Adaptation Notes: Turning a Book Into a Movie (or a Screenplay Into a Novel)
Contents
How to Acquire the Rights to Develop a Screenplay (or Make a Movie) Based on a Book
The Difference Between "Based on a True Story" and "Inspired by a True Story"
Book-to-Screen Example: "He's Just Not That Into You"
Screenplay-to-Novel: A Q&A with William Schreiber
What Screenwriters & Novelists Can Learn From One Another: A Q&A with Larry Brooks
In the film and publishing industry, an adapted work ("adaptation") is a story based on previously published or produced source material - such as a book, graphic novel, television show, stage play, song, video game, short story, magazine article or even another film.
How to Acquire the Rights to Develop a Screenplay (or Make a Film) Based on a Book
If you're planning to adapt source material into a screenplay or film, and the material is under copyright (as opposed to being in the public domain, such as the Sherlock Holmes books and many of Agatha Christie's novels), you will need to acquire the film rights to adapt the material. A writer/producer cannot legally even develop a script without first acquiring the rights or permission from the copyright-holder.
Finding the Rights Holder
Subsidiary rights, which includes film rights, are almost always retained by the author (not the publisher) and can be negotiated through the author’s literary agent (or directly with the author if he or she does not have representation).
Most authors list the name of their agent in the acknowledgements section of their book, but a simple Google search can also quickly reveal the literary agent's name and contact information.
The Option Agreement
The agreement between the copyright-holder and the writer/producer, which grants the initial and exclusive, but limited, adaptation rights for a set period-of-time, is known as an "Option".
It gives the writer/producer the option-to-purchase the rights, usually upon a specified date or action (often before the option expires, or upon sale of the script or commencement of production).
An Option Agreement provides the writer/producer an opportunity to develop a screenplay and set up financing to eventually produce a film, without having to incur the high cost of purchasing the rights prior to making a sale or having funding in place.
The fee for optioning film rights varies widely, depending on the popularity of the book.
The Costs
A little-known self-published book may be optioned by a writer/producer for as low as $1 while a bestseller could cost the median price of a home.
The purchase price to exercise the option (to own the rights, which you will need to make the film) is often 3% to 5% of the film budget with a pre-established minimum and maximum fee outlined in the Option Agreement.
Alternatives
Some writers/producers may choose to opt for a Shopping Agreement or Producer Attachment Agreement with an author instead of using an Option Agreement to option the film rights.
These alternate agreements grant the writer/producer the exclusive right to "shop" the story to studios or production companies for a specified period of time.
Once the writer or producer sells the story/book to the studio or production company, the author of the book is paid directly by the buyer for the film rights and the writer/producer who sold the story is then attached as the screenwriter or producer of the film which will be developed.
The benefit of negotiating a Shopping Agreement or Producer Attachment Agreement with an author, instead of an Option Agreement, is that a writer/producer can minimize or even eliminate the initial financial investment normally required for optioning a book.
The drawback is, without the Option Agreement, which grants initial adaptation rights (and unless those rights are incorporated into the Shopping Agreement or Producer Attachment Agreement), a writer cannot develop a screenplay from the book until the story is sold to a production company or studio.
For an un-produced screenwriter, approaching an undiscovered author with a little-known (but high quality) book, may be the best choice for negotiating a low-cost Option Agreement and acquiring the rights to adapt the material into a screenplay.
There are many talented but unknown authors who would love to have their books discovered and turned into a film. There is plenty of opportunity for writers and producers to discover the next great book waiting to be adapted.
Additional Resources from the Copyright Office:
- How to Investigate the Copyright Status of a Work (circular): https://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ22.pdf
- How to Obtain Permission to Use Copyrighted Material (circular): https://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ16a.pdf
The Difference Between "Based On a True Story" & "Inspired By a True Story"
The “rule of thumb” to determine if a script or story is “based on a true story” vs “inspired by a true story" is:
“Based on a true story” means much of the actual story and events remain intact in the script. The writer may make significant adaptations (creating composite characters, truncating or shifting the timeline, changing names, locations, ages, gender, etc.) but the core of the story remains the same. There is source material for the writer to refer to when crafting the script, such as books, articles, films, media files, and/or people. Example: The King’s Speech.
American Hustle is considered “based on a true story”, even though the ending is entirely fictionalized for dramatic effect (to provide a satisfactory conclusion for the audience).
Braveheart is considered “based on a true story”, even though, among other discrepancies from fact, William Wallace could not have had an affair with Isabelle of France (who was only 4 or 5 years old in the specific time period).
“Inspired by a true story” means a real person or event (or events) only triggered the idea for the script, but does not follow the trajectory of the true story. Often the material takes a “what if” approach to explore the issues. Example: many Law and Order television episodes.
