Hi

I'm planning on adapting a short story into a screenplay. The main character reads a book that changes his life, what is said in the book is key to the story so I need it in the screenplay.

My only idea at the moment is to have a flashback of what the book is about - it's someone's life story. I don't want that taking up too much of the script though and I'm not too sure how to format it. Would it be a flashback?

It's a really good story and this probably the only hurdle to get over in adapting it.

Any advice would be great, cheers.

Ste

Is the "flashback" actually a sequence from the book?  If so it may work better as a DREAM/FANTASY sequence.

Also, is it important to get the whole point of the book across, or is it just a certain passage that triggers this life change?  If it's the latter, you could probably get away with having him read the book to himself and utilizing VO for the important part.

The book is about an Indian guy who becomes a Yogi. He learns how to see without using his eyes. The book is written by a doctor who the Indian went to see - he wanted him to help promote his theatre show.

My character reads it and wants to learn it himself - for playing blackjack. There are examples in the book of the exercises he used to get his ability.

I guess the part I definately need is the skill he learns and how he learns it. How long can you get away with having a V.O while he's reading? Could I just paraphrase?

Yeah, I think you would be fine paraphrasing.

Knowing a little more about it now, I would suggest a combo of VO and DREAM sequence.  Have the story playing out while the main character is reading.

If you go this route, bear in mind that the character is reading from a book, and what he reads should be descriptive as such.

Thanks Shelton

Yeah that sounds best. What I didn't want was a 10-15 page passage of the script totally taking the reader out of the story. The way you suggest will keep the character from my story still the main guy and not the person he's reading about.

The short story is 'The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar' by the way, by Roald Dahl. Probably fan fiction, but what the hey. It's a wee cracker.

Okay this is how I've done it...format's messed up from cut & pasting...

------------------------------------------------------------------------

He walks off to a windowsill, reads the title.

HENRY

'A report on an interview with Imhrat Khan, the man who could see without his eyes' by Dr. John Cartwright.

He smiles and sits down. The rain PELTS the window behind him as he opens the book.

HENRY(V.O)

The day was September 27th 1924, I remember because I had just released a Thesis on the effects of Diabetes in Children...

He reads on as we dissolve to -

int. doctor's office - 1924

DR. CARTWRIGHT sits in his office. Studies papers on his desk.

The door behind him opens and in walks IMHRAT KHAN, a small Indian man.

Dr. Cartwright turns in his chair and beckons Imhrat into the seat beside him.

HENRY(V.O)

He was a very peculiar man, and at first I wouldn't give him the time of day. Eventually though his persistence paid off and I agreed to see him.

Imhrat talks silently as Dr. Cartwright's eyes widen in astonishment. A curved eye-brow suggests his cynicism.

HENRY(V.O)

Mr. Khan claimed to be able to see without the use of his eyes. A skill he said that he learned from a Yogi in India.

Dr. Cartwright nods his head and goes to the door. He walks back to his chair as two more DOCTORS arrive and walk inside.

HENRY(V.O)

He wanted us to give his theatre show some credibility, some...authenticity. He wanted us to seal his eyes for that night's performance.

ext. street - later

Imhrat walks to his bike, his eyes covered by bandages. The three doctors stand by the entrance to their office in open-mouthed shock.

Imhrat effortlessly manoeuvres to his bike and gets on.

They watch as he peddles off into a busy road. Intricately, he weaves between the cars.

HENRY(V.O)

Obviously, after that little performance I had to go and see his show. And see I did.

int. stage - night

Imhrat sits centre stage. Eyes still blindfolded and a deck of cards on the table in front of him.

He raises a single card. Back to him, it shows the audience Five of Diamonds.

imhrat

It's a red card...it's...it's the five of Diamonds.

Huge APPLAUSE fills the -

AUDIENCE

- where Dr. Cartwright sits. He gives an improving smile then joins in with the applause. He CLAPS with enthusiasm.

HENRY(V.O)

He said that through the teachings of Yoga he could see, without needing the use of his eyes. He could even...

library - present

Henry sits engrossed in the book.

HENRY

...see through cards.

He smiles and flicks through the rest of the book.

Quick question, Ste; how do you go about adapting the book? do you call up the writer and ask his persmission or you call the publishing company? and do you have to pay money upfront for the rights?

Actually, anyone can write whatever they want without permission or rights...
Can't sell it, but no one can stop you from writing anything...

Yeah I'm just writing it.

I haven't read the book for about 15 years so maybe it'll be far enough away from it for it to be ok, but I doubt it.

Did that passage seem alright to you folks?

Hello Ste,

I haven't done a heavy duty scrutiny here, but I really feel you've got an EXCELENT HOOK.

Just from what you have posted, I'm interested.

Regarding how to handle the important "book paradigm".

No one has a copyright on the idea of "seeing without eyes".  Why don't you forget about the book and just take the "concept" of psychic vision and work with that first of all.  Then you don't need to worry about copyright.  

On the other hand, if you are serious about using the book, I suggest you try and contact the author, congratulate him/her on their excellent work and make your request.

My input regarding how to structure this would be to forget about flashbacks, but to go with the immediate point of view of the reader.

If your main character is reading the book, try starting with a voice over and fade into their perception of the story.  This would be an immediate rendering of their point of view and character with respect to the story so you'd be killing two birds with one stone.

For instance,

V.O.

I saw myself as the student of this cryptic guru and I couldn't fathom how he could sit so still while I had this endless desire to rub my forehead.  What did he have that I didn't have?
**

So you could work the protagonist's character in this fashion as a kind of foil.

I'd definitely go with real time though and avoid flashbacks.  I think that's the better way to go.  Don't force people to think backwards if you don't have to.

Sandra

Hi Sandra, thanks for your advice.

The short story is by Roald Dahl, who is unfortunately not with us anymore. I've done a search for who owns the rights on google, but haven't come up with anything.

I'm kind of wanting to stick with the story that he told, just as it's a story I really liked growing up. I'm around half way through writing it and have the structure of it set out. It's going to be a short (around 30 pages) and should be finished this week sometime.

The main stumbling block I've got at the moment is Henry is a gambler and uses his skill to see through cards, in playing blackjack. The Yoga training though has changed his outlook and his winnings don't matter to him. I'm trying to think of a way to show this visually but am struggling.

Ste

The script for this is now up in the short section - it's a little shorter than I planned.

Check it out if you fancy.

Ste