I still think it’s a good idea…
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Mr. DeMille
It’s not that they won’t live up to your expectations. It’s that the moment won't be as special for them as it is for you. But how often do they meet a fan like me? You get their work on a deeper level.
I got my special moment with Mr. Nelson DeMille last week at his book signing at Long Island U. Just not in the way I imagined. During his fireside chat with rep. Steve Israel (New York’s 3rd congressional district, aka The Gold Coast) moderators passed out notecards to the audience for questions that would get handed back up.
“This one’s interesting,” Steve said. “A craft question.”
I sat up in my chair. He was going to ask mine.
“In THE MAZE you never write John Corey’s visceral reactions (e.g. ‘his heart pounded’)…meanwhile there are textbooks for aspiring writers on how to write these bodily reactions. How did you figure out this wasn’t necessary? (Thank you for the masterclass).”
You guys know me by now that only I could come up with something so Virgonian.
Mr. DeMille gazed out at the crowd.
“Who asked that?”
I raised my hand from way in the back as the whole room turned. Mr. DeMille looked at me and pressed his lips.
“I honestly don’t know,” he said. “I’ve never been asked that before and I’ve never thought about it. But now I will.”
I forgot to bring this up when it was my turn to get my book signed. You have to remember, I’ve studied Mr. DeMille’s writing in excruciating detail. I took my favorite book of his (his 600+ page tome, THE GOLD COAST aka NY's 3rd Congressional) and outlined every chapter into a massive spreadsheet (which by the way taught me nothing except that it was a work of literature and diverged greatly from the structure of commercial genre fiction. Still my favorite book).
Storygridding the Gold Coast
He started giving me the generic, “I hope you like it, etc.” about THE MAZE (which I'd already finished). Not that he wasn’t being super generous with his time but I needed to start pulling out the stops.
I showed him the first edition I had in my pocket of the first book he ever wrote which I was carrying around, an out of print pulp paper back, which I’m pretty sure he wasn’t too happy to see in the wild. I got it for study purposes. I had to see what his first book read like. (I think my first book is going to be better than his first book.)
“A collector’s item.” He turned it over in his hands. “Unfortunately it’s not very good. How much did this cost?”
"Thirty five dollars, plus shipping."
Before leaving I asked him if he wouldn’t mind sprinkling some magic on my hands.
“Why? You want to write?”
“Yup.”
“Don’t do it,” he said, and kind of smiled, which I know for any real writer is code because if
you’re that easily deterred then it's probably good advice.
As time has passed since the event I’ve found myself getting more and more satisfied with having been able to hear his response on craft. He doesn’t overthink it. He just lets it rip. I like that.
My plan is to finish editing my manuscript so I can meet him again at a fancy author event, wearing a Good Baby tank and blazer with the padded elbows except next time sitting on the same side of the table .
Happy Friday. Your pal,
Charlie
--
Hollywood Heist Tracker (checkout the backlot here)
“Be not afraid of going slowly. Be afraid only of standing still.” – Chinese proverb
The ~84K Manuscript (Ch's 1-64)
11/10/2022: Chapter 24...I'm on draft 12. Inserting voice is a whole thing, apparently.
10/27/2022: What is the Story? (Holy $h!t, has this really been almost 3 years)
12/23/2021: Chapter 18
12/16/2021: Chapter 17
12/9/2021: Chapter 16
--onto Act II !!--
12/2/2021: Chapter 15
11/25/2021: Chapters 14, 15 (Alpha reader (Nikki) is re-reviewing Act 1 based on edits from 1st rd of feedback)
11/18/2021: Chapters 12, 13
11/11/2021: Chapters 10, 11, 11b
11/4/2021: Chapters 8.5, 9
10/28/2021: Chapters 7, 8
10/21/2021: Chapters 5, 6
10/14/2021: Chapters 3,4 (Deleted Chapters 1 & 2) *hired Alpha reader (my wife)
10/7/2021: Chapters 14, 15
9/30/2021: Chapters: 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
9/23/2021: Chapters: 5, 6, 7, 8
9/16/2021: Chapters: 2b, 2c, 3, 4
9/9/2021: Chapters 1, 2
9/1/2021: Chapter 8
8/26/2021: Chapter 15
8/19/2021: Chapter 14
8/12/2021: Chapters 12,13
8/5/2021: Chapter 11
7/29/2021: Chapters 9,10
7/22/2021: Chapter 8
7/15/2021: Chapter 8
7/8/2021: Chapter 7
7/1/2021: Chapter 6
6/24/2021: Chapter 5
6/17/2021: Chapters 3,4
6/10/2021: Chapter 2c
6/3/2021: Chapters 2a, 2b
5/27/2021: Chapters 13, 14, 15 Line Edits
5/20/2021: Chapters 10, 11, 11b, 12 Line Edits - making sure the scenes turn
5/13/2021: Chapters 3,4,5,6,7,8,9 Line Edits - scrubbing the act for psychic distance
5/6/2021: Chapter 14, 15, 2a, 2b, 2c Line Edits - Meet the team & back to the opening
4/29/2021: Chapter 10, 11, 12, 13 Line Edits - the Jeff meeting
4/22/2021: Chapter 8, 9 Line Edits - Jenny at Home, back at work
4/16/2021: Chapter 7 Line Edits - Jenny at the Cabaret
4/8/2021: up to 24,233 (Ch’s 1-15) - Act I - working on line edits
4/1/2021: up to 24,233 (Ch’s 1-15) - Act I - Finally have the structure of the opening chapters down.
3/25/2021: up to 24,233 (Ch’s 1-15) - Act I
3/18/2021: up to 24,233 (Ch’s 1-15) - research, short bursts of edits, and relocating office
3/11/2021: up to 24,233 (Ch’s 1-15) - Big research week mining Blockbusters by Anita Elberse
3/4/2021; up to ~24,000 (Ch’s 1-15)
2/25/2021 up to 21,725 (Ch's 1-14)
2/18/2021: up to 17,703 (Ch's 1-11b)
2/11/2021: up to 13,384 (Ch's 1-10)
2/4/2021: up to 11,702 (Ch's 1-8)
1/28/2021: up to 6,414 (Ch's 1-6)
---[Editing Phase]---
1/21/2021: 83,613 Manuscript Complete
1/14/2021: 82,934
1/7/2021: 80,206
12/31/2020: 76,555
12/24/2020: 72,120
12/17/2020: 69,067
12/10/2020: 65,514
12/3/2020: 61,790
11/26/2020: 58,864
11/19/2020: 54,252
11/12/2020: 50,756
11/6/2020: 47,695
10/29/20: 42,097 (-250 in editing)
10/22/2020: 40,488 (-900 in editing)
10/15/2020: 38,327 (-887 in editing)
10/8/2020: 34,458
10/1/2020: 28.099
9/24/2020: 24,397
9/17/2020 19,167
9/10/2020 12,112
9/3/2020: 9,093
8/27/2020: 7,206
8/20/2020: 6.074
8/13/2020: 3,157
--reset, re-starting on draft 4---
8/7/2020: 0...
7/31/2020: forget the word tracker for now, alright?
7/24/2020: 11,373
7/17/2020: 11,373
7/10/2020: 11,373
7/3/2020: 7,955 words
Behind the scenes: charleskunken.com/hollywoodheistbacklot
Have some thoughts? Feel free to drop a comment or hit me up: charlie@charleskunken.com
Other Posts In The Hollywood Heist Series
Please judge.