Screenwriting : To be a screenwriter write a novel? by Maria Restivo Glassner

I feel this way too hard lol. As a novelist the learning curve for screenplays is rather steep, not to mention the publishing world is similarly twisted...

A novel writer once told me that the whole "NY best seller list" does not equal revenue. Sometimes best sellers don't even sell enough to break even.

I heard that, too. It's not as impressive as it sounds.

Finding an agent or interest to have a novel published is just as challenging as finding an agent or interest for a screenplay. I am not saying anything is impossible, but in my experience so far both of these paths seems to come down to 'who-you-know.'

Lori Jones You can publish novel online without an agent and try to find your audience.

I did and both of my novels (based on my 5 years modeling in Europe) received great reviews from local TV, radio, and magazines. The issue is that without an agent or high-end publisher with the access to reach a nationwide audience, sales are limited.

This whole notion of turning a script into a novel isn't good advice. This effort/idea came up about 13 years ago, and I haven't seen any data to back up the "script to novel" model resulting in scripts being sold or writers being hired. After you write a novel, find a publisher (just as hard as finding a manager / agent or option agreement). Want to self publish? Go ahead. What's your plan for marketing (and this costs a few dollars) to drive eyeballs to look at your book and purchase it. If you want to write scripts, write a script - write it at its highest level and potential. Instead of writing a novel, go write another script!

Lindbergh Hollingsworth 100%

The good thing for me is that I wrote the short story first and only then wrote the screenplay, so I didn't have to put in any extra effort to turn a script into a novel. I also used the short story to get feedback from readers and see how people responded to the idea before developing it into a screenplay.

Dragan Lambic I feel like short stories are different in that they aren't the giant undertaking a novel is. I have heard of people selling short story concepts that turn into screenplays. I think Jordan Peele purchased a short story as inspiration for one of his movies. It is also easier to get it published and on different platforms.

I feel your pain. I wrote some science fiction/fantasy screenplays, but after college, I got into novel and short story writing. But with all three, I'm placing in contests and getting some good reviews. I'm just not good at the pitching and marketing phase. And with this existing IP phase the production companies are in, I stuck with the novel and short stories. So, right now I'm working on my short stories. I say stick with what's working with you.

I'm not suggesting this is anything that applies to other people but I will say that I had a script, went through a couple of rewrites and I couldn't get the ending to land. I realized I was writing a page length based on industry 'standards' etc....and it was limiting my options but I had committed to myself that I was going to shoot for the page count that I know is a consideration. Although I could write as many pages as I wanted, I hate rewrites in general and I didn't want to cave to the process I had established to begin with.

So, I thought - I will just write prose and make it as long as it takes to get to the end. During the process my characters took on completely different tones, I created new and fleshed out existing story lines and sorta out of nowhere came up with the beginning volume of a 4 volume series now. I can dedicate as much time to writing as I want so it definitely was easier for me to do than if I did not have that flexibility.

For me, writing the prose first is more about making sure, for myself, that my stories are being told and going out into the world. Screenplays often don’t see the light of day.

I’m not writing my stories specifically to get them made into screenplays. That would be a value added benefit to the storytelling.

It’s also easier for me to write prose and then pull the finished story into a screenplay.

We all work differently though. There are methods to our madness.

Darrell A Pennington That makes sense to me because it was a process you went through, focusing on improving your story. Not for the purpose of just rehashing it in hopes of jumping through hoops and becoming a different type of writer when your goal was to be a screenwriter.

Maria Restivo Glassner that's exactly right. I will say, I thoroughly enjoyed the process and I'm tempted to try it again.

I've written three novels - critically acclaimed- and wanted to approach the film industry with them but told - on this platform - not to waste my time without a screenplay of them b/c no agent, production mgr, or financier is going to read my books. My sales figures aren't great b/c I never promoted them, but they have 95% 5-star reviews. Are they wrong?

Ian Lazarus Since you have already done the hard work of writing them, go ahead and promote them! I find people say one thing, but if your books start making money and gaining a significant following, you may be able to pitch your story to people who suddenly become interested. Or maybe pitch your story to an actor who might find it worthwhile to adapt. I believe Kaley Cuoco found her TV show through a book she liked that she saw she could be the star in. I would put it everywhere you can, promote it on Substack, etc.

