Here's a list of books written by screenwriters - our own Jamie Lee Scott @authorjamie is a USA Today Best Seller!
Enjoy the discussion below, full of tips for November's National Novel Writing Month where you write a 50,000-word novel in 30 days. Links to resources, too! @jeannevb
Read the transcript below or on the Storify site.
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#Scriptchat Transcript: Advantages and "how to" of turning a screenplay into a novel October 22, 2017
Selling a screenplay gets harder & harder. Since Hollywood loves intellectual property & you already have a story, why not adapt it to a novel? Enjoy the discussion below, full of tips for #NaNoWriMo! Links to resources, too! @jeannevb
IT’S #SCRIPTCHAT O’CLOCK: TOPIC - Hollywood loves intellectual property! Use #NaNoWriMo to turn your spec into a novel! Join in for tips! pic.twitter.com/zu83f5vy6y- @blueneumann oh, it's Sunday, dude. Let's get this chat on! #scriptchat
- Hello all you happy people. #scriptchat
- Let's talk adapting backwards. I mean, you have a story in script form on your hard drive. Why not write it in another form? #scriptchat
- @Al_1701 I think we're shiny, too. :) #scriptchat
- Yay, #Scriptchat time!
- Adapting backwards is common practice for me nowadays. #scriptchat
- 1st, not all screenplays will make a decent novel. Don't bother adapting it unless it will. #scriptchat
- Hey hey hey #scriptchat
- Is there a word/neologism for adapting backwards? #scriptchat
- Dot a novel maybe, but a short story. #scriptchat
- #scriptchat - hi all, not sure if I'm doing this right - #marlothevirgin
- @jeannevb I'm going to be the asshole that disagrees straight away #scriptchat
- Guess I'm in #scriptchat
- @FlutterFerret short stories are great, too. #scriptchat
- @marlob59 *pours margarita* the one and only #scriptchat
- Would it still be considered a novelization if the movie got made later? #scriptchat
- @blueneumann I don't know that there is one word to describe it. #scriptchat
- @jeannevb Retro-adaptation? Revertaptation? #scriptchat
- Hollywood loves intellectual property. Best reason to turn your script into a novel. Let's talk advantages, then "how to." #scriptchat
- Big advantage is that you have fewer physical/budgetary constraints, that's a plus #scriptchat
- Another is that you can engage other senses that movies can't (smell, taste, etc) #scriptchat
- @jeannevb Curious--do you think it's harder to go from script to novel etc. or vice versa? IMO condensing = harder, but I'm wordy LOL. #scriptchat
- Advantage #1 - you've got (better than a) treatment ? #scriptchat
- Advantage: It doesn't take millions of dollars and dozens/hundreds of people to bring your story to life. #scriptchat
- Advantage: You can build a fan base for your story. #scriptchat
- Advantage: You can make money... image that. #scriptchat
- Room to workout more of the background to characters and story. #scriptchat
- You get to wear other hats, like actor, director, production designer... #scriptchat
- Advantage: As you write your story in more detail, you'll rediscover your characters & possibly make your script richer. #scriptchat
- @jeannevb Are we talking via actual publishing company or self-publishing? #scriptchat
- I’ve done #NaNoWriMo for six years — and even wrote a free manual on my blog about how to write a novel in a month! #scriptchat
- It's coming closer. Need to limber up the brain and the typing muscles. #scriptchat
- @AmyMSuto shoot us a link, Amy! #scriptchat
- Will I actually do it this year? #scriptchat
- I’ve loved writing novels, and it’s really helped me hone my craft. I’m working on a novella that I want to adapt into a pilot. #scriptchat
- What I found most liberating about novel writing is crawling in my characters head. Being able to write via ALL senses. #scriptchat
- @jeannevb Agreed! Loved doing that. #scriptchat
- And if you have a visual or funky SF idea, you can always adapt it into a graphic novel #scriptchat
- @jeannevb And their musings that might not come out of the mouth. #scriptchat
- You can also turn your 1 screenplay into a series of novels to then adapt into a TV series. #scriptchat
- @jeannevb I turned the characters from at least 2 scripts into pilots #scriptchat
- How many of you have tried writing a novel? Or tried #NaNoWriMo challenge? #scriptchat
- I think the greatest advantage of adapting into prose is that you tend to find whole new layers of depth in the story. #scriptchat
