Recently, a colleague of mine stated that I should have to choose between being a novelist or being a screenwriter if I wanted to be truly successful.  Having a strong passion for writing both formats, I had to disagree.  Although novels and screenplays are dramatically different, many writers work in multiple formats.  A prolific writer can finish a novel draft in one or two months and a screenplay in just a week or two, so being an avid writer of one does not necessarily have to detract from time spent writing the other.  Moreover, if one knows one’s art, the difference in the two formats merely creates the need to shift gears when switching from one to the other:

·         When writing a novel, prose and dialog are organized by paragraph, while in screenplays they are divided into dialog, character direction, and visible description and action.

·         Novel prose allows for internal dialog and stream of consciousness, while all thoughts and character motivations in a screenplay need to be “shown” through the camera’s audio and visible sensors.  One loophole to this is an intermittent use of “voice-over” in a script, in which an unseen narrator speaks over a scene.

·         Novels are generally written in third person, past tense, while screenplays are always written in present tense.

·         Novels are usually around 300 pages, while the typical “spec” script is around 120 pages.

·         Novels are typically written in Times New Roman, while screenplays are always written in Courier or Courier New.  Both have specific formatting guidelines.

Upon review of my writing portfolio, one will see that I have written as many screenplays as I have novels—and that more than half of my screenplays are adaptations (most of them being adaptations of my own novels, with one being a hired adaptation of a novelette written by another author).  Writing adaptations is just as much of an art as is writing original novels and screenplays; in converting a story from one format to the other, a writer must take into consideration time constraints, the translation compatibility of certain events, budget, and audience.  For example:

·         When converting a novel into a screenplay, one must decide which scenes to cut and mesh, and also if that cutting and meshing will require some reorganization of the storyline.  When converting a screenplay into a novel or novelette, one must add internal dialog or narration, as well as scenes that may have been missing in the script due to time constraints.

·         What works great as prose does not always translate well on screen, and vice-versa.  Sometimes a writer must find an alternate literary or visual device in order to make the same point work in translation.

·         What might be easy to write might take money to reproduce on-screen.  A screen adaptation must always be written with budget in mind, while the sky is the limit when writing novels and similar prose.

·         When adapting prose to screenplay, especially in previously published works, a writer must be careful to cater to any preexisting audience that might have certain expectations about the work.

I believe that it is a great asset for a writer to be well versed in both formats.  It is my opinion that an author the best-suited candidate to adapt his or her work into screenplay form, given that the person understands how to use the screenplay format.  No one will know the ins and outs of a work better than the person who originally wrote it, and no one will be able to capture the essence and soul of a work any clearer.  While there are many great adaptations that have been written by hired screenwriters, few people will argue that most of these adaptations do not capture that which made their predecessors all that they are.  While that which is lacking in many is due to necessary cuts and changes needed to make the story translate better, what most are lacking, in my opinion, is their original writers.

Would I consider giving up writing novels in order to be a successful screenwriter?  Never.  I love writing both too much to choose one format over the other.  God willing, there is enough room for my writing in both industries.
 
 
In the ‘70s and 80’s, George Lucas changed the face of sci-fi film with the first three Star Wars features.  New technology needed to be created in order to make the movies possible, and that technology took special effects to a level never before imagined.  Moreover, the plot was exciting, heartfelt, and insightful, capturing the hearts of children and adults alike.  The movies defined a generation and made sci-fi fans of both males and females from all walks of life.

Avatar is the Star Wars of the 21st century.

I went into the theater already knowing that I would be witnessing history in the making.  Having worked with one of the digital imaging technicians for the film, knowing his attention to detail and his eye for perfection, I couldn’t wait to view the completed product.  I knew I was about to embark on an amazing journey—but nothing could prepare me for the breathtaking masterpiece I saw today.

Avatar is by far the most visually stunning film I have ever had the pleasure to watch.  The digital effects were flawless, the story was beautiful, and overall the work was brilliant.  The characters were believable, even the digitally generated Na’vi, and the scenery was amazing.  I have read criticism that has called Avatar “Dances with Smurfs,” and I can only shake my head.  All filmmakers know that there are seven basic plots; storylines and characters can change, but they will always fit into one of those basic plots.  James Cameron meshed the plot most associated with Dances with Wolves and The Last Samurai, placed it on an alien planet, and added an impeccable hero’s journey.  There are no Smurfs, here—Avatar is thoughtful, meaningful, and artfully executed.

I only have a couple of minor criticisms of the film.  If you have not yet watched Avatar and do not wish to read any spoilers, please do not continue.

Spoilers
ahead.


This
is
your
last
chance
to
turn
away.

My main criticism is with the plot dumps at the beginning of the film.  While I realize that Mr. Cameron was working under time constraints and had no choice but to use them, the dialog felt a little choppy: characters were telling other characters pieces of information that they should have already known, in ways that seemed slightly out of place.  A revision in those couple of pieces of dialog would have made a huge difference in the beginning of the film.

My second criticism is the “unobtainium.”  The name alone takes away from the serious realism the rest of the movie achieves, the play on words being just too obvious.  More importantly, we never see any characters actually mine the precious metal—and it is never made clear just why it is so precious.  Online searches reveal that the mineral is supposed to be a superconductor and powerful energy source, but we are never given this information in the film.  We are told that Earth is a dying planet; wouldn’t something life sustaining be more worth fighting over?  Why are the humans mining “unobtainium?”  Why is it worth so much?  Can it save lives?  Can it save our dying Earth?  Eliminating the unobtainium and making the planet itself the commodity would have eliminated the out-of-place plot dumps about the mineral.

Thirdly, but just as importantly, Mr. Cameron could have reallocated several precious screen minutes to better use by making the main character’s initial loss of his twin brother available through plot dump, as opposed to actual footage.  The film is nearly three hours long (which does fly, given its amazing content); the beginning would not have suffered had the cremation scene been cut and the information about the brother been offered through a few well executed lines.

Beyond those small criticisms, I have nothing but positive words to offer about Avatar.  I laughed, I cried, I gasped with awe, and I left the theater feeling as though I had just watched a top-notch live action movie.  I did more than that, though; I witnessed the beginning of a new era in digital film and I experienced a story that will stay with me for years to come.

And I didn’t even watch the 3D version.