How to Adapt a Novel into a Screenplay in 10 Steps.
If you’ve ever wondered how to adapt a novel into a screenplay, you’re in good company. So does Susan Collins (hunger games), Anne Proulx (Brokeback Mountain), Gillian Flynn (lost lover) and Dave Eggers (let’s go) at some point.
If you’ve had some success as a novelist (or even if you haven’t), maybe you’ve thought about adapting your novel into a screenplay but don’t know where to start?
If so, here are Ten clear steps When you adapt a novel into a screenplay, you should follow this.
How to Adapt a Novel into a Screenplay Step #1:dDetermine if it will make a good movie.
Although Hollywood is very fond of making movies out of novels, not all novels should be made into movies. you need to take Take a good look at your story And be honest with yourself about whether this is going to be a good movie.
Is it visual enough?
Is there enough conflict? Is it commercial enough? Will people spend their hard-earned money to see this movie in theaters? Are there many scenes that you can easily imagine on screen that would excite audiences around the world?
If the answer is “yes”, continue to step #2.
On the other hand, if your story is small, deeply personal, and focuses primarily on the inner thoughts of your characters, then it may not be cinematic enough to be considered for adaptation into a screenplay.
Step #2:lLearn how to adapt a novel into a screenplay by rRead a book.
As you probably know, writing a book and adapting a novel into a screenplay require two completely different approaches and techniques. So if you have a background in fiction writing, it’s a good idea to start by gathering as much information as possible on how to write a screenplay.
One of the best ways to do this is to start reading some Screenwriting guide books. Aim to read at least ten articles before you start writing your screenplay.
Here are just a few of our favorite screenwriting books. They’re not too heavy and explain things in a clear, concise way.
•Your script sucks. Author: William M. Akers
• Insider by Dara Marks
• Save Cats Fight Back by Blake Hind
For a complete list, check out this page of The 10 Best Screenwriting Books to Read in 2019.
Step #3: lLearn how to adapt a novel into a screenplay by rRead professional scripts.
Not enough aspiring screenwriters do this on a regular basis, but read script Watching your favorite movies is probably the best way to learn to write. It’s also one of the best things you can do when adapting a novel into a screenplay.
There are tons of websites where you can download professional scripts for free, but we’ve rounded up 50 of the best scripts in a variety of genres to read and download, which is a great place to start.
In short, reading lots of professional scripts should be an important part of your weekly writing routine.
Step #4. Learn how to adapt a novel into a screenplayWrite an outline.
Writing a film is often a more “formulaic” process in structure than writing a novel. So here’s a great one, Hands-on techniques You can use it to familiarize yourself with how movies are made.
All you have to do is open your laptop and simply write down the key actions in each scenario. Stick to the gist of each scene—what happens and how the plot develops—and keep each scene to a maximum of two sentences.
Once completed, study the outline, divide it into three acts And note why each scene is in the movie. Repeat it enough times and before you know it, you’ll become an expert on how a script fits together structurally and can start adapting your novel into a screenplay.
Step #5:wWrite an outline of your novel.
Focus on Steps #1 to #4 After a while, it’s time Write an outline of your book. Read it again, imagine the events on the movie screen, and summarize each scene in the same way as in step 4.
Only write down scenes that advance the story in some way—either by developing the plot or by revealing characters.
The scene where we see a character realize he has an hour to stop a bomb from going off is clearly driving the plot forward. We see a scene where a character chooses not to talk to anyone at a party and locks himself in a bathroom that is character revealing.
Essentially you just want to include what we can include seen on screen. This means leaving out all interior monologues, descriptions of rolling countryside, political theory, and so on.
Step #6: zero is the main conflict of your film.
Much of this may sound familiar to you, but when adapting a novel into a screenplay, it’s worth re-evaluating your novel from a basic screenwriting perspective.
Unlike writing a novel, writing a movie script mainly involves giving the protagonist clear goals. This should be high-stakes and difficult to accomplish due to opposition from powerful opponents.
Try to condense the core idea of the novel/screenplay into what in screenwriting lingo is ” “Summary”— briefly sums up the film’s central conflict in a few sentences. (We have an article on how to write a synopsis here .)
