THE SPAGHETTI METHOD OF ADAPTATION

Legends of a woman walled in at Ightham Mote manor in England have persisted for centuries.  Visitors to the National Trust site have been enthralled with this mystery. Who was she? Why did she suffer that horrible fate? Anya Seton was so intrigued, she wove her bestselling novel GREEN DARKNESS as an answer to those questions.

Marla and I have optioned the screenplay rights to this classic work. Our adaptation’s primary goals are to preserve yet enhance the story, make it visually compelling and keep the budget as low as possible. Though we have used the novel's general  plotline, we have made many important changes to enhance (and combine) the characters, marketability and cinematic aspects of the story. There are dual roles for all four leads. The novel shifts between two time periods, 1968 and 1550’s. Period films are more expensive and even the 1968 is now “period”. Thus we have updated the 1968 to present day.

We were listening to an interview with the screenwriters of BIG EYES the other day.  They were talking about adaptation and how various writers go about the process. Apparently when adapting GONE WITH THE WIND, the screenwriters were given the novel to read and then the book was taken away. Whatever they retained, whatever events remained most prominent, were included in the adaptation. It reminded me of cooking spaghetti and throwing a noodle against the wall—if it sticks, it’s done. Seems to me those writers had great memories, as much of the book transferred to the screen—in well-cooked, dramatic fashion.

That was our plan as well, since we had to update the present section of the story. A lot has changed since 1968, including attitudes.

As we continue to market, rework and update our script, we thought we’d ask:

What parts of the book stuck with YOU so strongly that they would NEED to be included in your  screenplay?
What questions come to mind that remained unanswered in the novel?

How would YOU answer them in YOUR screenplay? Or would you?

We think there are enough unanswered questions to plot a sequel…

All comments are welcome

Till next time~~

Why hasn’t GREEN DARKNESS been made into a movie?

Fans of GREEN DARKNESS, including both of us, have asked and re-asked that question. We had heard from the publisher that we were not the first ones to take out a screenplay option on the novel.

Why weren't the previous optioners successful? 

While there may be no answer, we can’t help but wrack our brains with the question. We came up with  a few theories:

1) Perhaps they didn't try hard enough? 

2)Maybe they didn't love the book the way we do.

3)When the book was first published, reincarnation was a new and perhaps frightening philosophy. Since then, people have come to accept it and even if they may not believe in it themselves, they recognize that others do. Many films have dealt with the subject.

4)While this may annoy many lovers of the book, the bald fact is that Celia is not terribly likeable. She continues to pursue Stephen in the past even though he tries to keep her at arm’s length. 

5)The novel's method of returning to the past is a real stretch of the "willing suspension of disbelief". We've dealt with that differently and in a more believable way, but to do so we've made a significant shift in the story telling. It's a change that makes the story deeper and more emotional, we feel.

6)The most obvious reason? Cost. But we've taken steps to keep the costs down as well. 

Ultimately, it will be the test of time and our resources to prove whether we were right.

Plunging ever onward~~

Angela & Marla

Reincarnation Is for the Dogs?

At the heart of GREEN DARKNESS are several controversial topics -- reincarnation being one in the mix.
   
Angela and I would like to share some thoughts with you.

Marla’s Musings: Like the Buddhists, I believe reincarnation happens. Maybe my beliefs are not so deep as those of the monks, however I can't help but think, nay believe, that our spirits are on a learning journey that continues from lifetime to lifetime. That we have to learn from our mistakes, whether in this life or in the next... but that's getting into the realm of karma. I also believe that at some point on this learning curve, your spirit, or soul if you prefer, will have learned all it needs to learn and is granted everlasting bliss in heaven.
   
My father, who was born and raised as a staunch Catholic, was a man with a mind open to many possibilities. He used to joke that he was "coming back as Marla's next dog" because of the love and care I lavished on my pets. Is it wrong of me to feel a twinge of guilt that life's circumstances have prevented me from having another dog since Dad's death? Scholars could debate that for eons; Freud would be able to analyze that until he blew his own mind.

