Wednesday, October 24, 2012

RTW: From Page to Screen...

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway’s contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered.
 
 
The topic this week is: What is it that makes some books seem ideal for a film translation?
 
 
This is an interesting topic for me because as I said in my post earlier this week I am a big supporter of books into films. This means, whenever I read a book I love, I'll frequently say "holy moly, that would make a GREAT movie."

So I have a few books I've read over the past year or so that I would really love to see put on the big screen, some are in the YA genre, and some are more adult novels. 

So, here's my list!

The first one was Divergent. When I was reading the book I couldn't stop saying how much I loved it and how great it would be on the screen. After I finished the novel, as I do when I finish a story I love, I googled everything about it and read Veronica Roth's blog in it's entirety. It was there that I discovered that the film rights had been sold and there was a very good chance of the film being made in the near future. (For those up with the play, it's now really moving along- there's a director and the actress who may play Tris is in final negotiations.)

For those who don't know Divergent, it's about a young girl, Tris, who's dystopian Chicago society is divided into five factions. Each faction is dedicated to a particular virtue of which the factions members must devote their life to. One each member of society reaches the age of 16 they must decide whether to remain with the faction they have grown up with, or choose another faction all together.

The second one I could imagine being made into a film is Hourglass by Myra McEntire. Again, this is actually another (amazing) book which has had the film rights sold (to Twentieth Century Fox of all places!) I guess I wasn't the only one who thought this novel would translate beautifully into film!

 Hourglass is a time travel based book which follows a 17-year-old girl who can see 'rip's'. That is, apparitions of people from the past appearing right in front of her in the current day. Naturally she thinks she's going crazy, but it turns out there's a lot more to it that she could possibly imagine. Things that could change her present, future....even her past... in extremely terrifying ways.

The third is Skylark. While I wasn't wild about the writing of this book, I really liked the premise and I'm convinced that it could work really well on screen. I can even imagine all the scenes so clearly and I know it'd be very do-able so that'd be cool!

Skylark is a novel I read primarily because part of the premise was very similar to my WIP at the time. Turns out, of course, that the actual story of Skylark was so incredibly different from my story than you could ever imagine. Once I started reading, I wanted to know more. It follows a young girl, Lark, who has never been outside her domed city. The city's dome is powered by the magic (or resource) harvested by the children of the dome. Once you're harvested you become an adult. Lark has been waiting for years to finally be chosen for harvesting, however once it's her turn, the last thing she imagined was to become the city's power supply rather than just another citizen of the city. Consequently she then has to plan an escape and discover the horrors of life outside the dome. This story was full of twists and turns I never expected, so I'd really love to see it on the big screen!

Although it's an old book, I'd really love to see The Giver made into a film as well, and maybe its sequels could be included in there somehow! That could be awesome! The Giver is, of course, one of the classic dystopian novels about a young boy who is content with his plain, black and white life. It is only when he is given his life assignment as the Receiver of Memory that he begins to understand his world isn't quite what it seems and there are some dark and complex secrets right underneath the surface.

Aside from solid YA novels ...

I've talked about this book time and time again, but really, I love it so much. The Tea Rose. Although this book is so hefty it might be better as a mini-series. Oh, how I would love to see this on the screen! I'd love to be the one to put this on the screen! I have all the plans in my head, if only I could make it a reality!
 Read my review on The Tea Rose here.

Another would be 'A Grown Up Kind of Pretty' which is a relatively new book this year. It's not the typical book I read, but something about the cover and the premise made me pick it up and read it. Of course it hooked me in. I think it could translate quite well to the screen.

A Grown Up Kind of Pretty is a saga about three generations of women. Fifteen year old Mosey is terrified she's going to wind up pregnant at fifteen just like her mother and grandmother before her. Mosey's world is turned upside down when a small grave is unearthed in the backyard. Liza, Mosey's stroke-ravaged mother is haunted by her past and the choices she made as a teenager; and Jenny - or Big - Mosey's kind-hearted and strong grandmother who's love binds the women together and who will stop at nothing to defend the family's future.

There are so many more I could list. Any book I truly love I can typically imagine turning into a film, but at the moment these are my top picks! That's not to say that if they're made into films, they'll do the book justice. In my head I can see exactly how each of these books could be made into films, yet your ideas are probably very different from mine which is exactly why so many people are disappointed in seeing their favourite books made into films. As I said in my last post, I just accept it and enjoy it for what it is. I find it the best way to go!

What books do you think would translate well into film?

22 comments:

  1. I also just read about the Divergent movie casting--I think the top contender is an actress from Pretty Little Liars. She'll have the YA book to TV/film market cornered! I haven't read Hourglass but I've been meaning to.

