A message from SE to malazanempire (2004)


source: http://www.malazanempire.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1046

 

 

Hi all,

 

So it's been a year and a half, has it? Yikes. Problem was, including reprints, I have six books coming out this year, and that along with meetings on film and television stuff, pitches and the like, I'm afraid I've not had the energy or time to bear down and tackle all you folk -- although I do check things out once a week or so.

 

Now, Patch called a few hours ago, and I've just read through the movie thread. So, just to clear things up:

 

1. Patch is a producer working with another producer on a number of projects, both film and television, that I have co-written with Ian C. Esslemont (cf 'Night of Knives'); and some other authors, including David Keck (TOR, first novel not yet released). Of those, 'Chain of Dogs' is at first draft stage, and I am indeed working closely with Patch on this project.

 

2. As Patch noted, I have a novel called 'When She's Gone' written as Steve Lundin (find details on amazon.ca) which will be coming out in October from Great Plains Publishing.

 

3. Patch is one of four advance readers I consistently engage, not only with the Malazan novels but also with whatever else I write (as fiction, television and film). And yes, he's a good friend.

 

4. Ian Esslemont and I have had brushes with the film industry years ago, with a script twice optioned and another with rights sold (not that anything came of that one, which is fairly typical), and the challenge for writers is singular -- finding a producer who won't go ego-crazy when it comes to creative control, and man, that is a rare thing. It's commonplace to relegate the writers to the lowest rung on the ladder and do everything possible to keep 'em there -- and here's an example (more recent): we put together a pitch for an SF series and fired it to a production company -- they came back pretty fast with an offer to buy it, but that offer was essentially 'good going, guys, now we'll take it from here.' So we counter-offered with something a bit more equitable, and there it now sits. Pending.

 

Now, with Patch, the situation is entirely different. Enough so that he's now shopping seven projects that have my name on them somewhere, along with Cam (Ian) and a few other co-writers. His challenge -- and here I have great sympathy for him -- is trying to jump through the hoops of Telefilm Canada and CRTC Canadian-content regulations, which in my opinion do little more that hamstring ambitious projects in favour of safe, mediocre ones (now, that may sound arrogant, but of all of you out there who might know something about Canadian film, can any of you envisage Telefilm backing/funding 'Chain of Dogs?' Honestly now....)

 

Right. Leaving the option of private funding, and that usually takes time, and that's where we are in all of this. That, and co-production with other countries. All complicated and time-consuming ... so I don't envy Patch, but if anybody can pull it off, he can.

 

So, if I may be so bold, cut him a little slack, will you? And if you like the idea of a film version of Chain of Dogs, then talk it up and feed the buzz.

 

A few other notes, unrelated....

 

No, I have no say in cover art and I don't know any writer who does. My only two exceptions were 'A Ruin of Feathers' which has one of my paintings on the cover, and the upcoming 'When She's Gone,' which has been done by a local artist I know well.

 

If I can, I'll swing over to the Q&A thread and see what I can do to respond more at length on various subjects (I'm getting requests for interviews with lists of questions pretty much every week right now, and while I do my best to respond to them, sometimes even those have to wait).

 

Regards the sixth novel in the Malazan series ... I anticipate finishing by December. I understand Bantam was looking at an April release -- maybe that's still possible....

 

 

Cheers,

steve