Novel to Screenplay: The Challenges of Adaptation

ADAPTATION 101

Brimming with confidence, you've just signed the check purchasing the rights to adapt John Doe's fabulous, but little known novel, Lawrence of Monrovia, to screenplay form. Suddenly, panic sets in. "What was I thinking? How the devil am I going to convert this 400-page novel to a 110-page screenplay?"

The answer is: "The same way you transport six elephants in a Hyundai... three in the front seat and three in the back!"

Old and very bad jokes aside, how does one pour ten gallons of story into a one-gallon jug?

In this article, we'll take a look at this challenge and a few others that a writer may encounter when adapting a novel to screenplay form.

CHALLENGE NUMBER ONE - LENGTH

Screenplays rarely run longer than 120 pages. Figuring one page of a screenplay equals one minute of film, a 120-page screenplay translates into a two-hour motion picture. Much longer than that and exhibitors lose a showing, which translates to fewer six-cent boxes of popcorn sold for $5.99 at the refreshment stand. It took the author of your source material 400 pages to tell the story. How can you possibly tell the same story in 110 pages, the ideal length for a screenplay by today's industry standards?

And the answer to this question is no joke. "You can't! Don't even try!"

Instead, look to capture the essence and spirit of the story. Determine the through-line and major sub-plot of the story and viciously cut everything else.

By "through-line" I mean, WHO (protagonist) wants WHAT (goal), and WHO (antagonist) or WHAT (some other force) opposes him or her? It helps to pose the through-line as a question.

"Will Dorothy find her way back to Kansas despite the evil Wicked Witch of the West's efforts to stop her?"

The same needs to be done for the major sub-plot.

"Will Dorothy's allies achieve their goals despite the danger they face as a result of their alliance?"

One workable technique is to read the book, set it aside for a few weeks, and then see what you still remember of the story's through-line. After all, your goal is to excerpt the most memorable parts of the novel, and what you remember best certainly meets that criterion.

In most cases, everything off the through-line or not essential to the major sub-plot has to go. Develop your outline, treatment or "beat sheet" accordingly.

CHALLENGE NUMBER TWO - VOICE

Many novels are written in the first person. The temptation to adapt such, using tons of voiceovers, should be resisted. While limited voiceovers can be effective when properly done, remember that audiences pay the price of admission to watch a MOTION (things moving about) PICTURE (stuff you can SEE). If they wanted to HEAR a story they'd visit their Uncle Elmer who drones on for hour upon hour about the adventures of slogging through the snow, uphill, both ways, to get to and from school when he was a kid, or perhaps they'd buy a book on tape.

The old screenwriting adage, "Show, don't tell!" applies more than ever when writing an adaptation.

CHALLENGE NUMBER THREE - "LONG-THINKING"

Some tribes of American Indians had a word to describe those of their brethren who sat around thinking deep thoughts. Literally the word translated to, "THE DISEASE OF LONG-THINKING". Quite often, lead characters in novels suffer from this disease.

"Mike knew in his heart that Judith was no good. Yet she caused such a stirring in his loins, he could think of nothing else. He feared someday he would give in to this temptation named Judith, and his surrender would surely bring about the end of his marriage!"

If adapted directly, how on Earth would a director film the above? All we would SEE is Mike sitting there, "long-thinking". That is not very exciting to say the least. And as mentioned previously, voiceovers are rarely the best solution.

When essential plot information is presented only in a character's thought or in the character's internal world, one solution is to give this character a sounding board, another character, to which his thoughts can be voiced aloud. Either adapt an existing character from the novel or create a new one. Of course as always, you should avoid overly obvious exposition by cloaking such dialogue in conflict, or through some other technique. Even better, figure out a way to express the character's dilemma or internal world through action in the external world.

CHALLENGE NUMBER FOUR - WHAT STORY?

Mark Twain is quoted as saying about Oakland, California, "There's no there, there". Similarly, some novels, even successful ones, are very shy on story and rely for the most part on style and character to create an effect. Some prose writers are so good at what they do, that their artful command of the language alone is enough to maintain reader interest. Such is never the case in screenwriting.