Another example would be a script written about the real historical person Ann Boleyn that tells a story of her living happily ever after with King Henry VIII instead of being put to death.
Book-to-Screen Example: "He's Just Not That Into You"
This example looks at the adaptation process of the 2009 film He’s Just Not That Into You - a rare occasion that a self-help book is made into a movie.
Writers Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein have taken authors Greg Behrendt’s and Liz Trucillo’s brisk-read-of-a-book, He's Just Not That Into You: The No-Excuses Truth to Understanding Guys, and somehow managed to turn it into an overly long 129-minute film (Casablanca and On The Waterfront weren’t even this long!)
(By the way, Behrendt and Trucillo once worked as writers on a little-known show called Sex and the City, an episode of which spawned the basis for the book.)
In their book, the two authors provide upbeat, edgy, irreverent anecdotes for dealing with men’s behavior set against the backdrop of nifty little stories presented in the form of letters from female readers seeking advice. Because of their wry wit and breezy tone, Behrendt’s and Trucillo’s no-brainer advice works well in print, even if you do wonder as you’re reading along just who really needs this advice?
Theme, Plot, Character
The structure of the book (with its goofy tales from clueless women and its sharp-tongued replies from counsel) creates a nice jumping-off point for the screenwriters. Kohn and Silverstein use many of the book’s “stories” to create the intertwining plotline:
- Beth and Neil (Jennifer Aniston and Ben Affleck) represent the topic: “If He’s Not Marrying You”
- Gigi and Conor (Ginnifer Goodwin and Kevin Connolly) & A Bunch of Other Guys (a bunch of other actors) highlight the ongoing dilemma: “If He’s Not Calling You”
- Anna’s (Scarlett Johannson) and Conor’s relationship presents the issue: “If (S)He’s Not Having Sex with You”
- Gigi’s and Alex’s (Justin Long) friendship conveys the subject: “If He’s Not Dating You”, and “If He’s Not Asking You Out” (but eventually leads to “Here’s What It Should Look Like” territory)
- Anna’s and Ben’s (Bradley Cooper) affair pinpoints the problem: “If He’s Married or Other Insane Variations”
- Janine’s (Jennifer Connolly) and Ben’s situation confronts the age-old what-to-do: “If He’s Sleeping with Someone Else”
(Personally, I would have liked to see a representation of the topic “If He Only Calls You When He’s Drunk”. Alas, the screenwriters chose to leave that one out.)
Though Kohn and Silverstein develop the numerous characters (even ensuring each character’s story has an inciting incident, turning point, crises, and climax) this film is not a character study. It is a theme-driven film. The writers chose each element to reinforce that message and deftly weave the book’s main point (stop listening to your girlfriends when they tell you “exception” stories -- you’re the rule, not the exception) into the storyline. Learning this simple truth is the impetus that sends three characters – Gigi, Beth and Janine - on their journey and leads to each of their characters’ transformation.
Point of Attack (The Opening Scene)
The screenwriters created the film’s opening scene from the book’s "Introduction" wherein Trucillo recites the story of a group of women discussing guy problems and reassuring one another that guys are just scared, intimidated, confused, busy, blah, blah, blah. The bottom line: if a guy's being a jerk it’s because he likes you. On screen, this became a charming scene with a young boy and girl playing in the schoolyard. When the little boy is mean to the little girl, the little girl’s mother tells her the boy treated her badly because he has a crush on her. This evolves into a series of snippets showing women around the world being treated badly by guys, and their girlfriends reinforcing the bizarre belief that if a guy is a jerk -- he must like you!
Devices
Kohn and Silverstein use a few devices to engage the viewer and help tell the story.
(1) The character of Alex is used as device to inform the Gigi what a guy really means when he treats a girl badly.
(2) The writers also use titles (taken directly from the book) as a device to break the film into four chapters: "If He’s Not Calling You", "If He’s Not Marrying You", "If She’s Not Sleeping With You", and "If He’s Sleeping With Someone Else".
(3) Alongside each chapter introduction, they present a scene with an actor conveying a story related to that topic (a la When Harry Met Sally).
(4) A voice-over device is used at the beginning of the film, which doesn't serve the story. The narration (provided by the character of Gigi) simply states what the viewer is seeing on the screen and what the characters are already conveying through dialogue, then quickly disappears from the movie without adding value.
Wrap-Up
At the end of the day (or the end of the screenplay), Kohn’s and Silverstein’s script does a brilliant job of retaining the upbeat and motivational tone of the book and presenting story elements that enhance the theme (no doubt viewers “get” what this movie is “about”) but, because the screenplay lacks the wit and edginess of the book and stays in the all-too-familiar-formulaic-zone, we’re left with a film that ultimately falls flat and misses an opportunity to present the familiar in a unique way.
