Looking For A Story For Your Next Film? Why Not Consider A Novel By A Black Author?

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by Tambay A. Obenson
March 8, 2013 2:52 PM
19 Comments

As we continue to have conversations about black filmmakers taking creative risks, broadening the pool from which they draw their stories, as well as the genres they choose to work/play in, I thought I'd throw this into the pot as well...

It may not be an option that many of you have ever given any thought to, for one reason or another, but if you're struggling to come up with ideas for stories for your films, I'd strongly suggest looking to the deep well of literary work by black authors, begging to be adapted to the screen!

There are a wealth of untapped stories of all kinds and all genres there - more than your imagination could probably even fathom. And it may come as a surprise to you that these novels, and their authors, are far more accessible than you might realize.

I've gone through the process of optioning a novel, and was surprised at how relatively simple and even cheap the process was. Initially, I thought the authors I approached (I contacted a few whose works I was interested in, before settling on one) wouldn't be interested at all, since I'm not exactly a known filmmaker or producer; and also, I imagined that the option fees they'd charge me would be too rich for my pockets.

Neither turned out to be the case. Every single one of them was interested, in most cases, putting me in touch with their publicists, managers, publishers, or other representation, to crunch the details.

And each proposal was affordable - to me anyway. I'm obviously not giving names and exact figures away, because I don't think I can or should. But, suffice it to say that I'm definitely not some rich Hollywood producer. Neither am I a rich indie producer either.

And I'll just say, in my experience, given all the authors I contacted, option prices ranged from from $1,000 (or even less) to $5,000, and higher (depending on how *hot* the author is, and how in-demand their novels are), for a 1 to 2 year option period.

In one case, I was offered a 1 year option for $2500, or an 18-month option for $4,000. And, by the way, these are exclusive options, meaning, I own the adaptation rights for the time period I paid for. So if I went with the $2,500 1-year option, I'd have one year to package my film, finance it, and be ready to go into production. Although deals vary from one author to the next. So what I'm mentioning here isn't some standard rule.

And, by the way, terms can be negotiable; like I said, it really depends on the author and their representation. You might get lucky and find an author who's willing to give you film rights for a lengthy period, at a really low option fee.

There's a lot more to optioning novels; I'm just given you a crash course, if I can even call it that. And, as I said, there's really no steadfast rule, with terms and deals varying from author to author. But you'll never know until you actually contact them. And in this age of Twitter and Facebook (I was able to find almost every author I contacted, via one of those 2 social networking sites), it's much easier to find these folks, and reach out to them.

But my overall point here is just to remind you that there is this other untapped source where you can get your stories from - a really rich, diverse source of strong, even already cinematic material, that's been virtually ignored by Hollywood, even though, on an almost daily basis, there's an announcement that a novel has been optioned by a Hollywood studio, producer, or production company; the vast majority being by white authors, about white people.

And it's in part because there isn't much interest in adapting novels by black authors about black people, that you'll find some black authors a lot more accessible than you might think. It's a sorry state of affairs that brings all this about, but this is where we are folks.

So consider a novel adaptation. Obviously, optioning one is just the first step; there's still a lot of work that'll need to be done before the book becomes a film, with raising money often the wall that many run into. But choose your novels carefully, considering the story and how cheap or expensive it'll be to adapt to film.

Just take that first step, and see where it goes... that's all I'm encouraging you to do.

And if you're a filmmaker whose gone through the optioning process, feel free to share your story; like I said, I'm sure each situation is different, some easier, cheaper, or more expensive than others.

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19 Comments

| Reply
Donella | March 11, 2013 12:06 PMReply

I attempted an option. Got priced out. May the best person win.
onyx | March 11, 2013 10:10 AMReply

Thanks for writing this. I'm experimenting with putting up a sci-fi serial, and if anyone wants to read the first chapter its here:
http://wikkidsexycool.com/free-chapter-view/paranormal-and-fantasy/queensrealm/

I'm starting to focus more on books featuring African American male protagonists, and I should have one up shortly about a 60s comic and his legendary movie star/comedic aunt. But in the meantime I thought I'd write an ebook from the perspective of a young girl growing up during the civil rights movement who forms the first interracial pop group with a blue eyed soul singer.
An excerpt can be found here:

http://wikkidsexycool.com/free-chapter-view/jukebox-volume-one-excerpt/

But I also wanted to add that online web comics are another source, and there is an excellent one called World of Hurt. I hope someone takes a look at the art talent and writing skills of this brother:
http://worldofhurtonline.com/
Adam Scott Thompson | March 10, 2013 7:44 PMReply

I'll buy a ticket for any Colson Whitehead adaptation. Please and thanks.
Donella | March 11, 2013 12:06 PM

Nice! Another Colson Whitehead fan. Zone One surprised me with its literary merit too.
Yoshi | March 9, 2013 11:00 AMReply

I fully support this idea! I don't see why more black directors have not tried this already especially with the success of "The Color Purple." I think with more and more black authors using various styles and working in various genres the possibilities are vast. There are the novels of Ann Petry, Octavia Butler, Samuel Delaney, Ernest Gaines, James Baldwin, Colson Whitehead, Chinua Achebe, Edwidge Danticat, and of course Toni Morrison to name a few. I think the adaptations of "12 Years a Slave" and "Half a Yellow Sun" will help present some models of how to put this idea into action.
Bill | March 8, 2013 5:46 PMReply

