The Worlds of Michael D'Ambrosio

Welcome back to another edition of Author’s Corner. I see that the Screen Actors’ Guild in Los Angeles has settled on a new contract with the motion picture producers. I expect that the number of leads coming out for screenplays should significantly increase finally. During the drought, I entered my screenplays into contests with Story Pros and Wild Sound.

I also subscribed for feedback on each project which was my main goal anyway and was very pleased with the responses from both. While I think that each script was very good, I found that I could take it to another level of detail thanks to the contest committees. It wasn’t hard to edit based on their recommendations, it was just a matter of realizing what could be added to enhance the story to a viewer.

Such things as implementing flashbacks, bits of characters’ pasts, and a broader description in the world that they play instead of just the scene itself can be used to make a script much more attractive. There are some things that you can only learn from experience.

My horror story, Night Creeps, was submitted and accepted by Helm Publishing, my current publisher for Space Frontiers. I’ve given up on responses from big publishers and continue my run with Helm with whom I’ve been very pleased.

The Devil’s Playground, book three of the Space Frontiers Series, will likely be released by Helm in the second half of 2010. Thus far, the series has done very well with The Eye of Icarus and Dangerous Liaisons. The series has really caught on with the younger readers (ages 12-18).

I’m still constructing the story lines for Galaxy of the Damned and book 5, untitled as of yet. I do expect this series to extend to at least ten books.

Coming up for me is WesterCon in Phoenix and Context in Columbus. If you are in either of those areas and would like to talk about writing with books or screenplays, you are welcome to join me for a discussion on most any topics. Join me again in August for an update on my worlds of science fiction and fantasy.

Thanks again,

- Michael D’Ambrosio