Ecco

Ecco asked Dennis Lehane:

You have been working on the screenplay adaptation of Since We Fell. What differences are there between writing a book and writing a screenplay?

Dennis Lehane They’re apples and giraffes. Completely different, outside of their core narrative DNA. When you write a novel you’re God, in charge of the whole universe, from the farthest galaxy to the smallest pebble. When that book is published, everything in it was filtered through you and you alone (with some nudging and advice from your editor, of course). When you write a script, you’re like a house painter in a large mansion. You give the rooms their color but you don’t build the house or concern yourself with the plumbing. A screenwriter is one of, say, 140 people who contributes to the film. And your script is just a schematic to be interpreted by a director, actors, the director of photography, the set designers, costume designers, editor, producers, studio execs, and on and on and on. It’s much harder to be God; novels take way longer to write than scripts and are much more emotionally and psychologically taxing but they’re also—by a longshot—more fulfilling.

More Answered Questions

Grant Cousineau

Grant Cousineau asked Dennis Lehane:

You write such wonderfully rich, deep characters and put them in situations where they must unravel a mystery that often challenges them to their limits. When writing, does the character usually come to you first, or do you usually concoct the plot first and then decide which type of character would be most interesting to that plot?

Melissa Weidner

Melissa Weidner asked Dennis Lehane:

Hi Dennis, I had the good fortune of meeting you in Naperville, IL about 5 years ago. You signed your book for me and we took a picture. Thank you for making your fans feel special! I am excited to read your new book. Where did the inspiration for it come from? You are my favorite novelist. Thank you for your writing inspiration. Warm Wishes, Melissa

Mary

Mary asked Dennis Lehane:

Could you talk a little bit about what the city of Boston means to you and the role it plays in your work? In many ways, geography in your books acts as its own character and is one of many things I love about your work. What's your relationship to this city? More generally, how does the geography of a place you're writing about, such as Oklahoma or Miami, help you write the story?

All answers from Dennis Lehane…

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