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Welcome back to another Author’s Corner. I hope you all had a very happy Holiday Season. It certainly was a busy one. During the holidays, I’ve tried to make it a point to get together with relatives as much as possible. It’s amazing how fast time goes by and we don’t see family members. Let’s hope that 2007 holds some pleasant surprises for all of us.
Since last time, I’ve committed to a new horror screenplay entitled Night Creeps. I’m trying to create something new and frightening in a way that we haven’t seen before. That’s tough to do in a world where it seems like everything’s been done already. I hope to have this completed by early March.
I’m also working on the fourth episode for the Dark Horizon TV series. This has been a little tough because I don’t want to overlap into scenes from the new Space Frontiers series but I do want to use the series to provide background to how scenes in the new series came about. I do enjoy creating new scenes in the series for Billy Brock and his gothic wife, Tera. I just don’t want to steal from Will Saris’ scenes in Space Frontiers.
My recent thriller, The Queen of Spades, is currently under consideration by Cycle Films. I probably won’t hear back from them for a while yet. Marty Katz Productions has expressed an interest in The Christmas Solution and is considering the screenplay as we speak. Orly Adelson Productions was interested previously and I believe they still are. I haven’t heard anything recently from The Screenplay Agency, my representation for The Christmas Solution.
Du Jour Entertainment is working on the packaging and budgeting for the Fractured Time screenplay and I’m hoping to have a decision from them by the end of May. If things work out, I believe this will open the door for the TV series for Fractured Time, Twisted Fate and Dark Horizon as well as the screenplays for TF and DH.
I’m stepping up my soliciting for The Eye of Icarus screenplay. I haven’t heard anything from The Abacus Group, my representation for this project, in a little while. I’m not always content to sit back and wait for the agents to do their thing. I have Leviathan, based on part 2 of the Eye of Icarus novel completed as well. I’m pondering whether to go to just TV series based on future books or keep the format used in the Fractured Time trilogy – one screenplay and thirteen episodes. I’ll have to wait and see before making that decision.
The Robbins Agency, my representation for the Fractured Time trilogy, is awaiting responses from several publishers. We’re hoping to sell the rights to a publisher with better access to the bookstores’ shelves.
New York Literary, my representation for the new Eye of Icarus from the Space Frontiers series, is awaiting responses from several publishers in regard to publishing the new series. I hope to have answers by early March.
I’m waiting for confirmation from a number of the science fiction conventions across the country. I will definitely be appearing at RavenCon (Richmond) in April and ConCarolinas (Charlotte) in June. StellarCon (High Point, NC in March) and LunaCon (Rye Brook, NY in March also) haven’t responded back yet and it’s getting a little close. I’m also waiting fro word from Shore Leave (Baltimore in July), Archon (St. Louis in August) and MileHiCon (Denver in October) although they are still a ways out.
The conventions are run by volunteers who are usually pretty busy in preparing for their conventions so in many cases, it’s necessary to keep after them.
This month’s writer’s tip is about querying your screenplay. I’m finding that producers and agents are responding more when you submit through a paid service than by submitting directly. I found this out by sending a query in July to one company and didn’t receive a response. I queried them through www.virtualpitchfest.com and received a response in three days. Coincidently, they asked to see a copy of one screenplay. I have found this service to be efficient although the drawback is that most of the selected producers and agents never seem to be looking for what I send them.
Another option is www.inktip.com. I’ve had similar instances with them although I subscribed to their preferred newsletter and every few weeks I receive an e-mail with about six companies and exactly what they’re looking for. I like this much better.
Join me next month for another Author’s Corner. Thanks again for joining me.
- Michael D'Ambrosio
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