Pong

Interview: Tanya Huff

(Cross-posted to Inkygirl)

I got hooked on Tanya Huff's Blood novel series years ago. Her books are funny, scary and sexy, and I love the main characters. I was excited when I heard that the novels were being turned into a tv series! The first season of Blood Ties aired on Lifetime on Sundays in the U.S. and is currently on hiatus until October, when it will air the last nine episodes of the season. Blood Ties will be airing in Canada starting August on CITY-TV (yay!). See the bottom of this page for a video trailer.

The show has done well for the network. An excerpt from BroadcastingCable.com:

"Lifetime debuted the show, based on The Blood Book novels by Tanya Huff, on March 11 and the show has been a bright spot on the network’s schedule since. After it premiered to 1.6 million total viewers, the show has averaged 1.4 million total viewers, 460,00 women 18-49 and 220,000 women 18-34 for original Sunday-night episodes, according to Nielsen Media Research. It has also proved popular on iTunes."

You can find out more info in Tanya's Blood Ties blog or in her Livejournal blog. Tanya kindly agreed to answer some questions for Inkygirl:

How would you describe your Blood novel series?

Extremely well written, extraordinarily engaging, and excellent graduation gifts... oh wait, that's probably not what you meant. I've always considered the Blood books to be contemporary fantasy with mystery overtones -- a PI, a cop, and a vampire solve supernatural crimes. Except for book four, Blood Pact, which I'm willing to say has certain horrific elements, they're not really dark enough to be considered dark fantasy.

How did you first hear that your books were going to be turned into a tv series?

Kaleidoscope Entertainment Inc. had held the option for a few years and I knew they were very keen on actually producing a show and had kept both my agent and I informed about the torturously long process of securing financing. Finally, after a lot of hard work on their part, all the pieces came together, they called my agent to tell him that the show was a go, he called me, and I made embarrassing shrieky noises.

How involved were you with the development process?

The people at Kaleidoscope -- in spite of the fact that their responsibility to me ended the moment they wrote the check -- were really good about keeping me involved. They asked my opinion on the lists of actors sent in by the casting director, they sent me a copy of Peter's script of the pilot, and, after they had the writers hired and the room set up in Toronto, they asked me to come in for a few days and go over character backgrounds. They were, in short, amazing. The impression I get from others I've spoken to in the industry, is that this sort of involvement almost never happens. I've just been so incredibly lucky to be dealing with a production company that loved the books and wanted me to be a part of things.

Any comments on the rumour that you'll be making a guest appearance on the show?

No rumour. I play a background hooker in episode #9, STONE COLD.

I suggested a homeless person but Angelina and Marie the costume designers hadn't dressed a hooker for a while and had this pair of magic size ten pants so...

STONE COLD is also the episode I wrote.

When you wrote the "Stone Cold" episode, what was the process?

Oh, it was very different than writing books and, in the interests of space and time and suddenly sounding like a Dr. Who episode, this'll have to be the condensed version:

1. I pitched an episode idea -- monster of the week because Mytharc is tricky for freelancers. Especially freelancers who are some distance away and can't make it in for story conferencing.

2. A few days later, because they hadn't yet moved out to Vancouver, I sat in the writing room and we hammered out the basic beats of the story.

3. The next day I wrote up those beats, sent them in to Peter and they were pretty much entirely changed.

4. Using the changes, I wrote an outline.

5. Shortly after that, after they finished unpacking out in Vancouver, I got the notes on that outline and I rewrote it with some major changes.

6. This version of the outline went to network for approval and there were yet more changes.

7. With the outline finally approved -- although with notes still to incorporate -- I wrote the first draft of the script.


©2007 Lifetime Entertainment Services

8. I got notes on that draft, and notes on the notes, and notes about the notes on the notes, and I wrote the second draft. Weirdly, in spite of all the notes, the changes here managed to be both extensive and relatively minor -- a number of them having to do with the fact I was essentially learning on the job. Peter and everyone involved were being wonderfully understanding about having to point out some fairly basic things.

9. The second draft was approved.

And, just as an addendum, although my part in the script had now ended, there were four more rewrites by staff writers before they started shooting the episode and at least one line of dialogue deliberately changed by Peter during the filming of a scene to better reflect the emotional space of the character.

(Note from Debbie: You can read more details about the writing of this episode in Tanya's Livejournal blog. Be warned that there are small spoilers, but Tanya always warns the reader upfront.)