- I often find that I'll do the adaptation and discover something that makes the screenplay better. #scriptchat
- @jeannevb I've done a few Nanos, but I've turned just about every one of my scripts into a novel of some form or another. #scriptchat
- I do have to disagree on the "not every screenplay can be adapted" point though. Every great story can be told in both media. #scriptchat
- @jeannevb I tried, but I can't focus/think linearly like that for more than a few days, so I always fizzle out #scriptchat
- @jeannevb I do both prose & screenplays. #ScriptChat
- Rian Johnson on his site http://www.rcjohnso.com/ shares his scripts Brick - Looper and also book form of Brick - eyeopening #SCRIPTCHAT
- @chasinglamely Someone hasn't read the novelization of Koyaanisqatsi #scriptchat
- @blueneumann @jeannevb It's not really about thinking linearly. I usually outline the week or so before Nano starts. #scriptchat
- @blueneumann In fairness, I also haven't seen the film. #scriptchat
- Late - doing the Starbucks to Starbucks transfer... #scriptchat
- @wcmartell We've told you so many times - if you actually wear some pants, they'll stop kicking you out! #scriptchat
- #scriptchat I’ve been obsessed with the differences between novels, novellas, short stories, features, tv seasons /episodes, & game stories
- @wcmartell jump in, Bill. We're talking adapting screenplays into novels. #scriptchat
- @jolenejahnke awesome! Great to see you back at the chat! #scriptchat
- @the_invisible_a any insights to share? #scriptchat
- @the_invisible_a Easy answer? Word count. They all have three acts essentially, it's just the format and workload that changes. #scriptchat
- The trick with these adaptations is to use whichever format you're writing in to the best of its' abilities #scriptchat
- @jeannevb Richard Matheson and Robert Bloch for me. #scriptchat
- It shouldn't just be a matter of changing verb tenses and adding a little more detail #scriptchat
- What about "Voice" (POV)? #scriptchat
- @blueneumann It's also important to challenge those limitations. Art is nothing without experimentation. #scriptchat
- @marlob59 choosing POV is always the tricky part. #scriptchat
- I wrote a bunch of (crappy) novels in my youth, adapted one into the script that got me to town... now looking at doing reverse #scriptchat
- I've done #NaNoWriMo a couple of times. 1st time vomited out 50K words of shit. 2nd time decided to take a diff't approach... #scriptchat
- @jeannevb See, I'm not into speed if you have to re-do all the work #scriptchat
- 2nd time, I chose to just write every day of the 30 days. Focused on quality over quantity. Did 20K valuable words. #scriptchat
- Not doing NaNo, NaNo, though. Best thing about the shorts and novelettes I've written is - once done, they go to the audience. #scriptchat
- Publishing/self-publishing whole other discussion so let's focus on HOW to start novel process. #scriptchat
- @jeannevb 50K of crap can still be revised, right? #ScriptChat
- #scriptchat I thoroughly enjoyed Through the Ringer A Mitch Robertson mystery https://www.amazon.com/Through-Ringer-Mitch-Robertson-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B00HO2YX7S/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8 … by some guy named "Bill" https://twitter.com/wcmartell/status/922256404026621952 …
- Your script is already an outline. You can plug it right into Word or Scrivener and get started. #scriptchat
- My plan, though, is to write at least 30k a month when I do the novels. That's doable. Scripts are written - so I have "outline" #scriptchat
- @jeannevb I usually start the process from my treatment, rather than my script. #scriptchat
- @DevSeventyFive yes. That 1st NaNo I wrote w/ very limited outline & let characters decide. I consider it now a 50K word outline #scriptchat
- @wcmartell great plan. #scriptchat
- @blueneumann @jeannevb I find it frees me up a little to explore the world of the story more. #scriptchat
- .@scriptmag & @WritersDigest are merging Nov/Dec for exactly this reason. To bring ALL storytellers & resources together. #scriptchat
- Novels vs Scripts. It's a different animal. I find myself having to retrain my brain. #Scriptchat #NaNoWriMo
- What I find interesting is when you explore the scene in new ways, you get new ideas to put into the script itself #scriptchat
- @blueneumann Every. Single. Time. It's actually better than "putting it in a draw" and editing it sometimes. #scriptchat
- @MrGrahamClegg After #scriptchat, grab some food & get your ass in the writing chair... oh, and find your cat.
