Write a Book That Hollywood Will Love (in 5 Steps)

Write a Book That Hollywood Will Love (in 5 Steps) What It Takes to Write a Book that Becomes a Movie Brooke Maddaford, Reedsy editor and former editor at a Big 5 publishing house, shares her tips on what your book needs to be made into a movie, based on her experience editing A Futile and Stupid Gesture: How Doug Kenney and â€Å"National Lampoon† Changed Comedy Forever, which was recently adapted into a Netflix Original Movie.The concept of art being derivative is not new. Hollywood loves making movies based on best-selling books because the audience is built in and the story already works. The film is almost guaranteed to have loyal fans who read the book and are excited to see the adaption, so producers don’t have to agonize about ticket sales.Four of the top five highest-grossing film franchises have literary origins. Forty-seven of the eighty-nine films that have won the Oscar for Best Picture were based on a book, novella, or short story. That’s over fifty percent!But not every good book is adapted into a film. Why is that?Josh Karp was wise to write a bio graphy about National Lampoon because his story spotlights a comedic empire built by famous eccentrics; pretty stellar biographical material already. But it wasn’t the just the brilliant personalities or counterculture backdrop that attracted Netflix. It was how the author swirled together his plot, characters, and setting - and his well-crafted writing - that produced a book with the qualities that Hollywood seeks. (This is a great resource that talks more about â€Å"Show, Don’t Tell.†)Step 5: Don’t Write a Screenplay Masquerading as a BookMy greatest recommendation is this: if you want to write a book, write a book, and if you want to see your story told through film, write a screenplay. Don’t write a screenplay masquerading as a book.   Ã‚  Although both authors and screenwriters are storytellers, a book is a fundamentally different medium than a movie.If you’re uncertain about if you should write a screenplay or a book, ask yourself these questions:Can my story be told in two hours or less? (If so, a screenplay may be best.)Does my story involve a lot of narration or internal dialogue? (If so, write a book.)Do I want my writing to be followed by another robust creative process to translate it to film? (If so, go with a screenplay.)When I think of my story, do I see people reading it or watching it?What does my story want to be? How does it want to be tol d?There are no right or wrong answers to these questions - it’s important to follow your intuition.My advice? Write what you know. And enjoy the process!If you have any thoughts or questions on writing a film-worthy book, drop a message in the comments below.