Around a decade ago, I had a dream. An actual middle of the night dream. An entire movie played in my head, all I had to do was write it down. I did a fair bit of research on the topic then I spent the next 10 years working it out in my head but not writing much of anything down.
Last year, I joined a writer's group and began the arduous task of writing a screenplay. I have no idea how to write a screenplay.
One of the other members of the group has actually written screenplays and had them produced. Her advice to me was: don't.
If you write a screenplay, she told me, best case scenario is a production company buys it and makes it into a movie. But when they buy it, the first thing they do is fire the writer. Suddenly, it's not yours anymore. They'll rewrite it and you'll never see a dime (or credit) beyond the initial payment.
But, if you write a book, no one can take that away from you. With luck, it will become a movie, and they will hire someone who knows the form to write the screenplay. You will always have credit and royalties. The story will belong to you forever.
Now I'm more than halfway through a novel and very happy with it. Maybe it will be a published book and then a movie someday.
My question is: How sound is this advice? Is it folly to write an original screenplay? Is adapting the movie in your head into a book the better choice?
Notes: I am aware of questions similar to mine (Should I be a Novel Writer or a Screenwriter? and Screenplay vs Novel) but they're more about career paths and how to choose which medium suits the story best. That's why I focused my question on the publishing issues involved in the choice, something the other questions didn't address (even if a few answers spoke of it).
Answer
Screenplays are also very difficult to sell, for a first-timer. Books are quite a bit easier. Unlike a screenplay, a book is in its final form, and relatively easy to produce, big publishers can do it cheap, in the single-digit thousands, and have the contacts to get it reviewed and advertised.
Screenplays can cost tens of millions to produce, they are a huge investment involving many dozens of creative artists and other story tellers, and they are incomplete. It is difficult to sell screenplays because the investment is so high, and studios can't produce a hundred new films a year, there isn't that much money. They have to be very selective.
Publishers don't. They are selective, but the financial bar is much lower, 90% of the work (writing) is already done, and they really can afford to push out a few hundred new books a year.
Start with the book. If you write "cinematically" (keeping in mind that movie viewers cannot read any text of internal thoughts or description, they can only see and hear), and sell enough copies to prove you have written a good story, then a movie studio might pick it up. Sell the book through an agent. If you can't get an agent, your story is not good enough! It has to be a good book before it can be a movie.
An agent is thinking of all rights to your story from the start, she will make sure you don't fall into any traps and lose your rights, or your influence, or whatever it is you want to keep. She only gets 15% of what YOU get, so she is focused on making sure you get the most money possible out of your work, and she is a professional negotiator that knows the ropes of the entertainment industry, including movie rights and what all the contract clauses mean.
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