The Alchemy of Adaptation: From Book to Screen

A special afternoon class led by Patricia K. Meyer with Mel Bloomer

If you have been referred to this page, you are enrolled in this class.

Please note: All assignments and participation are optional and/or can be done in advance of the workshop week. We understand you will have a full week of workshops, events and manuscripts to read! If you’d rather just sit in and listen, that is fine. A list of FAQs can be found below.

Introduction:

As a participant at the Community of Writers, you are writing either fiction or nonfiction, or both, or possibly a hybrid of the two. The film and television business (including streaming networks) are fueled by adaptations of source material such as yours. Hollywood loves books, published, self-published works, too. Some well-known examples are: The Handmaid’s Tale, based on the novel; due to its success Margaret Atwood allowed the story to continue for five more seasons. The Martian, on which the Matt Damon movie is based, was an obscure self-published novel. Moonlight originated as a little seen play. Spotlight is based on a series of Boston Globe feature news stories. Hollywood thrives on true stories or any riveting saga, real or imagined, already validated by an audience, hence the ongoing relationships between book/magazine publishers and film/television studios and production companies.

During our five 90-minute classes, you will learn the challenging fundamentals of screenplay adaptation. We will focus on the crucial elements of screenwriting: character development and story structure, which shall help you lay the groundwork for an outline if not a future screenplay or series adaptation of your project. You will find these screenwriting tools useful in your prose writing as well. We will screen clips consistently to illuminate our instruction.

NOTE ABOUT OPTIONAL OPPORTUNITY: You are invited to devise and submit a brief synopsis of your book or project, which you feel has adaptation potential. Please keep it at two pages or less. In addition, we ask you to write a character bio for your main character(s), at least your protagonist and your antagonist (primary), and submit those, as well. Deadline June 22.

Throughout the week, we will read your synopses and character bios aloud and discuss.

Note: The project you are working with for this class may be a different one from what you will work on in the morning workshops or your individual conference.

Print Character Bio Sheet

Submit Brief Synopsis

CLASS SCHEDULE*

All classes meet: 4:00 to 5:30 pm

*Subject to Adjustment

Tuesday, July 8, 2025

Introductions: Instructors. Writers and their projects. Present a brief synopsis of the book or novel you are writing. Make sure to specify the genre and the main character/their journey. We will discuss an approach to adaptation for your projects throughout the week.

PowerPoint presentation: “The Alchemy of Adaptation.” General discussion. Is every book, play, and true story appropriate or feasible for adaptation? A journey through the lens of a screenwriter as they consider source material. What is the appeal? What are the pitfalls?

Assignment: Complete the Hauge template and bring to class. Please email your work to me before class, as we will project it on screen for all to read and discuss. If you do not choose to have your work discussed in class, please let me know. However, do know that writers evolve most when exposing their work to feedback.

Print Hauge Template

Wednesday, July 10, 2024

Share writers’ Hauge story templates. Character Development power point presentation: Distilling, illuminating visually, discovering the arc.

Character and structure: Their symbiosis.

Assignment: Write character bios for your main character and protagonist. Use the Character Bio and Character Story Questions as a guide.

Reminder: Email your work to me before class so I can project for discussion.

Thursday, July 11, 2024

Workshop and discuss character bios. How will your deep-dive into your characters change your stories? (It will.) Discussion. Mapping character outlines based on character and storyline.

Assignment: With the foundation of your character bios, fill in the basic beats of your screenplay adaptation based on the provided template worksheets.

Print Screenplay Structure Worksheet

Print Screenplay Worksheet

Print Three Act Structure Template

Friday, July 12, 2024

No class. Hike, write, rest!

Saturday, July 13, 2024

Present story outlines and discuss.

Sunday, July 14, 2024

Finish workshopping outlines. Ideally, each of you will leave the conference with at least a broad-strokes approach to a screenplay adaptation of your work. May it inspire you to further develop your outline and perhaps eventually write the screenplay.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

1. How much homework will I have to do every night?

Homework for the class will be light and optional. At most I’ll be asking anyone who wants to take a stab at a structural breakdown of their book — a bare bones beat sheet, too. You can do the adaptation work later or never — whatever moves you. I will give you plenty of tools to do this when and if you’re ready to tackle an adaptation of your material.

2. What exactly do you want us to send you before class starts?

Optional: A one-page synopsis/overview of the book you’re working on — and thinking would make a viable film or television adaptation. I can glean a lot from your synopsis — and I will choose some of them to workshop in class on the whiteboard — suggesting an approach to your main character’s journey that would adhere to the screenplay or TV episode structure. You may use my ideas, or reject them entirely. Up to you. (Keep in mind that those of you with book projects already submitted a synopsis for the regular morning workshops.)

The extra handouts we sent you is simply a preview of some of the elements I’ll be discussing in class. No other work is required. I will be presenting lectures on the handouts, so not to worry about tackling anything now.

3. How else can I prepare for The Alchemy of Adaptation class?

You are welcome to bring up some of your favorite adaptations and why you feel enthusiastic about their film/TV versions. Every class, be bold and ready with your ideas and feedback.

4. What can I expect to take away once the class ends?

You may have been inspired enough to devise a beat outline for your project, identifying the three act breaks. You may have even written a treatment, which is a prose, narrative outline of your adaptation. Or you may simply have jotted down notes on the blank template I have attached to the introductory email. Up to you.

LEARN ABOUT SCREENPLAYS

Want to learn how to write screenplays and adaptations? Read them.

And if they are adaptations—read both the source material and the screenplay; then view the film or television series.

To find screenplays: Via Google, type in the script title and “PDF.” Or go to www.simplyscripts.com or http://www.script-o-rama.com/ and other sites.

Below are some examples to reference: