From Edie: Learn how to decide whether you should adapt your novel into a screenplay, including key choices, professional tradeoffs, and the practical steps writers need to take next.
Is Your Novel Ready for a Film Adaption? How to Begin the Process of Adapting My Story for Film by Zena Dell Lowe @ZenaDellLowe
As we head into the New Year—a season when so many writers pause to reflect on their creative goals—it’s natural to wonder whether your story might be ready for something bigger. Maybe even the big screen.
In Part 1 of this series, I outlined the four criteria every novelist should consider before deciding whether adaptation is even a viable path. If you finished that article thinking, “Yes… I think my story really could work as a film,” then the next logical question becomes: How do you actually begin the process?
Here are the essential steps.
1. Should You Adapt It Yourself—or Hire Someone?
Before anything else, you must decide what you’re submitting to a production company. There are two main approaches:
Approach 1: Submit Only Your Novel
Some authors query production companies with their published book, hoping the studio will option it and hire a screenwriter to adapt it in-house. This still happens, but it’s increasingly rare—especially for smaller companies—because hiring a screenwriter requires upfront money before they know whether the project has commercial potential.
Approach 2: Submit a Completed Screenplay
Submitting a finished script makes your project far more attractive because it mitigates financial risk for the producers. But that leads to the real decision:
Do you adapt it yourself, or hire a professional screenwriter?
Adapting it yourself
There are clear benefits. It saves you money. It ensures that your adaption matches your vision. And because you know your characters intimately, you can often preserve nuance more effectively.
However, screenwriting is not “a novel with different margins.” It’s a fundamentally different art form—visual, structured, auditory, and incredibly lean. Writers who haven’t studied screenwriting often underestimate how truly difficult it is.
Hiring a professional screenwriter
If you don’t want to spend years mastering the craft, you can hire a professional to adapt your novel. This ensures you end up with a polished script shaped by someone trained in the medium. However, it will cost you money (and you get what you pay for), you will relinquish some creative control, and even if you end up with a beautifully written cript, there’s still no guarantee it’ll get made.
Either way, you’re investing time, money, or both. So, approach this decision with clear eyes and realistic expectations.
2. What Happens After the Screenplay Is Finished?
Let’s assume you now have a completed screenplay—written by you or adapted professionally. This is where the real work begins. Here is a clear path forward:
Step 1: Get Professional Feedback
Before you send your script anywhere, get outside evaluation. Submit to competitions that offer detailed notes, not just rankings. Pay for at least three festival critiques so you can spot patterns. If multiple readers flag the same issue, it probably needs fixing. Strong placements and awards can also serve as credibility when approaching production companies.
Step 2: Revise and Format Correctly
Screenplay formatting is not cosmetic—it’s storytelling. Formatting conveys tone, rhythm, emotional beats, and even budget. A script with sloppy or amateur formatting often won’t get past page one. This is why I teach writers how to use formatting as an artform, not just a technical checklist. (Learn more about my course here: https://thestorytellersmission.com/formatting-as-an-artform)
Step 3: Build a Pitch Package
A screenplay rarely sells by itself. You will also need:
- A strong logline (one sentence)
- A 1–2 page synopsis
- A treatment (5–10 pages)
- A pitch deck or lookbook that conveys tone, genre, character breakdowns, and comps
- A professional bio (including awards, publication, or contest placements)
Think of this as your professional calling card—your project’s first impression.
Step 4: Research and Target the Right Production Companies
Don’t shotgun-blast your script to everyone. Research companies that already produce your genre. Study their submission guidelines. Find out what genres they’re actively seeking. Write personalized query letters. And track everything in a spreadsheet. This part of the process can take years. That’s normal. You have to commit to the long haul.
Step 5: Attend Film Festivals and Network
You don’t have to move to Hollywood to build industry relationships. Attend regional film festivals. Introduce yourself to filmmakers. Let people know you’re a writer. Some of the best opportunities come from organic conversations, not cold submissions.
Final Thoughts (and a New Year Challenge)
Adapting your novel into a screenplay can be an incredibly rewarding venture—but only if your story is strong, cinematic, financially feasible, and approached with professional rigor—including the excellence that opens doors.
As we enter the New Year, this might be the perfect moment to take stock of where your story truly is… and decide whether 2026 is the year you take this bold step. And if you’d like guidance along the way, please do reach out to me at zena@thestorytellersmission.com to book a coaching call. I’d love to help.
Whatever you choose, stay true, stay excellent, and keep writing stories that matter.
Happy New Year!
Zena
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Zena has worked professionally in the entertainment industry for over 20 years as a writer, producer, director, actress, and story consultant. Zena also teaches advanced classes on writing all over the country. As a writer, Zena has won numerous awards for her work. She also has several feature film projects in development through her independent production company, Mission Ranch Films. In addition to her work as a filmmaker, Zena launched The Storyteller’s Mission with Zena Dell Lowe, a podcast designed to serve the whole artist, not just focus on craft. In 2021, Zena launched The Storyteller’s Mission Online Platform, where she offers advanced classes and other key services to writers. Zena loves story and loves to support storytellers. Her passion is to equip artists of all levels to achieve excellence at their craft, so that they will truly have everything they need to change the world for the better through story.
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