Screenwriting : Screenplay-to-Book Adaptation by Randy Steinlauf

I think it's a very cool idea Randy. It's what's called novelization and I have known several screenwriters who have done it. But like the book-to-script adaptation it needs to be developed like a separate work entirely. And it can certainly help build in an audience if the book catches.

I would do the next screenplay. Novels and screenplays are very different muscles. It would be like a sprinter also training for a marathon, possible, but does improve his sprinting.

If you feel like it's right for you, go for it. But I'd think of the maths: A good length novel has... what? 70k words? A good length script ... maybe 20k. So. For the same amount of pure WRITING, you could write 3 scripts.

I'd ask your Industry Acquaintance if he has done this himself, and if he has, ask for a referral to a publishing company to buy/distribute your novel.

If not, it's just a writing sample - screenplay or book form. Nobody's expecting anything.

Hey, Randy! Great question! I agree with Jason - the novelization can help to get the IP out there sooner than the screenplay, and also build your film's audience as readers first. However, like Craig said, you may want to employ assistance to finish the novelization so you aren't pulled out of your screenwriting groove.

I’m thinking of doing the opposite. I’ve written a novel and consider to rewrite it as a screenplay. The different approach and skills are challenging.

Isn't this ruse a little tired now? There were industry members getting comic books illustrated and printed only to gain existing IP status and dumping them straight in the trash years ago. Surely, the first thing any savvy producer/investor is going to do now is scrutinise the sales figures, which they're getting better at now it's so easy to have a "best seller".

Appreciate everyone's feedback. Agree that time away from screenwriting is, well, time away from screenwriting! I'm thinking more now that if I decide to do a novel, it's because I have a burning desire to do so. Stand alone project. If that were to boomerang and payback later for the screenplay, great. Gravy.

Thanks Nick. My focus is indeed screenwriting; I don't want to get sidetracked. The person I spoke to had not read the script, only the synopsis. It just struck them as a story that could also work well in novel form. Funny you should mention France though as that is where most of the story takes place.

Is the script good? The script to novel is, was more of a fad in my eyes. Write a novel, hunt down a publisher (takes time), gets published (on their schedule), wait to see how many copies it sells, and if it attracts a studio/production company. So that's a two year stretch. If the script is good you've cut the timeline down and can get it out there faster. Just make sure your script is at it's highest level and potential before getting it out there.

@Nick is right, it’s a horses for courses, chicken and egg situation, what DO YOU want out of making screenplay a novel? It’s not always about the money now, (although it’s the long game) some artists who go Transmedia put out novels/novelettes and gain a built in story world fan base for future. The ace is because it’s an already established brand (albeit in some cases novelette didn’t earn or only earned little) a split deal can be avoided if it’s made into a film.

Gotta do what you want. Of course it improves the project's marketability but if it's not where your passion is pulling you right now don't bother.

Randy Steinlauf Hi Randy! I find this to be a very interesting question especially since I am trying to do the opposite: book-to-screen adaptations. Anyhow, I think I agree with Nick that it may be the best route to continue the original format of your story ( a screenplay) rather than starting a whole new format to reach the same destination. If you haven't already I would recommend checking out some of the available webinars on the Stage 32. There's a few that may be helpful but the one that sticks out to me the most based on the topic you're asking about is this one: https://www.stage32.com/webinars/Book-to-Screen-Taking-Your-Book-or-Screenplay-from-Proposal-to-Published-to-Produced

If you ever want additional feedback on your script, feel free to check out Stage 32's scripts coverages as well to get feedback from professionals in the industry.

Script Coverage: https://www.stage32.com/scriptservices/coverage

Script Consulting: https://www.stage32.com/scriptservices/consulting

If you have questions on who may be the best person to connect with, Stage 32's director of script services, Jason Mirch at j.mirch@stage32.com can point you in the right direction.

I would advise moving on to the next screenplay. As a novelist who has now turned my eye to screenwriting, I can attest that they are completely different animals. If you haven't written in a novel format before, it would take a lot of learning, trial, and error to write a good one. And a bad one wouldn't do you any good.

Depending on what you expect, it's either a waste of time or not.

If you think that the novel version will help sell the script? Waste of time.

Hollywood doesn't buy novels or comic books or any IP... they buy the audience. If your book is a huge best seller and everyone has heard of it? They'll buy it. If it's a a mid-list book or lower? They don't care. The audience is too small.

But...

If you are just writing this book to write the book?

A book is a finished form. It doesn't require $107 million to make into something that an audience can buy tickets to. You can either find a publisher or self publish. People can buy it and read it. Then it's all up to the book - it might sell well, it might not.

Yes, it's certainly possible. I have experience doing the whole writing screenplay to novel with a couple of screenwriters in the US. One of the screenplays was adapted from short screen play, to full length novel, then back to a full piece screenplay. I've also done novel to screenplay, so I'm well versed in both. It's well worth having the screen play AND a novel to target all the creative markets in my opinion.

I think it's possible, but i guess you'll have to rewrite it from the start. A novel needs a different approach compared to a screenplay (in terms of storytelling). But it might be interesting.

One of my screenplays won a competition that allowed me to re-write it as a novel, and honestly, I think it probably worked better that way. I've got another one - historical - that would probably do better, at least initially, as a graphic novel, as it takes place in WWI and would be crazy expensive to produce. I think it really depends on the story.