The Film Novelist: Writing a Screenplay and Short Novel in 15 Weeks

by D. Packard

The Film Novelist is the first primer on writing film novels- whether you are a beginning novelist, a seasoned writer wanting to cross over into script/novel writing, or a creative writing teacher looking for proven ways to launch new writers.
So, what is the difference between a screenplay and a film novel? Screenplays indicate solely what the audience is to see or hear on screen. Film novels are short, and take about as long to read as a feature film takes to watch. The description, dialogue, and narration of a film novel can simply be lifted out and used as the description, dialogue, and voice-over narration for a script.
The author has devised a fifteen week program starting from a one-sentence pitch to the novel itself, which includes filming a scene from your script/novel. He grounds the discussion of early film novels, like The Maltese Falcon, Of Mice and Men , and The Misfits , to provide historical and theoretical background while detailing the practical, sequential approach for completing a short novel and script.

232 pages, Paperback

First published September 8, 2011

Reviews

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well worthwhile reading, even for one who isn't a writer, though who is interested in learning more about the craft of writing in its various genres. There's a good chapter on writing film novels. Novels that are easily adapted to film. Steinbeck and Graham Greene as example.
Also chapter three, Subtext. Generosity, think generous writing and generous reading.