: Re: What are some common pitfalls when adapting a novel (thematic autobiographic in this case) to a screenplay? I am working on an adaptation of a book into movie format, and I would like to know

@Jennifer354

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I've tried to do this myself, so I'll pass along what I've learned.

First, note that the audience hears a play about one-third as fast (150-200 words per minute) as they read a novel (500-600 words a minute).

Because of that, a screenplay requires "crisper" writing, with fewer excess words than a novel. A novel might describe a hero's actions as follows: "The hero forced open the door, with rising anger. Then he slammed it shut, hard." In a screenplay, this might read "The hero slammed the door angrily.

The nice thing about a screenplay is that you've engaged the viewer using two senses: sight and sound. Which is one reason you can use fewer words. Whereas in a novel, the reader only "reads."

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