Yes, thanks.
I have written a novel (it was not a best-selling novel; in fact I’ve written several) and by the end of them, by the time they came out in print, I was so sick of them. Of course then I had to go and promote them.
Now I really like writing, but I guess I also have a short attention span, or something–but really, the number of times you have to go over something before and after you sell it to a publishing house is just amazing. (I guess maybe Stephen King sends in his first drafts. No, come to think of it, I bet he doesn’t.)
Anyway, the gist of it is–I would not want another thing to do with that novel. So $2M for me. They can do what they want. They might well improve it.
I’d take the million. I don’t have many demands, but my story which would be most likely to reach that stage is one that could be twisted into something terrible (it is in fact an attempt to untwist an offensively terrible story). I’d at least want the ability to tell them not to turn it into the thing it stands against.
If it makes you feel better, it was clear to me. And a great question, too.
It’s not like the book was the epitome of classic literature.
I’d take the money, and they can bastardize my creation in any way they want.
If I get control, with no wrangling, i.e. what I say goes, then I’ll take the $1m option. I have enough knowledge on how to make a movie for my vision to be worthwhile and for the work to not be daunting. I’d delegate most responsibilities, as you do, and try not to have them be Yes Men so it wouldn’t be a self-indulgent clusterfuck.
Making creative decisions is something I would be very comfortable doing.
Thanks! 
People work their entire lives without managing to save $1 million. Why would I need to quibble over a second million, let alone sell out my baby for that?
You gave us too attractive a middle choice, I think. I was seriously considering not selling the movie rights, but getting $1 million and full control is sheer arrogant control fantasy, and yeah, why not take it?
This, to me, is a no-brainer. It’s my creative work, and I’d never agree to someone’s bastardization of it, for any amount of money. Plus: at my age, I could live very comfortably for the rest of my life on $1 million. I don’t need another million, at the expense of my integrity.
I wouldn’t care what they did to the book when it went on the screen. That extra million would take care of the pain. Folks could still read the book itself.
I’ve seen tons of movies made from books. All some of them had in common was the title. In many cases I still liked the movie, although the book was better.
In a few cases I thought the movie was better. Anyone actually read Jaws? A rather ordinary potboiler. But the movie is one of my top twenty favorite films.
“Willy Wonka” was a HUGE improvement over the book, for me. Not even close. I wouldn’t want to be the Roald Dahl who interfered with such a thing, and I WOULD be that person, because I have no grasp whatsoever of what makes a good film.
One of the things that’s changed since then is Roald Dahl’s original description of the Oompa-Loompas as imported African pygmies.
The film producers - over Dahl’s objections - radically changed them to orange skinned creatures. You can imagine they were…ambivalent about the concept of a factory owner importing a bunch of indigenous foreign peoples to work without pay, who further aren’t allowed to learn about the rest of the world outside the factory.
Dahl himself, after extended urging of his publishers, eventually saw the wisdom of the change, even changing their description in later editions of the book, though he did decry the “Nazi like” actions of people who objected to his original description.
There’s also Anne Rice and the casting of Tom Cruise as Lestat in “Interview with the Vampire”. She hated the casting choice and wanted a change. That is, until she watched the final product and admitted it was a good choice.
What a writer might consider “bastardization” may just be ego or an insufficient appreciation of different media or cultures.
I did read Jaws, the movie was far better. Same with The Godfather and that was a really good book. Jurassic Park, the movie is another good example. With Jaws & Jurassic Park I read the books first and thought the movies improved both.
I agree.
I wouldn’t sell the movie rights. I don’t care how much money they offer.
Now if HBO or AMC wanted to do a series, then I’d cave. TV’s where the good stuff is now.
Visual Voicemail is the best thing ever invented for us J. D. Salinger types.
Stephen King reportedly hated the film versions of The Shining and Carrie, which are considered to be cinematic masterpieces. He had Creative Control over Maximum Overdrive, which is generally considered to be one of the worst films ever made.
I think it would depend on which producer or director was involved. If it was someone whose work I respected, I would probably sell out for the big paycheck.
But I would try to retain the rights to produce my own low-budget direct-to-video version later.
Not that extreme, but it would be enough to be very vexing.
For instance, if you’re a liberal, then they might flip a liberal-supporting novel into making the conservatives the good guys and the liberals the bad guys. Or if you’re supporting amnesty and a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants, they might portray illegal immigrants as coming to snatch away jobs, welfare, benefits, etc.
To be fair, Jack Nicholson has three Oscars; Steven Weber, zero Emmy nominations.
In real life, what I would do is sell the rights to my novel, but insist on writing the first script as part of the contract. That way, I get membership in the Writers’ Guild and its contractual protections of my creative rights. At a minimum I would get “Story by” credit, unless drastic changes were made by later writers. (There will almost always be later writers after the first draft.) The “the Story by” credit will come in handy when and if I want to seek work in Hollywood as a credited or uncredited screenwriter on other projects. I also get credits towards the Guild’s health and pension plans.
$2 million cash is one hell of a health and pension plan.