Adapting a comic novel

I was thinking of adapting a novel for screen. I think it would be an easier way to get into TV writing. Rather than risk creating something which will bomb, at least with an adaptation it already is somewhat established. The worst you can do is adapt a story badly. What does everyone else think on such an idea?

I was thinking of adapting the satirical story Heart of a Dog by Mikhail Bulgakov to the present day. Whereas Bulgakov was satirising the "ideal communist man" and Stalin when he wrote the book in 1925, I was planning to reworking it so as to satirise the Big Society and Cameron.

If you believe in the source material and you can get the rights, go for it.

As the Busman says the rights is the thing here - why not find a story out of copyright?

It's not really any better than writing your own stuff though, truth be told. Unless you are struggling finding a story to tell.

Quote: David Bussell @ October 20 2010, 3:16 PM BST

If you believe in the source material and you can get the rights, go for it.

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Well, having a quick look at copyright law in Russia and the USSR, it would appear that the maximum lenght of copyright is 70 years after the authors death. Bulgakov died in 1940 so this is his final year, but in the USSR it was 15 when he died, so I'm guessing it will be OK.

Quote: Marc P @ October 20 2010, 3:18 PM BST

As the Busman says the rights is the thing here - why not find a story out of copyright?

It's not really any better than writing your own stuff though, truth be told. Unless you are struggling finding a story to tell.

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I don't think I am having trouble. I just think it would be an easier way to get into writing. The BBC might be more willing to do an adaptation of a classic work than risk doing something totally new.

Quote: Ian Wolf @ October 20 2010, 3:22 PM BST

Well, having a quick look at copyright law in Russia and the USSR, it would appear that the maximum lenght of copyright is 70 years after the authors death. Bulgakov died in 1940 so this is his final year, but in the USSR it was 15 when he died, so I'm guessing it will be OK.

I don't think I am having trouble. I just think it would be an easier way to get into writing. The BBC might be more willing to do an adaptation of a classic work than risk doing something totally new.

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Ian in all honesty you will have more chancing of passing David Bussell through the eye of a needle than you have of the BBC giving an adaptation to an unknown writer.

Quote: Marc P @ October 20 2010, 4:03 PM BST

Ian in all honesty you will have more chancing of passing David Bussell through the eye of a needle

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I don't know, he's quite the lanky f**ker, you know...

You'd be better emailing or ringing up the Beeb and ask would they be interested. I feel sure it'd be a no as any work like this would be passed to a writer known to them.