Adapting an Original Cozy Mystery Novelette into a Screenplay

Document Type

Presentation

Publication Date

2026

Abstract

Creative writing majors on the fiction track are tasked with writing a novelette for their capstone, selecting a specific genre, and researching the historical and contemporary works already existing in that area. Students then set about to create an original story that fits within the tradition in which they have chosen to work. For an enhancement to this project I considered how I might further the cozy mystery story I am writing. I was reminded of many afternoons and evenings snuggled up on the couch with my mom and sister watching cozy murder mysteries. Having already well fulfilled the research portion with a lifetime of movie experience, I was inspired to take my novelette and adapt it into a screenplay. This alternative format  will tell the same story I tell in my novelette but in a way better suited to the screen. Challenges of this project involve how best to adapt an original piece of fiction into a format that could someday be made into a short film, which entails rethinking the way dialogue, action, and relationships are shown throughout. Utilizing proper screen writing format and style, with the assistance of a screenwriting software program, this enhancement provides yet another avenue that can be used to tell stories in a way that engages audiences differently than a traditional written work does.

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