Today I received another film inquiry for King of the Screw Ups. Right now they’re just that… inquiries, but I will say this: I’ve never had quite so much interest, quite so fast. Now if there’s a cardinal rule among authors regarding film adaptations it is probably “Thou shalt Not Get Thy Hopes Up”. And having worked at a literary agency, I know this better than most. It is extremely rare for a book to get optioned (meaning a studio or independent buyer pays to reserve the rights so no one else can develop the project). It’s even more rare that an optioned book will actually get made into a movie.

Why? you may ask… well, sometimes a book is optioned by someone who hopes to get a studio to pick up the script. And the studios decline to do so. Sometimes a book is optioned and then time, money, or enthusiasm runs out before a film can get made. Sometimes the executive who buys the book and champions it at the studio leaves and the book is left to collect dust. Occasionally (although you didn’t hear it from me!) a book might be optioned in order to take it off the market so no one else can make a film that might compete with another film that a studio already has in development. This would be downright cruel, of course. Leading a poor author on like that…

So, there are a ton of reasons a book option, as exciting as it is, doesn’t always translate into a movie. But let’s just say it does… even then we’re not always talking blockbuster film that shows at your local cinema. Plenty of movies get made into independent films (which rock), or they might go straight to DVD, or they might make it to TV instead of the big screen. Lots of options, all of which I suspect would be fun from the author’s point of view — I mean, hey, it’s still someone adapting your work on screen!

But you can begin to see why “Thou Shalt Not Get thy Hopes Up” is a wise rule to live by when it comes to the movie business. Still, every now and then I indulge. And with King of the Screwups I’ve been indulging in the occasional five minute fantasy where I imagine Liam on the big screen. Maybe it’s because he’s such a perfect Hollywood character — a drop dead gorgeous guy — that I can picture someone actually developing this book into a movie. Everyone knows the nerd who wants to be popular plot is a classic movie stand-by, but has anyone tried turning this upside down? Of course I’m biased, but I think watching a popular guy desperately try to become a nerd would be a lot of fun. Throw in some top notch fashion and good old fashioned glam and . . .

*sigh*

Looks like my five minutes are up! Now back to reality. :-}