really good secondary characters who can be reused. I've used Barry in every book because he's fun to write, but I always like it when the show reuses villains as clients or as sources. I like the idea of shifting allegiances, which seems particularly fun when dealing with criminals. And as luck would have it, Sugar appeared in last week's episode, too, so it's good I didn't kill him off or make him into a post-op trannie or something. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; text-align: left;">5. The first line of the book begins "When you're a spy..." and then you'll have to figure the rest out for yourself.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; text-align: left;">Since I finished the novel 9 months ago, I've had some time to think about what it was like to spend three years with Michael Westen rattling around in my head. I learned a few things, like I now know how to blow up a lot of shit using common household items. I know so many capers and scams and ways to illegally make money that I'm actually a pretty good person to know if you want to start a criminal enterprise. I know how to,<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CO4saVhSbJQ" style="color: #003366; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_self"> </a><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CO4saVhSbJQ" style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_self"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;">uhm, Burn Notice anything</span></a>, which is a pretty decent bar trick. So those are good things to know just generally, as a human. As a writer -- which I recognize makes me at least partly human -- writing Michael Westen taught me how to write series fiction and, beyond that, how to pace commercial crime fiction. See, previously, the crime fiction I wrote was decidedly not series and decidedly not commercial, really. (And I would argue that I never really set out to write crime, specifically, even if Living Dead Girl and Fake Liar Cheat and a bunch of my short stories are, you know, stories about crimes.) At any rate, writing the books required a completely different skill set -- the deadlines alone required that they be almost completely plot and voice driven, which is somewhat different than my other work which tends to be character and setting driven. Writing Burn Notice has changed the way I approach crime fiction, which is good since the novel I'm writing now -- more on that in a moment -- is a pretty straight crime novel. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; text-align: left;">A bit about the deadlines -- I typically had three or four months to write the books, which was truly grueling and, at times, more than a little dispiriting, because I knew if I spent more time on the books that they'd be better. I wrote the first two books right after each other, the first in 60something days, followed by a month off and then I wrote the second book in 90 days. And, I regret to say, the second book sucks. I had a terrible cold for pretty much the entire writing of the book, which is why, uhm, it doesn't make any sense. Again, sorry about that. I had much longer breaks between books after that point -- and by that I mean three months or so -- which made them better, I hope. But because the deadlines were so close, I also had to learn to not be an obsessive rewriter, which meant I had to keep a pretty tight plot, which meant I did more outlining than usual...and by that I mean I outlined anything at all, which I typically don't do. I also ended up trusting myself more. Usually when I'm working on something new, I show drafts to my wife or to my agent or trusted friends to get some feedback, but I just didn't have the time to do that with these books and the result is that I ended up needing to be honest with myself. Not an easy thing for any writer. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; text-align: left;">When I first wrote about <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2008/aug/24/entertainment/ca-tie-ins24/2" style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_self"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;">this endeavor in the LA Times, I said that I'd come to the conclusion that "I had to start thinking of myself like a musician covering a hit song -- in order to make it my own, I had to tweak it a little, give something of myself in the process and make it fresh and new to the fans who already love the original by adding additional elements they might not be expecting. Think "Walk This Way" by Run-DMC versus Aerosmith's original. Same song, different experience."</span></a><a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2008/aug/24/entertainment/ca-tie-ins24/2" style="color: #003366; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_self"> </a>By the time I finished this final book, my feelings were unchanged. It's hard to write about a character that belongs not just to the creator of the show, Matt Nix, but also to the show's writing staff and, most importantly, to the millions of people who have an experience with that character on TV each week. So I tried to do what I could to carve out my little piece, which I was grateful Matt let me do, by adding my own flourishes here and there. