Linda Aronson
Connect With Linda
  • Home
  • Linda's Work
    • More endorsements
    • Author >
      • 21st Century Screenplay
      • Screenwriting Updated
      • Television Writing
      • Writing With Imagination
      • Script Mechanics
    • Screenwriter
    • Plays >
      • Dinkum Assorted
      • Reginka's Lesson
      • A Night with Robinson Crusoe
      • Miss Bilbey
    • Novels
  • COURSES
  • Practical Writing Advice
    • Which Type of Parallel Narrative Suits My Story
    • Parallel Narrative
    • Six Types of Parallel Narrative
    • Should I use conventional three act structure?
    • Characters in Search of a Plot
    • Double Narrative Flashback
    • Reminders about Parallel Narrative
  • Consultant, Teacher
    • Consultancy
    • Teacher & Mentor >
      • Mentorships >
        • Mentorship FAQ
      • Teaching
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • Shop
  • Home
  • Linda's Work

What's the difference between writing for film and writing fiction?

2/3/2013

5 Comments

 
Picture
A couple of people have been asking about the difference between writing for film and writing fiction. This is a very interesting question.  At the simplest level, for fiction you need more story!  It's a truism that the easiest fiction to adapt is a novella or short story.  But above and beyond that, there is a definitely a different contract between the audience for film and the audience for fiction. I don't know why.  Film audiences get very impatient if a film doesn't seem to be going anywhere. Fiction audiences will wait for even fifty pages (fifty minutes of screentime at least) before anything much happens.  Readers will tell their friends: 'the first fifty pages are a big slow, but then it's terrific'.  Film audiences faced with a slow film where nothing is happening and/or  there's no character progression tend to throw things.
Film audiences seem to want 'a point', even if the point is that there's no point (as in 'Hidden').  Novels can end up with everyone going home and no great climax. Film audiences hate that. My motto is 'fiction is about the journey, film is about the destination'.  In other words, the 'point'.  In film, character is what character does. In fiction, it's often what the character thinks, rather than does.  Usually, in fiction, the action is much more leisurely. Also, dialogue in fiction goes on for much longer and is often not very lifelike. Dialogue in film needs to be very life-like indeed.  If you're writing a film, you really need to think in terms of a chain of events that cause the character to react in character, with each event causing the next, rising to a climax.  Film audiences are perhaps much less forgiving.
A propos of nothing much at all.  Here's a little pic of one of my young adult comedy novels by the way, Rude Health, a laugh-out-loud teen comedy about the Maths teacher from Hell , first published by Pan Macmillan, which was a Waterstones Book of the Week, and  also included in a UK Virgin Trains Young Passenger Gift set. And because I'm a writer I cannot help but boast about the lovely reviews it got... Sorry!  You have to boast about the good 'uns when you get them, and I really LOVE that cover.

 'A truly funny book' The Times UK
'To laugh yourself stupid, pick up Rude Health'   Girlfriend
'Linda Aronson is one of the best comic writers ... another first rate tale of a teenager in trouble'  Daily Telegraph UK
'Fabulously entertaining' Achuka UK

5 Comments

    RSS Feed

    View my profile on LinkedIn

    Author

    Linda is a screenwriter, novelist and playwright. As well as teaching and mentoring writers around the world, she regularly consults on screenplays at the highest level in the US, UK and Australia.

    Picture

    Subscribe to Linda Aronson's Craft Skills Newsletter

    Archives

    June 2017
    May 2017
    September 2015
    June 2015
    September 2014
    July 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011

    Categories

    All
    Advice For Actors
    Advice For New Writers
    Advice For New Writers
    Advice For Writers
    Advice For Writers
    Agent
    Brainstorm
    Brainstorming
    Cell Phone Movie
    Characters
    Christopher Vogler
    Cliche
    Creating A Storyline
    Creating A Storyline
    Difference Between Film And Fiction Writing
    Dinkum Assorted
    Double Journey
    Double Journey
    Double Narrative Flashback
    Double Narrative Flashback
    First Act Turning Point
    Flashback
    Flashback As Detective Story
    Games Writing
    Getting Ideas
    Getting Into Film And Tv
    Ghost
    Hero's Journey
    Lateral Imagination
    Linda Aronson
    Linear
    Magnificent Seven
    Motivation
    Multiple Protagonist
    Multiple Protagonist Films
    Multi Protagonist
    Multi Protagonist
    Multi Protagonist
    Multi-protagonist
    Mystery
    New Writer
    Nonlinear
    Non Linear
    Non Linear
    Parallel Narrative General
    Pay It Forward
    Pitching
    Radio Writing
    Scriptwriting Software
    Shakespeare
    Short Film
    Sitcom
    Slumdog Millionaire
    Tandem Narrative
    The Great Gatsby
    The Hangover
    Three Act Structure
    Three Act Structure
    Thriller
    Tootsie
    Tv Series And Mini Serials
    Tv Writing
    Vertical Imagination
    Women Characters
    Writing Dialogue
    Writing Fiction

    Note: Hi everyone. For RSS feed from this blog, you'll need feedly.com or theoldreader.com. Thanks, Linda

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.