Crashing Sun

I think it would probably work better as a TV show. But if it were made nowadays, I feel like that just contributes to the mass consumption of TV slop* that has become so prevalent in society these days

*I am not calling TV shows slop, more so the watching culture and binging habits, and the fact that the entire structure of a series has changed in recent years, and that everything has been hastened to the point of losing all personality, ESPECIALLY when it comes to adaptations

One complete product that can be watched in one sitting

Theatre release? Maybe? (I know this is already wishful thinking by itself but humor me)

I feel like it’s just such a Thing to make a movie out of adaptations

It’s easier to get into movies I find. No coping out after an episode or saying “I’ll watch the rest later”.

There’s probably more but my mind went blank the minute I started typing

Cons of CO being a movie

It’s a rather dense book, and very likely things will be omitted or moved around in order to make things flow better

(On that note, when I did try my hand at writing a script for class, I shuffled a few events around. I believe the dragon attack came before the truce, for example. It worked better for pushing the traditional 3 act structure)

Movies that are direct-to-streaming in the event of no theatrical run can fly so far under the radar that they disappear. Even theatrical flops make headlines for BEING theatrical flops

It would be harder to secure the budget required for all the effects in the story (like magic) (movies generally have bigger budgets)

Pros of CO being a series

Ability to really explore the story, granted more time

Less rearranging of story beats, and instead just trying to fit things into an episodic structure

TV shows are in right now. Want something made? Pitch it as a show.

Weekly episode drops keep the hype up for extended time

Probably easier to showcase switching character perspectives and characters that aren’t present physically (Lucy) instead of relying on other ways of getting similar info across

Cons of CO being a series

Inherently smaller budget means more constraints on effects

Genre shows have been shafted for the past decade, meaning any studio would likely only want to pay for 6ish or so episodes MAXIMUM, likely less

The way studios decide what shows to renew is usually based on initial watch figures after the first episode or two, so if it’s not immediately a hit it’ll succumb to the “canceled after one season” epidemic

There are so many arguments for each really, these are just some. Also I’m throwing this into the void because really, I’m just one guy begging the film and tv overlords to give a queer book from a decade ago a chance

Also it’s worth noting that usually 23-episode shows are for episodic television, and that serialized shows (like CO would be) usually have fewer episodes by default, but I could campaign for like 13 episodes (which is what shows like Breaking Bad, Ozark and Mad Men had (which, granted, are completely totally different, but they’re the first things I think of when it comes to serialized narratives (as opposed to things like the early seasons of Supernatural, which were 23ish episodes but episodic (where each episode followed a formula))))

Edit: for reference, I’m imagining live action because I love live action fantasy. If it’s done well.

Like for me, it’s straight up just my uncle’s house that I imagine, but like,,, if someone put a goth filter over it. Except there are parts of the house are modified in my imagination to be whatever they need for the setting to make sense. Like there’s just a hallway that leads to a library (and the library looks kinda like some fictional library but I can’t remember it rn)

But the funny thing is, when I imagine any fic set in a generic flat for Snowbaz fics, whether it’s Simon’s or Baz’s or even Fiona’s, the flat layout is still part of my uncle’s house. Snowbaz just exists in my uncles house I guess.

And their dorm room, even though I know it’s general layout, looks like a mishmash of all the dorms I’ve lived in over the years. Maybe I’ll draw it out

Pitch Manor floor 1

The mud room is where Simon comes in wearing half the countryside in book 1, and where he sees Baz wearing jeans. The only way into the mudroom is through the garage or through the deck door which is behind a locked gate. Don't worry about that. That's where he gets invited in from

Garage. This exists in a state of flux. Sometimes its there, sometimes they just park in the driveway which is to the left of the garage

Living room. The star indicated there is right in front of the TV, the fireplace is between the windows. However, when Simon and Baz first kiss, it's in front of this fireplace. In the middle of the very open floorplan house. In the living room. Very private, trust me.

Pitch Manor floor 2

There's a railing to see down into the first floor living room. Very open.

Master bedroom. Obviously Malcolm and Daphne's room. There's an en suite in there

Guest room. This is where simon is supposed to stay in the first book. He doesnt stay here. There's also an en suite

Hallway. In the irl house this is based on, this is where the bathroom is for the rightmost bedrooms. In the Pitch-ified version, that hallway leads to the library in the manor, which doesnt seem to exist in the material realm.

