Three Loves Scenes and a Happy Ending

A big-time Hollywood guy said, “OK, we want to buy your next book right now sight unseen.” I sent the manuscript, what I had, and this studio honcho read the first draft of an incomplete manuscript and wasn’t too crazy about it. Which really pissed me off. Suddenly this guy’s a literary critic? He sent a faxed note, I believe, to my agent at the time and said, “We can’t buy this book for a movie unless Grisham will promise three love scenes and a happy ending.” If I ever write a Hollywood tell-all, that’s the title of my book: Three Love Scenes and a Happy Ending.

JOHN GRISHAM