Timewaster's Guide Archive

I'm just looking forward to being a part of this new series from the beginning, and having the ARC to prove it 

I didn't mean to make it sound easy... I know it would take a boat-load of work and money, but after seeing what movies can be done with certain budgets, I definitely think it could be filmed and produced with a realistic budget.
As I said, though, I don't know a lot about the movie industry.  What I think will take a tiny bit of money may take a million for them.  For me, it's all compare-work.

Every time I've talk about the book, my friends generally ask what I thought of the ending, because obviously it's a big slog to get through.  I end up telling them it's not the ending you want to happen, but it's the ending that needs to happen, and it is ultimately very fulfilling.

Personally, I find that the size it ends up being naturally is the right size for a book, because every one is different.  My first book I wrote was 90,000, but that had a lot of "and then they did this, and then they did that" type of story telling (they did a lot of things in that book).  Every book after that has never been shorter than 105,000 words, but that just where stories sit comfortably with me.  I can develop plot and character and close it off nicely in that time.  The longest story I wrote was close to 140,000 words, which I managed to cut down a little to 135,000, but even then that's long for a first-time novelist.
For your story, 75,000 words is probably just what feels like a natural length, and when you pass it on to other readers, ask them what they thought of the length and whether there was anything that needs developing more.  Every person I had read the book I'm querying with told me I didn't spend enough time/development with one character, and I ended up adding another 3000 words, so who knows; you're book may end up 80k before you start querying.
I don't see book length as a problem, though.  I would think mainly about the content instead.

To be honest, as I was reading the books I couldn't help but imagine what awesomely epic movies these books would make in the hands of a good director, producer and scriptwriter.  They're such visual books that were almost meant to be put into a visual medium (if you have a look around the fan-art, you'll see what I mean).  Of course, with any book-film translation, if done badly, it can ruin the movie.  I think if they went for the angle Summit went on with Twilight (Staying so honest to the books, it's frightening) would be excellent, and I honestly wouldn't mind sitting through a 5 hour movie of Mistborn, but since that's not possible, I would just really like a good movie.
As to the casting?  I'm absolutely stumped.  Vin's and Kelsier's and Elend's shoes are very difficult ones to fill, and it would be a difficult movie for a 16 year old girl to film (think: ending).
But that's my two cents.

REALLY!  *Zooms off with a steelpush*

Again, the Illuminating Peter Ahlstrom saves the day.
Fingers crossed it gets high on the NYT Bestellers list.  Mr. Sanderson deserves No. 1.