UNDER WICKED SKY: The Road to Publication Part 3: Redemption

RECAP: In its initial form as a screenplay, Under Wicked Sky caught the interest of several indie filmmakers. Among them was a fellow we’re calling Chappie, whose output was questionable at best.

He had financing but sadly, no talent, and accordingly, a resume’ that was less than stellar. Eventually, he lost interest in the script, leaving me, blessedly, to examine other options.

A local producer/director friend, different from the zombie filmmaker, made some overtures toward taking it on. We had worked together in the past, and by “worked together” I mean I had written at least four scripts for him for “backend points” (translation: no pay) which either he lost interest in, or, like my boy Chappie – he was just fucking with me. That’s on me.

If I may step up on a soap box for a moment–

Whether in screenwriting or publication, don’t let this happen to you. Set yourself a set of rules for your involvement that benefit you enough for any unexpected hassles to be worth your time — and STICK BY THEM. No deal is worth more than your energy and well-being.

Back to Screwjob #2: More months and drafts were wasted, until I effectively severed that relationship as well. SOL eventually found its way to a reputable – if budgetarily-limited – producer in Louisiana. He put it on his slate and announced it online. Then — months and months of more nothing. Said Louisianian was operating under the same struggling economy as the rest of us, 99 percenters. The entry remains on iMDB as of this writing. 

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8846346/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_7

By this point I had largely gravitated to prose fiction. My experience with converting the Progeny screenplay (there’s another harrowing tale of Hollywood skullduggery) and having it published was the opposite of all my cynical expectations, and all my dealings with the film world. In other words — an absolute joy. I felt like SOL/UWS also had a better shot as a novel than a straight-to-vid, drop in the bucket, B feature. I went back to my original draft, tossing away any and every minute influence Chappie had contributed.

I deleted all that normie-ass horseshit straight to oblivion. And it felt amazing.

Sure enough, Sky garnered interest from publishers almost instantly. It wound up on the publication slate of a decent-sized up and coming pub house. Then — Covid 19. 

We’ve all had to make sacrifices.

The pandemic claimed this publishing company, as it did so many others, leaving Sky once again in limbo. By now, all of the previous script deals that were once in some stage of development had also failed. Nearly a dozen projects. I had an endless paper trail of broken promises, lies and if I’m honest, incidents of me humiliating myself for the sake of moving something forward, just the littlest bit. On the other, better hand, I found publishers, magazines, and book blogs incredibly receptive. It was exactly what I needed. 

I reached out to some author friends for help finding a good fit for my baby. The amazing and infinitely kind Jude Matulich-Hall, author of fantasy epic The Everstream Chronicles (find it here) gave me a name. Within thirty-six hours, Sky had its new home, with no less than Reven Tale Press, a wonderfully author-friendly imprint characterized by consummate professionalism and quick turnaround. 

No bullshit.

So, there you have it. The story of a story, how and why it came to be.

Is there a lesson here? Certainly, for me. For other authors? Well, it could be construed as a warning against the deceitful and despair-inducing black hole of screenwriting, but truth is, I know quite a few screenwriters who immediately hit with pure success, got rich their first time out, and now write movies and enjoy the lavish lifestyle one might expect. I guess the real lesson was best stated, ironically, by acclaimed screenwriter William Goldman — “Nobody knows anything.”

But there’s another quote, a more pro-active one, that also keeps me going: “Be like water. Adapt and bend,” – Bruce Lee

Buy Under Wicked Sky right here.