CHAPTER 9
ADAPTATION FROM ART OR LIFE
ADAPTING FROM LITERATURE
There is a constantly growing supply of plays, novels, and short stories that might adapt well to the screen. Libraries and the Internet have an amazing range of offerings, and someone somewhere has already analyzed, indexed, or published (by characters, subject, or theme) the very thing you are interested in. All you need to do is find it. Short stories, for example, are indexed by theme.
The short story is a favorite source of material for both short and full-length films. Like all good literature, it can be a quicksand to the unwary, for the magic of language can seduce the filmmaker into assuming the story will make an equally fine film. Effective adaptation may actually be ...
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