Angela’s Meditations: From the time I started to wonder why we were here, I felt a deep connection to the past. Why did specific historical periods resonate so strongly with me? Why certain authors? Did I do something in a past life/lives that caused the circumstances I find myself in today? Reincarnation was a natural explanation for me. The laws of physics say that energy can neither be created or destroyed. If that’s true then where does the energy of our “spirit” go? If everything is recycled, why not our energy or spirit? It makes sense to me and it’s the belief of the majority of humans.

My mother was the one I shared these beliefs with. We both found meaning and purpose in the idea of making as much of each lifetime as possible. It's comforting to think that all our trials and tribulations earn points for the next time around. All our talents pass along with us and ...go easy on the karma for our sins please! LOL
   
Angela and Marla: Perhaps this is why we both love the story of GREEN DARKNESS. For us, finding reincarnation in GREEN DARKNESS and wanting to bring it to the big screen wasn't much of a stretch of the imagination.

The love of Richard/Stephen for Celia present/past would not, could not, simply vanish. It demanded justice. It yearned to be given the chance of redemption.
   
Please share your beliefs on this issue with us. We look forward to reading your comments.

Until next time~~
Marla & Angela

A Journey Back In Time

As our adventure continues, we are constantly reminded of its beginnings.  Just as GREEN DARKNESS searches for answers to present questions in the past, I am also looking into my own past to discover how I got here.

Did it start when I first read the book, or when I wanted to find out whether it had been made into a movie? I'm not sure.


I still remember the moment I googled GREEN DARKNESS MOVIE and found "Following the Trail of Anya Seton's Green Darkness" blog by Tamara Mazzei. http://www.triviumpublishing.com/articles/greendarkness.html

That excitement propelled us on this journey. Then it was learning that the rights to the book were available.

But for me, perhaps it started long before I even read the book. It may have started with my Dad and his love and belief in me. Since it's Father's Day, I'd like to send a whopping big THANK YOU, DAD heavenward. I miss you and hope you're still as proud of your little girl!

We all need someone to believe in us to give us the push forward. Personally, I'm a pushover for any story that involves a parent-child relationship.

I think that's partly why GREEN DARKNESS, the novel, is so powerful. The main character in the past, Celia, is looking for a family. She finds "belonging" in a seemingly unsuitable person--Stephen, a priest, but also the father figure she never had.  And he also eventually acknowledges that he has found the same in her.

Is that the answer? Are we all just constantly looking for belonging?

Happy Father's Day to all~~
Angela

EPONYMOUS GREEN DARKNESS ADAPTATION

Definition -- epon·y·mous, adjective, \i-pä-nə-məs, e-\ : of, relating to, or being the person or thing for whom or which something is named …

Our script is once again an eponymous adaptation of the novel GREEN DARKNESS.

 

Why IS the novel called GREEN DARKNESS? Anya Seton certainly based the title on the flimsiest of references, a mere mention in a poem, that barely relates to the story.

When Marla and I began our adaptation we discussed our working title at length, as we have mentioned here in our blog. We decided on PREORDAINED as a much more appropriate, if less evocative, title. A couple of readers commented and advised we stick to the original, or at least make sure the eponymous title was on the posters.

We have tried to stay true to the essence of the book and in the end we decided we had  to make the green darkness reference apply -- one way or another.

As screenwriters, we’ve been acutely aware of the need of the title being spoken by one of the characters. So we wrote that in, making it relevant. And then we finally felt justified in calling the script GREEN DARKNESS once more!

Till next time~~
 P.S. Check out our interviews at : Creating Unforgettable Characters

GOOSEBUMPS AND "SIGNS"

Rev. Dr. Rowland Dilke Taylor

I am constantly amazed at how much stranger life is than fiction.

