Mar 12
13
Question; would you like to see your book turned into a TV drama?
Answer; yes, if the book was given to the master of the art of adaptation, Andrew Davies!
This extraordinarily clever writer knows exactly what it takes to make a success of screenplays. Pride and Prejudice, Middlemarch, Vanity Fair, Wives and Daughters and Tipping the Velvet are just some of his works, my own personal favourite being Tipping the Velvet. A wonderful, enthralling and brave novel, Andrew made the very best of the historical detail and brought the characters to life on screen. Along with the amazing costumes and attention to detail, the moments of visual drama are unequalled in Andrew’s hands. “Ripping bodices, heaving bosoms, breeches and cavorting in carriages – it’s all in a day’s work for Andrew Davies,” we are told and it’s the absolute truth. British television’s master of literary adaptation has us all in the palm of his hand. One thing he did say in an interview that has stuck with me and it’s something I remind myself of each day as I write. Our stories should come out of our characters, as we invest our feelings in someone for ‘the journey’ – so that we take the journey with them. And isn’t that what escapism is? Going on the adventure, riding the surf, swimming with dolphins, scaling the heights and testing our strengths. These are the outward actions of what’s really going on inside. Our feeling…emotions, these are what make up our lives. We have so many fine dramas on television and sometimes don’t realize that many of them are adaptations from novels. For any aspiring writer, there are truly great mentors in the world of TV. Andrew Davies for one. Very soon we’ll be seeing another new drama on ITV, called Titanic. This is a brand new four-part adaptation, written by Julian Fellowes to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the doomed voyage. Will this be Downton Abbey at sea? If it is, the formula must certainly work as we are hooked into the characters’ motivations as the ship hits the iceberg and begins to sink. We never tire of the jaw-dropping tensions in our British dramas. It’s thanks to our top-notch screenwriters, like Andrew Davies and Julian Fellowes who make it all possible. Not that my books would ever be good enough to be considered for a screenplay – but a girl can dream – and watch bucketfuls of TV drama at the same time!
