So I read up on the current laws of copyright, and the found that an idea by itself — or a plot — cannot be protected. And I wondered about precedents, about who might have taken advantage of this. Shakespeare came to mind, and when I read that many of his plays were re-workings of older, or less successful authors, and that there were no copyright laws at all in 1600, I decided to try and combine past with present.
Paul Collis – 14 January 2013
The Back Flap
Harry Greenville, a young actor and part-time writer struggling to make a living in modern Los Angeles, writes a novel about Shakespeare.
‘It’s 1606 and the Bard needs a new play for King James, who is notoriously hard to please. As history tells us, he comes up with ‘Macbeth’. But the rehearsals are dogged by illnesses and accidents, the royal premiere gets the royal thumbs down, and the actors consider the play to be more than unlucky; they believe it’s cursed. The question is: Why?’
Harry’s novel offers an intriguing answer, and he posts the first draft on a website in the hope that a Hollywood agent will discover it.
And someone in the movie business does discover it — but not the kind of person Harry had in mind.
The result is a truly Shakespearean tale, old as the hills and as current as Google, that considers the definition of theft, the consequences of shattered dreams, and the justifications for revenge.
About the book
What is the book about?
In one word: revenge.
In six: Shakespeare, Macbeth, theft, revenge — and Hollywood.
Specifically it’s about Harry Greenville, a young actor and aspiring writer living in Los Angeles, who writes a novel about the origins of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Set in 1606, it’s a story of a devastating theft and the revenge that follows, and asks the question: Is this the reason that actors have always considered Macbeth to be the unluckiest of plays?
He submits the manuscript to an obscure website where it languishes, unread and unappreciated, for nearly a year, until the day he discovers that someone has stolen his Shakespearean invention and is turning it into a major Hollywood movie. The irony!
When he’s told that there is no legal way to right the wrong, Harry decides to muster his theatrical talents and — with a little help from his friends — find the villains and deliver suitable punishment.
This makes the book difficult to pigeonhole. It’s part historical novel, but mainly modern… well, it’s not a mystery, because you find out who dunnit quite early on. It’s not a thriller, or a romance, or a comedy — although it is light-hearted. I’d be happy if it was categorized as an Entertainment.
When did you start writing the book?
About six years ago.
How long did it take you to write it?
I don’t have a routine, or a set daily goal. I write when I feel like it, mainly at night, and so adding up the actual time it took will be a guess. In all, I’d say about a year.
Where did you get the idea from?
A dozen years ago I wrote a screenplay (The Wrinkly, now available as a novella.) A guy, 39, fed up with youth culture and the big city rat race, decides to con his way into a 60-plus retirement community, with results both predictable and unforeseen. I sent it out to do the rounds in Hollywood. Months later I discovered that a project with exactly the same synopsis was in pre-production at a major studio. I made calls, I sent letters, but I never got an answer other than ‘coincidence’. Now, that’s very probably the truth of the matter, but at the time I had my doubts. (The movie currently seems to be in limbo.)
So I read up on the current laws of copyright, and the found that an idea by itself — or a plot — cannot be protected. And I wondered about precedents, about who might have taken advantage of this. Shakespeare came to mind, and when I read that many of his plays were re-workings of older, or less successful authors, and that there were no copyright laws at all in 1600, I decided to try and combine past with present.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
The first fifty pages are set in London, in 1606, and written in the style of a mainstream historical novel, wherein a despondent Shakespeare needs to write a play for the unpredictable King James. This part certainly took longer to write than I had imagined, but not because I struggled with it — the problem was that the research was so enjoyable. I read dozens of books and articles about Shakespeare’s life, about the London of his day, about the life of commoners and the aristocracy, and about King James. It’s a fascinating period about a fascinating man, and the difficulty was not in the writing but the editing. It took ages, and I must have cut it down by half. God knows how many books Hilary Mantel read before writing Wolf Hall.
What came easily?
