"They give me the money, I give them the book. Having input into the adaptation would be kind of like selling a house and coming back three years later and saying, 'Paint it this color!'"

Robert B. Parker, an acclaimed author, uses a simple yet informative look at the relationship between writers and the film or tv adjustments of their works in this quote. He essentially represents the transactional nature of offering adjustment rights and the subsequent detachment authors typically experience from the creative process of adjustment.

Parker starts by highlighting the fundamental exchange: "They give me the cash, I give them the book". This shows a common author's point of view where offering adaptation rights is mostly a financial transaction. Authors like Parker might see this exchange as equally helpful yet basically separate from their initial innovative venture.

The analogy of selling a home and after that wishing to influence its visual choices years later on even more elaborates on his perspective. In the analogy, selling a home represents the act of selling adjustment rights to a studio. As soon as a property (literary or realty) is offered, ownership and control transfer to the purchaser. By specifying it would be "type of like selling a house and coming back 3 years later and saying, 'Paint it this color!'", Parker humorously shows the impracticality and, possibly, the audacity of attempting to apply imaginative control long after relinquishing ownership.

This belief highlights a typical experience amongst authors who browse the adjustment process. While some might want creative input, the reality is, as soon as rights are sold, the autonomy to decide on information like cinematic direction, scripting, and casting generally lies with the filmmakers. Thus, Parker's words show a pragmatic acceptance of this reality. His analogy recommends understanding and resignation that come with selling adjustment rights: creators relinquish their accessory and trust others to reshape their work as they choose. As a result, it acknowledges the artistic development that a story may undergo when transitioning between different mediums.