By Scott Nicholson
(A Special Guest Post from our Featured Author of the Week)
http://www.hauntedcomputer.com
Ebooks are amazing, and the potential is limited only by our imaginations.
Already, you can put a picture in a book with just a few clicks of the button, and with links, you can move out into the world of the Internet and reach sound, music, video, and more. Sure, the “enhanced ebook” is the tool of the few, and probably out of the average consumer’s price range, but soon all the tools will assimilate into one big bloggy-looking Website thingy. The only reason we even use the term “e-book” now is because it’s about all we can handle during this particular evolutionary leap.
Novels, short stories, and novellas are gimmes, as are many instructional books. But I got to thinking, “Why stop there?” Not to say I am the first writer to tackle a screenplay, but I also know it’s very difficult to inspire an agent to sell a script, or for a producer to find your book, or—what usually happens—is for cool story, hungry producer, and astute agent to all synchronize at one point in time. See how rare that can be?
So instead of waiting for Steven Spielberg to discover my scripts in the bottom of my filing cabinet, I decided to publish them as e-books and see what the market thinks. That market, by the way, might include a person who makes movies. Whether a producer or an indie director, or even somebody with a camera, drive, and a vision, anybody is better than nobody—those crickets in the empty auditorium.
I am not sure standard screenplay formatting is going to work for the average reader, since it’s a specialized format designed to help people shoot a movie. Scripts generally aren’t made for a leisurely reading experience, but my style is a bit literary anyway. From my comic-book experience, I’ve learned how to strip things to the barest of description and rely on dialogue to carry the story.
Sunday, I uploaded my script of The Skull Ring, under the title “The Skull Ring: The Movie.” Today I am uploading “Creative Spirit: The Movie.” I have three original screenplays that I will be making covers for, as well as the forthcoming “The Gorge: The Movie.” I am not sure how screenplays will sell to an e-book audience, but I hope they are instructional pieces, too, since I had to adapt the stories to a new medium.
I even started a novelization of one of my original screenplays, so maybe you will see “Meat Camp: The Novel,” coming soon to a theater near you. An ebook, I mean.
And I’m brainstorming ways to shoot a little clip from each of the movies and link to it offsite, or perhaps 
find a way to embed it in the e-book. That’s a little bit down the road, but given the direction of reading tablets, it can’t be more than a year or two, and the iPad can already handle it pretty well.
But let’s stick with the movie for now. You’ll just have to let the reels play in your head. Your movie, your way, and you even get to pick the actors.
————–
Scott Nicholson is the best-selling author of 12 novels, including the YA paranormal romance October Girls and the thrillers Disintegration, As I Die Lying, Speed Dating with the Dead, Drummer Boy, Forever Never Ends, The Skull Ring, Burial to Follow, and They Hunger. His revised novels for the U.K. Kindle are Creative Spirit, Troubled, and Solom. He’s also written four comic series, six screenplays, and more than 60 short stories. His story collections include Ashes, Curtains, The First, Murdermouth: Zombie Bits, and Flowers.
To be eligible for the Kindle DX or Kindle 3, simply post a comment below with contact info. Feel free to debate and discuss the topic, but you will only be entered once per blog. I’m also giving away a Kindle 3 through the tour newsletter and a Pandora’s Box of free e-books to a follower of “hauntedcomputer” on Twitter. Thanks for playing. Complete details at http://www.hauntedcomputer.com/blogtour.htm
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This is an interesting idea. I actually like reading screenplays for leisure. I’m still trying to figure out how I feel about the whole e-book phenomena though. And I know it’s not going anywhere so I’m trying to figure out how to actually utilize it. Great idea!
Hmm…I may have to check one of these out.
-Neal
Screenplays are not my cup of tea, but movies are, and your ideas may make your scripts more saleable.
I’m not sure I’d enjoy reading a screenplay for pleasure but it would be fun to put together a ‘movie’ with friends using it. Just for fun, of course.
candace_redinger at yahoo dot com
Cool concept. It will be interesting to see how these sell and if you get picked up for a movie . . . or two.
randymir@gmail.com
It might be confusing to the ebook consumer. I know I would be disappointed if I accidentally downloaded a script when I wanted a novel. Not that scripts are bad it is just not what I like to read. Reg.
hufflepuffgrl13 at yahoo dot com
Enter me please!
ashleysbookshelf at gmail dot com
Great idea to publish your scripts as ebooks.
eddiem11@ca.rr.com
Now I’ve got images of Meat Camp: The Movie playing in my head, and it ain’t too pretty, lol.
caity_mack at yahoo dot com
Thanks for another chance to win. bkhabel at gmail dot com
Loved the post!
vicky.vak8(at)gmail.com
Cool idea! Wouldn’t that be something to see one of your books as a movie?
