Your Memoir as a Movie: Internal vs. External Story

By Michelle Cutler

You’re at a party, listening to a fascinating story, or talking to a friend about a period of your life you just can’t shake, and someone pipes up to say—

“Hey, that would make a great movie!”

It sounds fun, flattering even, but adapting a true story for film or television is every bit as complex as writing a book. Like writing memoir or narrative nonfiction, it might require casting new light on shared cultural influences or wrestling with themes that span years o...