Since I’ve had various books optioned for films, I’ve been involved, in different degrees and stages, with the possible films.  Some books I’ve just had optioned and left in the hands of experienced filmmakers who know a lot more about moviemaking than I do.  And some others, I’ve contributed a bit more.  All these experiences lead me to one inescapable conclusion.

I am so damn glad I write novels and don’t make movies.

Movies are just so hard, so much more work.  They’re huge projects with tons of people involved.  They have budgets, actors, directors, tons of marketing decisions, and so many other elements that it’s amazing good movies get made at all.  In comparison, books are quaint, almost mom and pop productions.  It’s not as if books don’t require a lot of work.  Or that, by the time my books go from an idea in my head to a thing in your hands, they haven’t been through an elaborate process to get them to you.  It’s just not much of a process compared to making a movie.  Or even thinking about making a movie.

Yep, there’s more work in the development of a film than in the entire writing of a novel, I think.  At least, one of my novels where I usually start with an idea and hash it out over the course of a few months into something sensible (or at least readable).  More work goes into the possibilty of a film than the entire production of a book.  And it’s entirely possible, probable in fact, that most movies in development will never become a movie.

It boggles my mind sometimes.  I couldn’t imagine doing all that work just to have nothing come of it.  And moviemakers live with that everyday.  I guess the millions of dollars that can be made from a successful film make it all worth it (and I’m just as happy as anyone to grab some of that Hollywood payday if I’m fortunate enough to have it come my way), but it’s not necessarily a business I’d want to consider my primary job.

It’s fun to dabble.  And the work I’ve done so far has been rich and rewarding.  I look forward to more of it coming my way (as long as that luck holds out), but at heart, I think I’ll always be a novelologist.  Maybe I’m too much of a control freak.  Or maybe I’m just too damn lazy to work that hard and not see something come out of it.  Most probably it’s because I know it’s highly unlikely anyone would pay me to write a movie about space vampires vs. jetpack gorillas.

But, hey, Hollywood, if you ever need a story where a pirate primate swordfights an alien bloodsucker on the moon . . . well you know where to find me.

Fighting the good fight, Writing the good write,

Lee

Can’t say I didn’t warn you.

I’m glad you enjoyed my “fun” little stories about robot detectives and country-fried vampires.  But did you listen?  Did you heed the warning?  No, you did not.  But everyone will have probably have noticed by now that slime monsters and horrible consuming beasts are a recurring element in my stories.

The byproduct of an obsession with weird creatures and kaiju movies?  

The prophecies of an unappreciated visionary?

Pure, dumb luck?

Even I can’t say for sure.

But I welcome our new oozing overlords, and advise all of you to do the same.  While many of you will be fed to the nameless gods of the depths, it shouldn’t be long before our benevolent dinobot masters come to free us.  Oh, the glorious war of the oozing death and the laser cybersaurs shall be glorious to behold.  And from the ashes…a new empire will rise.  One of peace, prosperity, and equality for all.

Until those damned Inhumanoids come and ruin it for everyone.

You have been warned.