Visit IMDb.com to view plot summaries/summaries of some of your favorite movies. You should find that each log line neatly summarizes why you wanted to see that movie in the first place.
Distill your core ideas into a few short sentences This is the ideal way to make sure it contains enough conflict and is exciting enough for people to want to see it on screen.
step#7: Turn your novel outline into a screenplay outline.
Now it’s time to take the outline you wrote in step 5 and, once you’ve refined the core idea of your film, turn it into an outline for your actual screenplay. Edit, refine and polish Your outline is important because it may save you months of writing an unfinished story.
Resist the temptation to jump right into writing the script and spend some time hammering out the story—figure out what you should keep in your novel and what you should leave out. and what new characters, scenes, or plot points you might need to write.
Novels are usually between 200 and 400 pages in length. Since scripts are much more concise, writing this outline may require a lot of editing: removing characters, subplots, and anything that doesn’t relate to the protagonist’s goals.
You want to make sure that you only include scenes in this outline that move the story forward – either by advancing the plot or by revealing characters.
If you find yourself adding scenes with the main character’s aunt and she has no impact on the story at all, then she should probably be removed from the story or merged with another character.
Leave the narrative as Clean and focused As much as possible.
Step #8:bUse some screenwriting software.
If you’ve made it this far, it means you’re committed to writing this screenplay, so now might be a good time to invest in some screenwriting software. The last thing you want to do is start writing your screenplay in MS Word or another regular writing program.
Screenwriting software will help you take the hassle out of formatting when it comes to adapting your novel into a screenplay. Here are five of the best screenwriting software options on the market.
While all of these screenwriting software programs do most of the formatting for you, it’s still worth picking up best practices on how to format your scripts.
Step #9:sStart writing your script.
So far, you’ve been focused on writing novels, and you’re probably used to spending a lot of time describing minute details, giving your characters long narrations and interior monologues. However, in the script, everything has to be like this concise As much as possible.
As they say in screenwriting circles, you want to leave a lot of “white space” on the page. This usually means avoiding detailed descriptions, such as the stains on the curtains, or the way the moon looks in the sky.
The trick is to include only dialogue and describe actions or scenes that are important to the plot or character development.
keep your scene short and sweet. Remember the old screenwriting adage “come in late and leave early,” one page in your script is roughly equivalent to one minute on screen. Generally, you don’t want your scene to be longer than two pages.
Most importantly, remember that unlike writing a novel, writing a screenplay is about revealing the story through: visual effects. Don’t stay in the character’s or narrator’s head, but approach each scene from this perspective: What do I want to show the audience through the words or actions of these characters?
Here’s an article about 35 common writing style mistakes in spec scripts that you should check out.
Step #10: Get feedback to learn how to adapt a novel into a screenplay.
Keep writing and learning the craft of screenwriting, but don’t forget to do some screenplay coverage of your work as you go. Otherwise, you may end up writing in a bubble because basic errors that are easily corrected go unchecked.
Obviously, the best people to get advice from are professional writers, script readers, producers, managers, etc.
We also recommend the online screenwriting forum Stage32, which is a great place to get honest advice from other screenwriters. And it’s free.
Once you’ve taken someone else’s notes, it’s usually best to go away Spend a few weeks or so reading the script to give them a deep understanding. Think about it carefully, then go back to the script with a clearer mind and begin the rewriting process.
Mastering screenwriting can be difficult at first, but if you stick with it, who knows? Maybe soon you’ll be following in the footsteps of Cormac McCarthy and Emma Donoghue.
###
If you’d like some honest, actionable advice on how to adapt a novel into a screenplay, check out our screenplay coverage service. We also offer a script doctor service who can adapt your novel into a screenplay.
Like this article? Read more about how to write a screenplay…
How to Write a Screenplay: Secrets to Beyond the Ordinary
16 Essential Screenwriting Tips to Make Your Screenplay Stand Out
Scripted Dialogue: If Your Characters Are Just Talking, You’re Doing It Wrong
[© Photo credits: Pexels]