Successfully adapting a "no-story-there" novel to screenplay form is a daunting task. One approach is to move away from direct adaptation toward, "story based upon". Use the brilliant background and characters created by the original author as a platform from which to launch a screen story. In fact, if for any reason a screenplay doesn't lend itself to screenplay form, consider moving toward a "based upon" approach, rather than attempting a direct adaptation.

Congratulations! You're now an expert on adapting novels to screenplay form! Well maybe not an expert, but hopefully you have a better understanding of how to approach the subject than you did ten minutes ago. And if the subject still seems too daunting, you can always get professional help as outlined on our web page http://www.coverscript.com/adaptation.html

Lynne Pembroke and Jim Kalergis

Coverscript.com

URL: http://www.coverscript.com

Novel to Screenplay: The Challenges of Adaptation   Novel to Screenplay: The Challenges of Adaptation   

Learning Web Design - What Makes An Effective Website?

Anyone who has an online business knows for a fact that quality web design can make or break the success of his venture. While hiring a specialist in the field could be his greatest option, learning web design may come useful for him.

Primarily, such an effort can keep website owners from spending a fortune for the small changes or services their business sites might need. Also, it can make them be on top of everything that is happening on their respective domains.

The act of keenly identifying the appropriate website types for specific online businesses usually comes along with this learning endeavor. For one, online businesses can be more profitable once effective web designs operate in their websites.

In connection to this, as a site owner looks for a website design provider, the question on the purpose of his website has to be resolved first. Whether it is for selling of products and services or for simple information dissemination about the business, the designer must have ample knowledge of it right from the start.

Moving forward, there are three major factors to keep in mind as business website owners tread the very path of learning web design. They are as follows.

Search Engine Visibility

This is the most important consideration there is when it comes to website design. And yet, it remains to be the most neglected one. Making your website visible to search engine spiders should be any website design's priority. This could be achieved by some off-page optimization which starts from the use of targeted keywords concerning your industry. These keywords may simply be inserted in your alt tags, title tags and meta descriptions. This practice can be paired with some linking strategies that will allow search engine spiders to index all your site's pages. Thus, your site shows surfaces easily in every run search result.

Over All Appeal

Catching the trained eye of online users is the second factor that shapes any how to learn web design undertaking. Posting photos and videos related to your products and services can give your visitors an excellent impression. However, it should never stop at that. For the site lay-out, which includes the formatting and font size use at least two colors and consistent patterns to represent the general theme of your business. Finally, avoid any distractions for your website users. Always provide easy navigation whenever and wherever. Having a clear purpose set for each of your webpages can make this possible. Furthermore, do not let heavy graphics overpower the information your site provides.

Quality And Engaging Web Content

Last on learning website design is engaging your website visitors with the information that they need as they go through each page. Try to catch the readers' interest with attention-grabbing titles and lead paragraphs. Sustain it by engaging them with useful content. Help them browse the page content through appropriate subtitles. As they learn more, keep them going back for additions through little hints of the upcoming things in your website.

What Are QR Codes and How Do You Use Them?   Are You Driving Website Traffic, Just for the Sake of Driving Traffic?   Make a Business Website - What You Need to Know to Get It Going   5 Reasons to Rent A Website   Make Typos No More With Good Copywriting   

A Step-By-Step Basic Guide to Planning and Creating a Fabulous Baby Shower for the Mother-To-Be

So you're having lunch with a friend and she confides in you that she is pregnant. Because you are her best friend, you will be planning a baby shower for her as soon as she is ready.

"Baby Showers are a mother-to-be's right to passage, especially if it is her first baby!" you say. Baby showers have been in existence since the 1940s in America, and they were created so that women could get together and give advice to the mother-to-be. Today, however, there are no set rules as to who is invited or where one is held.