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; text-align: left;">One of my other goals with the books was purely personal: I wanted to increase my profile as a crime writer, because I knew what I wanted my next novel to be and I thought having a few hundred thousand new fans wouldn't hurt that project. My plan all along was to write a novel based on the main character in my short story "Mitzvah" (which first appeared in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Las-Vegas-Noir-Akashic/dp/1933354496/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1309940776&sr=1-1" style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_self"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;">Las Vegas Noir</span></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Las-Vegas-Noir-Akashic/dp/1933354496/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1309940776&sr=1-1" style="color: #003366; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_self"> </a>and then later in my collection <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Other-Resort-Cities-Tod-Goldberg/dp/0981589995/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1309940736&sr=1-1" style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_self">Other Resort Cities</a>),</span> a hitman hiding out in Las Vegas as a rabbi. Then a funny thing happened along the way to that plan: the producers of Justified optioned the story and then sold it to FX for a potential series. Now who knows if the show will ever happen -- in my career I've sold a lot of things to Hollywood, some big deals, some small deals, some medium deals and I've learned not to get too excited until such time as I see my name on a movie or TV screen -- but what it made clear to me was that if I was going to write that novel, well, I'd be wise to get on it. So since I finished writing my last Burn Notice book, that's exactly what I have done. I hope to be done in October and then, well, we'll see what happens. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; text-align: left;">Nothing is assured for any writer, of course, so leaving the security of writing the Burn Notice books -- I was offered the chance to continue the series -- was a calculated risk. But the fact is, also, I was ready to move on to other things. I've written 11 books in the last 11 years, plus another book I couldn't sell because it wasn't very good, plus countless short stories, plus essays and book reviews and, and, and, and...which is to say I've always gone on to something new and its worked out well. The other truth is that every character I've ever written still visits my mind periodically -- you spend enough time pretending to be someone else, it's the least you can expect -- and as I've written my new novel I've had to tell Michael Westen to pipe down a few times and that, well, is actually pretty damn cool. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2242525983624229438.post-30836610842238020022011-09-10T22:04:00.000-07:002011-09-10T22:05:36.479-07:00First Do No Harm<a href="http://kingsriverlife.com/06/18/interview-dplyle/">King's River Life Magazine</a> recently interviewed IAMTW member Dr. D.P. Lyle on his new ROYAL PAINS tie-in, "First Do No Harm." Here's an excerpt:<br />
<blockquote><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">DPL</span><strong style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">: </strong>By profession I’m a cardiologist and I practice in Orange County, California. I’ve been doing this for over 30 years. I grew up in Alabama where I attended the University of Alabama for college and the University of Alabama College of Medicine for medical school and internship. I then moved to Houston, Texas where I did my residency in internal medicine and then my cardiology fellowship at the Texas Heart Institute. After that I moved to California and have been here ever since.</blockquote><blockquote><strong style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Marilyn: How you came about being chosen to write the <em style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Royal Pains</em>novels based on the TV series.</strong></blockquote><blockquote> D<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">PL: </span>This came about from my friend Lee Goldberg. He writes the <em style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Diagnosis Murder</em> and the <em style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Monk </em>media tie-in novels and he was approached about doing the <em style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Royal Pains </em></span><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">series. He suggested me to the publisher and that’s how it began.</span></blockquote><blockquote><strong style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Marilyn: Will you tell us a little bit about the process of putting a TV series into book form?