Local author Blake Crouch. On May 14, FOX debuted the 10-episode series “Wayward Pines,” based on a trilogy of his mystery novels. All episodes will also be available on Hulu and other streaming services. He also recently finished his latest novel, Dark Matter, of which he sold the movie rights to Sony./Courtesy photo

Crouching tiger

Local writer hits the big time with FOX series

by Ted Holteen

I’ll just say it. I told you so. In 2009, I was one of the first to review Blake Crouch’s third novel, Abandon, a time-traveling murder mystery set in the San Juan Mountains above Silverton. Here’s what I wrote as an introduction for Durango locals to their soon-to-be-celebrity neighbor: “Blake Crouch isn’t the first aspiring writer to leave the East Coast for the West with dreams of becoming a bona fide professional. What separates him from most is that he’s actually done it, and done it well.”

My early assessment of his work has proven that sometimes, I actually know what I’m talking about. In the years since Abandon, Crouch has continued a meteoric rise through the literary world, selling more than a million copies of his books in print and online, and now he’s truly gone big-time.

On May 14, FOX debuted the first episode of “Wayward Pines,” a 10-episode series based on a trilogy of novels by Crouch – Pines, Wayward and The Last Town. The series stars Matt Dillon as a Secret Service agent who ends up in a strange Idaho town from which he finds it difficult – nay, impossible – to leave. It’s produced, and the pilot episode directed by, M. Night Shyamalan. In addition to Hollywood heavyweight Dillon, is stars Terrence Howard and Juliette Lewis, to name a few. It’s also one of the largest launches of a scripted series in television history, airing tonight in 126 countries in 37 different languages. Like I said – big time.

I’ve been fortunate enough to share many beers with Blake and have watched with not a little envy as his career has blossomed. But things have exceeded even my lofty expectations, as we recently discussed in between his press junkets at BREW Pub & Kitchen. (He had just returned from a publicity tour in London with the cast and Shyamalan, whom Blake tells me goes by “Night.” At least that’s what he calls him.)

Even for successful writers, getting a book transferred to the small or big screen takes a lot of luck and knowing the right people. In this case, the words were written in 2012 and Crouch’s agent sent it to a few people. It ended up in the hands of professional screenwriter Chad Hodge, who loved it and turned the novels into dialogue-laden narratives. At that point, Shyamalan got on board, and Crouch, who is a consulting producer, watched the magic happen.

“You can’t just sell an idea,” Crouch said. “You have to write the script and sell that. And it’s even better when you bring a director and actors on board, and that’s where Night came in. He said ‘If this makes sense and it’s not something I’ve done before, I’m in.’”

Crouch credits Hodge for bringing the project to fruition, as incorporating all three novels into one story was a challenge. Each book is a cliffhanger in its own right, so expect a lot of “what’s next?” from week to week.

“Chad did a great job on the script,” Crouch said. “TV really chews through plot and eats up the books – the first episode covers about a third of Pines.”

Once all the players were on board, the production happened quickly. Crouch joined the cast and crew when filming began in the fall of 2013 in British Columbia. They finished last summer. Since then, it’s been a whirlwind of publicity with a lot of international travel, with FOX International heavily promoting the series overseas.

So how does one go from being an aspiring writer to bona fide star in a few short years? Sadly, there’s no easy formula, though it is rather simple: work hard and be better at it than everyone else.

“If you have the right idea it’s easy – I spend a lot of time brainstorming,” Crouch said. “If you want a big audience, you have to be hard on your ideas. Why would someone want to read this instead of watching ‘Mad Men?’ That’s why I spend so much time trying to find the next idea.”

Promo material for “Wayward Pines,” set in a small, fictional Idaho town where everything is not as idyllic as it seems. Matt Dillon stars as the main character, a Secret Service agent new to town.

If it sounds easy, don’t be fooled. For one thing, Crouch’s ideas would make Edgar Allan Poe and Stephen King blanch. Rarely do his stories not include graphic depictions of death and suffering, sometimes with a paranormal twist, others just delving into the deepest trenches of the human soul.  You’d never know what goes on in that head from talking to him, as Blake is generally soft-spoken, humble and even courteous. (He is a North Carolina boy, after all.) Wayward Pines is no different. Just when you think it is a story about a quaint little town tucked away in the forests of Idaho … well, you’ll see.

But all that thinking is not to say Crouch doesn’t spend time on the actual working part of it. Crouch said he spends about four hours a day writing, with a goal of an average of 1,000 words a day. It’s paid off more than handsomely. Crouch has more than 25 titles to his credit, from novellas to collaborative works with other writers to full-blown novels. Here’s a quick look at how things are going for Blake, and keep in mind this is just a partial list:

- The Wayward Pines trilogy has sold more than a million copies. Expect that number to greatly increase, if not double now that the show has aired.

- Crouch has sold the rights for Abandoned to Amblin Entertainment, Steven Spielberg’s production company, for a limited run television series similar to “Wayward Pines.”

- He just completed his latest novel, Dark Matter, and it’s already his most successful project to date. Money is a tacky subject and one I choose to avoid, but use your imagination here. Crouch received a substantial advance from Crown Publishing (Random House) for the book, sold the film rights to Sony Pictures and cut another substantial deal for the international distribution.

Crouch is living a life coveted by his peers, as Hollywood is now watching and waiting for his next story. But for the foreseeable future, we’ll still be able to call him a local writer. He’s made his home here since 2003 where he lives with a very typical American family on the Florida Mesa. An apartment in Los Angeles may be in the plans for professional reasons, but this is where he’s found his success and where he plans to continue to live.

“This is such a great place to write, especially with things as crazy as they’ve been,” he said. “I couldn’t write the way I do living out there (L.A.), so I’m not going anywhere. This is a nice place to come home to.”

Ted Holteen wishes he could write like Blake Crouch, but for now the Telegraph will do. Give him an idea - egholteen@yahoo.com.