Developing a Screenplay Adaptation

September 20, 2022

As the story arc of Some Adventures Outdoors (and In the Kitchen!) and Some Southern Adventures Outdoors (and In the Kitchen!) continues, a new opportunity recently appeared in mid-June when my literary consultant informed me that agents for at least two multi-media companies had expressed interest in acquiring the rights to the books to develop screenplay or teleplay treatments.  The ‘memoir’ approach of the books that chronicle my lifetime fishing and hunting in the outdoors – from the Pacific Northwest to the Southeast and beyond – seemed to them to present a possible ‘fit’ for either a documentary or a TV series.

In fact, as I wrote each book I was guided at least in part by several fishing and hunting series I had watched or was watching at the time – hence, the episodic approach.  The addition of menus that highlighted the harvests reaped during each adventure presented a new and different wrinkle, in that the other shows generally did not include any meal preparation components; and if they did, it was typically a single recipe prepared on a campfire or a grill!

As I dove into this new project, I learned that it would be necessary to develop a screenplay adaptation of each book before any serious discussions about acquiring the rights to the books would take place.  Further, the studios were adamant that the screenplay absolutely had to be prepared by a professional (union) and recognized screenwriter!  I could hear the cash register ringing in the back of my head but agreed to proceed.

As I prepared to proceed, I began writing my version of a screenplay for each episode.  What an experience that turned out to be!  Using a screenplay template from the Writer's Guild of America, I first familiarized myself to the desired approach.  A significant challenge, I quickly realized, was that the template was based on a stage play adaptation of a tragic comedy, not an outdoor adventure memoir!  The first thing I would have to do, therefore, was to try to picture in my head how each adventure would look on a screen, what dialogue (beyond that in the books) would be appropriate, and how to deal with the ‘kitchen adventure’ component of each episode.  Fortunately, a show currently running on The Outdoor Channel – Farming the Wild – gave me some great examples of the treatment I wanted for my books.

I sat down at the keyboard and got to work, and two months later I finished the adaptations for the twenty-five adventures in Some Adventures Outdoors (and In the Kitchen!), so a complete screenplay treatment upon which acquisition discussions can proceed is in hand, and I have prepared a five minute pitch for presenting the concept to various producers.

Ready on the set!  Action!