Note to, oh, everyone: Just because I write werewolf fiction doesn't mean I'm into furry porn.

[agilebrit]

I will not name names here, but I will put forth the story as a cautionary tale.

I freely admit that I am mercenary, and I will write damned near anything if you throw enough money at my head. So when someone approaches me with an opportunity to "write for a movie or TV show," sure, I'm intrigued, but wary. When you say "Don't ask me about the

Comments

[honorh]

I'm sorry, but I'm laughing my ass off at this.

[agilebrit]

Go ahead! I am too!

The kicker is that a conversation kept going before he kicked me out of the chat that I didn't know I was privy to until I opened a new FB window and it popped up. And in this conversation, this guy admits he doesn't even have a contract for any of his creative people yet! And apparently his money guy is some actor no one's ever heard of.

This is a trainwreck waiting to happen.

Seriously, you don't lead with "have you ever wanted to write for movies or TV." You lead with "I have this concept I want to pay you to write" and then outline the damned concept and the payment terms. Then I can tell you if it's in my wheelhouse and we don't waste a bunch of time.

Wow...

[ext_1125272]

So, a lack of business savvy combined with a lack of discernment, mixed with a large dose of tactlessness. A winning combination!

Here's to bullets dodged, and better things that will come along,
G

RE: Wow...

[agilebrit]

I googled him, and it gets better! As I suspected, it's a self-insert x-rated outer-space harem manga.

You can't make this stuff up.

[selenite]

Apparently that guy couldn't either or he wouldn't have wanted writers.

Yep, well dodged.

[agilebrit]

I found his deviantArt account. The writing sample he posted for this thing was... um. Unfortunate.

[mauser]

No links?

[agilebrit]

I'm not sure this rises to the level of "public shaming," and there's enough here that anyone else he contacts should recognize the project just from the description. But hit me up via messaging and I'll tell you who he is and the name of the project.

Apparently he's "only" after five "professional" writers now instead of ten, and still does not realize that the first and foremost goal of a pro writer is to get paid. With his Gofundme only trying to raise $3000 (and no donations after something like a month, poor fellow), and the mention of $3000-$5000 as an initial goal, he's terribly naive if he thinks anyone remotely professional is going to want to be involved in this, especially at the level of payment he's looking at, with an essentially work-for-hire job.

Also, wrangling writers is a lot like herding mountain lions. I don't think he realizes this either.

[mauser]

I could have used the laugh. Furry Fandom is just full of guys like that. "I have this great idea based on my personal sexual fantasy, it's so great it will sell millions, somehow. Just do all the work for me and we'll split it 50-50."

[kensieg]

I'm surprised he couldn't get a fanfic writer to do this for him. Amateur Hour all the way. A legend in his own mind.

[agilebrit]

Oh, but he doesn't want amateur writers for his dream project. Only professionals will do!

That being said, what he really should have done was search out the sort of harem manga he likes on AO3, find some writers who are actually good at writing it, and hit them up. Then he would have known that a project like this was in their wheelhouse, and he would have been talking to people who are already used to working on other people's properties--and who would have probably been more willing to take the paltry payment he was offering.

I've got all kinds of advice for this guy, but, alas. He blocked me.