#1 New York Times Bestselling Author & TV Producer
Someone wrote to me today:
Last night on GREY’S ANATOMY, Dr. McDreamy’s former best friend, the plastic surgeon who had an affair with McDreamy’s wife, showed up. Guess what his name is? Dr. Mark Sloan.
I wonder if he solves crimes, too, and has a 40 year old son who still hasn’t left home. I haven’t seen the episode yet — it’s waiting on my Tivo.
My friend Paul Levine talks about his new book DEEP BLUE ALIBI for Penn State Live. You can get a feel for the lively banter in his SOLOMAN AND LORD books just by reading the interview.
Newswire: You write legal thrillers, but your lawyer-protagonists, Steve
Solomon and Victoria Lord, don’t spend that much time in court. Why is
that?Levine: Where would you rather be, in a stuffy courtroom, or
on a beach in Key West?* * * *
Newswire: One reviewer called your books: "Carl Hiaasen meets John
Grisham in the court of last retort." Fair assessment?Levine:
Maybe. I bring humor to the legal system because I see so much that’s absolutely
nutty there.Newswire: In "The Deep Blue Alibi," there’s a chapter
at a Florida nudist resort. Is it fair to ask how you researched the
scene?Levine: Like Jackie Chan, I do my own stunts.
* * * *
Newswire: What advice would you give any young grads who want to break
into Hollywood?Levine: Marry a blood relative of Jerry
Bruckheimer.Newswire: Lacking that, when aspiring authors or
screenwriters sit down at the computer, what should they be
writing?Levine: Ransom notes, maybe…
Natalie talks about what it’s like working for Adrian Monk in my latest "Natalie Blog" on the USA Network’s MONK site. Here’s an excerpt:
I’ve been reading a lot of mystery novels lately — Sherlock Holmes, Nero Wolfe, Spenser, stuff like that — trying to get a handle on this whole "being a detective" thing.
Based on those books, and my experience working with Monk,
here’s what I’ve learned: Whatever makes someone brilliant at solving
murders is going to make life a living hell for everyone around them.That’s especially true with Monk. You can’t truly grasp the
magnitude of his anxieties and phobias unless you experience them every
single day and, God help me, I do.
The I Love a Good Mystery Blog has some really nice things to say about THE MAN WITH THE IRON-ON BADGE.
Imagine sitting down with someone who has a wild story to tell, and manages it
to tell it with great humour. This person quickly becomes a friend, and lets
you in on all the fun details of his adventure. Sound good? If so, get
yourself a copy of Lee Goldberg’s book, THE
MAN WITH THE IRON-ON BADGE……I tore through this book and just couldn’t put it down. With a terrific style
that makes the reader feel part of the action, Goldberg has managed to create a
very funny book that doesn’t skimp on plot, dialogue or surprise twists.
Thanks — you made my day. It’s rainy here in L.A. and for some reason, writing today has been like chiseling at granite with a cotton ball (that labored metaphor is a perfect example how badly it’s been going).
Variety reports that director/writer Ben Affleck’s feature film adaptation of Dennis Lehane’s book GONE BABY GONE has started production in Boston, with Casey Affleck and Michelle Monahan as private eyes Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro.
Author Tess Gerritsen has a terrific post on her blog about aspiring writers who want her to read their manuscripts… and get pissed off when she doesn’t.
If I were to say yes to every unpublished author’s request, I
wouldn’t have time to write my own books. And truly, I’m astounded that
people whom I don’t know, or hardly know, would come up to me and
essentially ask, "Say, will you spend eight hours reading my incredible
literary work?" Because that’s what it works out to. Eight hours of
work.And if you don’t see my point, think about this. What if someone you
barely know says to you: "Hey, wouldn’t you love to come over and spend
eight hours cleaning my house?"You’d tell them thanks, but no thanks.
Which will then earn you the resentful comment: "But you OWE it to me
because your house is so clean! Your clean house makes you OBLIGATED to
help me!"If the person asking me to clean their house is my mother or an elderly
friend, you betcha I’ll go over and help clean the house.Same with reading manuscripts. Mothers and close friends get special dispensation.
But when I hear unpublished authors whine that published authors are
OBLIGATED to help them get published, that’s when my blood goes from
simmer to boil.
I’m not in Tess Gerritsen’s league, but I get asked by strangers all the time (mostly by email) to read their books, scripts and series ideas… and to pass them on to my agent…or pass them on editors and producers…and they are furious when I politely decline (apparently, there is no polite way to say no to these people). I’m willing to bet just about every published author or produced screenwriter can relate to this.
I really enjoy GREY’S ANATOMY but for me, their big two-parter jumped the shark. A doctor was giving birth, a doctor’s husband was having brain surgery, a doctor (who previously had a brain tumor) had an apparent heart attack, and another doctor had her hand inside a patient who had a live bomb in his chest.
I think there should be a moratorium on doctor shows doing stories where their own doctors, and their families, become patients. Is there anybody left on GREY’S ANATOMY who hasn’t become a patient yet? If so, they soon will be. The same thing happened on ER. Every doctor and nurse on that show has been treated in the trauma room for a medical emergency over the years. It’s tiresome and a cheap way to generate conflict…God knows, the GREY’S ANATOMY writers are talented enough to come up with stories that don’t make their doctors the patients.
That said, I must admit I’ve made Dr. Mark Sloan a patient at his hospital many times in my DIAGNOSIS MURDER scripts and books. I figured if he’s going to be injured during an investigation, he might as well be treated at his own hospital. Is that convenience or laziness? Oh, and come to think of it, I’ve made his son a patient, too. Mea Culpa.
From the movie poster for 8 BELOW:
"The Most Amazing Story of Survival, Friendship, and Adventure Ever Told."
I got this follow-up email from the guy who wanted me to pass along his "15 page episode" to the producers of MONK.
At great risk to her own life Queen Esther sought an audience with the king. He could have easily had her head chopped off but decided to listen to her. Not only did the king have Mordecai, enemy of the Jews, killed, but in doing so, he probably prevented his own murder. Esther’s actions were not based on her own ego but on the compassion she held for her people, the Jewish nation.
Although I could not hope to touch her majestic slippers, I tried to approach the network towers to suggest a new episodic teleplay, only to be told that I was arogant (sic). It was out of my compassion for my five kids and wife that I would even dare to dream. Not interested in becoming a network writer, I only wanted to make a little money to pay some of my mortgage and groceries. Now, how egotistical is that. As far as distinguishing between reruns and newly aired shows, I was at fault. But shouldn’t they be of the same caliber? I am a consumer. Don’t I have a right to voice my opinion? Not all the episodic teleplays can be stellar.
I just thought mine could be considered. But in order to do that, I would have to be talking with one would needed to be more like the king who was willing to listen.
Variety reports that a whole bunch of JJ Abram’s ALIAS scribes are moving over to his show LOST, which may now have one of the largest writing staffs on episodic television. Drew Goddard, Monica Breen, and Alison Schapker have just inked two-year, seven-figure overall deals with Touchstone Television that includes working on LOST and developing new programs. Abrams is clearly loyal to, and appreciative of, the talented people he works with. I wonder if this means the Others will turn out to be members of the ALIAS cast…