</strong></blockquote><blockquote><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">DPL: </span>Basically when you write a tie-in novel you are using someone else’s characters and creating stories based on the series. This means that there are restrictions regarding what you can do since they control the characters. You can’t go too far afield. So basically you’re taking someone else’s characters and creating a story around them, which of course must be approved by the creators from the beginning and throughout the project. It’s been an interesting and challenging process. I’ve learned a lot, which was my main goal in taking on this project. It’s a new type of writing for me.</span></blockquote><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2242525983624229438.post-49861682168863075102011-09-10T21:55:00.001-07:002011-09-10T21:55:30.085-07:00What We Do To Keep Ourselves Interested<a href="http://leegoldberg.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c669c53ef0153908224df970b-popup" style="float: left;"><img alt="ChristaFaust_8179-Lo-199x300" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a00d8341c669c53ef0153908224df970b" src="http://leegoldberg.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c669c53ef0153908224df970b-200wi" style="margin: 0px 5px 5px 0px; width: 200px;" title="ChristaFaust_8179-Lo-199x300" /></a><br />
[Reposted from <a href="http://leegoldberg.typepad.com">Lee Goldberg's</a> Blog]<br />
<br />
I write books more for myself than for my readers. I figure if I am not entertained, my reader won't be, either. Author Christa Faust <a href="http://faustfatale.livejournal.com/264464.html" target="_self">feels the same way</a>...<br />
<blockquote>A reviewer recently accused me of creating a “Mary Sue” character in my <em>Supernatural</em> tie-in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Supernatural-Coyotes-Kiss-Christa-Faust/dp/0857681001">COYOTE’S KISS</a>. For those who don’t know what that means, a “Mary Sue” is a too-perfect wish-fulfillment character that represents the author’s own idealized persona.<br />
<br />
While I freely admit that the character in question is a wish-fulfillment character, it’s a completely different kind of wish. I created that character not because I’d like to <em>be</em> her, but because I’d like to <em>fuck</em> her. After all, we tie-in writers have to do something to spice up the daily grind.<br />
</blockquote>I don't think I've ever created a character in a book or a screenplay that was a personal fuck fantasy figure. I'll have to try that one of these days...but I doubt it will be in a <em>Monk</em> novel.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2242525983624229438.post-20973059050322542742011-07-23T01:00:00.000-07:002011-07-23T01:00:31.031-07:00Tied In To WritingIn the few weeks leading up to the Scribes, author <a href="http://www.jonathanmaberry.com/" target="_self">Jonathan Maberry</a> ran a terrific series of lengthy, detailed interviews with the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.iamtw.org" target="_self">Scribe nominated tie-in </a>writers <a href="http://jonathanmaberry.com/the-iamtw-scribe-award-nominees-for-best-speculative-original-work" target="_self">on his Big Scary Blog</a> about the nuts-and-bolts of their craft. Here's an excerpt from his discussion with the authors nominated for "Best Speculative Original:":<br />
<blockquote>BIG SCARY BLOG: Talk about your process for creating a media tie-in book.</blockquote><blockquote>MATT FORBECK: If I’m not already familiar with the basis of the book, I immerse myself in it as best I can and become a fan of it too. As I do that, I look for story hooks, little “what about that?” or “wouldn’t that be cool?” bits. Those become the seeds of the novel. Once I have that, I write up an outline, get it approved, and dig in for real.<br />
</blockquote><blockquote>JEFF GRUBB: I think all media projects have a core ethos, an underlying truth about them. The original creators of the project may not know what it is, and in fact it may evolve over time. One of the goals I have when working on a media tie-in book is to dig down and find that piece, find that core ethos, and remain true to it in the story. Guild Wars 2 is very much about people coming together to fight a greater threat – that is one of Dougal Keane’s major conflicts in the book.<br />
<img align="left" alt="" src="http://jonathanmaberry.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/David-Mack-book-cover200w.jpg" />DAVID MACK: It’s a lot like most other writers’ processes, I imagine. Either I solicit an editor for a shot at writing for a particular license, or they approach me. Either way, if it’s a property I know well, I might already have ideas ready to pitch and develop. If it’s one that I’m curious about but don’t know intimately, I’ll dig in and immerse myself in it until I start to get a feel for its big picture, its characters and its broader storytelling arcs.</blockquote>Next, I’ll try to find a story that interests me and seems to offer some new angle that neither the show nor its existing tie-in titles have explored. In some cases, such as a tie-in line that’s been running for a while, an editor might ask me to craft a story specifically to advance a part of an ongoing narrative.<br />
<blockquote>Then I write a proposal, just a few pages, to see if my general idea is what the editor is looking for. Once we settle on an idea, I prepare a much longer and more detailed full outline that can be presented to the license-holder for approval. Once we get the green-light, I go to work on the manuscript.<br />