Will do. Thanks for update.
Nadia | March 8, 2013 4:50 PMReply

Not to be a spoiler because I think this is a great idea, but the problem I see for why black filmmakers aren't optioning novels by black authors is because WE DON'T READ as much as we should. Yeah, I said it. But it's true. Now I'm not saying making a blanket statement about all black people because it's obviously not all of us, but a lot of us rarely pick up novels, unless it's some street lit shit, to even find out whether there's a good story in it. So I'm saying we need to encourage reading first before we even talk about optioning novels.
Donella | March 11, 2013 12:05 PM

CC, I read Colson Whitehead's Zone One because it was a zombie novel. I appreciated the writing because it was written as literature, not as fantastic horror. It was a good read.
mawon | March 10, 2013 8:59 PM

This is a such a dumb comment. First of all, this article is targeted toward black screenwriters. To accuse them of "not reading enough" is insulting as hell. Writing screenplays requires one to be a writer first, and writers read. If you don't read, then you're probably a bad writer who'll make a shitty screenplay anyways.

People stay taking any chance they can to put their own people down. I want the numbers that show black writers don't read. Show me the receipts. Otherwise, sit your self-hating ass down.
Miles Ellison | March 10, 2013 8:56 PM

Coldest Winter Ever isn't exactly far removed from street lit.
Cindy | March 10, 2013 8:13 PM

I disagree Nadia, Sister Souljah's new novel is currently in the NY Times best sellers list. It isn't that black people don't read the black filmmakers need to make movies that are going to connect with a black audience. Octavia Butler is a great science fiction writer and I would love her novel Kindred turned into a film. But how many young black people know about Octavia Butler? Someone else mentioned Edwidge Danticat, her books are extremely depressing not sure it could turn a profit. Someone like Sister Souljah she already has the black youth market and she's a bestselling author. I am very surprised The Coldest Winter Ever and none of her other best selling books have not been made into films.
Miles Ellison | March 9, 2013 9:52 PM

This hits the nail on the head.
CC | March 8, 2013 8:56 PM

Book reading -- print -- in general has taken a huge decline. By no mean is it exclusive to black people. From magazines, newspaper, novels; fiction and non-fiction, all writers are taking a hit. Consequently its become increasingly difficult to earn a living from writing books, or writing in general.

That said, Rocket brought up an interesting point. If one goes to any leading African American Literature book sites, some of the most popular books have titles such as Zane's Z-Rated: Chocolate Flava 3, Love Sick by Jessica N. Watkins, What Love Feels Like by F.Y. Dawn, Street Chic, and Best Dressed Lie by Kimberly Batiste. And, the covers tell the whole story... if you know what I mean.

But all good-by is not gone. The black literary canon has not run dry. Devilâs Wake by Steve Barnes and Tananarive Due is a good read by two renowned black writers (husband & wife). Everyone should recognize the name Colson Whitehead. He has a new one titled Zone One. And many have probably read Toni Morrison's "Home", I believe it came out in the summer of last year. So we're definitely still reading, but the landscape has changed.

And btw, a black woman, Tracy K. Smith's "Life on Mars" won the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry.
Rocket | March 8, 2013 6:25 PM

Black fiction has increased in popularity over the years. Unfortunately, a lot of it "hood" stories or predictable "sex chronicle" type stories.
geoffrey thorne | March 8, 2013 3:34 PMReply

I agree, of course, as this is my business both as a novelist and as a screenwriter.

Here's what reviewers have said about my novel, BETTER ANGELS.

"...unique and original..." - Web Fiction Guide

"...not just your run-of-the-mill crime thriller..." - J'Adore Magazine

"If you like your crime fiction delivered with a hard R rating and an affinity for Tarantino sex and violence, it's worth a look..." - The Trades

You can check it out on amazon and, of course, look me up on IMDB.
Darryl | March 8, 2013 3:30 PMReply

Good article Tambay giving filmmakers the insight on optioning a black novel, because of this article I believe you will see more black authors work getting purchased and made into a film by black independent filmmakers that didn't know it was that accessible that know they can do it now without hollywood backing because before this article they believed it was out of their price range. Keep up the good work of sharing knowledge to empower the black film community.
No | March 8, 2013 3:13 PMReply

If any one cares to option my three novels, take a look at wwww.normankelley.com:

Black Heat, The Big Mango, A Phat Death; they all feature a black female private eye: Nina Halligan.
MissWildfire | March 8, 2013 3:07 PMReply

Hey this is a great topic Tambay, I didn't realize you were a filmmaker/producer. Interesting. Change the "you" to "your" in the heading (all you have to do is ask). I'd love to see more novels by black authors optioned. So many mediocre white novels are optioned, why not give some decent black novels a chance?
YouGuysNeedACopyEditor | March 8, 2013 3:00 PMReply

Looking For Stories For Me Next Film?

You guys need a copyeditor.

Looking For A Story For Your Next Film? Why Not Consider A Novel By A Black Author?

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