Take Two: How to Adapt a Book Into a Screenplay
Take Two: How to Adapt a
Book Into a Screenplay
Bookstores are a writer’s drug.
We walk the aisles, dancing our fingers over the bindings, lips quivering,
wanting a fix. But we aren’t alone. Don’t be surprised if you bump into a movie
producer drooling over the true crime section. With Netflix and other streaming
services needing vast amounts of content, those racks of books are perfect
fodder for adaptation.
Whether you are an author or a
screenwriter, it’s never been more critical to learn the skill of transforming
stories for the screen.
In the past, Hollywood frowned
upon authors adapting their own work, but times have changed. If an author
comes to the table with a script draft in hand, even a terrible one, producers
will rejoice at the potential of saving development costs. Nothing excites a
producer more than saving money.
But if you don’t have an existing
book, have no fear; plenty line the shelves. Once you find the perfect one,
you’ll need to obtain the rights.
CONTACT
THE AUTHOR
Authors are surprisingly easy to
contact. Their websites often link to a contact form, or you could Google the
author’s agent. I’ve done both but prefer speaking with the author directly.
Since most novelists dream of
having their stories on the big screen, there’s no need to bite your nails when
dialing the phone.
They’ll welcome the call. Just be
polite, direct, share your expertise, and don’t act like a lunatic. No one ever
died from hearing the word no. As
screenwriters, we’re used to rejection. Roll with it.
What if the author wants to be
involved?
Typically, the author is not
involved. The book belongs to them, and the adaptation belongs to you. Your job
is to tell an engaging story in a visual way, and usually, the result will be
markedly different from the book.
When adapting a novel, we feel
pulled between pleasing the author, their loyal readers, the viewing audience,
and ourselves. Get over that disease to please, pronto. You simply cannot
create a product that will make everyone happy, and that isn’t your job.
I repeat: Your number-one job is
to tell an amazing story. Period.
You might need to tattoo that on
your forehead.
The reality is that you will
slash scenes and characters, and these choices might offend readers as well as
the author. But you must leave your artistic mark. Screenwriting guru Michael
Hauge once told me there’s no point in writing an adaptation if your version
identically mirrors the book.
Tell the story, but enhance it
for the format of film.
People often claim that authors
have full control of their novel, but that’s not entirely true. They cannot
control the audience’s imagination. Screenwriters bring that imagination to
life. Even then, directors, actors, cinematographers, and costume designers
also give input.
But if the author’s original work
shines, by all means honor what you can. That’s the whole point.
FIND
THE STORY
Storylines that support a
400-page book cannot possibly fit into a two-hour movie. One script page equals
one minute of film, requiring approximately 110 script pages for a feature
film. Get your chainsaw ready and start pruning.
Cutting happens in layers. First,
identify the theme and the protagonist’s outer motivation. If the subplots
don’t support them, cut them, along with any minor, distracting characters.
Consider merging scenes or even creating composite characters. Next, layer the
outer motivation with the hero’s inner motivation. Again, if a plot point
supports neither, cut it.
However, finding the inner wounds
of a character is more challenging when adapting nonfiction. In fiction, we
explore the hero’s wounds and personality first, then we craft the character’s
choices based on those facts. But in nonfiction, we know the actions the
real-life characters took, but not necessarily their inner motivations.
Examine the character’s actions
and then decide what kind of person would make that choice. In a way, it’s
backward character development. This is where putting your characters on a
therapy couch comes in handy.
Similarly, the choices the writer makes determine a good story. That’s even
truer with adaptation.
MOVIE
STRUCTURE
Just as if the story were an
original idea, the story structure of an adaptation needs to meet the
expectations of the audience and the studio. (We have free downloads on scriptmag.com/free to help.)
Map out the plot points and
character arc, but keep in mind that you don’t need to follow the original
order of the novel. In order to speed up storytelling or make it more
compelling for film audiences, you might need to add scenes to support the
visual story and increase tension and conflict.
