Write Your Way To The Oscars

Write Your Way To The Oscars

Every writer dreams of writing a book that will be adapted for film and win awards. In this post, our blogger tells you how to write your way to the Oscars.

Whenever I watch the Oscars I imagine myself walking down the red carpet, draped in something from Valentino and shod by Jimmy Choo himself. I will of course be skinny and groomed by Gwyneth Paltrow’s personal hair and make-up team because she’ll be my brand new Hollywood BFF. But as you can imagine I might have a bit of work ahead. Besides the dieting and the befriending of Gwyneth, I need to write something Hollywood will like.

As all great procrastinators do, I convinced myself some research was needed before I could possibly put pen to paper. The results have been interesting to say the least. Genre and the year of publication have very little in common, but most of the protagonists are male and first person viewpoint is the most popular choice.

Write Your Way To The Oscars

This is a list of Oscar winners for Best Adapted Screenplay for the past 13 years. I have only looked at the winners, because we all want to win, of course. I have included all the nominations for 2013 though, because the winner hasn’t been announced yet.

Write Your Way To The Oscars

What do these Oscar-winning adaptations have in common?

So, it seems you have a better chance if you write a book in a first person masculine viewpoint. I seem to have my work cut out for me. I don’t know if I want to attempt a male protagonist, but I do enjoy the first person viewpoint.

I am eager to see what the Academy will make of The Fault in Our Stars next year as it is one of my favourite novels. Also Gillian Flynn of Gone Girl fame is reputed to be one of the most powerful women in Hollywood at the moment due to the success of her book sales and movie deals. One can dream I suppose, but before one’s dreams can come true, one must write.

Sources: Wikipedia, Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble.

Posted on: 12th February 2014
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2 thoughts on “Write Your Way To The Oscars”

  1. It’s pretty sad that only one female lead, and that was in YA category… We need more female leads.

  2. Nice article Mia, I also agreed with Morgan that we should have more females in leading role. After a biennial diversity drought in its acting classes, the Academy of film Arts and Sciences showered nominations on six African-American themed films, a minimum of ten black actors and filmmakers, Associate in Nursingd an Indian journey, Lion, to boot. The directive nominations had no women; however Barry Jenkins, a young black director, scored for movie2k Moonlight — and Ava DuVernay’s thirteenth was appointive within the Documentary Feature class, swing her in competition with i’m Not Your Negro from Raoul Peck and OJ: created In America from Ezra Edelman. The black-themed Best image nominees were Moonlight, Fences and Hidden Figures. Denzel Washington, Ruth Negga, Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris, Octavia Herbert Spencer and Viola Davis all had acting nominations. within the different classes, Moonlight’s editor Joi McMillon, Associate in Nursing African-American girl, shared a nomination with Nat Sanders. Writing nominations visited Jenkins, Tarell Alvin McCraney and August Wilson. Kimberly Steward shared a manufacturing nomination for Manchester By the ocean.

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