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When I switched my major in college from psychology to English/creative writing, I was asked what I wanted to do, and I said, "I'd like to adapt some of my favorite books to TV so that they'll be accessible to more people." /1
When asked for examples, I gave two. I wanted to adapt 'The Man in the High Castle' and 'The Song of Ice and Fire.'
"When it's finished," I said of ASOIAF. (Oh, my sweet, summer child!) /2
"When it's finished," I said of ASOIAF. (Oh, my sweet, summer child!) /2
He laughed. "You need a much better pedigree than this to do all of that!"
He asked for my other goals. I said I'd love to continue writing sketch comedy and to write history into accessible fictional-like formats. /3
He asked for my other goals. I said I'd love to continue writing sketch comedy and to write history into accessible fictional-like formats. /3
He laughed again. "What did you always want to be when you grew up?"
*long pause*
"Madeline Kahn," I answered. "I always wanted to grow up to be Madeline Kahn." /4
*long pause*
"Madeline Kahn," I answered. "I always wanted to grow up to be Madeline Kahn." /4
*puzzled look*
"She was Lili Von Shtupp. Trixie Delight. Mrs. White in 'Clue..." /5
"She was Lili Von Shtupp. Trixie Delight. Mrs. White in 'Clue..." /5
*A flicker of recognition*
"I can't be Madeline Kahn. I can't sing; I can't act; and I'm not that funny.
"But I can write. I'd like to write things for a living. That's what I want to do. I want to write." /6
"I can't be Madeline Kahn. I can't sing; I can't act; and I'm not that funny.
"But I can write. I'd like to write things for a living. That's what I want to do. I want to write." /6
He let me switch my major. And I do write for a living. That's a good thing. It may not be what I prefer to write, but I make a living at it. Many people can't say as much. At some point, I may not be able to say as much. /7
But as I watched a GoT panel with David Benioff and Dan Weiss tonight, it struck me that what the chair of my department said about my lack of "pedigree" was true. /8
This isn't bitterness talking. I was thrilled to learn that folks were making ASOIAF into a series and that GRRM had supposedly vetted them himself. To see what I'd dreamt in my head come to life for four seasons was an incredible experience. /9
Having seen the second half of that series and having watched the panel, my mind wandered into more dangerous territory.
Did two dudes manage to get this series made with nothing but confidence and rich white male privilege? /10
Did two dudes manage to get this series made with nothing but confidence and rich white male privilege? /10
They DID!
That's not me denigrating white males. GRRM is a white male; he wrote a great (yet unfinished) series. And he wasn't raised with money; he grew up in the projects.
This isn't about him. Not entirely. /11
That's not me denigrating white males. GRRM is a white male; he wrote a great (yet unfinished) series. And he wasn't raised with money; he grew up in the projects.
This isn't about him. Not entirely. /11
What's amazing is that HBO was willing to buy a show produced by two guys who admittedly had no idea WTF they were doing and, when they failed, allowed them to redo the pilot episode at a cost of 10 million dollars. /12
Who gets a second chance like that? Even they seem so amazed by it years later, talking about how it was like being paid to go to film school. /13
They've wandered along to Netflix (after getting the kibosh from LucasFilms), and now HBO is smart enough to drop all expanded universe and use established GRRM lore ("Fire & Blood: Volume 1") and a skilled person (Miguel Sapochnik) who hired an actual writer's room. /14
But the real point is that the chair of my department was right. What matters is your 'pedigree', not your love or familiarity of the material you are adapting--if you are even, given your low pedigree, tasked with adapting it. /15
If you love writing, you'd better bloody well really love writing. There will always be people better than you writing, and, even worse, people worse than you writing while being more successful than you are.
That's your lot in life. /16
That's your lot in life. /16