To stay in the right mindset while working on a given franchise, I’ll try to listen to music soundtracks from it (if they’re available), and have DVDs ready for reference and quick refreshers on characters’ speech patterns, etc. Online references are also often invaluable tools, especially for a series that is still in production while one is working on it. Thank Heaven for the invention of wiki reference sites!</blockquote><blockquote>SEAN WILLIAMS: Well, firstly, I have to make sure I know the property sufficiently well to do it justice. With Star Wars or Doctor Who, say, that would be easy: I’ve been a fan of them for decades. Depending on the kind of project, the next step would be to get right down into the details of the story and character, since they’re the aspect of the tie-in most important to get right, at least in the early stages. This is always accomplished in collaboration with editors and other stakeholders in the project–the people who own the property, basically. I’m not just telling a story for me: in a real way I’m just channelling something for someone else. But that is a fun process, and a challenge, one I take very seriously. There are snafus sometimes, without a doubt, but whether I have one month or one year to write a tie-in, I give it the same energy and consideration I would give one of my own books. To do anything less would be to cheat everyone involved.</blockquote>The entire series of interviews is well worth your time, regardless of whether you are into tie-ins. There's a lot of great insights into the craft and business of writing books shared by the authors, all of whom are experienced, hard-working pros.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2242525983624229438.post-26560746577254742532011-07-23T00:57:00.001-07:002011-07-23T00:57:38.801-07:00Scribe Award Winners Announced<a href="http://leegoldberg.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c669c53ef0153901cca03970b-popup" onclick="window.open( this.href, '_blank', 'width=640,height=480,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0' ); return false" style="float: left;"><img alt="Gse_multipart38023" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a00d8341c669c53ef0153901cca03970b" src="http://leegoldberg.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c669c53ef0153901cca03970b-200wi" style="margin: 0px 5px 5px 0px; width: 200px;" title="Gse_multipart38023" /></a> The winners of the Scribe Awards, honoring excellence in media tie-in writing, were awarded Friday at a ceremony at Comic-Con in San Diego by the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.iamtw.org" target="_self">International Association of Media Tie-in Writers </a> Author Peter David was honored as this year's Grandmaster, and engaged in a lively discussion about his career, and tie-in writing, at the ceremony, which was hosted by Max Allan Colins and drew a packed house.<br />
Nancy Holder won the award for best original novel in the general fiction category for <em>Saving Grace: Tough Love. </em>The honors for best original novel in speculative fiction went to Nathan Long for <em>Warhammer: Bloodborn: Ulrika the Vampire. </em>This is the second time Long has won a Scribe for his work in the <em>Warhammer</em> franchise.<br />
<em>The Wolfman </em>by Jonathan Maberry snagged the Best Adaptation/Novelization award while Nathan Meyer won for Best Novel, Original or Adapted, in the Young Adult category with <em>Dungeons and Dragons: Aldwyns Academy. </em>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2242525983624229438.post-41051892005975156842011-06-03T06:57:00.000-07:002011-06-03T07:02:22.867-07:00COMING FULL CIRCLE: HOW TO CHANGE TIE-IN CHARACTERS WHILE KEEPING THEM THE SAMEI ruminate on the challenges of writing a tie-in book that has to fit seamlessly into a series that's still running on the <a href="http://tinyurl.com/666lg6h"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Soap Opera 451 Blog:</span></a><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The most difficult thing I, personally, found about writing a tie-in was that stories (outside of those stream of consciousness things everyone feels compelled to experiment with in college) require the protagonists to learn something, and then to grow and change as a result of it. (As a writing mentor once said, "Your story needs to be about the most interesting thing that ever happened in this character's life. If this is not the most interesting that ever happened to them, then throw away the story you're currently writing, and write about </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">that</span><span style="font-style: italic;">.")</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Good advice, if you're writing a stand-alone novel. But, as part of a series (not to mention part of a </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">television</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> series), that can be tricky...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Especially if the series you're writing about is going on even as you're composing your story.