Have your friend register the baby at her favorite shopping location. This can be done almost anywhere: Amazon, Sears, Target, Babys-R-Us, and so on. This will later be put on the invitations that you send. Decide the theme of the baby shower. Most times this is the same theme as the baby's nursery. For example ladybugs or whimsical dragons. When this has been decided then everything to do with the baby shower should be theme oriented if possible. Decide who to invite. Are you only going to invite girlfriends or will it be coed. This is important to know because the food and games will be different depending on what you decide. Guys generally will need real food - something with meat like chicken wings, hamburgers, or hotdogs; where women only will need just sweets and finger foods. The games also will be different if guys are invited, they prefer more active games. Women are okay with guessing games on paper. If you have a close knit group of people coming games will not even be necessary unless you want them, because they will socialize amongst each other and catch up on stuff they have missed. Pick a place to have the baby shower. This can be a church hall, a park, someone's house, or anywhere the mother-to-be wants to have it. Prepare the invitation. This can be a video by email if you have everyone's email. Or a handmade or bought invitation mailed. Be sure to have everyone R.S.V.P. and send the invitations out at least 2 weeks prior to the event. Buy the items you will need for the baby shower - the food and beverages; paper products (cups, napkins, and plates, plastic utensils if you need them); decorations; and party favors if you will be playing games. Prepare for the party. Put up your decorations. Put out the food. Get everything ready for the games if you are playing some. Make sure you take care of everything before the guests arrive so that you can have fun too. Your job will also be to make sure that the mother-to-be is comfortable and has a place to open gifts where everyone can watch.

Done right a baby shower will be a festive occasion for all involved. Plan on taking some pictures also so the mother-to-be can add them to her baby book.

Some Effective Tips on How Not To Throw a Baby Shower   Types of Baby Stickers   Tips on Sending New Baby Flowers   Make a Baby Shower Diaper Cake for Under $30   How To Plan Unforgettable Baby Showers   

Big Hooded Towels Help Bath Time Remain Fun and Comfortable for Toddlers

Towels are a principal component for providing children with a relaxing, comfortable, and fun bath time experience. Hooded versions are in increasing demand among consumers for ensuring a baby remains warm as they transition from the bath to being fully clothed; however, they are also available to meet the warmth requirements of toddlers. Big hooded towels could seem like overkill to some individuals, but many children grow accustomed to these items when they are used throughout infant care. Hooded drying products provide additional comfort dynamics to make certain a child does not experience the cold sensation most adults have learned to suffer through and eliminates any discomfort that might cause a little one to dread their ever so needed bath. Cute designs add fun to this regular event and cause numerous toddlers to desire this product even more. Retailers wanting to reach out to the toddler market without overextending themselves can use wholesale baby gifts to receive lower prices on the most demanded designs. Hooded bath time accessories are necessary for any product line when desiring to help parents in the process of keeping a child's regular routine fun.

Wholesale Baby Gifts Supply Convenient Purchasing Choices to Retailers

A variety of wholesale baby gifts can be purchased to extend or enhance a retail product line. Larger versions come in cute designs with the average size being approximately fifty-two inches by twenty-nine inches. They are made from absorbent terry cloth and come wrapped in a ribbon to create a simple, unique gift for birthdays, Christmas, or any special occasion. How are these towels different from the basic ones found in any general retail store? Big hooded towels have a piece of fabric sewn onto one corner that serves as a head covering. The front portion of this item has a gender or non-gender design to add style to these products. A child can have fun with patterns such as bears, frogs, monkeys, owls, and a variety of additional choices. These patterns can be acquired in bulk to mix and match products in a complete basket or be sold individually for buyers to express their own creative side.

These towels make the ultimate complimentary gift for expecting parents with older toddlers. Toddlers often feel a little uneasy about the addition of a new family member, and a larger towel can be used to include them as part of the present giving festivities. Wholesale baby gifts ease the cost of special giveaways or regular stocking by supplying a variety of manufacturer choices through one source. A retailer can buy the same item in varying price ranges with countless patterns at a designated count without having to place separate orders or pay multiple shipping costs. Bulk buying has several advantages with lowered costs being one of the most significant. Big hooded towels allow family members, friends, and the expecting parents to make older brothers or sisters feel special as they adjust to this transition. Retailers can use the option of bulk purchases to run special promotions, for product line expansion, or as a door prize to improve the customer buying experience.