The story of the Shakespearean theft and the Globe theatre seemed to be easily adaptable to a theft involving a sleazy film producer and Galactic Studios, and the Hollywood setting was not difficult for me to describe because my career has involved dealing with the periphery of the movie business. Twenty years of creating TV commercials meant that I’m familiar with movie sets, on studio backlots in London and Los Angeles and in far-flung locations. Certain members of the film crew have different names in the UK than they do in the US, but luckily I had some keen-eyed beta readers who kept me consistent.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
I can’t believe that any characters in fiction are entirely fictitious. I’m pretty sure that they all have at least one facet of their character derived from real people, living or dead. I mean, I’m sure each of Disney’s Seven Dwarves were based on somebody. One character has a personality I sourced close to home; some characters are an amalgam of people I’ve met; others are based on people I’ve never met, but whose public personas are not too unrecognizable.
We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?
I can’t say I’m aware of any particular author who has influenced how I write. But I think all really good authors inspire people to write. When you see an emotion beautifully expressed, or an action perfectly described, or a mundane experience shared in a new and insightful way, it’s hard not to be inspired. (Of course, I’ve also reacted by believing that, compared to the calibre of what I’ve just read, everything I’ve written is rubbish and everything I will write will be rubbish. In that case, one has a cup of tea and soldiers on.)
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
No, I don’t. Sorry.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
Yes. My notes start off on paper, as a mishmash of plot and characters. Then I start writing passages in longhand. If I have an idea that strikes me as worthwhile for the end, I write that. Likewise for a character’s reaction to something yet unwritten. Then, when I get to the point where the notebook is a complete mess, I transfer the handwriting into a Word document, and continue with that.
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
Finished? Finished? I edit as I go, page by page. Then the chapter, when I think it’s come to an end. Repeat. Then the ‘finished’ book. Then I print out the whole thing and see how it reads on paper. I edit that, then wait a week or two, and edit again. Then I apply the edits to the Word.doc. Then I transfer it to an InDesign book format, and proofread it, which usually leads to another edit. Then I get it printed by Createspace, and edit the paperback. Then I order a few copies and give them to beta-readers. Then I act on their comments (or not) and correct all the typos they’ve spotted. Finally I convert it back to a basic unformatted Word.doc and send it to Smashwords.com to get converted into an ebook. Even so, I’m still not sure that the thing is ever truly ‘finished’.
Did you hire a professional editor?
I haven’t yet, but I’m lucky in that I have a few author friends who write better than I ever will, and they offer advice both general and particular.
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
Not always, but when I do it’s usually classical, sometimes jazz. Something without lyrics that might be distracting. And optimistic, because what I write is mostly lighthearted. Although at one point in the novel I needed a character to be sidetracked by a ridiculous, unfilmable script, and for no particular reason came up with a plot that involved Napoleon Bonaparte, a secret agent, and a bunch of reclusive werewolves. I got caught up in it and while I turned it into a 60-page short story — The Army of the Night — I listened to some tone-setting Wagner.
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
I sent query letters and excerpts to about a dozen agents, but no takers so far. One reader at a publisher was impressed enough to send it ‘upstairs’ for consideration, but no decision as yet.
What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
Sending a screenplay to twenty or thirty agents and producers gave me a taste of rejection, so when I decided to turn the screenplay into a book, I investigated self-publishing. I found Createspace.com for the paperback edition and Smashwords.com for the ebook, and so far I’ve been happy with them.
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did it you do it yourself?
I did it myself. I wanted to incorporate the generic typeface used on all standard screenplay covers, and an image of Shakespeare. Macbeth’s dagger adds a touch of color and skullduggery.
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
I’d say ‘winging it’ is a pretty accurate description.
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
Remember that other Indie authors are not your only competitors. There are also the legions of writers whose talents have been recognized by mainstream publishers. They have the benefit of multiple editors, proofreaders and fact checkers. Their work has been polished, buffed and honed. So sweat the small stuff. When readers check out the free sample of your ebook they might well be about to read a potential award winner, but if they spot too many spelling mistakes, or grammatical errors, or misuses of punctuation, they might have doubts about the rest of your book, and move on.
End of Interview:
For more about Paul, visit his website or his Goodreads page.
Get your copy of Scottish Movie from Amazon US (paper or ebook), Amazon UK (paper or ebook), Barnes and Noble, or Smashwords.