Being adapted, by Susan Minot

One day an author will write about what a wonderful experience it was having a book adapted into a Hollywood movie. But until then, here's another story of painful development - although the adaptation of Susan Minot's novel Evening seems to have turned out OK in the end, as Martyn Palmer reports for The Times.

If Susan Minot could pass on one piece of advice to any writer whose book is snapped up by Hollywood it would be short and sweet.

“I would tell them ‘let it go’,” she says. “Just stand back and enjoy the ride.” It is easier said than done. And there were times when she had to remind herself of her own counsel as her novel Evening undertook a tortuous nine-year journey to the big screen including, finally, handing over her own version of the screenplay to another author, Michael Cunningham, to rewrite.