How bothered are you by the differences between the show and your books?

Not at all. First, print and television are two very different mediums and changes have to be made to accommodate those differences. For example, in the books, Henry's a romance writer. Well, that'd be pretty boring to watch. But a graphic artist -- much sexier. Second, nothing that they do on the show affects the books -- they don't change -- so my vision of these characters and their stories is intact and Peter Mohan's vision can take off and go places I never dreamed of. I'm constantly amazed and enthralled by the way things are changing and developing.

©2007 Lifetime Entertainment Services

Has this experience made you think about doing more screenwriting in general (e.g. not just for Blood Ties)? Have you written screenplays before?

I had never written a screenplay before "Stone Cold" but I do have a degree in Radio and Television Arts so I have some small amount of (mumble) year old training. I loved the experience so much that I've picked up a media agent and I'm out there pitching ideas in hope of picking up another contract.

When you were writing your Blood books, did it ever cross your mind that it would make a good tv series?

It didn't so much 'cross my mind' that they'd make great television as the thought was always there in the back of my brain. I had them mostly cast while I was writing them -- Jamie Lee Curtis as Vicki, Ed Marinaro (Joe Coffee from Hill Street Blues) as Mike... but I never managed to cast Henry. And, since my only training as a writer is media related, I'm always fairly aware of how a scene would play on screen -- given time and an unlimited budget, of course.

Any chance of a Blood movie?

There are always dreams of having the time and the budget to do the sorts of things a small show just can't manage but, right now, we're all just keeping our fingers crossed that we get a second season. And it's not easy typing with your fingers crossed...

Tanya and a custom-made Henry doll given to her by Heather Borean, made by Teddy in the U.K.

What are your current / upcoming projects?

I'm currently working on the fourth of the Valor books, Valor's Trial. This will be the final of my Torin Kerr, military SF novels. Book three, Heart Of Valor will be out in early June in hardcover.

Any advice for hopeful writers?

Tell the stories you have to tell; tell them as clearly and as truthfully as you can. With any luck they'll be stories people will want to share.

Remember a rejection letter is saying only that at this time, this piece of work is not suitable for publication. A rejection of your work is not a rejection of you. Develop a thick skin, you'll need it.

Embrace art but learn your craft.

In fact, learn from everything that happens to and around you. Ask why. Don't be afraid of repeating the question until you get an answer even if you sound like a three year old; you want to be a writer, your friends already think you're weird.

Love what you do because the odds are good you'll never be paid enough to do it for any other reason.

Blood Ties video trailer:

Michael Feels Old

Eliza's Cat Gets A Name

Interview: Adam Selzer

Thanks to all those who suggested names for Eliza's cat, especially Rachel Starr Thomson, who suggested "Theobroma." :-)




(cross-posted from Inkygirl)

Adam Selzer is a 26-old writer whose first book for teens, How To Get Suspended And Influence People, was published by Random House earlier this year and has been favourably reviewed in Kirkus, Booklist and School Library Journal. HTGSAIP is packed with laugh-aloud moments, with fun characters and clever writing.

In addition to his writing career, Adam works as a guide for Weird Chicago Tours, a ghost tour company, and is also an accomplished songwriter and musician, with five CDs out. You can find out more about Adam's books and other projects at his site, AdamSelzer.com.

What's the first thing you ever wrote?

That would be "The P.U. Book" in 1987 - you can see it online. That was followed by a thing called The Great Monkey Hunt, about a couple of lions who hunt for pet monkeys. I have that around here someplace.
The first novel I wrote was when I was 15 - it was Dean Koontz-type book called Instant Karma. You can't see that one.

What was your first writing sale?

Well, outside of a couple of those "we'll print it if you buy a copy" poetry anthologies, I guess my first "sale" was a couple of short shorts to a sci fi fanzine when I was about 15. One was called "Time Isn't Real," which I don't remember much about, and another was called "PES," a sort of mock-Lovecraft piece about the Public Education System.

What are your writing habits?

Every day I get up fairly early and take my laptop to a coffee shop down the street. If I'm working on a new rough draft, I'll shoot for 1500 words per day. If I'm just editing stuff I've already written, I just work 'til I feel like I'm done for the day. Usually, I end up starting at 7 or 8 and working for about three hours. In the afternoon/evening, I usually hit another coffee shop, and if I feel like going beyond what I wrote that morning, I do. But I don't force myself past the 1500 word mark unless I'm on a deadline or something.

