Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Report from Santa Barbara Writers Conference
I travelled up here to Santa Barbara with two main objectives: to test fly my book concept with agents and to expose my first chapter to practiced writers for critique. I've gotten good news and bad.
The first agent I spoke with, a man who deals equally with book and movie projects, was immediately hooked with the storyline. "That's perfect for HBO or Showtime, with a special cast," he responded, with wide smile and bright eyes. "Do you write scripts as well?" he asked. When told the project would need a scriptwriter, he shrugged that off: no problem. "When can you get the completed book manuscript to me?" he followed up. GULP. Next spring, I ventured. OK, he said, "I'll be waiting for it."
The agent's response was exactly what I wanted to hear. I'd put him on my short-list because of his experience with film as well as books, and I was curious if he would himself suggest the story is ripe for a feature film or TV production.
The other agents I spoke with, either in one-to-one conversation or in a workshop wanted to hear or read a sample of my writing. "Dense," was the universal judgment of the chapter from the middle of the book. By that, I deduced they meant too academic, too burdened down with the details I've uncovered which slow down the pace of the story. "Extraordinary!" "Can't wait to read it!" These were the reactions to my Prologue, which uses detail to tease interest in the characters and circumstances of the story.
My challenge is reconfirmed: I have a great story to work with, but hobbled by limited first-person accounts. It's a difficult story to write because of the huge gaps in documented information. The temptation to invent scenes, flesh out characters from informed imagination is strong.
Yet, coming from my training long ago as a historian, I really yearn to share every detail arduously dug out of reluctant archives.
So, my dilemma continues...
The first agent I spoke with, a man who deals equally with book and movie projects, was immediately hooked with the storyline. "That's perfect for HBO or Showtime, with a special cast," he responded, with wide smile and bright eyes. "Do you write scripts as well?" he asked. When told the project would need a scriptwriter, he shrugged that off: no problem. "When can you get the completed book manuscript to me?" he followed up. GULP. Next spring, I ventured. OK, he said, "I'll be waiting for it."
The agent's response was exactly what I wanted to hear. I'd put him on my short-list because of his experience with film as well as books, and I was curious if he would himself suggest the story is ripe for a feature film or TV production.
The other agents I spoke with, either in one-to-one conversation or in a workshop wanted to hear or read a sample of my writing. "Dense," was the universal judgment of the chapter from the middle of the book. By that, I deduced they meant too academic, too burdened down with the details I've uncovered which slow down the pace of the story. "Extraordinary!" "Can't wait to read it!" These were the reactions to my Prologue, which uses detail to tease interest in the characters and circumstances of the story.
My challenge is reconfirmed: I have a great story to work with, but hobbled by limited first-person accounts. It's a difficult story to write because of the huge gaps in documented information. The temptation to invent scenes, flesh out characters from informed imagination is strong.
Yet, coming from my training long ago as a historian, I really yearn to share every detail arduously dug out of reluctant archives.
So, my dilemma continues...
# posted by Tom Colvin @ 8:24 AM 
