Im trying to find a somewhat famous novel that is about a character who is forced into doing certain tasks... Im not sure if this book exists but I hope it does.... the tasks dont have to be anything specific. I know this is a pretty vauge description...the idea is that the main character is held hostage by this female writer who, in order to finish her book, is forcing the hostage to do certain things to see the reactions and how it plays out. shes going to take these 'tasks' from a famous book and it will be a modern retelling of those events. So the movie is about this and the book in the movie is about it as well, get what I mean? So now I just need the book. I want it to be out of copyright, so 1930s or before. Any ideas?
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DoubleIT
more
My first though were the 12 labors of hercules but 12 is too many and they wouldnt adapt well to a modern setting. Another though might be something from the bible, but im not familiar with it at all... so either a famous novel/play pre 1930, a fable, fairy tale or myth.
My first though were the 12 labors of hercules but 12 is too many and they wouldnt adapt well to a modern setting. Another though might be something from the bible, but im not familiar with it at all... so either a famous novel/play pre 1930, a fable, fairy tale or myth.
Vigorish9
Re: more
my friend, i'd suggest you embrace google.
how about the most obvious, a play off the ten commandments. you can take this as comedy or drama.
vig
my friend, i'd suggest you embrace google.
how about the most obvious, a play off the ten commandments. you can take this as comedy or drama.
vig
bottomlesscup
Re: more
Try the book of Job.
The bible one or the Heinlein one (although I'm not sure it's exactly famous.)
Try the book of Job.
The bible one or the Heinlein one (although I'm not sure it's exactly famous.)
DoubleIT
Vigorish9
Re: Google
start by engaging your brain. let me tell you the cliff notes of my story. it kind of plays in line with the thread and i think i can see some of me in you.
i was so completely intimidated by the idea of writing, and not being good at it that it did the exact opposite of debilitating me, it liberated me. writing can expose your weaknesses in technocolor and i was willing to take my lumps.
writing is the marriage between so many different aptitudes at all variances.
i used to get 'that feeling' that crawls up your skin when you have such a good idea, but you know it needs so much more developing and work, that the idea literally makes you sick, because you can't tell it, 'THAT FUCKKING SECOND'.
I get anxious, and it literally drives me nuts.
so i stopped asking people what do i do, and started doing. taught myself by listening and reading. and making myself literally sick at times with anixiety -
that knawing feeling that if i did my very best and i'm not good enough, then everything you stand for is a lie. that's some scary @#%$. how many people actually call themselves out. how many?
call yourself out... open the bible, any page, someones tellig you an incredible story. google ' gods and mythic alliances' and see what comes out, read that. then read the link.
READ. the internet is the great equalizer.
vig
start by engaging your brain. let me tell you the cliff notes of my story. it kind of plays in line with the thread and i think i can see some of me in you.
i was so completely intimidated by the idea of writing, and not being good at it that it did the exact opposite of debilitating me, it liberated me. writing can expose your weaknesses in technocolor and i was willing to take my lumps.
writing is the marriage between so many different aptitudes at all variances.
i used to get 'that feeling' that crawls up your skin when you have such a good idea, but you know it needs so much more developing and work, that the idea literally makes you sick, because you can't tell it, 'THAT FUCKKING SECOND'.
I get anxious, and it literally drives me nuts.
so i stopped asking people what do i do, and started doing. taught myself by listening and reading. and making myself literally sick at times with anixiety -
that knawing feeling that if i did my very best and i'm not good enough, then everything you stand for is a lie. that's some scary @#%$. how many people actually call themselves out. how many?
call yourself out... open the bible, any page, someones tellig you an incredible story. google ' gods and mythic alliances' and see what comes out, read that. then read the link.
READ. the internet is the great equalizer.
vig
NikeeGoddess
Re: Google
why do you need the book? you've already got an idea. just create the foundation yourself.
write on!
why do you need the book? you've already got an idea. just create the foundation yourself.
write on!
DoubleIT
affraid
Vigorish9 - I wouldnt say im affriad of writing... in fact if anything I am too quick to start writing (remember my distastor of a thread back in decemember?) I have actualyl written the first act of this script already and am pretty happy with it.
NikeeGoddess - that is the other option. I just liked the idea of having it be a modernizatoin of an older famous book (And 'they' seem to like it when the script is adapted).
Vigorish9 - I wouldnt say im affriad of writing... in fact if anything I am too quick to start writing (remember my distastor of a thread back in decemember?) I have actualyl written the first act of this script already and am pretty happy with it.
NikeeGoddess - that is the other option. I just liked the idea of having it be a modernizatoin of an older famous book (And 'they' seem to like it when the script is adapted).