Do you outline before you start writing? If so, how much?

Not when i first start out - I start out writing some very rough opening sketches. If I like where it's going, I'll spend a few days setting up a plot, then come up with a general outline for where things out to go. If I'm just doing a proposal, though, I'll do a more detailed synopsis much sooner. In a way, the entire rough draft is like one big outline. It gets all of the major pieces in place, then you go back and fix up the details, clean up the writing, and make sure it's funny enough.

Do you do any specific character outlines?

Almost never, really. For the most part, I'll write down a short paragraph or so, tops, on each character, and then fill it in as I go. I find that if I start out with two much information on the characters, you end up with this info dump of information that isn't really that important - no one really needs to know how tall Dustin Eddlebeck is, unless he's freakishly short or tall or something. I try to sort of let them build up organically, and keep my own outlines general enough that I can keep things sort of fluid in the long run.

It's a mistake a lot of people make, I think, trying to work too much information about a character or place into a book. "World building" is important, but those details should come out when they need to. There are piles and piles of information about the town where these books takes place that hasn't made it into the books yet, and I have a pretty good idea what'll happen to the characters a few years down the road, and what they were like years before. But it hasn't been necessary to work any of it in yet.

How did you get your agent?

I looked at writersmarket.com - or something like that, and found a few agencies that I thought would be a good fit. I'd been through the process before - I had another book a few years ago that another agent had tried to sell. But that agent didn't think "Suspended" would sell, so I started looking for someone else. I ended up sending queries to three places, and all of them asked to see a few chapters. I ended up getting to go with the one I liked best, which quite a novelty, since I'd previously been ready to sign with anyone who offered to represent me! I've been very happy with my agent - she's done a great job of keeping me working!

How much of you is in Leon (the main character of your book)?

I'm normally a lot more reserved than Leon, but I do tend to be a smart-ass. It's my job, after all. It says so on my business card.

I notice from your site that the sequel to HTGSAIP, Pirates of the Retail Wasteland, is coming out in early 2008. When you wrote HTGSAIP, did you know there was going to be a sequel?

I wasn't sure. There's actually a version of "Pirates" that was written a couple of years before "suspended" with different characters. It never went anywhere, but after Suspended was done, I realized that putting those characters into the basic plot of "Pirates" could be a lot of fun, especially for Brian the Pyro and Edie the Communist - I really liked writing those guys and wanted to use them more. Originally I was going to set Pirates well into the future - the characters in the original version were in college - but in the end it worked better to set it just a few months later. I would have been skipping over a lot!

How many times did you (or your agent) submit HTGSAIP before it was accepted?

HTGSAIP was sent to about 10 editors a once, but we got offers on the first submit. Having been through the process before without getting an offer, this made the world seem like a much friendlier place. When I got the call, I was on my way to work at an awful tourist-trap restaurant. After 11 years of work experience and a college degree, I was still only getting the same jobs - and about the same money - that I got when I was in eighth grade. I finally felt like I had a future outside of telling people that they couldn't get a baked potato instead of cole slaw. Obviously, I wasn't able to quit my day job at that point, but I could see a light at the end of the tunnel.

What did you do when you got the call? (e.g. Scream? Hug strangers? )

I sort of went numb for a second. Then I ran around on the pier (I was working at a restaurant at Navy Pier that summer). Then, ten minutes later, I had to try WAY harder than normal to pretend that I cared about the assistant manager's shouting match of the day. But I had a goofy grin on my face the whole time, I'm sure. I didn't have a chance to really get ecstatic til the bike ride home through the city. Think George Bailey at the end of "It's a Wonderful Life."

What projects are you working on now?

Lots of them!

We still have a few things to do on Pirates of the Retail Wasteland, and then I have a couple of satires of the spelling bee genre following that - I think the first one breaks the record for most Nixon jokes ever in a kids' book.
Beyond that, there's the aforementioned mystery series, a new middle grade project, a smart-alecky nonfiction book about US History, and possibly a graphic novel and a top-secret YA project. There's also talk of doing a Weird Chicago book to go along with the tours eventually. I THINK that's everything. Except for the live album, which is now being mixed for a late summer/early fall release. It'll compile together a lot of songs about characters and places that are also mentioned in the books.

