Over the past few months, I’ve taken on the challenge of writing an adaptation of the classic novel “Don Quixote”. Even though I’ve had experience writing books in the past, I had never written an adaptation before this one. To learn more about the world of adaptations, I reached out to Michael Wright, an expert in writing novels and creating adaptations of classic plays. In this meeting, I learned the rules and purpose of adaptations.
To start off, I asked “What are the main components of creating an adaptation?”. The first answer I received was the most important. Michael said, “Always respect the original material”. No matter what you write or create, it won’t be considered an adaptation if it doesn’t have some similarities to the original. The next thing he mentioned was “Add your own sense of style”. If there was one thing Michael wanted me to remember, it was to have fun with whatever you’re writing. After all, it wouldn’t be an adaptation without your own sense of style. He ended the questions by giving me some advice. He said that you can take two roads- read the original and take notes on the images, or read the original and not take notes. It doesn’t matter what road you take as long as you grasp the main idea of what you’re adapting.
We then talked about the important factors I needed to know before writing my book- mainly, my purpose. “What is the purpose of my adaptation?” is the question he wanted me to think about. Michael mentioned that before writing, I have to know my audience well. He said that my book should be like a conversation between the book and the reader. This led to follow-up questions like ‘Do I know my audience?’ and ‘How do I make it appealing to them?’
Michael gave me a lot to think about. He asked questions about my purpose and audience that I had never thought of. He gave me excellent advice and explanations about adaptations. Now, after finishing my first manuscript, I can say his advice was very useful. I am so grateful that I was able to sit down and talk with him.
To learn more about Michael Wright and his career, visit his website:
The Learning Repository 