Ask the Author: S.D. Perry
Answered Questions (23)
S.D. Perry
Hi! Thanks for saying, that's very kind of you! As far as getting into the biz, it's mostly an invitation only kind of deal... companies hiring contract writers are looking for people who already have credits to their name. I lucked into this through pure nepotism; my father writes, and he invited me to collaborate on a couple of projects. When those turned out well, I started getting calls. Once you're "known", you might get an invite to work in a shared universe, but it's an iffy business. Contract writers have to be fast, write clean, and not mind a flat fee. I don't get regular work, and I've written a lot of books.
Your best bet, barring luck, is going it the hard way. Get published. Write, edit, submit, repeat. Write the stories you want to read, build your own universe. Practice 'til you have a book good enough to send to an agent, publish, and publish as often as you can... And if you write stuff that's got a similar feel to a particular franchise, AND that franchise has leased the publishing rights to an editor who knows your name, THEN you might get tapped.
I'm sorry, it's horrible news, I know. It's not impossible, but in my experience, publishing houses aren't likely to take a risk on an unknown when they're dealing with licensed materials.
I hope I didn't bum you out. Thank you again for taking the time to say hi, and happy Halloween!
Your best bet, barring luck, is going it the hard way. Get published. Write, edit, submit, repeat. Write the stories you want to read, build your own universe. Practice 'til you have a book good enough to send to an agent, publish, and publish as often as you can... And if you write stuff that's got a similar feel to a particular franchise, AND that franchise has leased the publishing rights to an editor who knows your name, THEN you might get tapped.
I'm sorry, it's horrible news, I know. It's not impossible, but in my experience, publishing houses aren't likely to take a risk on an unknown when they're dealing with licensed materials.
I hope I didn't bum you out. Thank you again for taking the time to say hi, and happy Halloween!
S.D. Perry
Well, I'm female and have opinions, but I wouldn't say I'm any kind of warrior.
S.D. Perry
The way licensing works, Capcom would have to lease the publishing rights out to a book company, and the book company would then have to hire me to write more RE books (that's how it worked the first time)... That said, yeah, I would totally write more. They were fun to work on. :)
S.D. Perry
Hi! I go by my middle name, Danelle, by the way... I'm fine, thank you! My agent is Jennifer Weltz, with JVNLA. :)
S.D. Perry
I guess you'd have to talk to Capcom...? They lease out the publishing rights to different companies, and then the company hires the writer. Sorry to leave you hanging!!
S.D. Perry
Since RE is a licensed property, I could only write more in the series if a company with the publishing rights hired me to do so. Tie-ins and novelizations are contract work, and contract writers (like me!) have to be hired to work in shared universes like RE. If I'm contacted about writing more, I probably would... But no one is knocking on my door! :)
S.D. Perry
I was lucky, because my dad's a writer; I was able to get my foot in the door early, which was undoubtedly key to getting more work.
As to how to be successful? The only difference between writers and non-writers is that writers write. You can't get good at something if you don't practice regularly, and edit, and redraft, and write more. Writing feels good; you get to make up characters and have them run around and do stuff... but being creative is only the beginning. That's the fun, easy part. It's making it readable that requires effort, and you can't get there if you don't teach yourself, by trial and error. So, my three tips are write, write, write.
Hope that helps!
As to how to be successful? The only difference between writers and non-writers is that writers write. You can't get good at something if you don't practice regularly, and edit, and redraft, and write more. Writing feels good; you get to make up characters and have them run around and do stuff... but being creative is only the beginning. That's the fun, easy part. It's making it readable that requires effort, and you can't get there if you don't teach yourself, by trial and error. So, my three tips are write, write, write.
Hope that helps!
S.D. Perry
Pardon my very late reply... I just found a bunch of questions that I didn't know had been posted, including yours. Sorry to say, there are no RE projects currently on the horizon. I don't think Capcom is doing any publishing right now, and if they are, they haven't contacted me. Sorry!
