No More Changes
by Bethany Maines
Recently, I took a workshop on how to convert a novel to a
screenplay. It was a fascinating workshop that gave practical tips on how to
deconstruct and then reconstruct a novel into a new format. Plot, structure and
character development are all core elements of any story telling method and it
was interesting to see how a different mode of storytelling could affect a
story.
screenplay. It was a fascinating workshop that gave practical tips on how to
deconstruct and then reconstruct a novel into a new format. Plot, structure and
character development are all core elements of any story telling method and it
was interesting to see how a different mode of storytelling could affect a
story.
I chose to experiment on my 2018 Christmas novella Blue
Christmas. Blue Christmas is about a down on her luck college student, Blue
Jones, who is determined to do whatever it takes to pay off her grandmother’s
medical bills – including burglary. So obviously it’s a romance and there are
diamond thieves and a dog. Because… Christmas?
Christmas. Blue Christmas is about a down on her luck college student, Blue
Jones, who is determined to do whatever it takes to pay off her grandmother’s
medical bills – including burglary. So obviously it’s a romance and there are
diamond thieves and a dog. Because… Christmas?
As I worked my way through my story, I saw several things
that I would like to improve. And it was not so very long ago that I loved
every bit of that story! What the heck
happened to my perfect little morsel of criminal Christmas?! Why is it that an
author / creative person can’t stop improving on a work? I mean, we all hate George Lucas for going
back and adding special effects and scenes to Star Wars, don’t we? When are we,
or should we, be forced to say walk away?
My personal feeling is that once a work is in the public, then except
for correcting typos or other blatant errors, that an author should not make
any “improvements”. People end up loving specific works and changing even a
sentence or two can affect someone’s perception of a work.
that I would like to improve. And it was not so very long ago that I loved
every bit of that story! What the heck
happened to my perfect little morsel of criminal Christmas?! Why is it that an
author / creative person can’t stop improving on a work? I mean, we all hate George Lucas for going
back and adding special effects and scenes to Star Wars, don’t we? When are we,
or should we, be forced to say walk away?
My personal feeling is that once a work is in the public, then except
for correcting typos or other blatant errors, that an author should not make
any “improvements”. People end up loving specific works and changing even a
sentence or two can affect someone’s perception of a work.
Of course, none of that prevents me from making those
changes in my screenplay.
changes in my screenplay.
**
Blue Jones just stole Jake Garner’s dog. And his heart. But technically the French Bulldog, Jacques, belongs to Jake’s ex-girlfriend. And soon Jake is being pressured to return the dog and Blue is being targeted by mysterious attackers. Can Jake find Blue and Jacques before her stalkers do? For Blue, Christmas has never been quite so dangerous. For Jake, Christmas has never been quite so Blue.
**
Bethany Maines
is the author
of the Carrie Mae Mystery Series, San Juan Islands Mysteries, Shark Santoyo Crime Series, and numerous
short stories. When she’s not traveling to exotic lands, or kicking some
serious butt with her fourth degree black belt in karate, she can be found
chasing her daughter or glued to the computer working on her next novel. You
can also catch up with her on YouTube, Twitter
and Facebook.
is the author
of the Carrie Mae Mystery Series, San Juan Islands Mysteries, Shark Santoyo Crime Series, and numerous
short stories. When she’s not traveling to exotic lands, or kicking some
serious butt with her fourth degree black belt in karate, she can be found
chasing her daughter or glued to the computer working on her next novel. You
can also catch up with her on YouTube, Twitter
and Facebook.
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