Broadway & Holiday House [1]

Richard always dreamed of entering Hollywood. But the life he led in his last life, he squandered the chance. Now that he got a second chance, he won't waste this opportunity.

One needs enough preparation and the required knowledge to complete any work.

As he knows the future, ample preparation is all he needs before entering Hollywood. It's not an easy place to enter. Having early renown and fame before entering eases the process a lot. It's like using the VIP lane.

The first step in the process is to become a famous Author. Since he came from the future, it's easy for him. Take this from here, add that from there, and boom, he is a famous Author.

In fact, it's already in progress.

The next step is to enrich his acting skills. And what's the best place for it, 'Stage drama.'

Pursue acting in stage plays, then New York's Broadway is the ultimate destination. It's the perfect platform to hone acting skills and pave the way for future auditions. Broadway theaters are bustling every year. Now that it is the 80s, Broadway never lost its popularity as it did at the turn of the century.

The Broadway street is always busy. The streets are full of people and cars, buzzing with all kinds of sounds, buildings adorned with colorful ads and movie posters, and shops filled with various items with rich colors and aromas.

On this bustling road, a red BMW car stopped in front of the Broadway theater. Richard got out of the car and looked toward the theater.

"Every time I see this place, I'm always amazed," he thought, looking around in a daze.

"Honey, stop spacing out on the road and get in," a shout broke his daze. He immediately replied, "Coming!" and ran inside the theater.

"Stop spacing out like that every time. It's a bad habit," glared Hanna when Richard walked beside her.

"Sorry!" he replied while showing his tongue.

"Always up to mischief, aren't you, Richy?" someone remarked.

"Good morning, Mr. Thomas," they greeted him.

"Morning, Mrs. Jackson," Thomas replied before turning to Richard. "You seem quite excited today, Richy."

"Of course! It's the audition for 'The Little Lords' today. I've been practicing for this play since last week," Richard replied with childlike enthusiasm.

"Good! Even if you show a little less than what you've demonstrated in training, you still have a good chance of getting the lead role. I've rarely seen anyone your age at your level," Mr. Thomas praised him, which was rare.

"Thank you," Richard said, smiling shyly.

Mr. Thomas Lane, the drama teacher hired for Richard, is a director with a wealth of experience and has directed numerous renowned plays. Despite being close to 60, he looks no older than 50.

He is highly respected among his peers and is a prominent figure on Broadway. Additionally, he is a well-known member of the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League, both renowned for their association with the Tony Award.

Richard made his Broadway debut in February of this year. Thomas recognized Richard's acting talent and began mentoring him. It has been five months since Richard started training under Thomas.

As Thomas pointed out, Richard won the lead role in the audition. The show will take place in three months and will run for three months. This is his first show in both this life and his previous life, so he is very excited because he can feel it. He is getting closer to his goal.

After the audition, Hanna and Richard headed to Holiday House, a renowned publisher of children's books, where they had previously published "My Ocean Stories." They visited today to finalize the publication of "Finding Nemo" because Hanna was convinced there was significant buzz surrounding the author, R.R. Jackson. At the company, they encountered Austin, who serves as Richard's editor. Upon reaching the meeting room, they were taken aback to find the chief editor alongside Austin.

"Hello, I'm Harmen Karr, the Chief Editor of this branch," said Harmen.

"Hello," they replied.

"So, you're R.R. Jackson. I thought you would be older. When Austin said these stories were written by a kid, I was surprised. So, when he said the author would come today, I came to meet you without hesitation."

"Thank you, Mr. Harmen," Richard said shyly, trying to keep up the act.

"It's surprising to see the Chief Editor. But, we came today to publish this new story," interrupted Hanna, placing the manuscript named <Finding Nemo> in front of him.

After glancing at the manuscript, Harmen delved into reading it without hesitation. Moments later, he exclaimed, "This is a fantastic story! The progression is wonderful, the humor is well-timed, and the world-building is absolutely stunning. It's a really good story. But how much are you looking for?"

"I'm asking for $200,000 and a 10% share if the book sells 10,000 copies or less, 15% for 50,000 copies or more, and 20% for 100,000 copies or more. Also, we would retain all the copyright," replied Hanna.

"That's impossible. I can offer $100,000 and 5% for 50,000 copies or more, and 10% for 100,000 copies or more," countered Harmen.

"It has to be $200,000, with 10% for 50,000 copies or more and 20% for 100,000 copies or more," she insisted.

"How about 8% and 15%? Do we have a deal?" proposed Harmen.

"My bottom line is 5% and 20%, no more, no less," Hanna stated firmly.

The meeting fell into a momentary silence as the chief editor took some time to think. Surprisingly, despite being Richard's editor, Austin was sidelined throughout the negotiation.

"Alright, you have a deal. I'll have someone bring the contract. It was a pleasure meeting you, madam," said Harmen as he shook hands with Hanna and Richard before leaving the room.

"Mom, that was awesome!" exclaimed Richard excitedly as Harmen and Austin departed.

"It was, indeed. Keep all these troublesome things to me in the future," replied Hanna proudly, lifting her chin.

"Okay," said Richard, raising his hand in a salute.

A few moments later, Austin brought the contract and gave it to Hanna. She checked the contract thoroughly for any loopholes. And after being satisfied, she signed.

"The story will be published in two weeks," Austin smiled as he received the contract.

"Why not by next week?" frowned Hanna.

"Haha, we need to find an illustrator to create a suitable cover picture and illustrate the characters," Austin laughed dryly.

"If you don't mind, I have a few character illustrations and some cover photos," Richard said as he fetched a few sketches from his bag and handed them to Austin.

"This is great, Richard! With these, the book will be published next week without any problem. Man, you are such a genius!" Austin said excitedly after looking through the sketches.

"Hahaha," Richard laughed shyly.