When Hollywood Calls

No, sadly, Hollywood hasn’t called. Yet. Like my eternal optimism? I haven’t even signed a publishing contract and already I’m eyeballing Hollywood and dreaming of selling my books to the big and/or small screen. I remember being 9 years old and telling my mother I was going to move to Hollywood and become an actress. She threatened to disown me if I did. But seeing how supportive she is of my writing career, I’m pretty sure she’d be okay if I got in this way.

But once again, I digress. The Hollywood I’m speaking off is of the fictional kind. I was skimming through (meaning reading in wide eyed fascination) People.com and out of nowhere this idea begins to percolate. At first it was just a ‘huh, isn’t that a funny situation’ kind of thought, but as most writers know, sometimes that’s all you need. The next thing I know I have a cast of characters long enough to fill an entire season of Grey’s Anatomy (guest stars included) banging on my mental door demanding an audition.

Then as I zip over to TMZ.com I’m assaulted by more entertainment news which fuels more ideas and before I know it I have too many characters and situations to deal with.

So I do what any half-crazed, idea-soaked writer would do. I grab a new notebook and start scribbling like a mad woman every idea that pops into my cranium. I’m jotting down back stories with no idea which character they belong to, situations with no clue as to which poor sap will end up mired in them. And most importantly, I’m feeling this rush of excitement and glee at the prospect of finding out.

Granted, the Hollywood scene is a far distant cry from early Victorian England or the Old West, but I did say I wanted to branch out and try new things. So, while I finish up revisions on Salvation Falls before heading off to vacation, I will keep jotting down the ideas on the Hollywood novel, currently titled “All That Glitters” and see where it takes me.