As writers we try to pay extra attention to the world around us, hoping to find that next wonderful idea that will be "the one". Marla and I also believe in "signs", even though those have let us down in the past. We're both optimists at heart. Otherwise, why would we be in this crazy business?

This week, Marla's ever-expanding search for ancestors, has brought us a "goosebump" moment, which we'd like to share!

Marla's story pertains to GREEN DARKNESS, Anya Seton's fabulous novel set in the turbulent era between Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. These were times when religion was determined by the monarch  First came Edward VI, then Lady Jane Grey and "Bloody" Mary.

In that interim, Catholics and Protestants were put to death for belonging to the "wrong" religion of the day. So it was that many were burned at the stake during Bloody Mary's reign.

One of those victims turns out to be Marla's ancestor!

Here we are centuries later, writing about the very times her ancestors lived and died in. We even refer to the events--in one of the earlier versions of our adaptation.

We have to ask ourselves: what drew her to the story? Was it just an accident that she was so caught up by my description? Or, could it have been the ghostly hand of  Rev. Dr. Rowland Dilke Taylor, Marla's 12th great-grandfather, guiding her, and me? We'll never know for sure, but it makes us wonder. 

For those who are interested, here's a link to his remarkable story: http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/23141487/person/12800603101/media/2?pgnum=1&pg=0&pgpl=pid%7cpgNum

Till next time

Angela and Marla

MEDIUM AND A MESSAGE

Sometimes it takes years for a script to be produced. We hope that's not to be the case with our script, but the end result is all that matters.

It's taking time to complete the rewrite for several reasons. Our mentor has other obligations, plus we're not in a financial position to engage him or anyone full-time. The rewrite is being done 10 pages at a time in coordination with our mentor. After each critiquing session, we try to make the changes as quickly and as effectively as possible. Then we wait for our next scheduled working session. Our mentor does his best, but he's a busy man with projects of his own and is now teaching at UCLA as well.

So while it may feel like it's taking forever to tweak our script, we are working to make it the best adaptation possible.  We just want all our readers to know that we haven't given up.

The rewrite is moving along very well.

Damn, if the story doesn't just grab me by the throat every time! If I could just pluck it from my brain and onto the screen, we'd be done. It's too bad paper and film have to be involved! Until someone invents a brain reading machine, we're stuck with our "Medium".

Take heart, dear readers and have patience.

 

See you soon~~

If It Doesn’t Purr, Try Another Stroke!

It’s been a long month, or is it now two since our last update? One loses track of time.  Summer has nearly gone and folks in the biz are back at their desks. We’re still following up at intervals and so far have received a couple of “sorry haven’t gotten to it yet” replies. Meanwhile, we must all be patient. Gaaak!

We have a request: If you’re a screenwriter who is submitting to producers, would you please STOP THAT and give them a chance to catch up and read ours? Just kidding!!  It would be nice if people had enough time to read every script though, wouldn’t it? Maybe in a perfect world…

Is ANYTHING ever perfect? Is any SCRIPT ever perfect? For that matter, is any MOVIE? Is our script a diamond, so highly polished it blinds you? We’d like to think so. We’ve adhered to the original material enough to please the devoted fans. We’ve woven the story into a tight narrative with subtext, mythology and symbolism. We’ve stroked our theme until it… Can you hear it purring where you are? Well, then maybe we’re not stroking the right way yet.

So, Marla and I are going to plunge into another rewrite. Not because we’re convinced that our script is imperfect, but rather we feel it might still be enhanced, purr-wise. We felt it was time to get some further consulting and a coach.

We’ll probably improve many aspects as we go through the process again.

In the end, it may not be the quality of our writing that stands in the way of a sale. Just between us, my friend, I can admit we’ve got a lot of experience behind us.  The stumbling block may be the premise, the root of the story—the novel. The way the movie business works, we have to find a chain of champions who each individually believe in reincarnation and will promote a story based on that belief. The majority of people on our planet do. So you’d think our chances should be good. Fingers crossed? What, are you superstitious? You betcha!

Battling the current—till next time~~