5 Ways How a Book Can Be Adapted For A Film Script

A book is completely different from a film script, and as an artist, it is important to know how to transform such a book into a script completely suitable for film. Getting a book adapted for a screenplay might not be a measure of success, but it is definitely something to be proud of.

It is every creator’s dream to see their work being displayed on big—or small—screens, and as a scriptwriter you have to know how to successfully modify the narratives in their book into something completely captivating for the visual medium.

It is important to note that some parts of the book have to be merged or completely cut off to suit adaptation for this to happen.

Here are 5 different tips to successfully modify a book for a screenplay: 

Permission 

An author owns the intellectual property of a book, so the first step in the adaptation process is getting their permission. However, contacting them should be relatively easy. 

You can find an email address on their website, or you could also contact them through an agent. 

Everyone wants to see their creation on screen, so be sure to exude confidence and poise when speaking to them about this. Speak to them about how successful you think their books would rank as a screenplay, and hear their feedback. 

For Example

If it’s a popular one, then it might get a little more complicated. Asides the monetary hindrances you would need to overcome, there might be other legalities involved because the creator may have licensed the copyrights to another party. 

It is advisable to not disburse any energy and effort based on a publication you don’t have permission for. This is because it would be almost impossible to sell to a movie producer, and if you bypass this step and manage to get the play produced, it would be impossible to distribute. 

Identify The Story 

For this part, you have to get your chainsaw ready and start snipping. Begin by dissecting the subplots from the main plot; this process would help you figure out the time frame for your feature film.  

The standard metric states that 50 – 60 pages would give an hour of a screenplay. As a playwright, if you are to adapt a novel of about 250 – 500 pages, you can use this metric to determine the duration of the play. 

Each Act

To keep the length within the normal frame, you have to nip out some scenes. This might make the show a little different from the original story, but that’s okay. 

Separate the main acts from the minors, that way you can tell who is important and who is not. 

Examine the action of each act, and compare it to the development of the entire narrative. Also, merging scenes is not uncommon when adapting, as this will help keep everything in balance. These are essential adaptation tips. 

Structure 

Now that you’ve taken out the minor acts and developed the main characters, it is now the moment for restructuring. 

Like in the original work, the movie structure of an adaptation has to meet the audiences’ expectations. 

A Modest Proposal

For the entire outline to be more captivating, you can add some compelling scenes or completely change the whole point of view as a professional. We can take a few cues from A Modest Proposal.

The original work was written in 1729 based on a true story by Jonathan Swift. He wrote this about the tragic life of the poor in Ireland. However, since it was a short essay, other compelling scenes had to be added to make the adaptation worthwhile. 

A professional screenwriter knows how to successfully modify books while keeping three sets of people in mind; the readers, the watchers, and the writer.

Even though you have gotten rights to modify, you want to be sure it still maintains its essence and core conflict. Especially when adapting a popular publication that has already garnered many readers. 

Dialogues 

We all know books need to have clear and abundant dialogues. This is the only way by which the readers can understand the thoughts of each character. However, for this part, you’re going to have to get your chainsaw ready again. 

Screenwriters must be prepared to remove overabundant and florid dialogues to properly modify the narration for a visual medium. Unless you plan to use a voice-over—which is uncommon for films—there is no point in including excess dialogues.

Scriptwriters should only write what can be seen on the screen. 

Since dialogues and excessive descriptions will be snipped out, screenwriters need to create ways of conveying the internal struggle of each character into an external medium the audience can watch and understand. 

A big part of the audience will probably not have read the novel, so it is imperative to be sure they also understand each thought and speculation in the characters’ minds at every moment. 

Finale 

Again, this section is up to you. For adaptations, you can change the ending of a narrative only if you think you have a more compelling and captivating idea to make up for it.

You want to end the play in a way that inspires emotions from the audience, and if you are looking to write a sequel, you want to end on a cliffhanger. This would cause the audience to be curious. 

In novels, the endings are usually very significant, but the creator is already aware that this part can change. However, you want to consult with everyone involved since this is a major change, and despite you having permission, the book still belongs to the creator. 

The most important thing is to tell an amazing story. Adapting requires you to craft a new storyline from an original, and only an intelligent playwright can successfully do this. 

Conclusion 

Screenplays and novel writing are completely different arts, and it is not uncommon for an author to have no experience in scriptwriting. However, with the vast number of free articles online, it is quite possible to learn this skill.

Remember that it might be a little tough at first, but with a little patience and consistency, you would be a professional before you know it. 

You can find novels in the public domain for hands-on practicals and use them to improve your knowledge of this skill. These free publications do not require any legalities and would not prove problematic.