Seems like every fantasy novelist out there is writing a vampire book. I saw the same trend in the TV/Film biz. Someone would create a successful genre, then everyone else--at least those with no imagination--would follow suit. This was especially true in television where almost everything is either a cop show or a lawyer show or a medical show. Have you noticed that? How could you miss it? Even when they try something new like HOUDINI AND DOYLE, LUCIFER, GRIMM, and SLEEPY HOLLOW, what are they really? Cop shows. So disappointing.

The networks blame their audience, of course. They blame you. With so much money at stake, it's hard for them to take a risk, they say. And they also say that when they do, you punish them by not watching. But seriously, do you really want that many doctor/cop/lawyer shows?

To be fair, I've worked in Hollywood. I know the ying and yang of art versus commerce. Still, don't you wish someone would take a risk now and then?

As for literature, I am shocked, and disappointed, by the amount of cloning going on there as well. When I peruse the covers of the fantasy books available they all look the same to me. And when I read their blurbs, they sound remarkably similar. Is this because that is what novelists are writing, or is it because that is what agents/publishers want, or is it because it's what readers will read? All three, you say? Perhaps so. Perhaps it is self-fulfilling. One person has success and everyone wants that success. How many HARRY POTTER clones have there been? Then again, people create their own expectations, don't they? They decide what is acceptable. And if those people are in a position of authority, like an agent or a publisher, good luck selling anything different.

And speaking of expectations, I remember when I first submitted my novel, THE UGLY TEAPOT, to agents, I had a lot of them tell me that no one under the age of thirteen would read it. The story was too complex, there were too many large words, and my sentence structure needed to be simplified. My refusal to do this is one of the many reasons I chose to self-publish. I have worked with children of all ages during my TV/film career, and I can tell you children are lot more sophisticated than those agents think. This contention has been reinforced by the large numbers of kids under the age of thirteen who have read and loved my book, including a girl of nine who absolutely adored it. I've never been a fan of talking down to kids. Even as a director I treated them as equals. After all, they had been hired to do a professional job, so I expected them to act like professionals. I was rarely disappointed. And now, in writing my novel, they have once again made me proud.

Which brings us, in a convoluted way, to the point of today's blog...

Novelists are vampires.

Think about it. Both novelists and vampires sleep very little at night. Both have had the blood sucked out of them. Vampires by the one who made them a vampire, and novelists by those who control access to readers. In no other business is the creator of the product of that business treated so unfairly. I saw the same thing in the TV/movie biz. Writers rarely received the same respect given to actors and directors. This shocked and disappointed me. The people who create something from nothing--that everyone thereafter simply interprets--is the least respected person in the process. That was another reason I self-published. Writers need to control their destinies. And finally, the last way novelists are like vampires is that we are, hopefully, creating something that will make us live on--at least through our books. I, personally, can think of nothing better than to leave behind something of value to the next generation.

So there you have it--two blogs in one month--to make up for the one I didn't write in May. BTW, I've had several people ask me how I got started in the TV/film biz and what led me to write novels. I will start talking about that next time. It's not a bad story. I've had the pleasure, and the privilege, of working with a lot of talented and/or famous people in my time, and I have gotten to do some really fun things. It is a long story, so I will try to break it up into several blogs so I won't bore you entirely.

Also, I noticed 31 people (as of this date) have read my blogs. Hi there! Thank you so much for stopping by! But honestly, I'm shocked. Seriously. Who would want to listen to me ramble? But I am humbled by your interest, and I trust I haven't bored you too much. If you have any questions or want me to discuss something different, please let me know. I am flexible and would love to hear from you.

Finally, when you're directing a TV or film and you reach the end of the shoot, you, or your Assistant Director, are supposed to say "that's a wrap." I, on the other hand, never did. I always said, "Moving on." So that is how I will end from now on.

Moving on...