Meaning: This quote by Robert Parker, the renowned American author, offers insight into the process of adapting a book into a different medium, such as film or television. Parker's words reflect the common experience of authors whose works are optioned for adaptation, and they encapsulate the dynamic between authors and filmmakers during the adaptation process. The quote suggests a disconnect between the author’s role in the original creation of the work and the adaptation process, emphasizing the financial transaction that occurs when a book is optioned for adaptation.

When an author's work is optioned for adaptation, the rights to create a film or television version of the story are purchased from the author or their representatives. This transaction involves financial compensation for the author, as well as legal agreements that govern the terms of the adaptation. In return for the money received from the filmmakers, the author relinquishes creative control over the adaptation process. This is the essence of Parker's statement: "They give me the money, I give them the book."

Parker's analogy of selling a house and returning later to dictate the color of the paint underscores the separation between the author's role in creating the original work and the filmmaker's role in translating it to a visual medium. In this analogy, the author is akin to the seller who has completed their part in the transaction by providing the "house" (the book), while the filmmakers are the buyers who have the creative freedom to adapt the property as they see fit. The author's input into the adaptation, according to Parker, would be akin to imposing their preferences on the buyers after the sale has been finalized, highlighting the impracticality of authorial influence in the adaptation process.

This sentiment is reflective of the traditional hierarchy in the entertainment industry, where the author's involvement in the adaptation process is often limited once the rights have been acquired. While some authors may have the opportunity to be involved in the adaptation as consultants or executive producers, their level of input is typically constrained by the filmmakers' vision and decisions. This dynamic is shaped by the understanding that adapting a story from one medium to another requires different creative approaches, and the expertise of filmmakers in the visual storytelling medium is highly valued.

Parker's quote also touches upon the time gap between the sale of the rights and the eventual release of the adaptation. He likens returning to influence the adaptation to coming back to a house three years later and dictating the color of the paint. This underscores the temporal separation between the author's original creation and the adaptation process, emphasizing that the author's creative involvement is tied to the original work rather than the adaptation.

In conclusion, Robert Parker's quote encapsulates the dynamics of the author-filmmaker relationship in the adaptation process. It emphasizes the financial transaction and the delineation of creative control, highlighting the traditional separation between the author's role in creating the original work and the filmmaker's role in adapting it. While some authors may desire greater input into the adaptation of their works, Parker's analogy serves as a reminder of the practical and logistical challenges inherent in the adaptation process.