This sounds amazing! Where can people buy your book-related CD, when it's available? Do you have any other CDs?

It'll be on most of the usual CD selling sites, plus most of the digital ones, such as iTunes. It features one heck of a backing band and, including the free bonus EP, will have about 25 songs. It gives me a chance to do a better job with some of the older songs than I was capable of at the time - including my smash hit, "Pushing Cheerleaders Down the Stairs" (on which the graphic-novel-in-progress is loosely based). There aren't too many references to the songs in HTGSAIP (other than the town name), but a few more references ended up in Pirates - I liked one song character so much that I wrote her into the book!

I have a few other CDs - "Storm Shadow," "Suburban Post-Modernist," and "Clark Street Carols," that are all available on iTunes.

The "top-secret YA project" sounds intriguing. You sure you can't share any details?

The top secret one is in the earliest of stages, and, if it happens, it'll probably be under a pseudonym. It's always good to have spare proposals for a rainy day!

Could you tell me more about your graphic novel? It looks like graphic novels are becoming more and more popular with young people (and therefore with publishers). Are you doing the writing AND illustrating?

While I was cooking up new ideas earlier this year, I came up on the idea of expanding the song "Friday Avenue" into a book. Then I decided to combine it with "Pushing Cheerleaders Down the Stairs." After all, they both use the exact same D, F#7, G, D, chord pattern. After writing up a synopsis for Pushing Cheerleaders Down the Stairs, my agent suggested I try writing it as a graphic novel, which sounded like fun. I won't be doing the illustrating! There's a rather rough draft written up; I'll probably start revising it soon.

I think the biggest mistake a lot of people make is writing a lot of their own personal problems into a book. Writing about your problems can be very therapeutic, but it won't likely be all that marketable. I always try to bury anything autobiographical - it'll come out anyway, of course. I think it was Daniel Pinkwater who said there's never been a book that couldn't be subtitled "How To Be More Like Me." But write about your characters' problems, not your own. A lot of people get really upset when I say this - you always hear people say "write what you know." But there's a tendency to use that advice as an excuse not to be creative.

I'm curious about how a writer puts together a graphic novel. How detailed is the text? Do you describe each image, for example, and what text goes in what panel?

There's really no standard format - it's about like writing a screenplay, really. I might need to be more descriptive, frame by frame, than I have been so far, but so far I've just described the parts I think are really necessary to describe.

What's the main piece of advice you have for aspiring writers?

The most important thing is to write things you'd enjoy reading - one of the basic rules of writing a long project is that if it really starts to feel like work, not fun, then you're doing the wrong project. If it's not much fun (or satisfying, if it's one of those dark, depressing books) for you to write, it won't be much fun to read, either.

Also, stay away from people who think drugs will make you more creative. They won't. They might make you THINK you're being more creative, but you'll actually just end up broke. I get really sick of people who think getting wasted will make them better at writing - or anything else, for that matter.

Anything else you'd like to mention?

Don't forget to bug your local bookstore until they put HTGSAIP on the shelves! And don't forget to look for Pirates of the Retail Wasteland in February.

Since I have your attention, I'd also like to point people over to http://www.hullhouse.org - they do a lot of good work, and are worth checking into.

You can find out more information about Adam Selzer at his Web site, Adamselzer.com.

Mimi Gets Traffic

Mimi Goes Outside

Mimi's Epiphany

Why you read blogs

Thanks to Jack Ruttan for the inspiration for this week's comic, from a posted comment. I agree with him: "blog" IS an odd-sounding word. According to this Wikipedia entry, the word "blog" is a short form for the term "web log."

Thanks also to Doug Eat Doug's Brian Anderson for mentioning my comic!

I've decided, by the way, that Eliza's cat REALLY needs a name. Any suggestions?

Last week I asked why some of you read blogs. Here are some of the responses:

From Katharine Swan:

"I read blogs (primarily other writers’ blogs) for much the same reason as I write them:

1) Getting involved in the online writing community — it’s like having coworkers without the drama!

2) Getting to know other writers — I like having friends who share my passion!

3) Because it’s just darn fun… Not to mention it’s a good way to procrastinate and still feel like doing something useful. Reading blogs (as well as writing them) is my stress relief.

4) Did I mention that it’s fun?"

From Linda Blatchford:

"I read blogs to see what people are blogging about because everyone’s blogging.