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">With a tie-in, what you want to do is have your character learn something, grow and change... and still be the same person they were when the story started. I visualized the journey as a rope, of which you then tie up the loose ends. Your hero/heroine have to come full circle and end up in the same place they started, so that their adventure may be neatly slipped into the fabric of the main (more important) text - the show, without causing barely a ripple.</span><br /><br />More, <a href="http://tinyurl.com/666lg6h">here</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2242525983624229438.post-4590416283907330252011-04-04T16:11:00.000-07:002011-04-04T16:11:12.272-07:00Scribe Awards and Grandmaster Announced<a href="http://leegoldberg.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c669c53ef014e6061f414970c-popup" onclick="window.open( this.href, '_blank', 'width=640,height=480,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0' ); return false" style="float: left;"><img alt="N327137" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a00d8341c669c53ef014e6061f414970c" src="http://leegoldberg.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c669c53ef014e6061f414970c-200wi" style="margin: 0px 5px 5px 0px; width: 200px;" title="N327137" /></a> The <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.iamtw.org" target="_self">International Association of Media Tie-in Writers</a> is proud to announce the 2011 Scribe Award nominees for excellence in licensed tie-in writing -- novels based on TV shows, movies, and games – and this year’s Grandmaster, honoring career achievement in the field.<br />
This year’s Grandmaster is Peter David, who has worked in television, film, books (fiction, non-fiction and audio), short stories, and comic books. He’s the acclaimed author of over fifty novels, many of them <em>New York Times </em>bestsellers. His extraordinarily prolific output of consistently excellent books includes two dozen original <em>Star Trek </em>novels, three <em>Babylon 5</em><em> </em>novels and novelizations of such major motion pictures as <em>Spiderman</em>, <em>Iron Man, Fantastic Four,</em><em> </em>and <em>The Hulk</em>.<br />
David is also one of the most successful and acclaimed comic book scripters in the business with popular runs on such titles as <em>Supergirl</em>, <em>Star Trek</em>, <em>Wolverine</em> and, in particular, his work on <em>The Incredible Hulk</em> franchise (in comics as well as books). His many awards include the prestigious Will Eisner Comic Industry Award. He lives in New York with his wife Kathleen and their three children.<br />
Our 2011 Scribe Nominees are:<br />
<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">GENERAL ORIGINAL</span></strong><br />
CSI: SHOCK TREATMENT by Greg Cox<br />
BURN NOTICE: The Giveaway by Tod Goldberg<br />
MIKE HAMMER: THE BIG BANG by Max Allan Collins and Mickey Spillane<br />
MURDER SHE WROTE: The Queen's Jewels by Donald Bain<br />
PSYCH: The Call of the Mild by William Rabkin<br />
SAVING GRACE: TOUGH LOVE by Nancy Holder<br />
<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">SPECULATIVE ORIGINAL</span></strong><br />
GUILD WARS: GHOSTS OF ASCALON by Matt Forbeck and Jeff Grubb<br />
STAR TREK: MIRROR UNIVERSE: THE SORROWS OF THE EMPIRE by David Mack <a href="http://leegoldberg.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c669c53ef014e873d70ab970d-popup" onclick="window.open( this.href, '_blank', 'width=640,height=480,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0' ); return false" style="float: right;"><img alt="MUSORROWS_01-tt" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a00d8341c669c53ef014e873d70ab970d" src="http://leegoldberg.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c669c53ef014e873d70ab970d-200wi" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px 5px; width: 200px;" title="MUSORROWS_01-tt" /></a><br />
STAR WARS: FORCE UNLEASHED II by Sean Williams<br />
SUPERNATURAL: HEART OF THE DRAGON by Keith R. A. DeCandido<br />
WARHAMMER: BLOODBORN: ULRIKA THE VAMPIRE by Nathan Long<br />
<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">BEST ADAPTATION</span></strong><br />
FINAL CRISIS by Greg Cox<br />
GOD OF WAR by Matthew Stover & Robert E. Vardeman<br />
THE WOLFMAN by Jonathan Maberry<br />
<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">BEST YOUNG ADULT</span></strong><br />
ALPHA & OMEGA: THE JUNIOR NOVEL by Aaron Rosenberg<br />
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: ALDWYNS ACADEMY by Nathan Meyer<br />
THUNDERBIRDS: SITUATION CRITICAL by Joan Marie Yerba<br />
<br />
The Fifth Annual Scribe Awards will be given at a ceremony and panel discussion held during Comic Con International in San Diego in July 2011. Details will be announced soon.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2242525983624229438.post-64664827327638592062011-01-04T17:17:00.000-08:002011-01-04T17:21:29.324-08:00Burn Notice: The ReformedFrom <a href="http://todgoldberg.typepad.com/tod_goldberg/2011/01/the-reformed-behind-the-music.html">Tod Goldberg's blog</a><br />
<br />