- Larger plan: Organized dead scripts into diff series. All mysteries in one, action in one, etc. Created protags for each. #scriptchat
- @jolenejahnke I think the same. I read novels but writing them is different for me. #scriptchat
- @jolenejahnke I know exactly what you mean. It takes a while to get used to the fact that you can use thoughts and emotions. #scriptchat
- @wcmartell You could always turn them into webseries anthologies? #scriptchat
- Reason for the novelettes & short stories - retrain the brain. #scriptchat
- Re: #NaNoWriMo to hit 50K, it's just 1,666 words/day. Totally doable, esp w/ a script in hand. But don't worry about wordcount. #scriptchat
- I actually always find that writing the prose versions makes me more relaxed about the business side of a script (1/2) #scriptchat
- When I feel like both script and prose are "ready" I can release the prose as a test balloon and see what the reaction is (2/2) #scriptchat
- Hey - tip: When I read kindle books the first line either grabs me or doesn't. If it doesn't, first paragraph has to win me. #scriptchat
- #scriptchat After writing three readable but tedious novels, I stopped, studied commercial entertainment, and concocted my own story theory.
- Because I care about opening sentence (and that Poe quote) I work on opening sentences. #scriptchat
- @wcmartell That's why I always open with "It was a dark and stormy Quinceañera" #scriptchat
- .@UnkScreenwriter adapting his script AMERICAN REST STOP into a novel. It's such a fast read. https://www.amazon.com/American-Rest-Stop-psychological-thriller-ebook/dp/B00BC0JD78/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1508718868&sr=8-1&keywords=unknown+screenwriter … #scriptchat
- See great pro screenwriters who have written novels ... jeannevb.com/books
- @wcmartell "true, nervous"? #scriptchat
- As screenwriters, you already know how to write cinematically. Use that skill. #scriptchat
- @jeannevb This. Best tip. The best novels are about imagery as much as story. If you can't create imagery, film isn't for you. #scriptchat
- @jeannevb - promise? I'm only on my 3rd vodka #scriptchat
- Read a book a few weeks ago, 1st sentence was protag in bar drinking ginger ale and *hating* every sip. Mystery and character. #scriptchat
- Agreed @wcmartell. Here's a link to 100 best opening lines in novels... http://americanbookreview.org/100BestLines.asp … #scriptchat
- Actually, for those who write screenplays using paradigms, you're already a leg up on the rest of us on this without knowing it. #scriptchat
- Doesn't have to open with explosion. I wondered why this person was in bar remaining sober when they didn't want to be. #scriptchat
- @marlob59 yes. I have a full bottle... well, maybe not full anymore. #scriptchat
- Are we convincing any of you to try adapting a script? #scriptchat
- @blueneumann Bass Ackwards ? #scriptchat
- @wcmartell Agreed. One of the best I ever read was "It was midnight. The sun was shining and I couldn't find my pocketknife." #scriptchat
- @jeannevb I like the idea of it but I want to focus on one style of writing/ideas until I've got more under my belt. #scriptchat
- @jeannevb I hope so. It was the best decision I ever made in honing the craft of writing in general. #scriptchat
- @jeannevb I tried, thought that’s what I was to do, then I was introduced to scripts. Haven’t went back. #scriptchat
- @wcmartell “It was the best of crimes. It was the worst of crimes.” #scriptchat
- @chasinglamely agreed. Glad I started w/ screenwriting 1st though. Learning all the tricks to make something a fast read helps. #scriptchat
- Hey all. A little late tonight. Putting finishing touches on my latest screenplay to send for coverage. #scriptchat
- @jeannevb This is a valuable tip for TV piloteers. You may never get to write episode two, but you can always write book two. #scriptchat
- @marlob59 haha I figured as much! #scriptchat
- @LeonThomasBraun late works. Welcome! #scriptchat
- My favs are the Richard Stark novels. "When the phone rang, Parker was in the garage, killing a man.” #scriptchat
- #scriptchat I like features that work as features. My favorite movies would not make great novels. But feature world building is still neat!