Read the Screenplay: Script Library
Get the Book: Digital Book (Apple Books) | Audiobook (Apple Books)
Get the Movie: Digital Film (AppleTV)
READ ADDITIONAL BOOK-TO-SCREEN EXAMPLES:
Book-to-Screen: Public Enemies
Book-to-Screen: The Cider House Rules
Screenplay to Novel: A Q&A with William Schreiber
Screenwriter William Schreiber turned his award-winning screenplay Someone to Watch Over, into an award-winning novel.
Creating your own IP, by transforming your script into a book, is one of the ways you can add value to your story to help you sell it to "Hollywood".
William Schreiber shares more about his story and how & why he decided to go from screenplay to novel.
Q: How did you become a screenwriter?
My nose was always into a book as a kid. I was big into Clive Cussler and The Hardy Boys. I won a blue ribbon in a writing competition in sixth grade, so that felt pretty good. I didn't know what I wanted to do after high school. I was working on a loading dock in the hundred-degree Florida heat, and that taught me what I didn't want to do for the rest of my life. I recalled the natural kind of joy I felt when writing, so I went back to school to study journalism.
After graduating from the University of Florida, I worked as a magazine writer and editor. Then, I had a chance to write my first screenplay after my wife and I moved to Athens, Georgia. I had never written a screenplay before. So, I approached it based on an understanding of music theory, which I had taken in college. I write and play music, and I sensed parallels between songwriting and storytelling, both of which create emotional experiences rooted in expectations and defying those expectations. There are structures and movement, setups and resolves.
That screenplay was produced as a feature film called Captiva Island.
Q: Tell us about your story Someone to Watch Over, which started as a script and then became a book.
After Captiva Island, I began to study screenplay form, and I wrote Someone to Watch Over while I was working as a freelance writer.
The story revolves around a search for a child the main character had been forced to give up for adoption as a teen. The protagonist is a woman. There's been a lot of conversation around the question of whether or not a writer can write about a life experience he or she hasn't had. I've found the most beneficial tools in my writer's toolbox are an ability to listen, be aware of what's happening in the world around me and pay attention to other lives being lived.
The script won or had top finishes at an array of industry and film festival writing competitions, including the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting Program. I wanted the eyes of Southern readers on it because it's set in the South, and I wanted to make sure it resonated in its authenticity.
I entered it in screenwriting competitions at the Nashville Film Festival, the Asheville Film Festival, the Austin Film Festival, Worldfest-Charleston and the Charleston International Film Festival, where it either earned the Best Screenplay award or had a top finish.
Q; Why did you decide to adapt the screenplay into a novel?
As time passed, I grew frustrated not being able to get the picture made for reasons I finally came to accept were beyond my control. However, writing a book and getting the story out was within my control, and so I decided to write Someone to Watch Over as a novel based on what turned out to be a solid three-act story outline. The book went through a number of drafts over a period of a couple of years from 2017 to 2019.
Q: Are there any differences between writing a script and writing a novel?
Essentially, the three-act structure of most films can generally apply to novels as well. Knowing screenwriting helped immensely writing the book because I was able to transition the story's three-act screenplay structure into a different literary form built on the same structure.
Screenplays are written from the outside-in, and novels are written from the inside-out. In writing screenplays, there is the necessary economy of language and time restrictions, which novels don't have. In a screenplay, you're painting visual impressions with a broad brush, but in a novel you have to paint every little piece of the canvas.
William Schreiber earned the 2019 Rising Star Award from the Women's Fiction Writers Association for his novel, Someone to Watch Over. The book was adapted from his original screenplay, which has won or been nominated for many competition awards, including the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' prestigious Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting, as well as numerous Best Screenplay awards at film festivals throughout the country. A native of Augusta, Georgia, he grew up in Fort Myers, Florida, along the Gulf of Mexico and now lives in Seattle, Washington, with his wife, Pam.
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What Screenwriters & Novelists Can Learn From One Another: A Q&A with Larry Brooks
Author and screenwriter Larry Brooks shares insights for how authors and screenwriters can become better at their respective crafts by learning from one another.
Q: What can novelists learn from screenwriters?
I began my writing journey as a wannabe novelist, and I sucked at it. It wasn’t until I studied screenwriting and wrote a few scripts that I understood why that was the case. Screenwriting taught me that, even though I was an avid reader of novels, I knew absolutely nothing about storytelling. Screenwriting can be humbling in that way.
It could then be argued that I sucked as a screenwriter, too, but I did score a few options and an 8-pack full of Nicholl Fellowship placements, including a week in L.A. with nine other finalists that included an afternoon with Frank Darabont. Now that was cool.
