Book One Nears Publishing--and Book Two is Underway

There is always a certain degree of nervous trepidation associated with the unveiling of any offering to the public. It is that awkward pause after singing before a crowd, or the intense pressure awaiting the judge's scores after an athletic performance.
I mean, you love it, you are proud of it, but that doesn't guarantee that anyone else will even begin to appreciate it.

And so you wait.

This has been my lot of late. Over the past two weeks, I have released Back to Normal-Book One: Paradigm Rift to the discerning eyes and minds of a select batch of Beta Readers. Men, women, from various walks of life and various professional backgrounds.

And then I waited.

The reports and critiques trickled in. Now, with over 90% of them reporting, the verdict is clear:

Back to Normal appears to have a fighting chance.

Here are some quotes from these early reviewers:

"I absolutely LOVED it."

"My only complaint is that it ended, I was downright angry..."

"Allow me to begin by congratulating you on writing one of the most engrossing and well-crafted story lines I’ve encountered in years. The book is sensational, and very well-written."

"Just finished. Awesome! You can't leave me hanging. I need to know what happens next!"

"Great read. Easy to follow. Well written."

"I'm sure this will be an Amazon best seller."

The manuscript is being grammar and syntax proofed as we speak, and is due to get into the hands of my content editor by late next week. After that there will be another revision, then final proofreading, and then...

PUBLISHING! (Mid-October???)

But trust me, I'm not sitting idly by while this process occurs. I have recently completed a detailed outline of Book Two: TRADECRAFT, and I have already written a tentative first-draft of the last chapter of the final book---Book Four: CROSSOVER.

 (No, that was not a misprint or a misspeak, yes, I did say Book Four.)

In every spare minute, I have been meticulously researching material to be used as the backdrop for the international espionage elements that will dominate Book Two.

 If you love spies, intrigue, and mystery, then Back to Normal: TRADECRAFT will scratch that literary itch.

Book One: Paradigm Rift Update

It is an exciting time!

The second draft of Back to Normal: Book One: Paradigm Rift is in the hands of a small group of early Beta Readers as we speak. Content editing will follow this phase, and should begin around Sept. 1st. This will be followed by a round of final edits, then final proofreading, then...

PUBLISHING! 

Right now it looks like early to mid October for the official book release. We are still planning to have a special book release in downtown NORMAL. That could be amazing.

I am already working on Book Two: Tradecraft, which will focus more on the international espionage surrounding our time travelers, and Denver will find himself on an investigation that will turn the series upside down, As book two comes to a climax, newspaper editor Betty Larson uncovers the world's most dangerous secret, just as the KGB closes in.

Get ready for Back to Normal: Paradigm Rift---our past is their future.

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Talk to My Agent...

It's funny how certain phrases can evoke such professional satisfaction.

You know, statements like:

"Let's do lunch..."
"Your people will have to get with my people..."
"Linda? Would you have security bring my Ferrari out front?"

(OK, that last one was a bit...well, you know)

But today I was able to say (actually TEXT) something that I never imagined I would be able to do. A good friend had shared Back to Normal with a producer contact she knew, and they showed some interest. She asked me about how she should respond. I was able to say "Have them talk to my agent."

Wait???? Hold on one minute there, Mr. Randy McWilson! (See--I am pretending to be a voice inside your head...isn't it creepy?)

Agent? AGENT? Randy McWilson has official Hollywood representation? 

I will give you a few hints about the answer: (1) it rhymes with LESS (2) it is the opposite of NO (3) it is three letters long. Here is one more hint: YES.

As of 4:55pm on August 15, 2014, I verbally accepted an offer from Tom Klassen of Credence Talent in West Hollywood to be my talent manager. (We are planning a formal "signing party" early next week.) This is the culmination of a journey that is over 6 months in the making.

I had sent a query letter to them way back in February (a query letter is a formal request that you send to talent agents/managers in which you provide a short summary of your literary work (a LOGLINE) in order to get them to request a copy of your script. You cannot just send out your scripts to talent agencies....that is a big no no...it will end up being returned or dumped in the trash)

After I sent the query letter, they responded on May 6th by requesting to read the pilot episode script (these are busy people, they get flooded with requests, sometimes it takes awhile!). Three months later, on August 6th, I received this email:

Hey Randy,

We read your pilot and we are interested. Could you send us episodes 2 and 3 as well as the show bible?

Best Regards,

     Tom Klassen

In fishing terms, each query letter you send is like the casting out of your bait from a fishing pole. A positive response to your bait (a little nibble) is the requesting of your script. When they ask to read more, this is where the bobber goes under and the line starts to sing as it flies off your spool. They might be hooked!

Two days later, on August 8th, I received a voice mail from Tom Klassen, and he said that he had just finished reading episode 2, and that he was thrilled with the concept of Back to Normal. He said that he was going to read episode 3 over the weekend. He then proceeded to leave me a voice mail each day---Saturday, Sunday, and Monday! Each one grew more excited and more urgent. Grab the net!

