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Make Your Story a Movie: Adapting Your Book or Idea for Hollywood
. $50 Billion of Advice in One Book*
Have you ever wondered why some books and stories are adapted into movies, and others aren't? Or wished you could sit down and pick the brains of the people whose stories have been adapted--or the screenwriters, producers, and directors who adapted them?
Author John Robert Marlow has done it for you. He spoke to book authors, playwrights, comic book creators and publishers, as well as Hollywood screenwriters, producers and directors responsible for adapting fictional and true stories into Emmy-winning TV shows, Oscar-winning films, billion-dollar megahits and smaller independents. Then he talked to the entertainment attorneys who made the deals.
He came away with a unique understanding of adaptations--an understanding he shares in this which stories make good source material (and why); what Hollywood wants (and doesn't); what you can (and can't) get in a movie deal; how to write and pitch your story to maximize the chances of a Hollywood adaptation--and how much (and when) you can expect to be paid.
*This book contains the distilled experience of creators, storytellers and others whose works have earned over $50 billion worldwide.
Whether you're looking to sell film rights, adapt your own story (alone or with help), or option and adapt someone else's property--this book is for you.
Visit the Make Your Story a Movie blog for sample chapters and additional content.
Have you ever wondered why some books and stories are adapted into movies, and others aren't? Or wished you could sit down and pick the brains of the people whose stories have been adapted--or the screenwriters, producers, and directors who adapted them?
Author John Robert Marlow has done it for you. He spoke to book authors, playwrights, comic book creators and publishers, as well as Hollywood screenwriters, producers and directors responsible for adapting fictional and true stories into Emmy-winning TV shows, Oscar-winning films, billion-dollar megahits and smaller independents. Then he talked to the entertainment attorneys who made the deals.
He came away with a unique understanding of adaptations--an understanding he shares in this which stories make good source material (and why); what Hollywood wants (and doesn't); what you can (and can't) get in a movie deal; how to write and pitch your story to maximize the chances of a Hollywood adaptation--and how much (and when) you can expect to be paid.
*This book contains the distilled experience of creators, storytellers and others whose works have earned over $50 billion worldwide.
Whether you're looking to sell film rights, adapt your own story (alone or with help), or option and adapt someone else's property--this book is for you.
Visit the Make Your Story a Movie blog for sample chapters and additional content.
- GenresNonfiction
294 pages, Paperback
First published December 11, 2012
1 person is currently reading
19 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 16, 2020
After taking a screenwriting class and reading a different sacred tome on the subject, I felt no better prepared to adapt my novel to a screenplay than I did a year ago. Last week, I serendipitously came across this book online, got it from the library the next day, and just finished the last page this afternoon. I'm finally excited about the process—even with all its challenges and unknowns—and feel much better equipped to give this a shot. I suppose only time will tell whether the advice produces a great screenplay (grin), but I found it practical, inspiring, and actionable.
April 14, 2019
If you're serious about adapting your written work (novel, short story, graphic novel and so on) then this offering by Mr. Marlow is an absolute must-read so that you can take the right steps at the right times with the right materials to improve your chances!
April 27, 2016
This is a great book every author or writer should read. Why? Because, while every book has a marketplace, a book to movie adaptation provides, in John's words, "every book the ultimate book-promotion tool." Make Your Story a Movie is not just interesting, not just excellent, not just effective, not just about writing technique, but one of the most enabling non-fiction books I've read.
This book is targeted at writers, authors, screenwriters, agents, managers, movie producers, you get it... anyone associated with providing movie scripts as movie candidates for the movie industry!
John lays out the screenwriting do's and don'ts for the movie industry. He educates the reader about the movie industry roles; agents, managers, entertainment lawyers, producers, financiers, executives and others. He explains the mysterious Hollywood movie industry and how movies are created from books, ideas, and history through screenwriting and brought to audiences all over the world. His objective: to provide knowledge about great script-writing that sells movie contracts and options.
His interviews with industry insiders, his experience as a screenwriter, author and industry consultant are shared with the reader. He explains techniques to insure the rights for movie scripts, concepts for getting industry insiders interested in the adaptation of a book or script to a movie, the structure of a script, and a checklist of each story that is a must for every project to be successful. He shares what procedural steps to take and what to watch for in making a proposal to the movie industry. And he tells you what not to do and to recognize when you help producing a script.
If you have already become an author, or are writing a book, this John Marlow "how-to" is a must as it can help your writing and authorship produce more than just a better book, but also a movie. You might think his book is very technical, but John's style in writing this book is broader, explaining the experiences of well known screenwriters as well as his own. He captures your attention, explains the facts and the process along with the reality to keep you on your toes, and does it with frankness and a great sense of humor. I could have taken any paragraph in the book and swore that it was just as captivating to read as it would have been for him to be sitting across from me in an engrossing conversation, a very personal style that kept me reading.
I wish I had read Marlow's book before I published my own books. I highly recommend this intriguing book about the movie adaptation process.
Dale Lowther, Author.
This book is targeted at writers, authors, screenwriters, agents, managers, movie producers, you get it... anyone associated with providing movie scripts as movie candidates for the movie industry!
John lays out the screenwriting do's and don'ts for the movie industry. He educates the reader about the movie industry roles; agents, managers, entertainment lawyers, producers, financiers, executives and others. He explains the mysterious Hollywood movie industry and how movies are created from books, ideas, and history through screenwriting and brought to audiences all over the world. His objective: to provide knowledge about great script-writing that sells movie contracts and options.
His interviews with industry insiders, his experience as a screenwriter, author and industry consultant are shared with the reader. He explains techniques to insure the rights for movie scripts, concepts for getting industry insiders interested in the adaptation of a book or script to a movie, the structure of a script, and a checklist of each story that is a must for every project to be successful. He shares what procedural steps to take and what to watch for in making a proposal to the movie industry. And he tells you what not to do and to recognize when you help producing a script.
If you have already become an author, or are writing a book, this John Marlow "how-to" is a must as it can help your writing and authorship produce more than just a better book, but also a movie. You might think his book is very technical, but John's style in writing this book is broader, explaining the experiences of well known screenwriters as well as his own. He captures your attention, explains the facts and the process along with the reality to keep you on your toes, and does it with frankness and a great sense of humor. I could have taken any paragraph in the book and swore that it was just as captivating to read as it would have been for him to be sitting across from me in an engrossing conversation, a very personal style that kept me reading.
I wish I had read Marlow's book before I published my own books. I highly recommend this intriguing book about the movie adaptation process.
Dale Lowther, Author.
July 21, 2013
MAKE YOUR OWN STORY A MOVIE is a must-have for screenwriters or authors who are interested in the fascinating movie-adaption process. The book gives you excellent advice on how to approach adapting a book. The author reveals methods on break down your own story into its essential parts, and how to evaluate and reshape those parts into a screenplay producers and studios want to put money behind. John Robert Marlow has done extensive research on the subject, interviewing key players in Hollywood who reveal how the entire process works. Their advice is priceless. For authors, this book gives you the true insight on how Hollywood works and why some books are so hard to make into movies.
July 12, 2015
If you want your story to become a Hollywood movie read this book. The book gives good advice to novelists, comic book writers & screenwriters on what kind of stories Hollywood is looking for. For example, it describes the importance of having a relatable hero & even breaks down the Top 12 things that Hollywood is looking for in a story. It is a must read for any writer that one day wants to see their story on the Big Screen.
September 20, 2015
literally a goldmine. Well organized and valuable insights. I especially enjoyed the interview "notes".
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews