How to Use Screenwriting Secrets in Your Novel
The Novelry on Writing
Deadlines as Secret Sauce
David and Amanda emphasise using deadlines—self-imposed or contractual—to focus writing and overcome procrastination.
Many writers have dreamed of converting their novels into screenplays, but what if you want to do the opposite? Do you have a great idea for a screenplay that would be better as a long-form book? Join experienced screenwriters and The Novelry writing coaches Amanda Reynolds and David Solomons for this engrossing episode and learn five mind-blowing tricks that writing for the screen can teach novelists.
Want to hear more? The Novelry’s class for screenwriters with more fantastic insights from David is coming soon!
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
01:31 - Tip #1: Dialogue drives narrative
05:53 - Tip #2: Characters
09:20 - Tip #3: Editing
15:27 - Tip #4: Structure
19:32 - Tip #5: Deadlines
Guest Bios
The Novelry coach David Solomons is the author of eight acclaimed middle-grade children’s novels and several screenplays. His debut title, My Brother is a Superhero, won the Waterstones Children’s Prize, the British Book Industry Awards Children’s Book of the Year, and was Branford Boase shortlisted. The sequel, My Gym Teacher is an Alien Overlord, won a Laugh Out Loud Award. As a screenwriter, his first script, The Fabulous Bagel Boys, was shortlisted for a BAFTA New Writer Award. David served as screenwriter for the 2004 feature adaptation of Five Children and It. He co-wrote the Pinocchio miniseries (2008) and The Great Ghost Rescue (2011). Not Another Happy Ending, written by David, was the closing film of the Edinburgh International Film Festival in 2013.
The Novelry coach Amanda Reynolds is the bestselling author of six psychological suspense novels. Close To Me, her No.1 ebook bestseller, was adapted into a major six-part TV series starring Connie Nielsen and Christopher Eccleston, airing on Sundance AMC in the U.S. and Channel 4 in the U.K. Her latest thriller, Her Husband’s Lie, was an Amazon Kindle Bestseller, entering the Top 100 across all genres. Amanda’s twisty thrillers have earned high praise from Karen Hamilton, Nikki Smith, Harriet Tyce, the New York Journal of Books, Woman magazine, and Culturefly. Amanda has spoken at the Cheltenham Literature Festival and has taught creative writing for many years.
Resources
Check out these blog posts for more insight on how to write a compelling story:
How Learning About the Flow State Can Help You Write a Book
How to Raise the Stakes in Your Story
How to Create a Plot Diagram for a Smooth Writing Journey
5 Things Writers Can Learn from Video Games
Read the full episode transcript here!
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Show description
Learn how novels work from publishing’s top experts at The Novelry, the world’s #1 school for writers. Hosted by our bestselling writing coaches and publishing editors, this podcast is a practical, helpful guide to writing novels for every genre. Enjoy inside tips and tricks to make your writing a joyful experience while building your expertise in writing craft.
With new topics every week, there is always something to learn at The Novelry, the world’s top-rated fiction writing school with more 5* reviews from writers than any other creative writing course.
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