So you think your book would make a good film? Most authors do, but that doesn't mean you, or they, are delusional. In fact, most books would make great movies and Hollywood desperately needs some new material.

Before I get started, I wanted to share some highlights of my background so that you can make an informed decision of whether you should consider my advice. I do not consider myself a screenwriting guru or a master of the scribe, just someone fortunate enough to have sat on both sides of the development table and willing to share some thoughts, tips, tricks, insights, etc.

Post graduating college, I landed an internship in the development department of Davis Entertainment (The Black List, Courage Under Fire). Future scribe of “Monster-In-Law,” Anya Kochoff, and future producer of “Snakes on a Plane,” Craig Berenson were my mentors. I have also penned five screenplays: One, “Chupacabra” was at-one-time being considered by Atlas Entertainment (The Dark Knight Trilogy, Get Smart), and another “The Ghost of Christmas Past” was a finalist in the 2006 Scriptaplooza Competition. Additionally, I have over seven years of experience as a film publicist, having worked on multiple titles for Disney/Pixar, Lionsgate, Warner Bros., and many more. The reason I picked now to share my opinions is because I recently have been approached by a few fellow authors who needed advice about adapting their novels into scripts. Despite all the “How To” books these authors read, we were all surprised about how little they knew. The following advice does not come from a book but from personal experience.

The first thing you should be doing is asking yourself some essential questions. You need to be your own first line of defense because the battle inside the arena you’re about to enter has already commenced. Gearing up will be your tools for said battle, which is fierce and laden with many competitors. You are not only going up against other scribes but hungry, hungry wolves looking to ally with someone who will help them survive to the end. Did you pee your pants a little? Good. Though I am trying to scare you, if you decide to read on, then I know you’re ready.

1) Is my material original without being TOO original? - Hollywood loves the idea of originality without losing familiarity. What every author needs to thoroughly understand is that Hollywood is, first and foremost, a business. I hate to break it to you like this, but they're in it for the money, the artistic side is just a perk of the business. If you want art, go to your local, small-time film festival or write, direct, and act in your own low budget film. Studio execs look at the numbers and at how well certain story ideas and genres perform. A great example is superhero films. Burton's Batman and Donner's Superman aside, the first real entry was Singer's “X-Men.” I believe this is what started the superhuman film movement. Fox has had massive success with this franchise, but what pushed superheros into the stratosphere was the release of “Iron Man.” The film was brilliant on all levels from storytelling to special effects. Audiences loved everything about it and proved their love for comic adaptations by paying over a ½ billion dollars worldwide. Because of its huge commercial success, other Marvel films came along, and even “X-Men” received an exemplary reboot after its disappointing third act (aka “X-Men: The Last Stand”). Do you see the trend? You should. And that is what Hollywood is all about... trends. They are only comfortable with what they know, and yet, they typically do not want to produce a film that is a frame by frame copy (unless they're remaking “Psycho”).

Note: I will talk more about what to do with a script that is NOT a current trend in a future post. For now, the best quick advice I can give is just to shelf it.

2) Have I ever even read a properly formatted, industry approved screenplay before? - The relationship between a scribe and Hollywood is love/hate. The writer is looked upon as a necessary evil, which is why you see so many directors also be the writer. “Written and Directed by…” Look familiar? (Of note, screenwriters typically don’t become directors, but directors become screenwriters. If a scribe is hired to direct their own film then the Earth’s axis had shifted.) But, needless to say, (though I will anyway) films cannot be made without a script. Unfortunately, 98% of the scripts that are passed in front of film professionals are shit, shit, shit. Why you ask? Let me paint this picture... think of a best-selling author reading a first time author's unedited self-published book. Same thing. Those scribes have wasted that professional’s valuable time, which creates instant disdain. Primarily, the largest flaw is incorrect formatting. Listen up! There is NO wiggle room in this. If you color outside these lines, you appear unprofessional, green, and/or a rule breaker (aka a money pit.) Read professional scripts! Sure, there are some great books out there, which will teach you the rules, but the best way to get industry experience without actually being in the industry is to read screenplays that have been produced. There is so much more to a good script than proper formatting. I also advise to take it one step further and read that script WHILE you watch the movie.

3) Is the book I wrote in the same genre as my favorite films? - This goes all the way back to "write what you know." Screenplays are very delicate. It is a blueprint of an idea with characters, plots, dialogue, theme, conflict, etc. jammed into 90 - 120 pages with as much "white space" as possible. You need to choose your words carefully. In many aspects, it's a lot like a cross between painting and poetry. The scribe's goal is to discover those exact words that will jump off the page to paint a moving picture in the reader's mind. The reader needs to "see" the movie play out as they read your script, and the best way for any first time scribe to do that is to paint a picture that they themselves would pay money to see. Passion, people. That's the only way to sell a speculative script.

Note: A “spec” (speculative) script is when a writer has NOT been hired to write it by a developer, producer, etc. The script is written purely on speculation that it will sell.

4) Have I ever attempted to pitch my idea to a member of Hollywood? – There are many screenplay expos and conferences that offer a scribe the chance to pitch to a Hollywood Exec for a fee. The fee is a lure to get said Hollywood Exec to the table though I don’t know why. Most of these Execs are one of the hungry wolves I mentioned earlier. They, too, are looking for that perfect script that will help advance their career too by being the one to bring that screenplay to their bosses. But again, like I said, 98% shit. The point I’m trying to make is that these Execs are there to hear your pitch, but you’re not only pitching your story, you’re pitching yourself too. That is why you need to practice, practice, practice. Nail down your pitch so that you can recite it in your sleep because in many ways, YOU is who you are trying to sell… not your story. Why? First time scribes are cheap and no production company will put money into a screenplay that is written as is. Rewrites are in your screenplay’s future and some companies would prefer the original author to take a stab at it because of passion and budget. But they’ll only take that risk if they like and trust you, and believe in your talent. Essentially, they want to know that you’ll be cooperative and play by the rules.

5) Saving the best for last; the most important question you should be asking yourself is… What is your story about? – If you don’t know your story than nobody else will. I’m talking about every little detail. It’s not too much to ask because you should be the one who knows your story better than anybody, but I have been amazed by how many authors have been tripped up by this question. They mumble something incoherent or babble and repeat points of their story without relaying what it is truly “about.” And don't just say it’s about a sex-crazed zombie looking for her ideal mate in wine country. Though that would be enough for most Hollywood influencers to raise an eyebrow, that's not enough of an answer. In fact, it's only the beginning. Think of the question more like this… “What is the THEME of your story?” What is it you’re trying to say? If your book to film adaptation is more of a bubble-gum popping work of fiction meant entirely to be entertaining, and not much more, than be sure to go with that. It’s always best to be honest than trying to drum up some deep meaning for a reboot of Ace Venture: Pet Detective.

Closing this out before it becomes long enough to be my fifth novel, these questions are diverse and fair for any author considering to have their work adapted into a script by either themselves or a third party. If you're seriously thinking about this next step than I hope these insights help you prepare for what’s to come. Just remember, perfect your script and then perfect your pitch. Selling a script is 25% writing and 75% marketing yourself.