On
the Guild website, an article by
Piers Beckley (from the current issue of the Guild's magazine, UK Writer) about adapting A Christmas Carol.
The first thing I did was read the story again, from beginning to end.
The second thing I did was read the story again, from beginning to end.
The third thing I did was read the story again, from beginning to end. But this time I was armed. I used a highlighter pen to mark up anything that I thought was interesting, or relevant to the story. Sometimes it was a line of dialogue, sometimes a description or a turn of phrase.
And then I did that again, too, trying to capture everything that I'd missed the first time.
Barbara Lanik as The Ghost Of Christmas Yet To Come
Barbara Lanik as The Ghost Of Christmas Yet To Come
I look forward to both Piers's article and adaptation. But can I also recommend a visit to the Dickens Museum, at 48 Doughty Street, London WC1? Dickens lived there when first married (he was out the day I called) but they also have some of the original manuscripts he used for his famous public readings. Best of all, in those days before Magic Markers, Dickens used watercolour paints to highlight the passages he wanted to stress.
ReplyDeleteGive you any ideas, Piers?
He's a clever fellow, and no mistake.
ReplyDelete