Having optioned IMMORTAL

It’s exciting. My novel may be a film! What will that be like, the experience of sitting in a darkened theater and watching the credits scroll up, and seeing, “Based on the book by Traci L. Slatton”? It’s a stunning thought: a dream come true.

It’s also scary. They can do anything they want to the story, for film purposes. ANYTHING. Oh, yeah, turn my main character Luca Bastardo into a transvestite lounge singer, or an airline pilot, or a crack addict. I guess those things aren’t as bad as what he actually is: a thief, a killer, a prostitute. But still, in MY novel, he’s the thief, killer, and prostitute I delineated. 

And I now officially have no leverage to get anything else I want. Like first crack at the screenplay, which I was really drooling for. I’m not the world’s most famous screenwriter, and I absolutely want what’s best for IMMORTAL and maybe a big muckety-muck screenwriter is that, but I’ve been living with this story for four years. I was eager for the challenge of the three act structure, chomping at the bit to set aside the experience of the novel and re-envision this story for the medium of film. I knew they’d fire me after the first draft and bring in someone else. That’s common in Hollywood with novelists. Unlikely, now.

But the good news is that I trust TwinStar. They seem honorable. And smart. And creative. There’s a powerful vision there for this novel. I’m proud to have my baby situated at TwinStar. An option doesn’t mean that a film will definitely be made, but I think the chances are better than average that IMMORTAL will go forward into cinematic history, and it will be done right. A few wishes linger, but mostly, I’m happy and grateful. And lucky. Very, very lucky.