You raise a fair point. While books can certainly open doors for adaptations, they're not the only path. Strong original screenplays, well-packaged pitches, and meaningful industry relationships can also lead to opportunities. Ultimately, the best route depends on the creator's goals, strengths, and the project itself.

Boy Boluwatife Oluwatade Editorial Team - such similar voices.

Although I have strong professional skills in both novel writing and screenwriting, with fresh and original ideas across a wide range of genres and very strong plots, I find it difficult to find people who truly appreciate the value of my work or are willing to produce it.

I think the point maybe that if YOU HAVE A GOOD IDEA FOR A STORY IT SHOULD MAKE A GREAT NOVEL AND A GREAT SCREENPLAY!!! The mode of telling the story is not an excuse for telling a bad story. First and Foremost you must have an interesting story that people will want to read or watch whatever.

I’ve spent my career doing what people told me not to do. I write in different genres (wouldn’t suggest it, especially early in your career), wrote specs when the spec market was dead, got pissed off at the film and tv business and wrote a novel. I indie publish my novels (eleven of them now) because I don’t have the patience to shop them to agents and then wait for publishing, rewriting on a deadline. I have turned screenplays that didn’t sell into novels a few times. If I ever wrote them as screenplays again, they would be different - better, because writing a novel fills in so much and allows you to understand your characters on a deeper level. At least it does for me.

Two of those spec I have written when specs weren’t selling, sold in the last three years, one 15 years old spec, the other 12 years old, and got made. Now production companies looking at other specs now. Success makes people interested. And the movie rights to my first novel was picked up when it was a stack of paper out of the computer, in a competitive situation driving the price way up. That was two decades ago. It shot this year and be out in 2027. Now there is a book agent trying to sell the book to publishers along with the two sequels I wrote along the way. Those three books have been circulating for years but a movie getting made makes them hot again. We will see how hot….

Careers in film and TV go all over the place. Up and down, and down, and down, and then back up again. And yes, writing a novel is a different muscle than writing a screenplay (I started as a playwright - my entry into the film business was when Warner Bros. bought the movie rights to one of my plays and I was suddenly a working screenwriter… They are different formats, different writing muscles involved. But storytelling is storytelling. Find the medium you love and write. You may get great at one or more - or adequate enough to sell your work, like me. But all you control is what’s on the page. The rest involves lots of other people - so make sure what you control, which is the writing, is as great as you can get it. The rest you don’t control - there are lots of hands involved. Write great, wash, rinse, repeat… and if you do that long enough your greatness will catch someone’s eye.

Bart Baker great post, you had the patience and tenacity to succeed - impressive. I am new to this - I have 3 novels that are a series and perfect for the screen as either mp or streaming series (that's what the reviews say). But I am lost on where to go from here. Is there a post that takes the OP position and reverses it? Have a novel - what now - should I convert the first to a screenplay to get traction?

Hi María!

You bring up a really interesting and valid point about the industry’s hunger for established IP. As someone who wrote both the screenplay and the novel for my project (SUPLICIO), I completely understand where that frustration comes from!

In my personal experience, you definitely don't need to write a novel to be a screenwriter—screenwriting is its own distinct art with its own visual economy and pacing.

However, for me as an independent creator, taking the story into prose wasn't about "chasing IP." It was about exploring the internal psychology of the characters on a deeper level. Writing the novel actually helped me refine the emotional core of my story, which in turn made my screenplay much tighter and more grounded.

Both formats require completely different skill sets, but if you enjoy the process, prose can be a powerful creative tool rather than just a marketing chore. But at the end of the day, if your heart is in screenwriting, writing a great script is already a massive accomplishment on its own!

Thanks for sparking such a great reflection!

Bart Baker Congratulations on your successes! Which medium of storytelling is more satisfying for you? I do agree that the bottom line is that success breeds more success. Getting your foot in the door one way or the other is wonderful. I feel like people should take industry advice with a grain of salt when they don't have success, i.e., don't write specs... they aren't selling, or don't write comedy, or don't write romantic comedy. All notes I've gotten, and within six months all those things came back around....Stop writing screenplays altogether and write novels lol.

Emilio Briceño Thank you for the kind words. I actually wrote a novel a long time ago. While I enjoyed writing it, I found the aftermath to be miserable because if you don't already have a marketing plan or a publisher, you are in the world of self-publishing and self-marketing, which costs money, and there are a lot of places that just want to take advantage of that. Nowadays, with social media being so different, maybe the world of marketing is easier, and grassroots interest isn't as hard to get.

