Writing A New Novel?: Make It Into A Movie
- 02.28.10
- Uncategorised
- 1 Comment
Make my book into a movie, you say?
I know what you’re thinking: I WOULD LOVE TO MAKE MY BOOK INTO A MOVIE!! Well, who wouldn’t? But, if you can dream of your novel being turned into the next silver screen blockbuster, then you can do what I’m suggesting here. The movie I’m referencing here is the movie in your mind.
We’ve largely grown up in a visual age. Current movie and television production makes great use of visuals, rather than words, to impart the story. As a writer, it’s up to you to write words that create those visuals in the minds of your readers. However, in order to write those words most effectively, it’s critical that you, as the author, as a story teller, know just what a movie of your work would look like, so that you can create the words that will recreate that picture for your reader.
This is a tricky area, and it can quickly lead the unwary into writing about the color of the sky and every blade of grass and other superfluous information that will only bog down the reader. Creating a feeling and image with just a smattering of words is, IMO, the holy grail of writing…one that I pursue and fail to grasp, in every story it seems.
But try out the concept. If you are working on a new project, or even a new chapter, find a quiet place and just sit back. Let the movie projector of your mind flash the characters in front of you. See them taking those next thrilling actions you’ve planned. Watch the tears or anger flow from them, and scan their surroundings for that gun or knife, or that precious last letter from their spouse who was killed in that far off war. Not only will you enjoy the respite from the keyboard, but you may find that you gain new energies and insight when you next sit down to write.
….and, you may find that popcorn is suddenly on your mind, also. Ahhh, but that’s another story in itself.
Good luck on the next book, but even better luck on your next “movie”.
Write on!
Jack Riston
One Response to “Writing A New Novel?: Make It Into A Movie”
I love to read novels which flow well enough to become movies in my mind. I have also read at least one writer who appears to write in the hope that his stories will be made into movies.
I have only read two of his novels and I won’t wate my time with any more. None of them have been made into successful movies although I think that one book was made into a movie.
So yes, while books which flow make movies in the mind of the reader and can transpose to the silver screen, books written to read like movie scripts fail to attract either.
I recently read that that Ernest Hemingway was the mastery of brevity in his writing. He was challenged to write a story in six words. His response was “For Sale: Baby Shoes. Never worn.” This is doing exactly what a good story should do, provoke thought and introspection.
But it isn’t a story as such because, in this case, there is insufficient content. The challenge is to provide enough content to do the job without spelling it all out in excruciating detail.
And that of course is the delicious challenge.