    I was just thinking one of Meg Cabot's series might be fun to see a movie or a TV show of: the Heather Wells books "Size 12 Isn't Fat" etc. She's a former teen pop star going to college for the first time in her late 20s and working in a dorm--and she solves mysteries!

    Here's mine A Girl and her Diary

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    1. I love Pretty Little Liars! Haha! Nah the girl who is in final negotiations is Shailene Woodley from The Secret Life of the American Teenager and The Descendents. I'm undecided how I feel about that... will guess i'll just have to wait and see!

      You should definitely read hourglass!

      Ooh I haven't read Size 12 Isn't Fat but it sounds really interesting!

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  2. It's true, I alway WANT to see my favorite books turned into films, and always HOPE they can make them great!

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    1. Hear hear! I feel if someone is going to make a book into a film then they should really love the book in its original form to start with. If they don't love it, and aren't passionate about the story then there is a high chance they'll screw it up!

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  3. I'm sure Divergent will make an amazing film. Skylark is on my TBR list, sounds very good.

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    1. I'm sure it will too. It'll be interesting to see how they portray everything. Oh yes, you should read Skylark. It took me a while to get into the swing of it, but it's one of those books I can't shake from my mind. Very different to other things I've read.

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  4. I didn't know Divergent was so far along in the planning. That is exciting!

    Having my favorite books turned into movies is exciting, to share the love with a larger audience, but it also makes me a little nervous that it won't work out well...cheapening my love:)

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    1. It's all very new - just been announced in the past week! Very exciting!

      I agree, it's nice to share the love with a larger audience, but I agree, sometimes it is very nerve racking in case it won't work out. Sometimes it also definitely cheapens the story, in my opinion. Especially when the movie explodes into teen pop culture

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  5. As I mention on my blog, I think the LEVIATHAN trilogy would make a great Pixar movie--that style of animation would work very well for this series (based on Keith Thompson's illustrations, of course!). And above all, it's a great story, with a rich cast of memorable characters.

    I, too, am looking forward to seeing what Hollywood does with DIVERGENT. The story lends itself so well to movie adaptation.

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    1. OH MY GOSH! You're so right, that would be AMAZING. And I love Pixar, I trust them completely but I think they're quite staunch on doing original work stuff aren't they? They'd do a great job though!

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  6. I can't wait for DIVERGENT to come out in theatres, though I'm so scared it won't be like I imagined it in my head. I think this is the case for so many books to movies. Mostly I have to go in with lowered expectations so that I'm not disappointed. I can honestly say that most adaptations that I've seen have been pretty good. They're never 100% spot on, but sometimes that just isn't possible.

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    1. Agreed! I generally just try to take it as it is. To go in with an open mind and just enjoy it. It's hard if it's a book I really love and am really passionate about though.

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  7. I'm so excited for the Divergent movie! Also, I'd go see THE GIVER if they made it into a movie. It's been one of my favorite books since middle school.

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    1. Absolutely! It'd be interesting to see how they'd do that one I reckon

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  8. Hourglass would be a fun one to turn into a movie! I was sort of meh on it, but it has cute boys, soooo...

    I haven't read Skylark yet, but it sounds really interesting. I'll have to read that one!

    I really want The Scorpio Races turned into a movie. That and Throne of Glass. Those would both be really cool on the big screen, I think.

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    1. Oh yeah, Throne of Glass for sure! I love Hourglass, I think it would be really interesting to see done on film so hope that one goes through!

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  9. I don't think it'd ever happen, but I think it'd be fun to see a Miss Peregrine's adaptation, if only for the wartime sets.

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  10. I just finished 'Smoke and Bone', which could be crazy-cool as a movie. And I would love to see a 'Giver' adaptation, too, but that wouldn't end up being a children's movie. It's much 'quieter' than most books out now, but in a good way.

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    1. Smoke and Bone is on my TBR list! I agree, the Giver is definitely a much quieter book... I reckon they could do a lot with it on film. Make it a little more sinister maybe...

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  11. These all sound like they would make great movies! I have to agree on The Giver. I'm planning on reading that one to my son and would love to see a movie interpretation of it. I'm of the mind that movies are great educational resources. As far as other books I'd like to see made into films, Daughter of Smoke and Bone and The Night Circus would be at the top of my list. I'd also love to see the MYST books (as in the books by the guys who created the video games) made into movies. Really there are just too many to list!

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    1. Oh my mister bought The Night Circus last night! Looks really good, I'm definitely going to read it at some point! There are so many books that would make great films huh!

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