John August

Arlo Finch

The two kinds of title pages

Arlo Finch, Author, Books

This past week, I found myself proofreading the typeset version of my book. That’s when I made an amazing discovery that many readers probably already realize:

Books have two title pages.

The first title page has only the title of the book. The second title page has the title plus the author’s name, along with the publisher’s logo.

Like most things that seem oddly wasteful at first glance, there’s actually a good reason for the two pages. I dig into the history and terminology over at the [Arlo Finch blog](https://arlofinch.tumblr.com/post/160299523556/half-title-page-vs-title-page):

> And now I’m kind of obsessed, grabbing every book on the shelf to check. It’s that classic case of once you notice something, it’s ubiquitous—at least in American hardcover novels.

I’ll be doing a follow-up post looking at the information on the back of the title page, from publisher data to ISBN.

I live in Paris now

Arlo Finch, International, News

Two weeks ago, my family and I moved to Paris. We’ll be here for about a year.

I’m not here for work, or to escape this [nightmare of an election][election]. Rather, this sojourn has been in the planning stages for several years, going all the way to back to a [screenwriters trip][filmfrance] organized by Film France back in 2009. My daughter is attending sixth grade here. We’ll head back to Los Angeles for seventh.

While I’m here, I’ll be writing [Arlo Finch][arlo]. And we’ll still be doing [Scriptnotes][scriptnotes]. We recorded a new episode this week. I think we’ll be able to keep up with our normal weekly schedule.

The biggest adjustment so far has been learning how to navigate Paris as an inhabitant rather than a visitor. For example, setting up a French checking account is a nightmare, but it’s a prerequisite for almost everything else (phone plans, electricity, transit passes). Paris busses are remarkably handy in ways I never considered as a tourist. We don’t have a car, but so far that’s been a plus.

Ex-pat American writers living in Paris is a complete cliché, so I won’t be blogging or [tweeting][twitter] about it much. If you want to see what I’m doing during my days, I’m an active user of Instagram stories. So [follow me on Instagram] if you want to see lots of pictures of kids carrying baguettes and dogs in restaurants.

[filmfrance]: http://johnaugust.com/2008/france-finished

[election]: http://fivethirtyeight.com

[arlo]: http://johnaugust.com/2016/i-wrote-a-book

[scriptnotes]: http://johnaugust.com/scriptnotes

[twitter]: http://twitter.com/johnaugust

: http://instagram.com/johnaugust

I wrote a book.

Arlo Finch, Author, Books, News

I’m not sure how many screenplays I’ve written. At least 30. Maybe 50.

I have [ten produced credits][imdb], so that means a lot of unmade movies. As much as I love screenwriting, it’s like being the architect for a bunch of buildings that may never get built. Screenplays are transitional documents, plans for making the “real” thing.

Novels, however, *are* the real things. Even if they’re later adapated into movies or TV shows, the books themselves are finished works. They’re permanent in a way screenplays could never be.

So in between other projects, I decided to write one. And now it’s [getting published][quote].

Here’s the key bit from the press release:

> Roaring Brook Press, an imprint of the Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, has signed a 3-book deal for a new middle grade series by award-winning screenwriter John August, who counts Big Fish, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Go among his credits.

> In the first book in the series, Arlo Finch in the Valley of Fire, set to be published in early 2018, readers are introduced to Arlo Finch, a young boy who joins a mountain scouting troop and discovers that his fellow campers are not just training in outdoor survival—they are also learning to harness the wild magic that lies deep within the forest. Through treacherous adventures and close calls, Arlo is awakened to his unique destiny and the foundations of the Rangers’ Vow: loyalty, bravery, kindness, and truth.

As a screenwriter who frequently gets sent these kinds of books to adapt, it’s been fascinating to see the other side of the business. I’m asking a ton of questions. I’ll be sharing what I learn here and elsewhere.

Since middle grade fiction readers are not the core demo of this site, I’ve also set up a Tumblr at [arlofin.ch][tumblr] that’s just about the book — and is more kid-and-parent friendly.

If you’re curious about the behind-the-scenes of writing and producing the series, I’ll be starting a sporadic newsletter with updates and sneak peeks along the way. More details soon.

Huge thanks to Jodi Reamer, my agent at Writers House, and my editor Connie Hsu for making this happen. It’s going to be a busy couple of years, but I’m looking forward to the journey ahead.

[imdb]: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0041864
[quote]: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/bookmark/big-fish-screenwriter-john-august-912543
[tumblr]: http://arlofin.ch