Every writer has those moments when they read a story so compelling that they think, “This needs to come to life on the screen.” For showrunner Laura Eason, when she read That moment arrives when it comes to Lisa Taddeo’s nonfiction masterpiece, three women.
Starlight Series three women It follows four women – Gia (Shailene Woodley), Lena (Betty Gilpin), Sloan (DeWanda Wise) and Maggie (Gabrielle Creevey) )—their stories of years of exploring their own desires, intimacy, and vulnerabilities. Eason pioneered the project with Taddeo, who moderated intense conversations and brought complex narratives to life.
Eason sat down with ScreenCraft on Zoom to discuss how she brought the novel to the screen, making necessary changes while respecting the source material, crafting a clever narrative structure, and keeping herself and her writers motivated in the writers’ room.
How to know when a story is ready for adaptation
Ethan believes there are two key signs that a book is ready for adaptation: a personal connection to the story and moments of genuine surprise. For her, three women Check both boxes.
“This book and these women’s stories resonated deeply with me,” she shared. “And, there are moments that really surprise me, which is also very exciting.”
Once she knew she was ready to adapt the series, Ethan discussed with Taddeo how they would honor the source material while creating a TV show that would resonate with people who might not have read the books.
“That was always our guiding light to respect the nature of the book, learn from it and build on it,” Ethan said. “But also making sure we were ultimately servicing the TV show, which led to a lot of inventions and new things that were very unique to the show.”
One of the biggest changes in the adaptation is the addition of Gia, who represents aspects of Taddeo’s prologue in the book. Taddeo’s personal story was the inspiration behind the novel, while Gia’s journey serves as the backbone of the show.
These types of changes are the creative decisions necessary to transform a seemingly ill-fitting story into a perfect one for television.
Read more: The pitfalls of epic adaptations: Why Dune is so hard to bring to the screen
“Three Women” (2024)
Master multiple narratives three women
Adapting a book’s narrative structure into a screenplay often means significant changes—especially if the source material already lacks a traditional structure. and three womenthe book’s unconventional structure required creative solutions.
The novel intertwines the stories of the three protagonists, and so does the TV series. Things get interesting when each woman’s story is given its own space and some of the narratives start to come together. This complex structure can easily overwhelm writers unless they focus on the reason for its existence in the first place.
For Eason and her writers’ room, the goal wasn’t to create a timeline that fit perfectly. Instead, the character’s journey determines the structure.
“We don’t want people to be tracking months and years in great detail,” explains Ethan. “So we let the characters and character arcs lead – that’s most important for the structure. But we also wanted to respect the uniqueness of each story, which is why some episodes are intertwined to be more thematic. Sex tells all the stories.
Sometimes a writer feels a particular aspect of a character’s story needs more breathing room. Fortunately, with television, Ethan and her team have the flexibility to delve deeper into a single story rather than forcing all of the character’s arcs into the themes of a single episode.
“This allows room to really honor the specificity of their stories while establishing an arc throughout the season,” Ethan said. “Four different stories intertwined in three or four different locations over the years. . The goal was to capture the essence and emotional truth of the characters and the book, but really make the show its own thing, live it on its own terms.
“Three Women” (2024)
How Laura Eason stays motivated and inspires her writers
As a writer, staying motivated can be challenging, especially in the face of personal or industry-wide setbacks. For Eason, motivation stems from gratitude for the opportunity to tell stories at scale—a perspective she brings to her daily work.
“I live every day with tremendous gratitude and understanding that I am privileged to be a part of storytelling on such a scale,” Ethan said. “I hope that permeates the culture that I create as showrunner. But for me It’s really important to me to make sure that the culture I’m creating is one that’s respectful and supportive so that people can really do their best work.
Eason thrives on collaboration, especially the energy of walking into a room and hearing the ideas a writer is coming up with. Her philosophy is rooted in creating an environment where everyone feels seen, heard and supported.
“Part of the ethos is to really give everyone a space to be seen, heard and supported, and the best idea in the room wins,” she said. “To me, true collaboration means respecting people’s skills and creating space for their full artistic selves.”
Finding the balance between contributing and listening in the writing room is the key to success. “Success in a writer’s room is really about finding the balance between contributing as richly as possible and listening deeply to those around you,” explains Ethan.
For the writers in her room, Ethan stresses that there’s no need to feel pressured into getting your ideas onto the board. Instead, it’s best to present, listen, and propose ideas that interest you. “Showing up and contributing is always a win,” she adds, “and it’s something writers can incorporate into their daily practice.”
Motivations vary, but an important practice is to carve out dedicated time for writing and use this time to truly listen to your creative intuition and perfect your craft.
Learn more: Stay indoors? 7 Ways to Stay Motivated and Keep Writing
“Three Women” (2024)
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With its intricate narrative structure and deeply resonant themes, three women A testament to the art of adaptability. Eason, Taddeo and their talented team respected the source material while elevating it and delivering a compelling series that leaves a lasting impression.
The full season of 3 Women is now streaming on Starz.
Read more: ‘3 Women’ screenwriter Lisa Taddeo offers 3 writing insights every aspiring TV writer should know
