Bathsheba Monk's "Nude Walker"

Bathsheba Monk is the author of Now You See It ... Stories from Cokesville, PA.Here she picks the cast for an adaptation of her recently released novel, Nude Walker:My first option is to have James Franco write the screenplay, direct and play all the parts, because I would really like to see how far he can stretch, and I’m sure he’s curious too, but if that can’t happen because of prior commitments, I would like him at least to play Jenna, the Bible-thumping-tattoo-covered sensualist, who is the “other woman.” Ryan Reynolds is my idea of the Steady-Eddy who everyone wants to marry so he

Read more »

{[['']]}

Sophie Littlefield's "Aftertime"

Sophie Littlefield's crime novels include A Bad Day for Sorry and A Bad Day for Pretty.Here she shares some ideas for casting the stars of an adaptation of Aftertime, the first installment in her new dystopian series:I’m so tone-deaf when it comes to pop culture, and especially movie stars, that I always have to turn to my secret whiz kid for help on casting my books as movies. None of them have been picked up for film yet, but I’m hopeful, especially after my pal came up with what I think is our best line-up yet:In Aftertime, the 30-year-old heroine Cass Dollar has been through a lot: a re

Read more »

{[['']]}

Ben Tanzer's "You Can Make Him Like You"

Ben Tanzer is the author of the books Lucky Man, Most Likely You Go Your Way and I’ll Go Mine, Repetition Patterns and 99 Problems. He also oversees day-to-day operations of This Zine Will Change Your Life.Here he shares his thoughts on the above-the-line talent for an adaptation of his new novel, You Can Make Him Like You:Once upon a time, and in a galaxy far, far away I was once asked to tackle the challenge presented by "My Book, The Movie" for my novel Lucky Man. At the time I expressed a handful of desires and recommendations.One, that when Lucky Man was optioned, and for the record it's

Read more »

{[['']]}

Janice Eidus's "The Last Jewish Virgin"

Novelist, short story writer, and essayist Janice Eidus has twice won the O. Henry Prize for her short stories, as well as a Pushcart Prize, a Redbook Prize, and numerous other awards.Here she develops some ideas for the cast of an adaptation of her latest novel, The Last Jewish Virgin:In my ideal film version, Lilith will be played by Zooey Deschanel, who will look lovely and seductive dressed in Lilith’s various ensembles: vampire seductress; Middle East harem girl; casual jeans/T-shirt/sneakers girl; madcap, bubbly ingenue in polka dots and heels, and whose urgent, blue-eyed intensity

Read more »

{[['']]}

Elizabeth Buchan's "Separate Beds"

Elizabeth Buchan is the author of several highly acclaimed and bestselling books of fiction, including the bestselling Revenge of the Middle-Aged Woman, The Good Wife Strikes Back, Everything She Thought She Wanted, and Consider the Lily.Here she shares some ideas for cast and director of an adaptation of her latest novel, Separate Beds:They did make my novel, Revenge of the Middle-Aged Woman into a film – to be precise, a CBS Primetime Drama with Christine Lahti as the lead, Rose. So, in that respect, I have been lucky.For Separate Beds, I would lay siege to Kate Winslet to play Annie. Matt

Read more »

{[['']]}

Imogen Robertson's "Instruments of Darkness"

Imogen Robertson is a writer based in London. Her first book Instruments of Darkness was published in the U.K. in May 2009, and is now available in America. Her second novel Anatomy of Murder comes out at the end of April 2010 in Britain.Here she shares some casting ideas for an adaptation of Instruments of Darkness:Before I started to write full time I was a TV director, so it’s usual for me to see my books as I write them, just as I used to see the scenes I wanted to film. That said, I rarely have a particular actor’s face in front of me as I work, but when I started writing Lady Thornleigh

Read more »

{[['']]}

Louise Dean's "The Old Romantic"

Louise Dean's novels include Becoming Strangers, which was awarded the Betty Trask Prize in 2004 and was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize and the Guardian First Book Award, This Human Season, and The Idea of Love. She lives in Kent, England.Here she shares a casting suggestion for the main role should her new novel The Old Romantic be adapted for the big screen:Michael Caine is the only real contender for the lead role, the ‘Estuary’ accent, the British flinching peevishness, the sly sentimentality - he’s the man. I sent him a copy of the book in homage and supplication, but I’ve had n

Read more »

{[['']]}

Elizabeth Stuckey-French's "The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady"

Elizabeth Stuckey-French is the author of a novel, Mermaids on the Moon, a collection of short stories, The First Paper Girl in Red Oak, Iowa, and, with Janet Burroway, Writing Fiction: A Guide to the Narrative Craft.Here's a synopsis of her new novel, The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady:Seventy-seven year old Marylou Ahearn is going to kill Dr. Wilson Spriggs come hell or high water. In 1953, he gave her a radioactive cocktail without her consent as part of a secret government study that had horrible consequences. Marylou has been plotting her revenge for fifty years when she accidentall

Read more »

{[['']]}

Mark Alpert's "The Omega Theory"

A self-described lifelong "science geek," Mark Alpert majored in astrophysics at Princeton University, writing his undergraduate thesis on an application of Einstein's theory of relativity. After earning an MFA in poetry at Columbia and working as a reporter, he became an editor at Scientific American, where he simplifies bewildering scientific ideas for the magazine's readers.Here he explains his casting preferences for a cinematic adaptation of his new novel, The Omega Theory:This science thriller is a sequel to my first novel, Final Theory. The film rights to this book were sold to Radar P

Read more »

{[['']]}

Priya Parmar's "Exit the Actress"

Priya Parmar, a former freelance editor and dramaturg holds degrees in English Literature and theatre. She attended Mount Holyoke College, Oxford University and is currently a doctoral candidate at the University of Edinburgh. She divides her time between Hawaii and London.Here she shares some casting ideas for an adaptation of her new novel, Exit the Actress:Exit the Actress the movie? My dream cast? Dead or alive? For the royal family: Cary Grant would make a heavenly Charles II. He had just the right mix of bite, wit, charm and disarming flirt about him. Emily Mortimer would make

Read more »

{[['']]}

Dave Zeltserman's "Outsourced"

Dave Zeltserman is the author of ten novels, including Killer, Pariah, The Caretaker of Lorne Field, Small Crimes, and Blood Crimes, as well as many short stories and a collection of short crime fiction, 21 Tales.His new novel is Outsourced:A classic heist thriller pitched somewhere between Ocean's Eleven and Dog Day Afternoon, it’s the story of a group of software engineers who lose their jobs due to an industry push to outsourcing. Desperate, and seeing their middle class lives crumbling apart, they come up with a brilliant plan to use their computing skills to rob a bank. But not e

Read more »

{[['']]}

Stephen Deas's "The King of the Crags"

Stephen Deas is the author of the acclaimed short story “The Snow Fox.” The Adamantine Palace introduced The Memory of Flames Trilogy and is followed by The King of the Crags.Here the author develops some ideas for casting a big screen adaptation of the trilogy:Generally when I write, I don't write with particular faces or actors or movie characters in mind, I just let each new personality form on its own. However, in this case, there is one striking exception. Prince Jehal, the lead protagonist in The Adamantine Palace and still one of the main players in King of the Crags is Joaquin Phoenix

Read more »

{[['']]}