I’ve touched on the subject of adaptations quite a few times in the past, and it’s an act I’m no stranger to either; particularly through my efforts in adapting An Absolute Mind into a screenplay and from adapting “Interview with an Aswang” from a Zoom play into a short film. But there’s this other project of mine that has had its fair share of adaptations as well; a third form of it having taken place recently.
I won’t say too much about what the story is about, but it’s one that’s been with me for a few years already. What started off as a short script for stage was then adapted into a short story, before recently taking the form of a short screenplay. Why it has taken so many forms has really been born out of frustration. The stage play version has never been produced, and despite submitting the short story version to several different outlets and publications, no one has wanted that either. But when an opportunity came along where this story would work well for, I went all in and turned it into a screenplay.
My motive is to get this story out there, regardless of what form it takes. With that mindset, it has allowed for me as a writer to really test out my skills. I’ve never written a story that has taken on as many forms as this one has, and as a result, I’ve really come to understand it better through the different lens I’ve had to take with each adaptation. Writing for stage is different than writing a short story, which in turn, is also just as different for writing for screen. I’ve had to think over how to present various moments, how to express what a character is feeling, as well as the overall intensity the story is giving off. There’s no one way of doing so across these three forms it has taken, and I have come to really respect the process of making each of these forms happen.
I know that the same can’t be said for every story ever written. Not every story is going to translate well to stage or screen, and some are just better left told for a reader to consume on their own. But when such a story is written and circumstances and opportunities open up to take it down different avenues, it’s always best to just go for it. You never know where it might lead. With this most recent adaptation of this story of mine, I’m hoping for the best.
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Lola By The Bay 