Short Story on Which THE RECORD SHOP TV Series is Based
- marthaengber
- May 19
- 2 min read
I recently heard four members of the Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television faculty talk about the skill of adapting existing material into movies or TV series, otherwise known as adaptations.
The women said at the moment, Hollywood studios are snapping up short stories with a great concept, which allows screenwriters with an springboard for creating the world, rather than having one fully developed like a novel.
And funnily enough, that’s the origin of THE RECORD SHOP, the TV series my writing team and I developed and that recently sold to a studio. When I got PLAY IT published a few years ago in James Gunn’s Ad Astra, a science fiction magazine, Carolyn R. Russell, my fellow author friend, said, “That would make a great TV series!” When I told her that sounded like fun, she jumped on board, as did our third writing partner, Tom Tolley.
Consider taking a look at the story, which is still online. And don’t worry about spoilers, because we’ve changed the story a lot. Yet we followed the advice of the four screenwriters who said the best way to adapt material is to find, and convey, that gold nugget of the original story.
What’s your favorite adaptation? I think mine is the 1962 “To Kill a Mockingbird” movie with Gregory Peck based on the Harper Lee novel of the same name. I’m a big fan of “Silo,” too, which is based on the Graham Yost book trilogy.
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SCATTERED LIGHT, a novel, sequel to WINTER LIGHT (Nov. 2025)
THE FALCON, THE WOLF AND THE HUMMINGBIRD a historical novel
BLISS ROAD, a memoir
WINTER LIGHT, a novel, in paperback and audiobook
THE WIND THIEF, a novel
GROWING GREAT CHARACTERS, a resource for writers
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