Oops… my email address:
lorraine_lanning[at]yahoo[dot]com
Thanks for the chance to win!
Great! You’ve come up with things that have not crossed my mind, I hope there’s more! Interactive is neat-o! Keep it coming!
Jeff White…. whitejw@ameritech.net
Scott, count me in for the Kindle please! Got to get back to Cursed!
Paul
mrluckyATcharterDOTnet
I would love to some of your books become movies
Thanks
Candy
dragonfly1976@gmail.com
Publishing screenplays? Hunh. If it works, it works, but I can’t say I’ve ever had an inkling to read a screenplay … unless I want to see where the studios went horribly, horribly wrong.
Thats awsome– the movies in my head are always better than the ones on screee! I.pearson@comcast.net
Screenplays as ebooks – good idea. It might just get to the right person. I think your style is perfect for film.
byonge@lonepinetv.com
Regge, hopefully people actually read the product description before they buy. It clearly states the “book” is a screenplay, and actually says so several times. And people can return any product within seven days anyway. That’s actually a decent argument for charging more, so that people don’t “impulse buy” and then hate their impulses–or, more likely, blame the writer. I mean, if I saw a book labeled “The Movie,” I’d sort of be curious.
Anyway, like everything else, this is an experiment.
Scott
I can’t wait to read these as I like reading screenplays and plays.
I am still following the hop. Great post, Scott.
Chrizette
Keep up the good work Scott!!
I think The Red Church would make a good movie.
canadell@bellsouth.net
Count me in too
Barry
anamchara@gmail.com
While I think it’s an interesting idea to do this for your screenplays they aren’t something I shall be reading. At least not while in screenplay format. But if I’m ever asked if I know of a good screenplay I’ll be sure to point them in your direction!
teawench at gmail dot com
It’s great that you’re getting your screenplays out there!
chey127 at hotmail dot com
Interesting. I have often wondered about the process of changing over a novel to a screenplay.
I may be something of a Luddite, but e-book is about as far as I can go. I see the different media (books, movies, TV, etc.) as totally separate entertainment options. When I want to watch a movie, a book won’t do; TV won’t substitute for the radio; etc. I can see the youngsters going for this sort of thing, though.
dulcibelle [at] earthlink [dot] net
I am suddenly envisioning myself reading in bed with my earphones in hearing not the naration of the book (’cause I am reading it… duh!) but the sounds… music, traffic, wind, sex (lol) etc.
I like the concept. Maybe soon?
nedsped at verizon dot net
Oy. I really need to proof my posts. Sorry.
Ooh – you write YA books, too? I love those – they’re quick enough to read in an evening!
I used to read screenplays for fun. Usually when I didn’t have a movie to watch! Good luck with this idea of a screenplay as an ebook. I think it’s a good one.
blue_krista83@hotmail.com
Meat Camp: The Novel. Is the meat bacon?
sallyjoATgmailDOTcom
Keep on innovatin’, Scott!
Screenplay, movie? Hmm? Huh? I think I’m a little lost.
Christa
cpolkinhorn@msn.com
And where is Monster A Go-Go? Did he get censored AGAIN?
Too bad.
Christa
Sounds like an interesting idea. I don’t know how happy I would be with downloading something I thought was a book and turned out to be a screenplay. I guess as long as in the description it stated it was a screenplay that would be ok.
No screenplays, no movies.
kissinoak at frontier dot com
Good luck with your screen plays
bluefrog62@yahoo.com
Cant wait to read these.
monacart32 at hotmail dot com
I just found out today that you can rent movies from Amazon (for online viewing). I had no idea. The television as we know it will soon be a relic of the past. Your computer will be your television. It already is for us. We have no cable service to our house and watch TV shows at Hulu. We still use the television to watch DVDs, but that’s mostly because we don’t have recliners in the computer room (nor computer in the living room).
