Originally Published May 23, 2012
1. Recently I’ve been a little stuck editing the second book of The Realm series. It needs some refining and honing. So I’ve “headed to the movies” again. Probably not quite the way you think, though. I’m currently reading Save the Cat! by Blake Snyder. It’s not a book about rescuing four-legged fur-balls, though that is an admirable activity. It’s about writing good screenplays. The first chapter that talks about creating a great title and logline has helped immensely already.
2. Another reason I “head to the movies” when writing, is because I can learn a lot from the screenwriting process. I once had to submit a writing sample in order to apply for an exclusive screenwriting class. I took the first chapter, of what was then the draft of The Realm: The Awakening Begins and rewrote it in a screenplay format. It forced me to visualize what I wanted to convey and relate it in pictures and dialogue, not just descriptive words. The process radically changed the way I wrote and viewed the opening scenes. I ended up totally rewriting chapter one of my book based on my new screenplay sample!
3. And finally, my reasons for “heading to the movies” are partly selfish. I write my books so they will hopefully someday grow up to become visually appealing movies. I want to see the full-blown versions of my imaginations acted out and made as close to real as possible (and I want to wear a stunning dress on a red carpet, of course). I can’t think of much that would be quite as thrilling as seeing what was once only in my mind made into a reality. Okay, well, maybe if someone invented actual products I dreamt up (like a widge or neut), that would be natch too. As I write my novels, I often visualize the scene and try to imagine if it would be appealing on a big screen or not. I think this practice helps create a more vivid reading experience for you, the readers…as well and makes the book closer to movie-ready!
If you’ve read any of my novels, which one would you want to see made into a movie first and why? Who would you want to see play certain characters? I’m not going to tell my answers to these questions until at least one of you does first!
(I took the picture above in Kolkata, India. A place I visited that inspired part of The Realm Series)