I called him Monday, August 11th (read about that call by CLICKING HERE) and we agreed to talk again on Friday, August 15th. He wanted me to "meet" several of his staff, and to hear a more formal presentation of which networks, production companies, and showrunners that they thought Back to Normal would be a good "fit" for. He said that they were ready to sign me as their newest writer! I contacted Jeremy J. Ford and asked him to be present as my adviser in such matters.

Right on cue, at 4pm today, Tom and his staff called. Tom began by asking me to share a bit of the genesis of Back to Normal, how it came about, my strategy in writing it, and then on to my personal feelings about which companies and showrunners I was interested in contacting. He then shared quite a list of contacts they had, and the types of shows (LOST, The 4400, Under the Dome, Eureka) that had similar elements (which might indicate a willingness to do similar content).

I was thrilled that the actual staff member (that originally read my query and asked for my script back in May) was on the phone. He shared his thoughts, and was very excited about the whole universe known as Back to Normal.

About 45 minutes into the conversation I was convinced that this new, small agency had the desire, the passion, and the vision to see Back to Normal reach its highest potential. I looked over silently at Jeremy Ford and gave him a thumbs up or a thumbs down signal. He returned it with a very enthusiastic thumbs up.

At that moment I announced to Credence Talent that I had made my decision to sign with them as a screenwriter. You should have heard the clapping and the cheering on the other end of the phone in California! Also present at this "historic" moment were my good friends Danny Janisse and his mother Debbie Franklin. There were hugs, handshakes, and tears all around.

Within a few hours, Tom had already emailed me a PDF contract, ready to be signed and FedEx'd back to them! We are planning a formal "signing party" soon.

It is only a step, but it is an important, no, no, rather a crucial step in the process of getting Back to Normal before the eyes and pocketbooks of the decision-makers in tinsel town.

So, the next time you see me--no, I won't be driving a Ferrari, and no, I won't tell you to "have your people get with my people"---no, not yet. But if you ask about Back to Normal, you may, if you listen close enough, hear me whisper "You'll have to talk to my manager."

I am blessed by God to have so many that have encouraged, supported, and been my cheerleaders to see this thing through. We ain't there yet...but where we ARE...it is awesome.

A Big Call with BIG Possibilities

3.5 hours.
That's 210 minutes,
or 12,600 seconds.

That was the length of my phone call today/tonight with Tom Klassen, owner/co-founder Credence Talent in West Hollywood, California. Wow. What a phone call. After I hung up, I sat on the couch--speechless, inspired, thrilled, and exhausted...and all at the same time.

He had left me 4 different voice mails from last Friday until this morning, and I finally had a chance to return his persistent calls right after work, about 6pm as I was driving home from the CTC. He is over 70 years old, but from his voice and enthusiasm, I would've guessed early 50s. He has had a long and varied career in the business, from agent, to literary work, to producer, and now co-founding a talent management firm.

I was in awe as he shared his colorful and powerful stories of his interaction with A-listers, producers, studio execs, and everyone below. He has enjoyed a several-decade career in Hollywood, and has now started this agency to pass on his knowledge to the next generation of agents/managers.

I would love to learn at the feet of this guy!

He said that my pilot script of Back to Normal had been read by an intern at their young firm, and that the intern was thrilled with the storyline. Tom said that the intern badgered him daily (for weeks) to try to get him to take a look at Back to Normal. (Interestingly, Tom has an eye condition and cannot read well, so he has the younger agents READ the scripts and record them so that he can listen to them later!)

They loved the pilot, and requested to read episodes 2 and 3 as well. I sent them immediately. Tom said that they got caught up in the story, and that (in his opinion) the story and writing grew better with each episode. He commented that he had read/heard many thousands of scripts in his career, and that Back to Normal was like "finding a needle in a haystack."

He thinks that it could attract a showrunner with the credentials of LOST, Eureka, The 4400, or even Mad Men. Tom worked for years just down the hall from Mark Johnson (Exec. Producer-Breaking Bad) and said that even Johnson might be interested in a strong, character-driven thriller like Back to Normal. Who knows?

We talked about everything from Time Travel to the Kennedy Assassination, along with about 3000 other somewhat-related subtopics. We have tentatively set another date and time for a conference call with more of his staff (Friday August 15 at 4:00 Missouri time). He wants them to meet me and vice versa, and he wanted to show me how impressed they are with the story, and to share their plans for promoting this new property.

Tom told me that they are ready and willing to sign me as their newest writer to the Credence Talent Management family. They operate at a strict 10% commission (that is middle of the road, with the low end being 5% and a high of 15% with some firms) and expect ZERO upfront and no hidden fees. They don't get paid unless I get paid. This is a sign of a legitimate and ethical business model in LA.

He said that they might also be interested in reading my Romantic Comedy feature length screenplay that I wrote years ago (The Date Coach), as well as my Police Homicide Thriller (The Linda J. Bates Affair).

I am going to call Jeremy J. Ford and see if he will join me for the conference call. His experience and input will be invaluable on this decision.

Here is a link to Tom's IMDB page: https://pro-labs.imdb.com/name/nm0458344/