My second-to-last Burn Notice novel,"The Reformed", comes out today, to be followed this summer by my last Burn Notice novel, "The Bad Beat," so in honor of that, and because my ego demands that I tell you all every small, insignificant detail about my life, here's a bit of background information about the writing of the book. (If you'd like signed copies of the book -- or any of my books, for that matter -- I suggest you contact the fine people at The Mystery Bookstore in Los Angeles: They'll have signed copies after this weekend. And if you live in Los Angeles, I'll be doing a booksigning this Saturday at Mysteries to Die For in Thousand Oaks at 2pm, along with my brother Lee, who'll be signing his latest Monk book.)<br />
<br />
1. The client's name is Eduardo Santiago. He's a Cuban gangster who has been....wait for it...reformed. I don't know a lot of Cubans. But one I do know is the excellent writer Eduardo Santiago, author of Tomorrow They Will Kiss and a former student of mine. So when I started the book, I used his name as sort of a place holder for another non-Eduardo Santiago name. But then, after 300-some pages of him being Eduardo Santiago, well, he became Eduardo Santiago for good. Sorry Eduardo.<br />
<br />
2. There's a hard-as-nails-and-other-cliches-friend of Sam's named Chris Alessio. Chris and I went to elementary and middle school together and then I didn't seem him for 25 years. When I finally did see him, I found out he was damn near a professional paintball player and wrote extensively on paintball stuff for a variety of different magazines. So when I needed information about paintball markers and needed a hard-as-nails-etc bad ass, he became Chris Alessio.<br />
<br />
3. Julia Pistell, whose name appears in this book as a person who has had their identity stolen, went to graduate school with me and is one of the best humans alive. She happened to be visiting Wendy and me last January, when I was in the middle of the book, but didn't have a title yet. However, the fine people at Penguin needed a title and needed it <em>right now, </em>except that <em>right now</em> happened to be while Julia, Wendy and I were eating lunch at a deli in Palm Desert. So I said to Wendy and Julia, hey, anyone got a title? And Julia came up with The Reformed. (This was after The Godfather was rejected.)<br />
<p>4. I finished writing this book last March. I started it in December 2009. So, at that point, I'd read the scripts through the middle of season 3. I tell you this so when I get the inevitable email from someone asking me why X happened when Y happened in Season 4, I can remind them that Season 4 didn't exist when I wrote this book, even though it does now (which is why Jesse isn't in the book). Generally, as with all the books I've written in the Burn Notice series, I try to keep them evergreen so they don't work in lockstep with the seasons and can be read any time.<br />
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5. There are swear words in this book. Just to clarify my position on you being offended by swear words: Oh, go fuck yourself. This isn't a kids book. Nut the fuck up. You don't like it? Don't buy the fucking book. Really. Have a great day!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2242525983624229438.post-13730654042751069572010-11-26T23:51:00.001-08:002010-11-26T23:51:01.869-08:00Mystery Scene is Tied In<p><a style="float: left;" onclick="window.open( this.href, '_blank', 'width=640,height=480,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0' ); return false" href="http://leegoldberg.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c669c53ef0134897ec9b7970c-popup"><img class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a00d8341c669c53ef0134897ec9b7970c" style="width: 200px; margin: 0px 5px 5px 0px;" title="TiedInCover2" src="http://leegoldberg.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c669c53ef0134897ec9b7970c-200wi" alt="TiedInCover2" /></a> The current issue of Mystery Scene magazine (with Dennis Lehane on the cover) includes a rave review of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1453716106/adventuresint-20">TIED IN: The Business, History and Craft of Media Tie-In Writing</a> and some photos of vintage tie-ins. Reviewer Jon Breen says, in part:</p><blockquote>If this is the Golden Age of anything in the popular fiction field, it may be the tie-in novel [...]There have always been formidable writers doing tie-ins, but they have generally been dismissed, not unreasonably, as quickies tossed off for a fast buck. That image has been improved somewhat by the quality work of editor Goldberg, the late Stuart Kaminsky, Max Allan Collins, and some of the <a href="www.iamtw.org" target="_self">International Association of Media Tie-in Writers</a> members contributing to this volume. [...] With it's helpful how-to tips and articles, the book is primarily directed towards other writers, and established pros at that. But many fans and scholars will enjoy the inside-the-business stuff.</blockquote><p>Breen goes on to single out chapters by David Spencer, John Cox, and Max for praise. I hope this will give a jolt to sales of the book, proceeds of which go to support the IAMTW. Lee</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2242525983624229438.post-65829338230523532232010-11-26T23:49:00.000-08:002010-11-26T23:49:36.793-08:00Tie-In Synergy<a href="http://leegoldberg.