Some Effective Tips on How Not To Throw a Baby Shower   Types of Baby Stickers   Tips on Sending New Baby Flowers   Make a Baby Shower Diaper Cake for Under $30   

A Program That Can Automatically Send Email on Your Behalf

Isn't it exhausting to send out email replies to all those emails that you have been receiving on a daily basis? Imagine waking up in the morning and your inbox is flooded with thousands of emails, and you just wonder how on earth you are going to reply to all of them. Perhaps, it's about time that you invest on a computer program that can automatically send email on your behalf.

Emails

It has been said that of all the activities done on the Internet, email is considered as the most popular. This is further proven by the fact that almost 88 percent of all Internet users in the U.S. use email. Furthermore, a survey revealed that approximately 90 percent of those people who access the Internet daily are using it mainly to work on their business emails.

Autoresponder

In essence, an autoresponder is a kind of software used by most companies to automatically send email replies to their customer's email inquiries. In addition, the autoresponder is also being used by most online retail companies to announce some of their marketing moves. If customers purchase something from the website, they will receive a confirmation email upon completing the order. This email that tells the customers they successfully completed their order and is under processing is sent by the use of the autoresponder. Here are some of the functions of an autoresponder.

It is responsible for sending out a confirmation response to your customers, informing them that you have received their emails and to expect for your reply as soon as possible. There are some autoresponders that have the capability to send out email messages in bulk, and can be sent depending on your chosen time interval. The autoresponder would be able to automatically send email to your customers on a regular basis, in order to keep them informed about the latest products or promotion that the company is offering. This email will serve as an email marketing campaign that can be sent out to all potential clients in your mailing list.

Autoresponders are certainly one of the most useful tools in online business communication now. It helps you to easily connect with your regular customers, enabling you to automatically send email messages conveniently. Investing for this tool is good for your business, because it can possibly bring numerous customers in your business, thus, increasing your business revenue.

Choose The Right Autoresponders Service   Autoresponders Make Your Email Marketing Effective and Easy   Email Campaign Software - A Must For Online Business Part 2   Using An Autoresponder For Your Business   

Back Link Building Service: Why You Need One

Anybody who has ever built a website knows the importance of search engine optimization. There are a lot of factors involved in this but the biggest is building back links to your site. This is a job that most people would rather outsource than do themselves.

The reason that you need to use the services of a back link building company it will help to make sure that your website gets found. The goal of the search engines is to make sure that the most relevant and best quality sites are the ones that appear at the top of the search results, in practice this really doesn't happen. The search engines use computer algorithms to rank websites, unfortunately nobody has figured a way that a computer can determine the quality of a site. In order to get around this the search engines use links as a proxy for assessing the quality of a site.

The reason that links are used as a way to assess the quality of a site is that it is assumed that more people will link to a high quality site than a low quality site. It is therefore reasonable to assume that the site that has the most links is the best site. The theory starts to fall apart however when people start building their own links to their sites. These days it is just an accepted fact that if you are going to get a site to rank well in the search engines you will you have to build your own back links.

Building back links is not all that hard to do, it is however incredibly tedious. This is why most people will choose to hire a back link building service. It takes quite a bit of time and it is something that has to be done constantly. You cannot just build links and forget about your site. The search results are constantly changing and that means that you have to keep adding links. Most people decide that it is not worth their time to do it themselves. Back link building services are fairly inexpensive so most people prefer to have them to do the work.

One other reason that you are going to want to use a back link building service is that where the links come from is now more important than how many links you have. This is part of the attempt by the search engines to keep poor quality sites that have a lot of links from ranking well. In order to get around this the links need to come from quality sites, or at least sites that have a lot of links pointing at them. The companies that offer this service have a network of sites that they can use to send back links to your site which makes things a lot easier.

Using Advanced Search Queries To Identify New Linking Opportunities   Backlink Tool: What Is Anchor Text and Why Is It Important for Link Building?   Backlink Building Service: Link Building Tips for Charities   SEO: Why Build Links?   Back Link Generation Service: Can They Help Your Business?