The Business of Moviemaking- it can get ugly

So, this blog is about the process of book to movie, and maybe some of you reading this have had a bit of experience in that area - I have not. I am new to this business, and there are times when I feel like that proverbial lamb led to slaughter. Its difficult to hand your baby over to strangers, trusting that they will nurture it and care for it as you have. Your book is like your spouse; your characters, your children. You spent months or years writing it, and then polishing it, grooming it, convincing people to buy it and finally, signing the adoption papers for the film adaptation, which to me was like giving my children away to strangers.

There are a lot of things I've learned in the year since I signed that contract, and my first lesson was from a business associate whom I was writing the script with. Turns out, she was plagiarizing my work in a T.V. pilot she was working on with someone who just happened to be associated with the producers I signed with. The casting director read my book and found the plagiarism right there in the script that was submitted for the T.V. pilot-copied from my book VERBATIM! Hello? Wake up call ensues. To think that this person, who I entrusted with my story, would betray me like that, was like being punched in the stomach. You'd think that would have tainted my view of this business, and make me fearful to trust again, and boy, did it ever! So, who would have suspected a wannabe journalist would do something similar? Not me!

It ended with her attempt at blackmail and extortion. Wow.

This twisted person now has personal information about me, along with my manuscript, and refuses to agree to destroy it. She is now threatening me with it, sending hate mail, and has proven to me and the entire production team just how sick she is. Its sad, really. To think that she has my manuscript in her possession makes me sick, like she has kidnapped my child. (The book is copy written in the safety of the Library of Congress database, so that's not an issue.)

My point is that I am swimming in shark infested waters, and if I want to survive, I am going to have to do what others before me have done. I've made it a point to be accessible to everyone, and I'd hate to have to stop talking to fans. But it's a scary thing to feel like I'm at the mercy of some crazy persons whim or will.

There is no such thing as bad publicity. Even the worst criminals have become famous when their story appeared on the nightly news. I guess I just have to wait and see what this latest psycho decides to do, but I'm not worried about it, because I have signed with a movie company that has MY and THEIR best interests at heart and they're not about to let some wannabe journalist or psycho wannabe screenwriter do this project harm. (The high priced attorneys will see to that.)

I am protected by the laws that govern good people, too. The spirits will protect me and this story, of this I am sure, and lets not forget, karma is an incredibly righteous balance of nature.

Til next time, love, peace and frybread grease,
Lynny Prince!