But then fate threw me a curveball when I adapted one of my scripts into a novel – precisely the opposite of the traditional route – and before long I had a minor paperback bestseller (the USA Today list) on my hands and a career as a novelist unfolding before me.
Now, four novels and a ditched contract later, and as the creator of a successful instructional website for both novelists and screenwriters, I find myself saying two very congruent and insightful (if you’re a novelist) things:
Everything I learned about storytelling was gleaned from the study of screenwriting, and the best thing a new novelist can do is to dive headfirst into screenwriting theory.
Novelists don’t think structurally, they don’t know what a plot point is (they do have some semblance of the inciting incident, but for the most part they have no idea where it goes). Some of them ascribe to what they call pantsing – seat of the pants storytelling without a plan or even an ending in mind – defending it as the only true creative methodology a writer can and should adopt.
I wouldn’t go so far as to say that screenwriters are better storytellers than novelists. But I will say, and unequivocally so, that screenwriters have better tools, clearer models and more defined expectations for their stories than do novelists, all of it learned and practiced from Day One.
What I’ve discovered, and thankfully so, since it defines my mission in this little corner of the writing guru field, is that they are very much alike once you stop comparing how the manuscript pages look so drastically different.
The three-act movie structure translates almost precisely to a 4-part novel structure, simply by dividing our Act II confrontation in half, resulting in a Part 2 response/hero-as-wanderer quartile, then a mid-point context-shifting transitional moment, followed by a Part 3 attack/hero-as-warrior quartile.
The rest of it, most especially the story planning process that allows a story to fall into the right places and contexts as it bleeds from the forehead of the writer, is directly transferable and extraordinarily liberating for novelists who thought Stephen King knew everything.
Q: What can screenwriters learn from novelists?
We screenwriters know – and try to ignore – that if we put too much fancy stage direction into a script, we’ll get hate mail from directors and just possibly be banned from the set once we sell the damn thing. And so, we write sparsely, pointing the director toward a mood, a look, a moment, without being terribly succinct in the process.
Novelists, on the other hand, get to be the director of the stories they write. They must deliver mood and ambiance through the use of words that deliver nuance, and in doing so they bring every bit the aesthetic passion and detail that a cranky director and a van full of set designers and wardrobe mistresses bring to the party.
And in doing so, they have only one tool – their words. No lighting, no improvising actors, no green screen effects and editing magic. It’s all on the page.
Whereas a script is a blueprint for a performance, a novel is the performance.
We screenwriters, as masters of a visual medium, can learn the value and storytelling power of language. The essence of sub-text, implication and energy that a single word or short phrase can convey.
The only common ground in this regard is dialogue – novelists and screenwriters have the exact same work to do whenever a character opens their mouth. But the novelist also gets to play the speaker like a puppeteer, imbuing her or him with meaningful expression and body language and tone. Try that in a script and actors like John Malkovich will punch you in the mouth.
Imagine if a novelist with the literary chops of a Dennis Lehane or a Colin Harrison had a crack at your script. How might they say it differently? How would they seek to make the most of a moment – that’s all we have in a script, a real-time moment – that carries so much storytelling clout in only a few well-rendered syllables?
In the script for Avatar, on page 116, Cameron writes in stage direction: “The shack descends from the sky like a gift from the gods.” He could have said, “The helicopter slowly lowers the shack to the ground,” but he chose to go all novelist on the reader for that quick moment.
Now, he’s James Cameron, and he’s probably the type of director who would shoot any screenwriter who tried to overstep in that fashion. But he said so much with so few words in that line, and the bold screenwriter can take a cue from this approach and imbue their own stories with the same level of metaphoric visualization, using language that speaks volumes to a director needing to see it on the page.
The idea is to spoon-feed the moment to the director and actors in a way that allows them to comprehend your vision, rather than ram it at them. It’s a subtle art, but precisely the one the novelist faces each time they describe something or create a dramatic moment.
This visual power of language – can separate you from the spec script crowd. Simply by bringing a literary sensibility to your pages, without crossing the line toward directing the movie, you’ll give the reader more visceral and powerful experience, you’ll make them feel you.
So, while I’m busy pointing novelists to the subject of story structure, consider picking up a credible paperback and doing a little analytical reading of your own. You’ll see what you already know in the structure, and you might just get something else you can use. You may begin to immerse yourself in the descriptive power of words.
Larry Brooks is the author of six critically-acclaimed thrillers, and the guy behind storyfix.com, named by Writers Digest Magazine to their "101 Best Website for Writers". His latest novels are Deadly Faux and The Seventh Thunder, published by Turner Publishing, which has also re-released his four prior novels as trade paperbacks. He is also the author of three bestselling writing books, including Great Stories Don't Write Themselves and Story Fix: Transform Your Novel from Broken to Brilliant.