Write2Bev AT gmail.com
Well, I never thought I would enjoy reading YA vampire books, but woops…I did! So, you never know exactly what might just get inside your head when you click it up and read it!
Kudos again!
Cici
cicistheories@gmail.com
Wow.. Interesting concept. Screenplays in e-book? Can’t hurt to try.
Count me in for a Kindle!
LaQuiet(at)gmail(dot)com
You continue to surprise and amaze me.
Gail in Florida
cowgirl3000 AT gmail DOT com
Fantastic idea! I have heard of Producers and Directors creatively searching for new stories to film, plus a lot of actors like to shop for great scripts. Not farfetched to think they might browse the Kindle store to see what they find. Thanks for sharing. varbonoff22 at cox dot net
what an intriguing idea. I’m thinking I should tell our high school theater department about this – in fact I will. How cool would it be to find something that has never actually been done!
deedeekm@gmail.com
Yesh, I won’t be reading screenplays, but there are definitely people out there that would love them! I’m sticking to good old ebooks.
emilyking630 at yahoo dot com
I can see the finish line!
anamlgrl@yahoo.com
anamlgrl@gmail.com
@Riva, just keep on living in the present as it becomes the past!
@barbara yes on YA and my first children’s book is in proofed stage right now
@bev since netflix I have only redboxed one or two movies and have only gone to a couple of theater shows. The 3-d was $10.50 for a matinee–yikes!
Monster a Go Go’s official entry for this stop:
Then there are those more “adult” screenplays you’ve been trying to get produced–I’m surprised you didn’t mention those, but then, again, maybe that’s another blog stop entry? After all, in those “movies”, YOU want to star in them. “Goats Gone Wild,” “Goat Pen of Pleasures,” “Horny” and “Teats in 3D” are just some of the many “movie screenplays” you’ve wasted your time…er, worked so hard on. But the one you are most anxious to make is your Vladimir Nabokov knock-off about shocking underage goat love saga, “Goatlita”–with YOU in the Humbert Humbert role, of course. The really appalling thing is, even though you have NO backers for “Goatlita”, you’ve been holding open casting calls, “auditioning” innocent, young goats for MONTHS!
EEEww–the mental movie that conjures is just disturbing and wrong. Ugh! Just thinking about it makes me feel so soiled and unclean. I need to take a shower (well, I do ANYWAY as I need to get to work…).
Monster
Scott’s writing is wicked! Please enter me to win-thanks!
gwendolyn_gwen @ hotmail .com
I’ve never read a screenplay before. Might just have to try it out!
authorjcphelps @ yahoo.com
Good luck with this Scott. As you know, I’ve gone the opposite route turning my screenplays into e-books. It remains to be seen if there’s a niche market out there for original screenplays, but going the e-book route is an interesting way to test the waters. As is said; “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”
J.T. Cummins
Author & Screenwriter
Cobblestones
Sounds good! Count me in the giveaway, please.
ha…i thought i had lost you but no, i found you! spvaughan@yahoo.com
Neat idea, Scott.
jamesemr (at) gmail (dot) com
Ha, Monster is back. I really want to see “Goatlita”.
Christa
I always figured that you just wrote the book and then if it was a popular book, the movie people would contact you about making it into a movie and then write their own version of it. But I think that your writing the screenplay would be fun to read how it differs from the novel.
jessangil at gmail dot com
-Jessica
I would LOVE a Kindle DX. Thanks for the opportunity to win one!
Screenplays as e-books. Genius!
kristiedonelson(at)gmail(dot)com
Need another kindle. My son starting reading a book on my kindle last night and loved it. Too many readers in my house and not enough kindles….
dwdorow@gmail.com
thrillersrus.blogspot.com
eBooks will only be limited to one’s imagination as technology continues to change.
dalelmurphy(at)gravesidetales(dot)com
It’s a clever idea to get more people interested in the work, but it might capture even more numbers if the work was produced as small films online so it can capture the visuals of your words.
lenikaye@yahoo.com
It’s great to see you experimenting and trying new things to see what would work and what won’t. I most likely won’t buy the screenplays but don’t let that stop you from trying! I wish you the best of luck!
-Jesse
conrad.jd (at) gmail (dot) com
I am one that thinks screen plays are hard to read but with the digital age it may be easier-something to try.
hmhenderson AT yahoo DOT com
Not quite sure I’d be interested in purchasing screenplays. It would really be something to see one of your books as a movie though!
purposedrivenlife4you at gmail dot com
Thank you for the post. Enter me to win also please tiffypoot @ (aol.com)
Books to me will always be better then movies because you see in your head what you want to see.and not what movie drecters want you to see.
