Was going through some old data, deleting stuff because I'm running out of space and I came across this review done by one of the 13 year old students I mentored at Brampton Manor School. He forgot to sign and date his work, but it did make my day and made me smile all over again. :-)
So yesterday, for the first time I actually spoke out loud my burgeoning desire to turn Imagine This into a script. The response from the individual, while not arctic was definitely a shade cooler than lukewarm. I'll admit it, after that encounter, I was downhearted and did wonder if this will ever happen. I still wonder. So what has happened today? Well nothing major, it hasn't suddenly been optioned, a studio hasn't offered me a six figure sum to write the script. What has happened is that, a very well known producer has just sent me the following text: "Can I say how much I enjoyed your book. Lots to discuss about how to turn it into a script." I know it's not a statement of intent, what excited me about it was 1. She (Yes it's a she) really enjoyed reading Imagine This. And 2. She sees some potential [...]
From time to time I meet someone who tells me they loved Imagine This and would like to see it as a film. I've always resisted the idea, not because it won't make a good film, but because casting Lola is key and where do I find a Lola Ogunwole. Add to that, the fact that it would have to be shot on location. Don't really think anyone would want to do a 2wk or however long it will take, shoot in a Nigerian village. Someone did suggest South Africa, but then that changes the atmosphere. Another thing is that the first half is set in the late 70s so costume will be another important factor. I see so many things that could go wrong, however; now that I've got the film bug, I'm thinking I should just write, direct and produce it myself. Yeah like that would ever happen, [...]
Okay, so the whole idea of posting extracts is to let them go and not be too precious about what I've written. If I think too hard about it, I'd never send anything out, but once it's up here, it means good or bad it's done. It's out there and the words no longer belong to me.