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c669c53ef0147e02fb1e2970b-popup" onclick="window.open( this.href, '_blank', 'width=640,height=480,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0' ); return false" style="float: left;"><img alt="Heat-wave-richard_castle" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a00d8341c669c53ef0147e02fb1e2970b" src="http://leegoldberg.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c669c53ef0147e02fb1e2970b-200wi" style="margin: 0px 5px 5px 0px; width: 200px;" title="Heat-wave-richard_castle" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-richard-castle-20101126,0,4296720.story" target="_self">The Los Angeles Times has an interesting piece</a> on the shrewd way that Hyperion has handled publication and cross-promotion of their CASTLE tie-in novels. They said, in part:<br />
<blockquote>Publisher Hyperion, which had success with similar projects connected to sister company ABC's soaps "One Life to Live" and " All My Children," decided to bypass a traditional TV tie-in and instead go with a Richard Castle-authored book after seeing the greenlit pilot. Castle's name alone appears on the books, without any nod to a real-life scribe. "The main character's a writer! How perfect is that?" says Gretchen Young, an executive editor at Hyperion and its editorial director for ABC Synergy.<br />
[...] The show plays with fiction and reality: On it, Castle has talked about his upcoming publication commitments with his agent (yes, Hyperion will be publishing two more) and played poker with real-life mystery writers James Patterson and Stephen J. Cannell, who died in late September.<br />
In an upcoming episode, "Heat Wave" — a novel written by a fictional television character — has been optioned by Hollywood. "It gets very meta in the show," Marlowe admits, laughing.<br />
And in person. As part of Hyperion's release last year of "Heat Wave," Fillion appeared as Castle at two Southern California bookstores.</blockquote>It's not a new idea. The MURDER SHE WROTE books are written by Jessica Fletcher & Donald Bain, and she was a mystery novelist, too. But the producers didn't integrate the tie-ins into the TV series as cleverly as the CASTLE folks have (or at all, if memory serves). But now that HEAT WAVE has become a bestseller, you can expect more TV tie-ins to follow their example...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2242525983624229438.post-57769655664327685452010-09-06T20:27:00.001-07:002010-09-06T20:33:54.162-07:00tie-in writers guest blogging!During the Labor Day weekend, as Dragon*Con was taking over Atlanta and WorldCon was taking over Melbourne, I decided to run a series of guest blogs by fellow tie-in writers, give them all a chance to talk about what they do to a (hopefully) different audience.<br /><br />Here's what we got:<br /><UL><a href=http://kradical.livejournal.com/2141717.html>Robert Greenberger on Superman.</a><br /><a href=http://kradical.livejournal.com/2142900.html>Aaron Rosenberg on <i>Eureka</i>.</a><br /><a href=http://kradical.livejournal.com/2143425.html>Joan Marie Verba on <I>Thunderbirds</i>.</a><br /><a href=http://kradical.livejournal.com/2143874.html>Steven Paul Leiva on his original character the Fixxer.</a><br /><a href=http://kradical.livejournal.com/2144246.html>Steven Savile on <I>Stargate SG1</i>.</a><br /><a href=http://kradical.livejournal.com/2144635.html>Paul Kupperberg on Archie.</a><br /><a href=http://kradical.livejournal.com/2144871.html>Nancy Holder on <I>Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Crusade</i>, and more.</a><br /><a href=http://kradical.livejournal.com/2145293.html>Diana Botsford on <I>Stargate SG1</i>.</a><br /><a href=http://kradical.livejournal.com/2146778.html>Dayton Ward on <I>Star Trek: Vanguard</i>.</a></ul><br /><br />Check it out!Keith R.A. DeCandidohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02888632340947887676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2242525983624229438.post-49390167938003745302010-08-30T17:59:00.000-07:002010-08-30T17:59:54.086-07:00TIED IN: "The Most Fascinating, Entertaining, and Honest Book About The Writing Life..."From author/editor/publisher <a href="http://newimprovedgorman.blogspot.com/2010/08/i-say-this-without-whit-of-exaggeration.html">Ed Gorman's blog</a>:<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">I say this without a whit of exaggeration TIED-IN edited by Lee Goldberg and written by Lee and other members of the International Association of Media Tie-In Writers is the most fascinating, entertaining and honest book about the writing life I've ever read.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">With writers such as Max Allan Collins, Tod Goldberg, Nancy Holder, Donald Bain, Greg Cox, William Rabkin and many others dealing with their experiences of converting movies, tv shows, movies and games into novels, we see the pleasures and frustrations of this particular craft. And in the process we see what life is really like for professional writers. Max Collins' piece on converting his own Road To Perdition to conform to the movie script for the tie-in; his dealings with the Dick Tracy movie were even stranger. Nancy Holder's take on visiting the set of the tv show she was novelizing shows just how brutal fourteen hour days are for everybody involved in creating the episodes. A number of writers use a page or so of script to show how it looks as prose after they've done their work--extremely helpful.