Do you have a screenplay that you want to turn into a comic? Unsure how to proceed? Sign up for this free email course and learn more.

Have you written a screenplay and sent it out to be read, only to be met with crickets?

It’s a tough feeling, isn’t it?

The reality is that only a tiny minority of screenplays will ever be turned into a film or show, a slightly larger minority will be sold or optioned, and the vast majority will simply be shredded, never to see the light of day.

Worse, the reality of decision-making has very little to do with the quality of the actual screenplay. There are too many scripts to read and too little time to do it. If a writer has heat or is a celebrity, then there’s a good chance their script will be top of the pile. Yours? May never actually be read.

While producers struggle to get through scripts, I know from personal experience that they will read comics, they will watch short films, and they will listen to podcasts (they may even read a book, if there’s a lot of buzz).

If you believe in your story and don’t want to be stuck in the slush pile, you need to think about how to make your idea stand out; having an alternate version can do that.

If your script doesn’t sell, but you know the story has resonance with people, you should think about adapting it to another format.

Consider Dark Matter (Dark Horse) by Joseph Mallozzi, Paul Mullie, Garry Brown, Ryan Hill, and Richard Starkings. This was a TV show idea that became a Dark Horse miniseries, which then became a TV show.

But you need to think carefully. Adapting your work to comics isn’t easy. Comics are a distinct art form with their own language, styling, and rules. Although you may think a comic is basically a storyboard, I can assure you this is absolutely not the case.

You need to treat the comic book medium, and the artists who define it, with respect and humility, and come to it with curiosity and acceptance that you will likely need to destroy your story in order to rebuild it.

If you can do that, then you may have a good shot at adapting your work to comics, and getting your story out into the world in a new format, whilst also making it more likely that producers will actually read it.

It’s scary, and it’s hard to know where to start, and that’s why I decided to make this short course to offer some suggestions and tips to help you.

Sign up below to access a free email course to help you adapt your screenplay.

The first lesson will be sent straight to your inbox as soon as you sign up, and the next lessons will arrive daily for four days.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

• The key differences between screenplay and comics.
• Using a famous screenplay, we’ll break down the first few beats and remix them into something that works better as a comic script.
• We’ll discuss next steps and provide guidance on how to approach your adaptation.

Interested? Enter your email below and get your first email lesson.