From Book to Blockbuster – Wendy Orr and the Nim’s Island books
There are no rules for how to write a book that is likely to be picked up for film.
It’s like everything else in publishing: someone has to fall in love with it, beconvinced that the end result will make money, and then persuade a lot of otherpeople of the same thing. The main difference for that part of it is the size of theinvestment: a publisher may be able to afford a small run of a risky book theylove, but even for a small film, a studio is investing millions. A film deal therefore
tends to take much longer to work out and more volatile during the process.
The only rule that matters is: Write the best book you can. Imagine the film inyour head if that’s the way you work, but never write to pitch a film.
But if you are offered an option, here are some things to consider.
An option is a contract giving the producer or studio the exclusive right to work
towards creating a film from your book. There is a fixed time period such as 18
months, usually with the possibility of extensions. The option price is likely to be
10% of the purchase price. The purchase price is usually paid on commencementof principal photography – in other words, the day filming starts.
Don’t sign anything until you get an experienced film lawyer. If it’s a Hollywood
deal, get a Hollywood lawyer: just google Film Lawyers, Los Angeles. Don’t be
nervous of asking exactly how their fee structure works: many work similarly toan agent in taking a percentage of income.
Don’t be shy of asking questions about every part of the contract. It’s extremelycomplicated, and a different language to book publishing.
Never take anything for granted: if you want to go to the red carpet premiere,make sure it’s in your contract.
Don’t quit your day job. Negotiating the contract can take up to a year. Even if themovie goes into production you’re unlikely to become an instant millionaire.
Also, movies almost never make a profit, so the purchase price is likely to be theonly money you’ll receive from it, apart from an increase in book sales.
Once the contract is signed:
The first step will be the screenplay, although there’s no guarantee that this will
happen in the first year or two, or at all. (That’s why you need a time limit on
your option.) Many movies go through several screenwriters before settling on a
final script. The studio also has the right to fire the producer or director who
first contacted you: there may be many changes in vision between the firstexcited conversations and the final script.
Learn to let go. If you’ve had books illustrated, you’ve learned the first step ofrealising that someone else’s vision can enhance your own. Build on that.
The studio’s aim is to make a successful film. No matter how much they love yourbook, they have to be more focussed on making a film that works than a film thatslavishly follows the book.

A screenplay works on a rough guide of a page of script for a minute of film. If abook is over 25,000 words, the story will probably have to be condensed.
The film’s budget will determine whether and how some of your favourite scenes
will be portrayed. The exploding building may end up being an exploding
garbage can. A child and a sea lion stowing away on a cruise ship to New York
may end up as poachers visiting the child’s island: cruise ships, water filming andsea lions on city pavements are expensive propositions.
The difference between writing a novel and a screenplay is not just about theformat. You can get a program for that, eg Final Draft, as in the attached page.
The differences are more in the defined 3 act structure, and an even stricter‘show don’t tell’ rule. Screenplays have less dialogue than many books; internal
ruminations and background stories have to be portrayed visually.
If you think you’d like to try writing the screenplay, read some and then watch
their movies to get a feeling for how they work. There is no guarantee that thestudio or producer will be interested in having you write; it would be a separate
contract. However you have nothing to lose by asking, unless you want to make ita condition of the rights sale. Personally, I would not want to write a screenplayof one of my books on my own, but would consider it with another screenwriter.
Don’t let it take over your life. There’s a lot of other writing you could do in five
years of preparation for a film that could still be cancelled at the last minute.
When the film gets the green light:
After moving at a snail’s pace for several years, activity becomes frenetic.
Producers, directors, cast and crew work long, intense hours. If you need to ask
questions, keep emails short and to the point.
If you are invited on set, remember that you are a privileged guest in someone
else’s workplace. Keep out of the way, observe and enjoy, but never try tointerfere, or to strike up conversation when actors are preparing for their scenes.
If you’re not invited on set, ask nicely. Grovel if need be: watching yourcharacters come to life is an extraordinarily moving experience.
Even the biggest stars are human. If you’re delighted with how they’ve captured
your character, let them know.
When you’re interviewed, accept that most interviewers are far more interested
in your meeting with the stars than anything to do with your book. If they do ask
about writing it may be edited out when the interview goes to print. Smile andremember that it’s all publicity and your book is still getting more attention than
it would have otherwise.
Finally: enjoy the experience. You’ll learn a lot about different types of creativity;
experience a different side of life, and have a lot of fun. Even if the option isn’tacted on, or the film is cancelled, in asking for an option, a producer is saying thatthey are prepared to spend several years of their lives on your story. What
greater compliment could there be to your work?