Novel or Screenplay?

[leslee]

Well, Simon, you have certainly made your point.

[Simon Says]

@leslee

I would hope so. There's no point in posting if there's no point to make or question to ask or answer.

[Duke42]

Why not do both? I have several fairly successful novels written and I'm thinking about converting them. Another thought. Even getting someone who can do something to look at your work is nearly impossible, but if you have an agent present the piece you open a few doors.

[Rogue Mutt]

Why not do both? I have several fairly successful novels written and I'm thinking about converting them. Another thought. Even getting someone who can do something to look at your work is nearly impossible, but if you have an agent present the piece you open a few doors.

Hahaha, she hasn't been here for years. Always check the posting date.

[Simon Says]

Why not do both? I have several fairly successful novels written and I'm thinking about converting them. Another thought. Even getting someone who can do something to look at your work is nearly impossible, but if you have an agent present the piece you open a few doors.

If you've written successful novels that would work as a movie, then you should try to sell the movie rights to the book. In most cases a studio or producer will want to have an experienced screenwriter adapt the the work. If you have an agent you should talk to him or her. Many literary agencies have agents that deal with selling ancillary rights or some book agents have relationships with Hollywood agencies to handle this for them.

The depressing part is that in many cases you can make more money selling the movie rights than you'll make on royalties for the book or a fee to write the screenplay - the film or tv rights to the work can be worth more than the work itself.

Also you don't "convert" a book into a screenplay. You don't just take the story and put into screenplay format. Adaptation is an art and a craft. What works on the page may not work on the screen in the same way. There's generally too much story in a 100,000 word story to fit into a 100 page script. You have to cut stuff, change stuff and in some cases add stuff - including characters, scenes, plot points and entire subplots. It can be harder to adapt a novel than it is to write an original screenplay.