One of my favorite novels growing up was Steve Gould’s Jumper, about an abused teen who suddenly develops the ability to teleport. I always liked that his power just happened, and no one ever knows why. This always struck me as elegant, and immensely preferable to trying to justify it with some preposterous and convoluted explanation. (You can see some influence from Jumper on my story “The Second Rat,” about a man who suddenly develops the ability to rewind time.) I signed up for the Viable Paradise writing workshop in 2004 in part because I wanted to meet and work with Gould.
So I was thrilled to see this announcement that he just sent around to the Viable Paradise mailing list:
I’ve been publishing for twenty-five years, a handful of short stories in the eighties and then 5.5 novels from 92 to the present. Early on I definitely had to have the day job and later on I definitely cycled through having a day job and not. (Health care is a bitch.)
But I just quit the day job again.
JUMPER, my first novel (1992) is being made into a big (and I mean BIG) motion picture from New Regency Films. Directing is Doug Liman, who made SWINGERS, THE BOURNE IDENTITY, and MR. AND MRS. SMITH. First screen play draft was written by Dave Goyer of BLADE and BATMAN BEGINS fame, second draft by Jim Uhls who did the screenplay for FIGHT CLUB. Budget is greater than the annual income of some countries. Filming begins this March and it’s projected to be a ‘big’ movie in the summer of 2007.
It is the literary equivalent of winning the lottery, but just keep this in mind. You can’t win if you don’t buy a ticket. Ya gotta write somethin’ and get it out there.
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