Started working on a screenplay tonight, up against a deadline for a contest in October.
The call for entries came a month or so ago. And while I don’t have the time or inclination to tackle one of the three or four screenplays in my head, it occurred to me that ‘The Red Boy’ might be somewhat easy to adapt for the screen.
I’m reminded of a story: A friend of Kevin Costner’s tells him about an idea he has for a screenplay. Costner loves it but tells him not to write a movie because Hollywood is notorious for destroying stories. Instead, write a novel. Then someone will make it into a movie and you (the author) get paid twice. And people will pay to see the movie and walk out saying how much better they liked the book.
That’s where ‘Dances With Wolves’ came from, or so I’ve heard.
Another saying pops to mind: Writing is like sex. First you do it for love. Then you do it for friends. Then you do it for money.
I love ‘The Red Boy’ but, boy, do I need money…