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Greg Cox tells some fascinating stories about writing sequels then prequels and keeping storylines straight; and Lee does an excellent job setting the book up with his piece called Tied In: The Business, History and Craft of Media Tie-In Writing.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">TIED-IN is rich with humor, lore, wisdom about the writing life and Lee Goldberg is to be commended for editing it with such verve and style.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">And his brother Tod is to be commended for writing the best line in the book. Lamenting that his literary novels have not sold a great number of copies, he writes "I'd need the Jaws of Life to pull me on to the bestseller list."</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2242525983624229438.post-83696023256239903072010-08-11T12:30:00.000-07:002010-08-11T12:32:29.129-07:00James Cameron disses novelizations -- in other news, sun rises in east<a href=http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2010/08/07/avatar-sequel-update-james-cameron/>James Cameron provided the following gem while discussing his forthcoming <I>Avatar</i> novel with MTV</a>:<br /><blockquote>I didn't want to do a cheesy novelization, where some hack comes in and kind of makes s--t up. I wanted to do something that was a legitimate novel that was inside the characters' heads and didn't have the wrong culture stuff, the wrong language stuff, all that.</blockquote><br />Yeah, heaven forfend a writer make shit up. That might be, I dunno, fiction or something!<br /><br />More seriously, novelizers <I>have</i> to make shit up because a movie only has a long short story's worth of actual plot in it. If you're gonna get a novel-length story in there, you have to add stuff.<br /><br />Whether or not that shit is true to the film generally depends on the level of cooperation the film studio provides the publisher of the novelization. As a for-instance, the producers of <I>Darkness Falls</i> were hugely helpful, providing me with a ton of backstory that didn't make it into the final cut of the movie. As another, the producers of <I>Resident Evil: Extinction</i> encouraged me to add a ton of material -- lots and lots of "making shit up" -- to bridge the gap between <I>Apocalypse</i> and <I>Extinction</i>, and also to fill in what was happening with the Jill Valentine character. As a third, <I>Serenity</i> had fourteen hours of televised episodes of <I>Firefly</i> as additional background.<br /><br />And sometimes producers don't cooperate at all and the novelizers don't have a choice to make shit up. That's not hack work, that's <I>writing</i> and <I>creating</i>. But, y'know, it's just prose, so it doesn't count. It's not <I>real</i> writing, not like a script is.... *rolleyes*<br /><br />As ever, I am amused by the fact that a writer who adds plot and characterization to an existing story in order to make a movie into a novel is dismissed by people like Cameron as hacks, while screenwriters who (ahem) hack away at a novel's story and remove huge chunks of it in order to whittle it down to a movie's length get their own Academy Award category.<br /><br />This is why we formed the IAMTW, to combat this obscene prejudice against our craft. Ignorant comments like Cameron's are a good reminder of how far we have to go.Keith R.A. DeCandidohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02888632340947887676noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2242525983624229438.post-48715610767125340402010-08-05T14:29:00.000-07:002010-08-05T14:29:43.040-07:00Tudors Novelization Wins PraiseElizabeth Massie, the Scribes, TIED IN and the IAMTW all get some attention <a href="http://www.newsleader.com/article/20100805/NEWS01/8050324/Waynesboro-novelist-awarded-for-work-on-Tudors-">in this article</a> in the Waynesboro News-Leader. They say, in part:<br />
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<blockquote>As a writer of original works, Massie's "Tudors" projects presented her with some unique challenges.</blockquote><blockquote>Massie, 56, was sent scripts for each episode and then wrote the season into one book at the same time it was being filmed in Ireland.</blockquote><blockquote>The books had to be loyal to the show, but the scripts, as they tend to be, were scant in details and description.</blockquote><blockquote>So Massie had to conduct historical research to bring the story alive on the page.</blockquote><blockquote>"The script would say something like, 'King Henry enters the room. He sits on a chair. He starts to talk,'" she said. "I had to fill in details of the way things looked, what they ate, how long did it take to get from London to Hever Castle (by horse and carriage). Things like that."</blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0