AuthorHouse Author Neil Shulman wrote the book that was to become the movie Doc Hollywood, starring Michael J. Fox
The AuthorHouse Author Whose Book Became a Hollywood Blockbuster Starring Michael J. Fox
AuthorHouse author Dr. Neil Shulman and his friend Carl Hiaasen spent much of the late 70’s collecting the real life tales of “Doc Hollywoods.” They compiled them into a book entitled What? Dead… Again?
Fast forward twenty years and Shulman’s book caught the attention of Hollywood superstar Michael J. Fox. Fox enjoyed it so much in fact it was adapted into the 1991 blockbuster movie Doc Hollywood.
Today Dr. Shulman kindly shares with us how he has so successfully gone about “mixing the worlds of medicine, movies and novels” with his one-man comedy show.
Neil Shulman: AuthorHouse Author and Associate Producer of the Michael J. Fox Hollywood Blockbuster, Doc Hollywood
Since I have had the joy of working for Disney, Warner Brothers, and CBS and have acted and directed in my own independent film Who Nose? Neil (currently on YouTube), I have experienced how movies have spun off from books and true-life experiences.
I have also been fortunate to write a book entitled What’s in a Doctor’s Bag?, which spun-off into a series of public TV spots which I performed to demystify medicine for kids and teach about health on public television.
A Background to Doc Hollywood
A little known fact is that the very, very popular author Carl Hiaasen (a frequent New York Times Bestseller) with movies which have spun-off from his novels, Hoot and Strip Tease, co-authored Doc Hollywood with me. Many years before he started writing his own novels for adults and kids, he agreed to be recognized for his contribution to the Doc Hollywood book published by AuthorHouse, but he is just not on the cover.
The World of Movies
I truly feel that many AuthorHouse authors should move forward and write screenplays, connect with producers, and even consider making their own movies based on their books.
As a matter of fact, one of my close friends and the author of All in the Timing, who published with AuthorHouse upon my recommendation, is initiating the first stages of listing scenes for a movie based on his book.
His book is a reverse of Doc Hollywood… about a country boy who ends up being a big town doc in the city. I suggested that his first step be to make a list of scenes for the movie.
Three Ways to Turn Your Book into a Movie
There are many ways for authors to get movies made. Either:
- Get a giant star such as Michael J. Fox (a wonderful, wonderful human being) to star in it.
- Get somebody with lots of money to back it.
- Make a low budget movie since the equipment for making movies is so much more accessible these days and since you can reach the world via internet.
The World of Healthy Living
Also, from a doctor’s perspective, I truly feel that one of the healthiest things a human can do is write and publish a book…
…it is a brain transplant on paper!
Hundreds of years later, humans’ great, great, great grandchildren can get the wonderful experience of reading their ancestors’ works.
The World of Comedy
From a humor perspective, I do feel that laughter is a wonderful medicine. I am a total clutz but have probably saved more lives than any doctor in the world…
…by not being a surgeon!
When I wrote the book 101 Ways to Know You Are A Nurse, I simply connected with a group of nurses who had a bit tooo much to drink and got them to brainstorm on this topic. I am very dedicated to nurses and feel that they greatly deserve respect and attention.
They also need to laugh a lot!
It makes it much easier to keep healthy while they are making their great contribution to health care delivery. Often they are under recognized.
One company was kind enough to buy 20,000 copies of the book, many years ago, and give them away for FREE.
A Couple of Tips from 101 Ways to Know You are a Nurse:
“You know you are a nurse if you use bed pans as dip and chip trays.”
“You know you are a nurse if you check for good veins whenever you shake somebody’s hand.”
Neil Shulman’s AuthorHouse Bibliography:
You can find out more about Neil Shulman and his medical, movies and other projects on his official website NeilShulman.com
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