DoubleIT
Reading
oh and Im reading everything I can get my hands on... but there is so much i have not read that I was hoping someone would have an idea. Worst case senerior i just skip the idea of it being a re-telling and have it be an original book...
oh and Im reading everything I can get my hands on... but there is so much i have not read that I was hoping someone would have an idea. Worst case senerior i just skip the idea of it being a re-telling and have it be an original book...
bottomlesscup
Re: Reading
Double,
Two things:
1. The term of copyright has been expanded, so the 1930's isn't going to cut it anymore. (And actually, the old rule was 75 years, so you were needing twenties anyway.) Virtually anything written in the twentieth century is off limits.
2. If I understand you correctly, you're not looking for a specific book that you want to/have adapted; you have a script and want to retroactively base it on something. If that's true, in my opinion, you are putting the cart before the horse. That way lies failure.
I don't think a public domain story exists which is servicably similar to your story. If there is one, it's not well known, so you're not likely to find it. You're searching for a needle in a haystack. You'd probably have to settle for a story with vaguely similar themes.
The story logic, symbolism, and characters are unlikely to mix well. You'll probably end up defying your story to meet the adaptation. Things will get convoluted, because you're trying to serve two masters.
You've got a good concept. It needs more development, yes, but you can do that on your own. You don't need the crutch of someone else's work. You're a new writer and need to develop your craft anyway. Explore your story. Write a zillion drafts. Write a five-hundred-page opus and pare it down to a hundred. Play with it.
It's your story. Make it entirely yours.
And for the record, almost no one adapts for spec scripts unless the source is their own work or a classic.
Good luck!
Double,
Two things:
1. The term of copyright has been expanded, so the 1930's isn't going to cut it anymore. (And actually, the old rule was 75 years, so you were needing twenties anyway.) Virtually anything written in the twentieth century is off limits.
2. If I understand you correctly, you're not looking for a specific book that you want to/have adapted; you have a script and want to retroactively base it on something. If that's true, in my opinion, you are putting the cart before the horse. That way lies failure.
I don't think a public domain story exists which is servicably similar to your story. If there is one, it's not well known, so you're not likely to find it. You're searching for a needle in a haystack. You'd probably have to settle for a story with vaguely similar themes.
The story logic, symbolism, and characters are unlikely to mix well. You'll probably end up defying your story to meet the adaptation. Things will get convoluted, because you're trying to serve two masters.
You've got a good concept. It needs more development, yes, but you can do that on your own. You don't need the crutch of someone else's work. You're a new writer and need to develop your craft anyway. Explore your story. Write a zillion drafts. Write a five-hundred-page opus and pare it down to a hundred. Play with it.
It's your story. Make it entirely yours.
And for the record, almost no one adapts for spec scripts unless the source is their own work or a classic.
Good luck!
DoubleIT
K
Bottomlesscup - pointt taken. I guess I was hoping that book had been written and I was one of the few who didnt know about it. But you are totally right. The first 30 pages are written anyway and id probably have to change all that around, change the characters into ones i dont care about, etc,etc...
When did these new copyright laws happen? In my class on the film biz last year i was told 75 years then its in the public domain.
If theres interest heres the first draft logline and synopisis for this script.
Log line: When inspiration and opposition disappear, a struggling writer turns the world into her page and forces an unsuspecting teen to act out her fantasy world to provide the lacking details.
Synopsis: Maddy Strong is a 35 year old writer struggling to find the inspiration and opposition needed to complete and sell her first novel. Long used to living off her inheritance, her life style and fantasy world crumble when it’s all used up. Jeff White is an unlucky 20 year old without ambition or direction. When he mistakenly saves Maddy from gun point, she takes him hostage in hopes of finding the missing elements from her book. She forces Jeff to do various tasks so she can observe how they play out in real life, which she hopes will allow her to finish her book.
Bottomlesscup - pointt taken. I guess I was hoping that book had been written and I was one of the few who didnt know about it. But you are totally right. The first 30 pages are written anyway and id probably have to change all that around, change the characters into ones i dont care about, etc,etc...
When did these new copyright laws happen? In my class on the film biz last year i was told 75 years then its in the public domain.
If theres interest heres the first draft logline and synopisis for this script.
Log line: When inspiration and opposition disappear, a struggling writer turns the world into her page and forces an unsuspecting teen to act out her fantasy world to provide the lacking details.
Synopsis: Maddy Strong is a 35 year old writer struggling to find the inspiration and opposition needed to complete and sell her first novel. Long used to living off her inheritance, her life style and fantasy world crumble when it’s all used up. Jeff White is an unlucky 20 year old without ambition or direction. When he mistakenly saves Maddy from gun point, she takes him hostage in hopes of finding the missing elements from her book. She forces Jeff to do various tasks so she can observe how they play out in real life, which she hopes will allow her to finish her book.
bottomlesscup
Re: K
1998. It's explained at that site pretty well. And I was wrong about the twentieth century thing:
1998. It's explained at that site pretty well. And I was wrong about the twentieth century thing:
The duration of copyright protection recently changed as a result of the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998. The easiest rule to state is that Copyrights have expired on all United States works registered or published prior to 1923
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