The Cost of Making Movies: Why Film is So Expensive

As I wrote in my guest post at Cogswell College’s blog, I had the privilege of hearing a Hollywood producer discuss the process of converting a story from book to screen at this year’s San Francisco Writer’s Conference. There’s quite the demand for adaptations, apparently. As our guest said at the panel, “Everyone is looking for a built-in audience.”

And so they are. While original screenplays accounted for over 50% of motion picture market share in the years 1995 through 2000, since then they have undergone a bumpy decline. In 2012, just under 40% of the market comprised films produced from original screenplays. (See for yourself at The Numbers.) A 10% decline may not seem like much, but a downward trend is apparent. Gross ticket sales paint grim picture: original movies sold over 500,000 tickets in 1995. In 2012, they sold less than 200,000.

Cogswell Guest Post About SFWC

I've recently had the privilege of writing a guest post on my college's blog page about my trip to the San Francisco Writer's Conference. Please check it out!

SFWC, Self-Publishing and the Second Renaissance

I just returned from the San Francisco Writer’s Conference. This is my first year in attendance, and in the aftermath I have so much to say that my thoughts render me mute. What do I feel? I think I feel like I have finally come home.

The conference is of too great a scope for me to sum up in one post, but I discovered a common refrain: e-books are changing everything. One of the first panels I attended was about digital publishing. Guy Kawasaki spoke at Saturday morning’s keynote about—yes—digital publishing, and Friday’s afternoon keynote featured romance author Bella Andre, who discussed how she earned a spot on the New York Times Bestseller’s list as a self-published author.

This Week on Runicfire: Feb 18 – 24

Runicfire is entering its second week, and we have another roster of posts. Here's what to expect:

• Today, Monday the 18th, I reflect on the San Francisco Writer's Conference and the possibility of a second Renaissance.
• This Wednesday, the 20th, a brief post on recent developments in science.
• And for Friday the 22nd I explore the process of revising, including tips I picked up this weekend and some notes from my own experience.

Due to some limitations I have discovered with Blogger, I will be switching Runicfire over to Wordpress. The process will likely take a month, and involve a visual retooling as well. Don't worry: everything I have posted so far will transfer over, and the new site will be prettier, more useful and easier to use than before.

Here's to a good week!