I don't know about the rest of you guys who are writing a novel at the moment, but I am prone to fantastical flights of fancy where I imagine which actors will play the parts in the film adaptations of my books and which tropical island I will retire to when I am filthy stinking rich.
These all day and night dreams usually end up with me going over and over in my head how awful some of the casting for my fav books which have been made into movies have been. That sort of steam rolls into how restrictive traditional publishing seems and then that starts me contemplating the advantages of self publishing.
Yes people, as you can see, I have control issues. I'm sure many authors feel the same way about their books. Sometimes I look at book covers and think "There is no way the author had any say in this" and it's that thought more than anything which is pushing me to self publish. I don't think I could relinquish control of my MS enough to let someone else who isn't as passionate as I am come up with something as important as a cover. Unless it's better than I could do myself. There are many other advantages to self publishing that I have recently found out. The more I learn, the better it sounds.
Of course traditional publishing is still the dream. I can't think of anything I want more than to see my book on a shelf in a book store, but if that doesn't ever happen it's not the end of the world.
And speaking of novels to movies, if you guys had to choose, who would play the lead parts for characters in your books? For my Iron Willed series I would have to go for Kristin Kruek as Willow and Ben Barnes as Ryan.
Ooh, don't we all fantasise? I think I'll have Viggo Mortensen or Sean Bean (haven't decided yet) as Sire Geraint, the werewolf knight in my book, and I've recently decided that, though he's a bit too old for the part, I'd like Jamie Bell for Etienne. It's amazing how they can youthen actors and they're having a forty-year-old as Phryne Fisher in the planned TV series, with the author's approval.
ReplyDeleteI can't decide between Viggo or Sean either. Maybe Sean because he strikes me as more wolfish. Don't ask me how I came to this conclusion! I don't know about the forty year old playing a twenty eight year old. Hollywood isn't THAT good!
DeleteControl is what Im loving the most about my own self-publ journey, so defn can agree with this one. (maybe one day I will love the millions but until then...I'll settle for being happy to be the total boss of my books, covers, trailers, promos and more! lol)
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of control and movie adaptions. My daughter asked me waaay back when I'd only written 100 pages of my book - "when they make a movie of it, can you choose who will act in it? Can i please be the star?" Now that's a whole lot of long term vision and faith in her mothers book AND her mother's control of her book!
I dunno Lani, I can so see TELESA as a movie. Maybe by then Bella will be old enough to play Leila :)
DeleteBen Barnes could play anybody, and I'd be fine with that. Just sayin'...in fact, could probably read the grocery list, and I'd be okay with that...
ReplyDeleteHahaha. I would love for him to lend his voice to an audiobook. It would be perfect.
DeleteLOL don't worry, Lan -- I do the same thing sometimes! x) I'm sure that every writer can picture their movie on the big screen too which always leads to who you want to cast as your characters... which is always so hard LOL! I think it's difficult enough for us to see actors cast for movies of books we've already read because we always have a picture in our mind, but it's even HARDER for our own books because our mental image is practically solid! :P
ReplyDeleteBut oh my gosh, I LOVE Kristin Kruek (watched her in Smallville when I was little -- she was my favourite)! And Ben Barnes will take over the world one day, I swear! ;)
Love this post, Lan! :) I love these writer disscussions!
I think you've just said exactly what I wanted to say in this post only better. I swear Mimi, sometimes I forget you're 15. I'm glad you enjoy these discussions because I am just using you guys as guinea pigs :)
DeleteThe MS I have finished I have three central main characters. I couldn't tell you who could play my female main character, or her man, just because, well it might take me a week of going through stuff to figure that out. Though the third main character I thought of someone almost at once, and that would be Joe Anderson.
ReplyDeleteBeth, I think you are the most writerly one amongst us. I just like to find very unhelpful ways to procrastinate!
DeleteUsually when I imagine actors in the role of my MC's love interest, it revolves around my current celebrity crushes, even if they look nothing like the character in my book... Lol. It's fun to imagine though. ;)
ReplyDeleteLOL!! That's exactly what I do! For the whole of the Hunger Games, I imagined Gale to be blonde for some reason even though its very clearly stated that he isn't. I just thought it up in my head based on Alex Pettyfer after seeing I Am Number Four and that's how it stayed.
DeleteHey Lan,
ReplyDeleteThis is soooooo hard for me. Finding the perfect person to play my characters should be easy, right? Yeah, no. I think that's b/c I focus more on personality than actual physical characteristics. I'm actually trying to revise now and put in more of what the characters actually LOOK LIKE, and it is hard. I guess, I just always wanted it to be open so people could put their own take on it. But I will prevail. Never give up, never surrender :p
Hope you're having a good one,
Ninja Girl
Now I feel shallow! I just focus on the physical stuff and then force them to have certain characteristics. Leaving it open so people can have their own take on it is a great idea.
DeleteOh, those are good choices for your characters. I pretty much imagined Willow looking like Kristen. Although, I didn't know Willow was part Asian. Is she? I still need you to rewrite it so I can find out, lol!
ReplyDeleteI don't think I necessarily use actors to imagine my characters. I think of them the way I do my own art design. When I draw a character, I take from what I like in real life, or someone else's art, then reimagine them for my character. Often, they look a lot like my favorite anime characters rather than living actors.
Self-publishing rules! But, you know I know that...
You know, you're supposed to be my critique partner but I think you're the only person I haven't let read the full 5 chapters I had out for beta reading! Yeah Willow is half English half Vietnamese. I have zero creativity of my own, so I just borrow what's already out there :)
DeleteI always think it's interesting when authors say who they would cast for their characters--it definitely gives insight into how they imagine their character to be.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to know if an author ever went mental over who was eventually cast in a movie of their book because they disliked them so much. Now THAT would be awesome.
DeleteI do the same thing! Every character I've created, I've cast someone for them. It's a writer thing, I think!
ReplyDeleteWishful thinking Molli :) I do it for the inspiration because I know it probably will never happen, but who know?!?
DeleteWell, I'm a control freak too so I have nothing to add to that topic, but if you're book gets made into a movie and Ben Barnes is in it...I'll sooooo be there! ;)
ReplyDeleteWhat? You mean you won't be there anyway? I'll just have to make sure he's in it. Should I add in a soccer team while I'm at it? ;P
DeleteI think it's totally a positive control issue to take charge ( and accountability) for EVERYTHING. I'd want to at least.
ReplyDeleteI dont write but even reading I usually picture an actor or actress that I think sounds like the character to me, just for a visual.
Rachel Bilson and Josh Hartnett are in a lot of YA books I read. lol