As far as process goes, I would argue the process of preparing to write a screenplay can take you just as deep or even deeper into character development than novel writing for one reason: limitation. Because screenwriting has such strong limitations, there is a discipline that forces the author to get outside their own voice and find the characters, how they play against each other, and how they grow. I've read too many novels where I can feel how much the writer enjoys their own prose, but I am not moved because of it. My flavor of storytelling is definitely screenwriting. When I am moved by a well-crafted movie, it makes me want to create a story like that. The visual medium is my addiction, I guess.

I am a novelist but have adapted my book into a treatment to start with. Would make a fabulous tv show! Crime from the angle of an osteo archaeologist! You get suspense, murder, crime scene, suffering protagonist to a backdrop of history and archaeology.

Maria Restivo Glassner I think it depends on the writer's goal. Writing a novel can certainly create valuable IP, but I don't believe it's a requirement for becoming a successful screenwriter. Screenwriting and novel writing are different crafts, and many great screenwriters have built careers without publishing a novel first. If your passion is writing for the screen, it often makes more sense to spend that time improving your screenwriting, building a strong portfolio, and networking with producers and filmmakers. A novel can be a strategic path for some projects, but it isn't the only path into the industry.

I do not catch the point to your reflection, Maria. The habit of writing, be it scripts or anything else, can embrace a very broad spectrum. It is not incompatible to write a script while writing a book of whatever kind.

I am currently working on a script and a novel, but with regard to the latter I have no pretension or hope that it could be transformed into a film. Moreover, I know that would hardly happen. And I'm not worried about it. What really worries me is to finish writing both.

Antonio Quiñonero So I am not referring to just the drive to write short stories, novels, and screenplays. My issue is when advice is given on pitching a screenplay to find an in by turning it into a novel. The plan there seems to weaken the purpose of creating a fantastic screenplay that gets sold or helps further a screenwriting career. It would be like if an artist spends years painting a portrait and their mentor looks at it and says, "You know, you'll get more interest in this portrait if you made it a sculpture." Yes, making a sculpture is still art and lovely, but it's not the artist's goal.

Those who give such advice probably have no idea what they are talking about. Mainly because it is usually the reverse, from script to novel, and it is so for a good and logical reason: From a novel to a script you only have to cut, while from a script to a novel you need to create more material. It’s about writing something and moving on to the next, not getting into an infinite loop with the same story.

I think it depends on the writer's goals. A novel and a screenplay are very different storytelling mediums, each with its own craft. For me, screenwriting remains the priority because I love telling stories visually. If a story naturally lends itself to becoming a novel as well, that's a bonus—but I don't think every screenwriter needs to become a novelist to succeed. Great discussion!

Ian Lazarus I wouldn't convert your novel to screenplay. I may be in the minority here, but I think in most cases that it can hurt you in the long run, unless you are an established screenwriter already. All you are doing is giving them a reason to turn you down. They may like your book, but not how you adapted it. That can kill a deal. I don't know your genre, but find the producers who do your genre. Use Linkdin or IMDB pro. Find out what company they work for - if it's a big company find the development exec, drop them an email about your book. Short, Great logline, Maybe the cover. Now you probably won't hear back - they get these a lot, and usually from agents or managers they know. But if your logline is fantastic and the book concept is great, they may drop you an email back requesting to take a look. I never send a pdf. I go to Amazon, drop the price of my ebook to $.99 and send an ebook through Amazon (then raise the price back up).

In two weeks, drop a note to see if they got the book. Again, you might hear back, you might not. Trust me, if they like what they see, they will get hold of you.

Also, there are contest designed for books to movies. I'm not big on contests, I think they are a way to separate a writer from their money, but there are contests that focus on book to movie.

I hope this helps a little. Be blessed and good luck!

Bart Baker Ian Lazarus I can see the logic in what Bart said, but I'm not sure I completely agree. A novel and a screenplay are two very different mediums and require different skill sets. If a producer loves the novel but isn't convinced by the adaptation, they could still option the book and either work with the author on revisions or bring in another screenwriter. As long as the author is open to collaboration, I don't necessarily see a screenplay adaptation as something that would automatically hurt the novel's chances.

