Currently writing a screenplay, but what is better for experience? Adapting or writing my own? I mean I am going to finish this but I really need experience. I've wrote short plays but never really adapted things apart one time that I adapted my own novella - only to accidently permanently delete it from my computer. Total fail! :/
"Remember to always be yourself unless you suck." Joss Whedon
"Remember to always be yourself unless you suck." Joss Whedon
quote:
Originally posted by Bookworm452
Currently writing a screenplay, but what is better for experience? Adapting or writing my own? I mean I am going to finish this but I really need experience. I've wrote short plays but never really adapted things apart one time that I adapted my own novella - only to accidently permanently delete it from my computer. Total fail! :/"Remember to always be yourself unless you suck." Joss Whedon
I'm more of a director/producer and don't consider myself a writer, but thought I'd put in my two pennies worth as I have written short-form screenplays (and being a perfectionist write a tonne of drafts!), a couple of which have got me places. I actually prefer short form, and in many ways a feature **can be** (not always) considered an intertwining mix of short-stories.
The main question I would suggest you ask yourself is where is your current 'experience' lacking?
Some examples might be:
1. character development
2. dialogue
3. plot (and short, feature, tv forms could possibly be considered 3 completely different beasts!)
4. format
but could be anything else for that matter.
For example for #1, adapting might not give you experience actually building a character from ground up as the character is already developed (or it may - there are always exceptions!)
Another eg. might be for #2 above, an adaptation may be much more useful as the story and characters are already part-way there and you're left concentrating on the dialogue (dialogue for screen is so different from that of any other medium) - remembering Film is an AUDIOVISUAL medium and that the lines have to CONVINCINGLY be deliverable by humans - ie. actors! ?:)?
And the suggestions could go on.
So knowing where you believe you'd like more experience may determine which is the better way forward! ?8D?
In the little experience I've had writing ?:I?, I found short-form screenplays are much more rewarding in terms of being able to explore the medium. Unless you're trying to develop feature-length specific plot skills themselves,
A note: With adaptation there **may** be the legal implications (if the original is not your own) that may stop you from taking the writing endeavour beyond just practice for the sake of experience, but that's a whole other topic. If you're using anything from your 'friends' or 'family' even, make sure the ownership issues are discussed and WRITTEN down and SIGNED by all parties involved. Even if for practice, you never know you might write a masterpiece ?;)?
quote:
Originally posted by Bookworm452
Currently writing a screenplay, but what is better for experience? Adapting or writing my own? I mean I am going to finish this but I really need experience. I've wrote short plays but never really adapted things apart one time that I adapted my own novella - only to accidently permanently delete it from my computer. Total fail! :/"Remember to always be yourself unless you suck." Joss Whedon
Adapting would be easier, from the point of view that the story is already there.
