From Story To Script To Screen

From Story To Script To Screen

The story, as seen at this time. So close and yet so far and so far and yet so close.

• Write a book based on the woman’s life (Yasodhara) who was married to the man (Siddhartha) who became known as The Buddha.
• Rewrite and edit the book a zillion times.
• Find a publisher who will publish my book, now known as Buddha’s Wife.
• Sign contract with Robert D. Reed Publishers for book to be published.
• Obtain quotes and advance reviews for novel.
• Book published.
• Book signings, promotions, connections, and marketing for over two years (before and after novel is released).
• Meet Navyo Ericsen at a book signing. A musician, web designer, and film and video producer who wants to bring Buddha’s Wife to the screen.
• Work with Navyo for a year trying to find a screenwriter to write a screenplay on spec since we have no film funds. Several possible, but all fall through.
• Decide to write screenplay ourselves and change the historical setting into a contemporary story. One of my previous screenplays (Stellina Blue) was made into a film.
• Work on the screenplay for a year, with wonderful feedback and suggestions from a famous screenwriter/director.
• Workable, moving, and entertaining screenplay completed.
• Write up logline, a summary of film and treatment.
• Start approaching well-known actresses, executive producers, directors, and production companies.
• Write and develop an estimated budget.

From the book being published to presenting screenplay to others for film (so far), the Elapsed time is four years.

Presently, five well-known actresses read the script, as are four production companies/executive producers and two directors.

The challenge is to get the film financed without a name actress yet attached and vice-versa, to get a well-known actress attached without first having the picture funded.

This scene is where thousands of novelists, screenwriters, and filmmakers find themselves in, so we are not babes in the woods, but it has been an interesting situation with infinite possibilities for Buddha’s Wife to come into being as a movie.

To those in the film industry, this story will be anti-climatic and familiar. Still, I hope for those just starting or venturing to put their toe in the water. It provides a little preparation and insight into the amount of patience, persistence, and ordered chaos that can await many on the journey to bring their story to screen.