I write blogs because I like to write and it’s quicker than working on the 3 books I’m writing and have to reformat to pitch again.

Love the name of your website … hmmm, maybe I should change the name of mine to 'will write ABOUT chocolate'. (I am a chocolate distributor and a chocoholic.)"

From Susan Johnston:

"I read blogs to get inspired and connect with other writers. It’s an excellent distraction when I’ve hit a brick wall with my other work."

From MStar:

"I primarily read the blogs of my favorite authors to get a little bit more of their writing in between books. I check almost daily the blogs of Meg Cabot, Scott Westerfeld, Libba Bray, and Holly Black.

Although I myself love to write and aspire to be published one day (I’m a teenager, so making it to graduation is my main concern right now), I love reading just as much, if not more."

From Chimera:

"I read blogs for the simple reason that I like reading - be it books or blogs,whats the difference? you get variety and some snippets of some ‘truth is stranger than fiction’ elements ,with an added dash of humor - it just spices up my otherwise dull and boring day at work where the only source of entertainment would be the sound of the coffee-machine!"

From Jen:

"I read blogs because they’re entertaining and informative. They allow me to connect with others out there in the void. :)"

Interview: Jurgen Wolff

(The following is an extended version of the interview I posted in Inkygirl recently)



Jurgen Wolff's screenwriting credits are impressive, including episodes he's written for Benson, Family Ties, The Love Boat, Relic Hunter and two ABC TV movies for the Olsen Twins. His original animated series, Norman Normal, has had 65 episodes produced, and he also wrote the feature film The Real Howard Spitz, which starred Kelsey Grammer of Frasier and Amanda Donohoe.

Jurgen has considerable television and film experience under his belt after 25 years in the business. "The first eight were in Los Angeles, then I moved to London because I love this city and kind of burned out in LA. Literally, unfortunately--I had a play opening in a small theater here in London and came over for the rehearsals. During that time, my house in LA burned down and destroyed everything I had. When I got back, I also developed a blood clot and while I was in the hospital I had time to think about what to do next and I decided to move to London. I make less money but I'm happier, which is a good trade-off."


Cartoon by Jurgen Wolff


Jurgen's first screenwriting sale was in sitcoms. "My first sale was for a series called Too Close For Comfort which starred Ted Knight (who before that was on The Mary Tyler Moore Show ). The producers made me show them five sample scripts for other series before they let me write a script for them. It took over two years of trying to get an agent and then get some pitching appointments before this first assignment. During that time, I was living in a studio apartment, eating mostly peanut butter sandwiches and trying to block out the noise from the hooker who lived next door."



Cartoon by Jurgen Wolff

Jurgen has been a consultant to the BBC Children's Programmes Department, and to Columbia Tri-Star Television. His books include Do Something Different (Virgin Books, 2005), Successful Sitcom Writing (St. Martin’s Press), and a co-author credit for Successful Scriptwriting (Writer's Digest Books, 1991). Jurgen is also the editor and publisher of the free creativity e-bulletin, Brainstorm, and teaches creativity workshops around the world.




When asked about the biggest misconception that new writers tend to have about screenwriting, Jurgen said that they don't tend to realize that once someone has bought your script, they have total control over it. "They can change it any way they want--and frequently do!"

Jurgen has also written an e-book called Time Management For Writers: Right-Brain Secrets For Being More Productive. An excellent book about how to manage one's time more effectively to be more productive, including some great suggestions for writers who work at home. I'm only partway through and am finding it hugely inspirational!

Jurgen's advice to aspiring screenwriters: "Write scripts that have stories that really have some meaning for you, not ones that try to out-guess what the marketplace might want. Your unique story may be harder to sell initially but ultimately it will stand out."

What he's working on now: "Preparing for the release of my new book, YOUR WRITING COACH, which comes out in the UK in April and the US in May--)I'm doing video interviews with several writers, agents, and others that will be on the book's website and serve as bonus material for each of the chapters. I'm also preparing a podcast to go with the book. Both should be live at the beginning of April. As far as script projects go, I'm in the early stages of developing an idea for a comedy-drama TV series that, ideally, would star an actor and actress who are also represented by my UK agent (it's too early to mention their names, as they don't even know yet that I'm working on this)."




You can find Jurgen Wolff's tips, ideas and inspirations for writers at his blog, Time To Write. You can also find his free creativity e-bulletin, cartoons, and other resources at his main Time To Write Web site.