The Flat™

Kitchen. Is this the exact same as the Pitch Manor kitchen and living room? Yes. Yes it is.

What's the deal with the front door? I dont know. Sometimes--most of the time-- its where the mudroom entrance is in the full version of the building. But every so often the door is on the right side. Maybe british architecture is just Like That.

Mummers Tower

Much like everything else, this is not a fixed concept. Simon's bed is always like that, but Depending on what the story/fic/current vibe is, his furniture changes orientation. And there's entirely too much room in this model, and also it's not shaped like a tower room. These details don't matter

“i need to see carry on on the big screen”

You have the power to ignore things at will. When I was still in high school and a cringe theatre kid (as opposed to now, where I’m a perfectly respectable theatre adult), and Dear Evan Hansen meant the world to me, the movie came out and I just ignored it.

The Good Omens finale just came out and I didn’t like it so I’m ignoring it.

The two Percy Jackson movies that came out years ago?? Ignoring them.

Art in all its forms is a precious thing, but you can’t let your idea of something be so fragile that a bad adaptation will shatter it. Learn to separate what you need and hold dear from what you don’t accept and reject.

It’s a little hypocritical of me to say this because I’m usually the first person to say that people need to stop making adaptations and start making original movies, but I think Carry On is a book that can be adapted well.

It’s fantasy. It’s queer. It has a happy ending. These are things that, each for different reasons, aren’t doing so well in the industry right now. If a movie is made, it would be a labor of love rather than factory-made film-bro slop. It defies what’s in right now, but I think that’s a good thing! And any movie can be a good movie if the right people and the right producers work on it. Keep it away from big names in Hollywood and it has the chance to be something great.

Does every book need a movie? Absolutely not. Most don’t. But cinema is very quickly becoming a dumpster fire of an art medium because the big names (cough cough Disney) have started purposely dumbing down their movies so they either A.) fit when cropped onto a vertical platform so it’s easy to make swipeable content out of the movie or B.) repeat the same plot points and information so that audiences who are ‘second screening’ (watching while on their phone) can still follow the movie.

Every time I read Carry On (and full transparency, it’s been a minute (thanks college)), I discover something new about the characters. Combine that with the incredibly dense plot, it would be detrimental to the story to try to have repeating action, because then there wouldn’t be enough time to get through everything.

It’s worth mentioning that for my screenplay adaptation class in junior year I plotted out/started writing my own version of a CO movie script but that was before I had my feature film writing class and so it’s kinda ass but it’s still a labor of love (and also was in no way official or approved by Rainbow Rowell, just a learning experience for school)

Deal Announcement: WHEN THE TIDES HELD THE MOON (Erewhon, Spring 2025)

If you've been with me on Tumblr for a while, then you may already be familiar with this title and been waiting for this particular update, and all I can say is thank you endlessly for patiently sticking it out with me! I am so incredibly pleased to announce that WHEN THE TIDES HELD THE MOON has been acquired by Diana Pho at Erewhon Books/Kensington Publishing as an illustrated adult historical fantasy!

Tor.com has published a blush-inducing article which features some insights from me about what inspired the story, reactions from Hugo Award-winning editor Diana Pho on what drew her to the book, a downright tear-jerking endorsement from the incomparable TJ Klune, and my original concept art of Benny & Río. I hope you'll take a moment to read it at the link below!

This project is the culmination of a lifelong dream to write and illustrate my own books, and there are no words to convey the depth of my gratitude to Diana for the gift of seeing it be delivered as an illustrated adult work. Infinite thanks must also go to my unstoppable agent Saritza Hernandez, my phenomenal critique partners Anna Racine and Mark Duplane, and the many experts who generously and enthusiastically donated their time and resources in the middle of lockdown to help me bring 1911 Brooklyn, NY to life, including:

Virginia Sanchez-Korrol –– Professor Emeritus of Puerto Rican & Latino Studies, CUNY Brooklyn College

David Sharp -- President, The Waterfront Museum

Jamie Salen, David Favaloro, & Lana Rubin –– Marketing Director, Director of Curatorial Affairs, & Collections Manager (respectively), The Tenement Museum

Adam Realman -- Artistic Director, The Coney Island Circus Sideshow