jfinn
Literotica Guru
- Joined
- Jun 12, 2002
- Posts
- 593
In Perdita's thread about Godzilla (A Different Historical Perspective) I mentioned that the screenplay of the 1998 remake had been changed so completely by the directors that it bore no resemblance to the writers original concept. Then Shereads told a story about how the fluffy Up Close and Personal started out as a serious look at the life of Jessica Savitch. This got me thinking.
Screenwriters aren't the only ones who face this issue. I don't know anyone who writes for a living that hasn't had at least one experience with someone who feels the need to 'help' them out by telling them they're doing it wrong and then proceeding to show them how they can do it better. I'm not talking about readers who write in after the fact, I mean publishers, editors, directors, producers... Anyone who actually has some power over you and your ability to get your work to the public.
I think too that this is unique to writers at least in comparison to other creative endeavors. You don't hear about gallery owners viewing a painters work and then whipping out a brush because they feel the canvas would be a lot better with 'just a touch of red' and I doubt there are many conductors out there who scratch out lines of music and then add their own because there were too many trumpets the other way. No, it's mainly writers who find themselves in the position of having to change their work because the person holding the check thinks they know how to do it better.
Personally, I've accepted this. I do wonder sometimes when some place approaches me for something because they like my style and then when I give them something they change things until it doesn't sound like me at all, but hey, I figured they paid for the privilege so...
So I'm a self-admitted whore.
But what about the rest of you? I'm not talking about grammer or formatting, I mean someone fiddling with the actual story itself. How attached are you to your own vision, characters, the words you've written on the page? If it's for money, do you shrug your shoulders and skip off merrily to the bank or stand your ground for your art even if it means the loss of revenue? Even if you don't get paid, how touchy are you when it comes to editing? Do you take every word as truth or get pissed if someone tells you they think your muse was taking a nap when you wrote this one. Have you ever gotten criticism about characterization and or plot that made you think that person was right and you were wrong? Have you ever rewritten because of it?
Just curious.
Jayne
Screenwriters aren't the only ones who face this issue. I don't know anyone who writes for a living that hasn't had at least one experience with someone who feels the need to 'help' them out by telling them they're doing it wrong and then proceeding to show them how they can do it better. I'm not talking about readers who write in after the fact, I mean publishers, editors, directors, producers... Anyone who actually has some power over you and your ability to get your work to the public.
I think too that this is unique to writers at least in comparison to other creative endeavors. You don't hear about gallery owners viewing a painters work and then whipping out a brush because they feel the canvas would be a lot better with 'just a touch of red' and I doubt there are many conductors out there who scratch out lines of music and then add their own because there were too many trumpets the other way. No, it's mainly writers who find themselves in the position of having to change their work because the person holding the check thinks they know how to do it better.
Personally, I've accepted this. I do wonder sometimes when some place approaches me for something because they like my style and then when I give them something they change things until it doesn't sound like me at all, but hey, I figured they paid for the privilege so...
So I'm a self-admitted whore.
But what about the rest of you? I'm not talking about grammer or formatting, I mean someone fiddling with the actual story itself. How attached are you to your own vision, characters, the words you've written on the page? If it's for money, do you shrug your shoulders and skip off merrily to the bank or stand your ground for your art even if it means the loss of revenue? Even if you don't get paid, how touchy are you when it comes to editing? Do you take every word as truth or get pissed if someone tells you they think your muse was taking a nap when you wrote this one. Have you ever gotten criticism about characterization and or plot that made you think that person was right and you were wrong? Have you ever rewritten because of it?Just curious.
Jayne