- The Disney animated “Meet the Robinsons” used only a tiny bit of the source book material before going all rogue with it... #scriptchat
- @dwacon nai, .... #scriptchat
- @jeannevb I'm actually glad I started out with poetry and lyrics before screenwriting for the same reason. Taught me a so much. #scriptchat
- @marlob59 Milo li’ho... #scriptchat
- @the_invisible_a definitely shouldn't adapt script to novel unless it would work well as a book. Some do not. At all. #scriptchat
- @dwacon sto Kalo! #scriptchat
- @the_invisible_a I'd be very surprised if they couldn't be adapted. Everything can be adapted by the right craftsman. #scriptchat
- @chasinglamely every medium has so much to teach a writer. That's why I always say writers should do more than one. #scriptchat
- @LeonThomasBraun Finishing is such a great feeling, isn't it? #ScriptChat
Even Bruce wants to hear @byDougRich at #NWC17... use code SCRIPTMAG17 to get $25 off! #scriptchat #screenwriting https://buff.ly/2xQXyRs pic.twitter.com/qC5MyWg8jj- @jeannevb That's why I do lyrics, poetry, screen, prose, journalism, comics and video games. I've learned so much from it. #scriptchat
- This is why I still draw out my ideas. #scriptchat
- I'm on #NaNoWriMo site as jeannevb. Sign up here and you can connect w/ other writers. https://nanowrimo.org/ #scriptchat
- Fave open "I did two things on my 75th birthday. I visited my wife's grave. Then I joined the army." Old Man's War: John Scalzi #scriptchat
- .@byDougRich stop watching football & gives some novel writing tips... #scriptchat
- @DevSeventyFive Indeed. I feel like it’s good, but curious what some industry voices will have to say about it 🎬 #scriptchat
- @FlutterFerret I'm reading Scalzi's "Redshirts" now but don't recall the 1st line. Loving it otherwise. #scriptchat
- @DevSeventyFive @jeannevb sometimes. You can be equally cursed and blessed, though, in my experience. #scriptchat
- @chasinglamely @jeannevb If you're equally cursed, it opens the door to change careers. 😄 #ScriptChat
- @FlutterFerret EVERYBODY keeps telling me that I should read that book! #scriptchat
- #scriptchat My subjective view — genre should govern medium choice. Anything thoughtful (sci fi, psych, philos.) is better suited to novels.
- Even if you don't want to adapt script to novel, you can still use #NaNoWriMo energy to do #writingsprints & write every day #scriptchat
- I have taken some printed screenplays made a line every 2.5 pages. That's my proposed "day" to finish in 2 mos. Usually a scene. #scriptchat
- How to make setting a character in your story via @BrianKlems @WritersDigest https://buff.ly/2l9PpWX #AmWriting #ScriptChat pic.twitter.com/tGgaJjAhzShttps://t.co/tGgaJjAhzSpic.twitter.com/tGgaJjAhzS
- As much as changing media is great for a writer's education, perfect them privately. People are still too hung up on "branding." #scriptchat
- @jeannevb Also, there's nothing to say you can't hit your goal in screenplay format. #scriptchat
- @chasinglamely the brand concept is changing. SO many writers write more than one style now. Trend is to expand. #scriptchat
- @DevSeventyFive @jeannevb I'm in first. I decided to train as a lawyer in case this writing gig doesn't work out... #scriptchat
- #scriptchat - had to find the ice - mea culpa
- @jeannevb Can you tell that to the people who keep asking me why a stand-up comedian is writing drama? #scriptchat
- @chasinglamely @DevSeventyFive @jeannevb It's worked for Grisham and a few others. I went the Historian route instead. #scriptchat
- I know people who still use a different name for every style or genre. #scriptchat
- so of those of you who have adapted from screenplay to novel - voice, please xo #scriptchat
- @jeannevb @chasinglamely I was under the impression producers still wanted people who specialized. Not true? #scriptchat
- @collinlieberg @DevSeventyFive @jeannevb in fairness, Grisham was a lawyer long before he was a writer. #scriptchat
- Intrigued by this idea of adapting backwards being discussed on #scriptchat tonight. My wheels are now spinning...
