ABSTRACT
Unlike the adapting of a novel into a screenplay, the adapter of a short story has to be more prepared to call on his imagination. In most cases, as Chayefsky stated, the process of adaptation requires the same mistakes, struggles, and imaginative processes as the writing of an original. Unless the adapter is willing to call on imagination when rewriting the material, his efforts are probably doomed to failure.
Whether one writes an original or adapts from a novel or short story, or from the stage, the problems of creating workable drama are both a challenge and an adventure. Trying to duplicate the work of the original piece only sells short your own creative potential. We all want to remain faithful to the work of another artist, but as artists ourselves we are involved in creating our own works. The adaptation of the short story isn’t meant to be a duplication of the original story. It’s meant to be the springboard for the creation of a new piece of cinematic art.
