Last edited on: May 1, 2014.
In December I received an unexpected phone call from my agent. Would I be interested in writing a novelization of a movie?
“What movie?” I asked.
“Moms’ Night Out.” I could hear the smile in her voice.
“Moms’ Night Out? Really?!” I was just a little excited. I’d seen the trailer at a recent blogger conference, and it looked really good.
Moms’ Night Out is an endearing true-to-life family comedy that celebrates the beautiful mess called parenting.
The movie stars Sarah Drew, Sean Astin, Patricia Heaton, and Trace Adkins.
It opens in theaters May 9.
It’s about mothering. It’s about the mess of mothering. It’s about friendships and relationships. It’s about life—my life.
Obstacles
Of course I wanted to work on this project but there were just a few obstacles:
- I had a non-fiction book for teen moms I needed to finish.
- Christmas.
- A family vacation to DisneyWorld.
I wanted to write the novelization, but I was worried I wouldn’t have enough time. Yet as John and I both prayed, we felt that God would make a way. We both had a sense that this was a project I had to do. So I said, “Yes.”
The Process
I fell in love with the movie the first time I saw it. It was great. Really great! Then I got to work. How?
- I began writing it by looking at the script. I compared what was similar and what was different.
- I went through the movie, and I wrote down all of the dialogue. I listened to some exchanges over and over again, just to make sure I got it right.
- After the dialogue was done, I went back and created the scenes. One thing I especially loved was going deeper with the characters and including their internal thoughts.
I felt as though I could relate to each of the main characters: a teen mom (Bridget), a busy mom with three little kids (Allyson), a pastor’s wife (Sondra).
(OK, I’m not a pastor’s wife, but I am in ministry, so I understood her need to feel as though she had to measure up to everyone’s expectations.)
I had a great experience turning a movie into a novel, and I hope I get to do it again! One of my favorite parts was going to a pre-screening and seeing the reaction of the audience as they watched the movie. It was fun seeing how much they enjoyed the story . . . just like I had!
My novel comes out April 1! I’m excited to see what readers think to! If you want a quick read that will make you laugh, I hope you’ll check it out! And the movie, too!
Do you want to read more by Tricia before you pick up Mom’s Night Out? Check out 7 Bible Study Ideas For Busy Moms
Tricia Goyer is a busy mom of six, grandmother of one, and wife to John. Somewhere around the hustle and bustle of family life, she manages to find the time to write fictional tales delighting and entertaining readers and non-fiction titles offering encouragement and hope. A USA Today bestselling author, Tricia has published thirty-three books to date and has written more than 500 articles. She is a two time Carol Award winner, as well as a Christy and ECPA Award Nominee. In 2010, she was selected as one of the Top 20 Moms to Follow on Twitter by SheKnows.com.
Click here to learn more about the gifted author Tricia Goyer
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