I’m still relatively new to screenwriting and filmmaking, so maybe I’m looking at this from a different perspective, but I sometimes find the industry can be a little too dismissive of people trying different approaches. If someone creates something that works, I’m not sure why they should be completely ruled out just because they also tried something else that someone may not connect with. Different forms require different skills, and experimentation is often how people discover what they are capable of.

Also, if someone is actively looking for a reason not to work with you rather than focusing on whether the core idea and story have potential, they may not be the right person for a collaborative relationship anyway. A good collaboration should be based on finding ways to make something work, not searching for reasons to reject someone.

Dragan Lambic I understand your pov, but as I look at it, and has been my experience, there are a few problems. The first, you're most likely to show a producer your screenplay. Why would you say, "hey read my book," to a producer if you've written a screenplay? If they pass on the screenplay, telling them there's a novel they should read is moot. If they read the book first, love it, then find out there's a screenplay, read that and pass, beyond a chance that it kills the whole thing, there are some legalities that need to be worked out since the screenplay exists and both parties know it.

Some writers would be okay with just optioning the book and saying "forget there's a screenplay", but you've now cut yourself off from writing the screenplay. And a lot of writers - just read some of the posts on this site - are overly attached to their projects and can't imagine anyone else touching them.

Some writers would want their script optioned or bought along with the novel, adding an expense to the producer for something they don't want.

My point is, there are more pieces that need to be dealt with, and if the producer and writer are on the same page, that stuff can get worked out. But if they are not - and you don't usually get to pick the producer who wants to buy your book or script - it can lead to layers of problems, and legalities that will need to be ironed out. Sometimes that happens, sometimes it all blows up.

Hi, Maria Restivo Glassner. I'd rather write an original script/series and pitch it. Learning to write a book, short story, etc. takes a lot of time in my experience. And it takes even longer to learn how to make pitch material for it and market it. I'd rather work on my script/series and market it than spend time relearning those things.

Bart Baker I understand your point, and I agree that having multiple versions of the same story can create complications if rights and expectations are not clear.

My experience has been that almost no producer starts by reading a screenplay. They usually first look at materials that communicate the idea — logline, synopsis, pitch deck, treatment, or similar — and only request the full script if the concept interests them. In that stage, mentioning that the story also exists in another form, such as a short story or book, does not necessarily create a problem; it can simply show that the idea has been developed in multiple ways.

Also, if a producer genuinely likes the core idea but feels the screenplay itself is not working for them, I would imagine they may still be interested in seeing another version of the story. A short story or longer prose version might give them a different perspective on the concept and what attracted them to it.

I completely agree that many writers are very attached to their screenplays and would not want anyone else to adapt them. I am actually one of those writers in the sense that I care deeply about my story — but my priority is seeing the movie made. Whether that happens through my screenplay, a short story, a novel, or another adaptation path is secondary. The important thing for me is that the core idea reaches the screen.

I also agree with your point that these situations can become complicated. Unfortunately, in this industry there are often cases where people focus more on potential problems and obstacles than on the creative possibilities. That is why I think clear communication and good faith from both sides are essential. If everyone involved is genuinely trying to make the project work, many of these issues can be resolved.

The advice to write a novel as a path to screenwriting does sound like a long detour but I do believe that it is a great exercise to your worldbuilding and useful in the state of the industry, is there anything you've been looking to expand on even if you're not looking to be an author

@Samantha Rivera, I have been really enjoying the classes I have been taking here, digesting the material and trying to master its application. I have found that the more I work at it and get feedback, the more I understand the original lessons more deeply. I have young kids and, with that, have learned how precious time is and want to make the most of it every week to work towards my goals of polishing my scripts and getting them out there.

I did actually write a novel a long time ago and know the treacherously long process that can take, which is why that note really hit a nerve. If I am presenting a screenplay and it is not where it needs to be to be sold in this market, then I feel like I need to get that screenplay in better shape, not turn it into something else. Or make sure my screenplay holds a theme that is important in today's society.

As far as expansion goes, I really want to get better at the written and oral pitch. Also self-branding. What do you recommend in your experience as a good blueprint source for establishing a career in screenwriting today?

Maria, I'm a bit like Maurice in that I'd rather cut to the chase and write the script than trying to convert it into a novel.