Happy Thanks giving Scott
sasluvbooks(at)yahoo.com
Can’t hurt, Scott. Good luck–maybe I should try it, too.
Can’t hurt, Scott. Good luck–maybe I should try it, too.
Twitter: MachineTrooper
Oo, I like the idea of being able to “enhance” books with pictures, audio, etc. This takes reading to an all new level!
Margay1122(at)aol(dot)com
I enjoyed the post and the blog tour. I look forward to some more interesting posts.
Thanks,
Tracey D
booklover0226 at gmail dot com
I really shouldn’t be reading any more of these postings as I find myself wanting to read everything you’re talking about! That is a good thing though. Lost ya for a while in the paperback book section of the book stores so it is fantastic to find you in the e world.
All the best,
pjtansey@hotmail.com
I so love the above books. Have to read them.
dor
The more exposure the better, right? I bought Stephen king’s screenplay for Storm of the century – someone will buy it!
inannajourney at gmail dot com
Interesting idea. I would not enjoy reading screenplays, though. Good books play like movies in my head anyway!
dreamer dot ima at gmail dot com
You have a couple of good colleges in your neck of the woods. I would think either of their arts departments would have a videography section and I know UNCA has a drama department and would assume Appalachian State does also. If you wanted clips for your e-books or even for a youtube spot to promote your books, it would probably make a good project for them. It could be a class project or an individual’s semester project. How often do they have the author close by to touch base with to make sure what they are presenting is what the author meant.
librarypat AT comcast DOT net
Cool idea. Publishing screenplays is a good move. I read the screenplay to Dogma, and I loved it! It was like watching the movie, only way, way better.
Stefanie647@msn.com
The screenplay eBook is something I dabbled in back in 2005 when my company (Coscom Entertainment) published the screenplay for The Wraith. We published it in paperback and eBook. And the eBook sold, so there are indeed folks out there wanting to read screenplays in eBook format.
You’re on the right track, Scott.
Coscomentertainment [at] gmail [dot] com
http://www.canisterx.com
POSSESSION OF THE DEAD and ZOMBIE FIGHT NIGHT (and others) at the Amazon Kindle store. Grab your copies here!
Thanks for the post!
brandy_jolene at yahoo dot com
The Red Church would be a good movie
I still don’t have any sort of e-reader other than my iPhone, but I REALLY want one! My Mom just got one and went to an instructional demo at our Chicago Public Lib to learn how to use it. How cool is that? Enter me please Scott!
emily_erickson@yahoo.com
Thanks!
Emily ebdye1(at)gmail(dot)com
Came for the giveaway, but I keep getting caught up in the essays. Thanks, thanks, thanks.
wordygirl at earthlink dot net
Never read a screen play, but thanks.
cjwallace43 at gmail dot com
Hi Scott, Why don’t you just make your own movie? If you do maybe the film industry will see it and call you about making film of one of your books. Something to think about.
Still following you and sorry your tour will be ending soon.
oooh love the idea of short clips!
hancoci_s at msn dot com
Tis a good idea, gets you “out there”
gem.wood@gmail.com
I agree with some of previous comments screenplays are not my cup of tea but I love envisioning how a movie should be played out based on a book
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
@leni thanks for the idea–from my minimal work in video production, I know how time-consuming it is to do even a little bit. Still, we’ll see what happens next year!
@sharon I have a comic script for The Red Church, we did six or seven pages before the artists vanished!
@library pat That’s good idea to exploit free labor–er, I mean, create an internship–for video work.
Good luck, everyone!
Scott
Interesting idea! I’m working on 3 scripts based on my novels. It’s a whole different process. I really enjoy it.
Good luck
wildlypoetic at gmail dot com
It sounds like genius to me! I think you’re on to something here.
Is the blog tour almost over? I’m going to miss these posts.
truebookaddictATgmailDOTcom
I always imagine my favorite books as movies and you’re right, the actors could be absolutely anyone, maybe not even actors. lol
deidre_durance at hotmail dot com
91 comments, thank you and good luck with the contest! Only a week left before the drawing!
Scott
That, my friend, is why we LOVE you.
Great tour!