S.D. Perry
To mess with us, obviously. :)
S.D. Perry
My apologies for the late reply, I just found a slew of questions I somehow never saw before... Actually, I'm working on a man vs. big lizard book right now, which will be sort-of survival horror. I don't know that it will feel particularly RE, but maybe my next project... I'll keep it in mind. Anyway, thanks for writing!
S.D. Perry
Hello! Sorry it's taken me so long to get to your question... I just realized that I've missed about two years' worth of questions (I don't hit Goodreads often enough)... Anyway, I'm not a genius by any means, but I'm glad you liked the books. I've got a couple of contract projects in the works, and am currently writing a big action thriller, giant lizards versus pioneers. I also just wrote a horror novel that is still waiting to be sold. One of these days, I'll make a website so I can post about what I'm doing... thanks for caring!:)
S.D. Perry
Hi! Thanks! Um, I put on my iPod and turn up the music loud enough to drown out my family. Usually that works... :)
S.D. Perry
If I can figure out how...:) Thank you!
S.D. Perry
I'm so sorry to say, I don't remember. Chances are good, I made it up.
S.D. Perry
Hey, thanks! Nice of you to say!
S.D. Perry
Hey, Tommy! Sorry to say, it's unlikely that I'll be doing a 7th. I was hired to write those books and the material is licensed; that is, one must be invited to write Resident Evil (or Star Wars, or Silent Hill, or whatever). No one has contacted me in many moons regarding new RE stuff. Sorry! But I'm glad you liked the books! :)
S.D. Perry
Yeah, I guess so. I don't think of them that way, since I'm hired to write stuff often before I've even seen the source material. But yes, I think that's a fair assessment.:)
S.D. Perry
This might sound sarcastic or trite, although I don't mean it that way... to get past that kind of block, I just sit down and do it. Lots of people think that they can write, if they just put words on paper, but to get good at it, they have to practice. I have to practice. I think one has to be willing to just plow through, even if they're not feeling inspired... maybe that means they churn out some crap, but there's really no other way to get better. Deadlines also help, from an editor or just self-imposed. Hope that helps!
S.D. Perry
Hi, Victor! Thanks for saying. I was a fan of the first game... was still in the mansion, in fact (my very first playing of RE took, like, 20+ hours) when I was hired. The original contract was for 4 books, two based on the first two games, two original. So, the first two games, I played extensively. I was such a fanatic for details, I got to where I could get through the first game in under two hours--for me, that was fast. The second game, I played a bunch, but not as much as the first... and that was when I discovered game guides. I played all of the other games multiple times, but totally cheated to get through them, and used the guides for outlining.
So yes, I was a fan... It's funny, though, I dug up the first game a few weeks ago and tried to play...? It is SO dated, tech-wise, and my sad reflexes made it so I kept running into walls. I died in the first hall of dogs and gave up in self-disgust.:)
Most of the character stuff I made up, although I was helped along by my editor--he came up with some of the background stuff for a couple of the characters, and it was his idea to include the mysterious Trent.
Anyway, I hope that answers your question, and I'm glad you liked the books. Have a good day!
So yes, I was a fan... It's funny, though, I dug up the first game a few weeks ago and tried to play...? It is SO dated, tech-wise, and my sad reflexes made it so I kept running into walls. I died in the first hall of dogs and gave up in self-disgust.:)
Most of the character stuff I made up, although I was helped along by my editor--he came up with some of the background stuff for a couple of the characters, and it was his idea to include the mysterious Trent.
Anyway, I hope that answers your question, and I'm glad you liked the books. Have a good day!
S.D. Perry
Hi back atcha, Mark! The RE books--and Aliens, Star Trek, etc.--were all invitationals; an editor called and offered the job. I wrote the books for a flat fee and little or no royalties. As to how I got them, I was lucky... my father is a writer. The first few books I wrote were ones that he turned down or couldn't make time for.
I saw that the RE books came out again a couple of years ago... ah, would that I still got royalties from those! No one even told me that they'd been re-released.:) Anyway, I'm glad you're enjoying them (again), and have a lovely day!
I saw that the RE books came out again a couple of years ago... ah, would that I still got royalties from those! No one even told me that they'd been re-released.:) Anyway, I'm glad you're enjoying them (again), and have a lovely day!
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