Every week we’ll ask the Confabulators a question that may further illuminate the blog question or give you some further insight into our working minds. This week’s question is one that a lot of writers have stuck somewhere in the back of his or her mind. Not everyone wants to work for someone else, or even write a character that’s not theirs, but certainly there’s something that fires our imaginations. Writers that dream are the best kind.
In all honesty, I’ve never thought about a dream writing assignment. When I come up with a story I want to write, I write it. At the very least, I think about it for a long time, trying to figure out every detail about it. But if someone told me, “Here, write this,” I have an easier time telling you what I wouldn’t want to write than what I would. The problem is I still can’t tell you what I wouldn’t want to write. I think that everything would be fun to write about because I could always find an avenue in the story I would like to explore that I could love.
Fine. You want a straight answer? I would love to write an episode of Doctor Who. (But I would be terrified that everyone would hate it.)
I can’t decide if I should feel ashamed for saying this or not, but I would love, love, love to write for television. There is a lot of exciting stuff getting produced for the boob tube these days. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot of crap too, but it seems like there are more creative chances being taken in television programming than there are for film.
In addition to that, television is such a mass communication medium. I saw a stat from the Nielsen Company recently that said something like 96 percent of American households have a television. Think of the audience you could reach with your material. And all they have to do is turn on and tune in.
Finally, the idea of being part of a writing room makes my heart beat in a way that only my wife can rival. (Shhh! Don’t tell her.) I used to wonder about my ability to perform in that type of scenario, but after some wonderful, positive experiences with write-ins last year, I am ready to get that call. The camaraderie and energy are awesome. Bring it on!
I would love to be invited to write a story for an anthology someday. It’s great to submit something and be accepted, but when they start inviting you, that’s when you’ve made it. Oh, and also lots of money would be nice, since we’re dreaming, here.
I’m a life long pro wrestling fan, and we are fortunate to have one of history’s great wrestling personalities in this area. My dream assignment would be to ghost write Harley Race’s autobiography. I know it has already been done before, but I would love to hear that man’s stories.
My dream writing assignment would be traveling and writing about it, seriously.
When I was a kid, I used to think the best job in the world would be writing the next Star Wars movie (or trilogy) for George Lucas. I felt that I knew everything about the characters and the worlds he had built. I wanted to be a part of that magic.
As I grew older, however, I realized that I didn’t want to write about the Star Wars universe (or Star Trek, Quantum Leap, Indiana Jones, or any of the other media tie-in books I saw in bookstores). My real dream was just the opposite.
My dream writing gig would be to write a screenplay based on my own novel. This dream is a bit egotistical, because it assumes I’m already successful enough at writing that my novel has been optioned as a motion picture. And it assumes I have enough Hollywood cache that I could be asked to write the screenplay. But if the stars aligned and such a dream were made real, I might finally have an opportunity to go to Academy Awards.
Of course, I’m not asking to win the Oscar. It’s a honor merely to be nominated.
Someday, someone at the New York Review of Books will call me, and s/he will say, “Richard Powers has a new book coming out next year, and we noticed from your internet presence that you are an avid fan! Could you please write an intensive review of his entire oeuvre, with numerous asides about how it relates to anarchism, in a way that will persuade the entire reading public that they should immediately read all of his books, become anarchists, and also read your excellent and recently published novel?” I will say yes. The revolution will occur shortly after that.
I’d love to write an original graphic novel with Superman. Being from Kansas and with Superman having been raised in rural Kansas, I have always identified with him. There are half a dozen angles ranging from a WWII POW camp near Smallville to a battle with Brainiac, who I’ve always felt was a little under-powered in the comics. Brains versus brawn without all the ego of Lex Luthor would be fascinating to explore in that milieu.
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