- @chasinglamely @collinlieberg @DevSeventyFive @jeannevb Darn it... I KNEW I shudda gone to law school! #scriptchat
- @DevSeventyFive @jeannevb writing is my plan A. Law is my plan B. Quitting is my plan Z. #scriptchat
- @tracieseward mwhahaha love it when we get wheels spinning! #scriptchat
- @collinlieberg @jeannevb In my experience, absolutely. They think a comedian should write comedy, and it kills me. #scriptchat
- @jeannevb Yes, the idea is just to make more progress than you normally would, develop lasting habits. Work, but don't beat yourself up. #scriptchat
- @chasinglamely @DevSeventyFive @jeannevb Teaching was my plan A, but that has now turned to writing. Plan Aa is something else. #scriptchat
- If you aren't ready for NaNoWrMo - come up with short story idea, write it, make a cover, put it up on Amazon. #scriptchat
- @collinlieberg @DevSeventyFive @jeannevb Just because writing is plan A, doesn't mean your writing can't also be your teaching. #scriptchat
- While we're waiting for @scriptmag's move to @WritersDigest site. Head over there for novel tips https://www.writersdigest.com/ #scriptchat
- @chasinglamely @jeannevb Writing started as my plan A, but that changed. After everything else flopped, I decided to give writing another go. #ScriptChat
- @wcmartell Red alert, red alert! Missed the 5 minute mark! #scriptchat
- @wcmartell Is anyone ever ready for NaNoWriMo? I feel like it sneaks up on me every year! #scriptchat
- There's a cool program called WRITE OR DIE. It literally blares a horn at you if you slow down. #NaNoWriMo #scriptchat
- @chasinglamely @wcmartell And November is a terrible month for Nano, we all got holidays and shit to do #scriptchat
- @jeannevb My cats would kill me. Literally kill me. #scriptchat
- January would be a great month for Nano, 31 days and you don't want to go anywhere or spend ANY money #scriptchat
- No!!! That's supposed to be automatic! Something is wrong at Hootsuite! #scriptchat
- @wcmartell Or write several short stories that equal 50K in total. Publish them together as an anthology. #ScriptChat
- @chasinglamely @blueneumann @wcmartell I work retail, so holidays mean busy time. Almost no time to write... #scriptchat
- "Goodnight you Princes of Maine, you Kings of New England!" #scriptchat @jeannevb et al...
- I'm so glad to be in a regular M-F 7:30-4 job. #scriptchat
- @blueneumann yeah, I'm not a fan of NaNo being in November. Wish it was January or March. #scriptchat
- I can actually plan time to write. #scriptchat
- Well, this was fun errbody. Ciao! #scriptchat
- Kali niktos filii !! #scriptchat
- Anyway, time to prepare to write. #scriptchat
- *blows a kiss* Goodnight everybody. #scriptchat
- It's the bewitching hour! Thanks for another great chat! I'll grab the transcript and maybe throw some resources in it. #scriptchat
- Thanks everyone! #scriptchat
- @jeannevb @blueneumann Remember when they tried NaScriWriMo? That would be great in January. #scriptchat
- For those who are diving into #NaNoWriMo, use the #scriptchat hashtag to find each other & call out #writingsprints
- Aww, it's over? Again? #scriptchat
- @jeannevb Is there still a way we can group up on the Nano site? #scriptchat
- @chasinglamely @blueneumann #NaNoWriMo used to have #ScriptFrenzy in April every year but discontinued it. #scriptchat
- @chasinglamely I don't know if you can create a group on NaNo site but you can "buddy" other people #scriptchat
- @wcmartell thanks for the great tips, Bill! #scriptchat
- @jeannevb maybe there's a way to rig something? Like maybe bang a temporary forum on the scriptchat site that we can meet in? #scriptchat
- #scriptchat Nice meeting everyone. Keep creating. There’s no wrong way in the arts.
- @the_invisible_a the only wrong way is not participating at all ;-) #scriptchat
- @jeannevb @chasinglamely #ScriptChat Post your pages! Here's mine: https://nanowrimo.org/participants/devseventyfive …
- Racing to finish script before @austinfilmfest; 70+ pages done in past week. Hands tired, but brain happy. #scriptchat #amwriting #aff2017
- @chasinglamely @DevSeventyFive @jeannevb Anyone know how many, if any, #NaNoWriMo novels have been published/sold well? #scriptchat
- @chasinglamely @collinlieberg @jeannevb The number for self-published is probably much higher. #ScriptChat
- Should you turn your script into a novel? http://www.scriptmag.com/features/should-you-turn-your-script-into-a-novel …
- @DevSeventyFive @chasinglamely @collinlieberg @jeannevb Seeing as how I work in a book shop I don't count self-published. #scriptchat
- @collinlieberg @DevSeventyFive @chasinglamely @jeannevb If I can't sell it I don't count it... #scriptchat
- @collinlieberg @DevSeventyFive @jeannevb Fair. I'm actually torn between Nano projects this year. #scriptchat
- @jeannevb what's your Nano page? Maybe we can buddy up? #scriptchat
- Get tons of writing tips on @writersdigest site, like this one: 30 Tips for Writing a Book in 30 Days https://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/nanowrimo-prep-30-tips-resources-strategies-for-writing-a-book-in-30-days …
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