In ScreenCraft’s new interview with writer and series producer Lisa Taddeo, we dive deep into the art of adaptation and screenwriting. The author recently brought back her critically acclaimed book three women On screen, she has a lot to teach us about her process.
Starring Shailene Woodley, Betty Gilpin, DeWanda Wise and Gabrielle Creevey, the Starz series is based on Taddeo’s best-selling book and explores desire, intimacy and vulnerability. In the play, a writer (played by Woodley) tells the complex stories of three women as they experience the highs and lows of love and life.
This is a work of non-fiction that provides a realistic account of the relationships and (sometimes shocking) sex lives of these women.
During our conversation, Taddeo shared her insights into screenwriting—from the “rules” of balancing fiction and nonfiction to the challenges of adapting a written work into a series. Known for her unfiltered approach, she talks about the importance of honest writing and how she approaches the process of bringing deeply personal narratives to the screen.
Are you a writer aiming to bring your raw, authentic voice to the world? Taddeo’s advice can help you make impactful storytelling choices.
Balance fact and fiction
One of the first hurdles in adapting a work of nonfiction is determining which parts of the source material are essential and how much creative freedom is required. Taddeo had to thoughtfully choose what to keep, omit, or even add to create “dramatic tension.”
“If there’s not enough in real life — I find there is always in real life,” she said.
Adapting a nonfiction work may seem simple, but the pacing and structure of a TV series may require you to enhance certain moments of the drama. However, you might be able to find strong, natural emotional arcs from real-life themes rather than inventing that drama.
Do you already have some moments that you can work toward dramatic moments, or maybe explore a little deeper? Or maybe you could use a different script structure to show parts of the story in an interesting way? Maybe try getting creative before deciding to invent a new beat.
Taddeo, for her part, was basing it on real-life stories she had told, but she still felt pressure to portray these women respectfully.
“The highest form of respecting a person is to tell their truth, or to let them tell their truth without judgment,” she said.
If you’re telling someone’s true story, you want it to be a collaboration that blends the narrative with the business needs of the project. Before you get started, you need to make sure you comply with any legalities!
Taddeo has worked in nonfiction and fiction three women and her novels animal. Her approach to both combines a variety of writing methods.
“My own writing is at its best when I remember the rules of nonfiction: detail, honesty, authenticity in everything,” she says. “I incorporated these into fiction, and then also incorporated the rules of fiction into nonfiction, which is that you can interpret a feeling as if it were fact.”
Whatever the genre, for Taddeo, emotion seems to be at the heart of it all. In nonfiction, she honors these sentiments. In the novel, she tries to make the audience feel what the characters are feeling.
When you adapt a work of nonfiction, you may find that you can combine the rigor of factual accuracy with the emotional depth of fiction. This approach can help you craft a narrative that is both true to the real characters and appealing to your audience.
Read more: How We’re the Lucky Ones showrunner Erica Lipez masterfully adapted a complex narrative for TV
“Three Women” (2024)
Browse different formats
Obviously, working on a screenplay and a novel simultaneously requires different formatting conventions and storytelling styles. So how did Taddeo do it?
“It’s very challenging for me,” she said. “What’s really challenging for me is switching between a book and a script, six Bibles, etc. every day. I think that’s scary for this industry.
You might want to start with a novel and then adapt it for the screen yourself. You’ll want to write in a cinematic way from the beginning. Or you might put together a screenplay that you want to turn into a book. Regardless, Taddeo celebrated the efforts.
“We are all unique and we all have different ways of expressing the same thing,” she said. “Essentially, it’s just [know] You can switch between different forms.
What writers shouldn’t do, she says, is get themselves into trouble.
“I find that’s a scary aspect of all creative industries, that people who may not necessarily be creative themselves want people to come into their lane and say, ‘Stay in your lane.'”
Job variety is a strength. This can be a huge selling point when you are looking for representation. (If you don’t want to write a novel, that’s okay—you just need to prove you have multiple solid scripts to show for representation.)
“Just relax and let people do what they want to do at work,” Taddeo said. She added, “Whether you do it right or wrong, someone will tell you what to do and what not to do. So you might as well do what you want to do.
Read more: How to write a novel that Hollywood wants
“Three Women” (2024)
follow your passion
Taddeo ends with some hard but necessary truths about our profession.
“I think passion is always the guiding light in whatever you do. Unfortunately, I know sometimes where the passion is not necessarily where the money is. That’s a really difficult thing to do as an artist.
Everyone has to start somewhere. For many of us, we write for the love of it before we get a paying gig.
“All writers who are in that position should give themselves space to say, ‘Okay, you know what? First of all, this is a confusing way of doing things. So now I have to operate in a situation that’s illogical and unfair. So when you Entering this new space, ‘Okay, this isn’t logical and it’s not fair. So, what’s best for my energy in this place of illogical experiences?
For her, Taddeo said, the answer is to “commit to something you’re passionate about.”
“Doing something, even if it’s the wrong thing, I think doing it always feels better than not doing it,” she said.
When it comes to her own work, she thinks her adaptations might be terrible. But trying is what counts, because you can also “fail in a million other ways without trying to do something.”
“Do what you want to do. Try not to let other people’s agenda become your agenda, especially when it comes to art.
You will get notes. Senior executives will want change. That’s part of the business, she admits.
“But when you’re in the writing stage, when you’re in the idea stage, I think not having any of that in your head is the best way to move forward.”
Read more: Should you be a novelist or a screenwriter?
