The Killing Woods Blog Tour: Lucy Christopher on Writing the Stolen Movie Script.

The Killing Woods by Lucy Christopher || Release date: October 3rd 2013.

Emily’s dad is accused of murdering a teenage girl. Emily is sure he is innocent, but what happened that night in the woods behind their house where she used to play as a child? Determined to find out, she seeks out Damon Hillary the enigmatic boyfriend of the murdered girl. He also knows these woods. Maybe they could help each other. But he’s got secrets of his own about games that are played in the dark.

A new psychological thriller from the award-winning and bestselling author of STOLEN and FLYAWAY.

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Guest Post: Lucy Christopher on Writing the Stolen Movie Script 

Photo Credit: Rolf Marriot

I’m lucky enough to be working on the screen adaptation of my first novel, Stolen. I’m lucky enough to be working with a co-writer.  I’m especially lucky that this co-writer is my friend, Ken White. 

Writing a script is very different to writing a novel; writing a script with someone you respect is different again. I love the process.  It’s fantastic to work collaboratively and to share the same creative space; to share the burden of when things get tough and ‘stuck’; to not be battling it out alone in the lonely writer’s office.  I’ve never worked on anything creative collaboratively before; I thought I’d be pig-headed about it, and that my ideas would never possibly merge with anyone else’s.  But working with Ken is like working with the other half of my brain; I’ll start off the ideas and he’ll finish them, or it goes the other way.  It’s also wonderful to have a fresh pair of eyes – an outsider’s – analysing what Stolen means as a text, dissecting what a new audience may take from it. It’s not always the same things that I think, either!

We’ve made a few changes from the novel to the script.  I’m not going to tell you what they are though – course not – I want you to see the film!  However, I will say this: the changes we’ve made make the story ever more tense and thrilling; they increase the pace and the danger; they add depth to certain characters in ways the novel didn’t explore. We still have the camel!

What I’ve learnt most from this process is that a film is a different medium to a novel. Even though this is, technically, an adaptation of the novel Stolen, it is also something else too.  Both mediums can exist side by side, and I’m sure that audiences can take away something different from each. I’ve also learnt the joy of creative collaboration.  Would I do it again?  In a heartbeat.  Now I just need someone to buy the rights for The Killing Woods …   

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Follow Lucy on Twitter: @LucyCAuthor

Lucy is appearing at the London Film and Comic Con today where she'll be taking part in the YA Books to Film Panel. (2.30-6pm). Find out more: HERE.