So the treatment was sold! This is a story of how ridiculous publishing is, and how good karma comes back for you. Here goes:
In 1999 I was working on a project in Palm Beach County, Florida. As part of that project, I had to go interview some people at the county jail.
As I walked in, a woman was standing by the front door crying with a bunch of suitcases in hand. She looked about 50, and the luggage was nice stuff. I asked her what was up, and she said her husband had been arrested for trying to bring a gun through the metal detector in the airport. He was about 70 and they were snowbirds -- seems he got some duffel bags switched up, shipped the one with his medicine via UPS and took the one with his gun with him to the airport.
Since I knew my way around, I told her I'd check on her husband. I found out his bond and went to see him. He was cool as a cucumber -- for a 70 year old guy in jail, he was a lot calmer than I would have been. He gave me his PIN #, I got his ATM card from the booking agent (since he hadn't been processed his property was still around), took his wife to the ATM, we pulled out $1000 ($400 from each of their accounts, plus $200 from mine), and posted his bail. When he was released about 2 hours later I picked them up and drove them back to the airport in my little, beat up Honda.
Turns out the wife had just retired from a major NYC publishing house, where she was the head of popular fiction. Seven years later I finally got a good (and marketable) idea, called her up, wrote a treatment, and sold the damn thing with her help.
Long live the karmic circle!!
In 1999 I was working on a project in Palm Beach County, Florida. As part of that project, I had to go interview some people at the county jail.
As I walked in, a woman was standing by the front door crying with a bunch of suitcases in hand. She looked about 50, and the luggage was nice stuff. I asked her what was up, and she said her husband had been arrested for trying to bring a gun through the metal detector in the airport. He was about 70 and they were snowbirds -- seems he got some duffel bags switched up, shipped the one with his medicine via UPS and took the one with his gun with him to the airport.
Since I knew my way around, I told her I'd check on her husband. I found out his bond and went to see him. He was cool as a cucumber -- for a 70 year old guy in jail, he was a lot calmer than I would have been. He gave me his PIN #, I got his ATM card from the booking agent (since he hadn't been processed his property was still around), took his wife to the ATM, we pulled out $1000 ($400 from each of their accounts, plus $200 from mine), and posted his bail. When he was released about 2 hours later I picked them up and drove them back to the airport in my little, beat up Honda.
Turns out the wife had just retired from a major NYC publishing house, where she was the head of popular fiction. Seven years later I finally got a good (and marketable) idea, called her up, wrote a treatment, and sold the damn thing with her help.
Long live the karmic circle!!