Perhaps you’ll decide to tell the
story from a different character’s point of view. Take Charlie Kaufman’s Adaptation, for example. While Susan Orlean wrote a
compelling true story in The Orchid Thief,
Kaufman put an entirely different twist on this tale and moved the audience in
a way they would have never expected, had they read the original book. Genius.
DIALOGUE
AND DESCRIPTORS
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
But sometimes the original dialogue may be too on the nose or the descriptors
flowery and overabundant. If the author writes gifted dialogue, don’t reinvent
the wheel. However, most scene descriptions written by novelists are too
verbose and need to be tightened. As a general rule, keep descriptors to no
more than four lines.
Because film is a visual medium,
all internal character dialogue must be cut. Screenwriters must only write what can be seen on the screen. Finding ways to
externally convey a character’s internal struggles defines a successful
adaptation. Yes, The Shawshank Redemption uses
voiceover, but you cannot. We’ll address voiceovers another day.
ENDING
The ending of the book may not be
the most satisfying ending for a film audience. I’ve certainly scratched my
head a time or two because of a disappointing ending. The good news is that you
can rewrite it.
Did I hear you gasp?
Yes, you can change something as
significant as the ending, but only if you have discovered a more cinematic and
compelling one. While an alternate ending might enrage the book’s author or
readers, the fact is, films are not novels. Changes, sometimes major ones,
happen.
Remember, the number-one rule:
Tell an amazing story.
Adaptation creates a fine balance
of crafting a new story from an original one, all while respecting the author,
the reader, and the filmgoers. It’s one hell of a circus act, but a version of
screenwriting I urge you to try.
Managers and agents want
screenwriters who know how to adapt intellectual property. Be proactive and
have one in your arsenal. Pick a public-domain classic, with no need to garner
an author’s permission, and then practice. The exercise isn’t necessarily to
sell it, but to prove you can write like a pro.
Above all, enjoy the process of
remolding a well-told story into your own.
That goes for you, too, authors.
Not only will dissecting your characters and plot enrich your original story,
but producers also strive to save money by having both the book rights and a
script in hand. You never know … Netflix might come calling. You better be
ready.
Your Movie's Point of View
Identify all the main characters in your novel. How many of them are absolutely essential to the central theme of your story and how many can you exclude? You should even consider combining two or more of them to create a new, more compelling character that will suit the on-screen, visual interpretation of your story. Refer to your original notes from when you started conceptualizing your story and developing your characters. Remember, you are going to have to reduce your entire story into about 100 pages, so think about which characters and characteristics are essential. Which one of your characters would win the coveted award for Best Actor in a Leading Role?Lights, Camera, ACTION!
Action is the operative word here. Movies are more focused on action, so identify these key scenes in your book. These scenes will be imperative to moving your storyline along, so you may need to flesh them out by adding more visual descriptions of what is going on. Remember, in screenwriting, your audience will only be able to see what is going on without the benefit of a narrative explanation.There's a Reason They Call Them "Talkies"
Dialogue drives a movie between action sequences. Identify the key conversations between your characters that will hold the viewer’s interest until the next frenzied fight scene, exploding building, or car crash that lies in store. Highlight any powerful phrases or catchy one-liners that might become a character’ trademark or could even be used as the movie’s tagline.The Opening Scene
You will not be able to provide as much background to your story as you did in your book. The opening scene of your screenplay might, therefore, commence at a different point in your story than the first chapter of your book. Your choice of character will also make an impact on your starting point.The first ten pages of your screenplay are the most crucial; you have to grab the audience's attention immediately.Formatting
Presenting your screenplay in a professional manner that conforms to standard industry formatting is essential. A screenplay obviously differs greatly in appearance from a book. Remember here that less is more. Descriptions and dialogue must be boiled down to the absolute essentials. The editing process can be brutal.Take the movie classic The Maltese Falcon as an example. The screenplay was adapted from the great Dashiell Hammett's novel of the same name. Compare the original literary version to the version revised for its movie script.
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