1) Show V. Tell - The biggest Pitfall, by far, when transitioning back into screenwriting is to show and not tell. Literary work necessitates a little leeway in order to fully encapsulate a story. Where as in writing for film or television it slows everything down to a screeching halt. And that is a big NO-NO. A visual medium necessitates visual description. If you have to explain why something is the way it is, show it and do not tell it. Having painfully learned this from experience (unless you are friends with the filmmaker), should you deliver something that tells some aspect of your story that should instead be shown, you will not be hearing back from whomever you send your work to. You have wasted their time and your own. While there may be times that it may seem easier said than done, trust me, just don't do it.
2) Know your Tenses - I was fortunate enough to be asked to jump right back into screenwriting shortly after finishing the writing of a book. While I probably could have used a transitional period (time to decompress), my creative juices were flowing after having been focused on one project for two years. The first thing my writing partner realized is that I was writing in the Past Tense. D'oh! A screenplay is happening now and must be written in the Present Tense. Unless, of course, a character in the story is recounting what happened in the past. But still the action would be present tense, and only the dialogue would be in the past tense. It's an easy fix, albeit an embarrassing one. So strange to have done that. It was automatic, never having written any other script in past tense. Apparently, I had just gotten so used to writing in the past tense that it became second nature at that point. I can laugh now, because I did not submit it in that state. Thank Goodness. It did teach me a lesson though.
3) Don't Rush - That is unless you have to. Delivering on a deadline is something else all together. You possess what others want and need. No movie or TV show is ever filmed without a script. Even the bane of my existence reality TV have scripts. While most screenwriters are often subjugated to public irrelevance once a show or film is released, the written word is the foundation on which every subsequent success is built. It takes a hell of a lot of work from many people for any script to become a successful film or TV show. But a script can fail before it even has the opportunity to succeed. Just because someone asks to read your work doesn't mean you should show it to them before you are sure that it is ready. Granted, you should never contact someone about your work unless it is ready. But there is a difference between believing something is ready and something actually being ready. Do not rush to get a script to someone unless you are positive that she's absolutely ready for another's eyes.
4) Others - The Transition from writing literary works, such as a novel in my case, to writing screenplays requires a change of perspective. While writing is often a solitary act of expression in both mediums, it is even more so when writing a novel. One vs. the World. For the most part, there are far fewer filters from rough draft to available final product when writing to be read and not seen. That is a wonderful part of writing a book. Control. As a screenwriter, more than likely, you'll have to be able to surrender control of how your work will be presented and without hesitation. Unless you make it yourself, which I can attest is a hell of a thing to do. (A learning experience all screenwriters should attempt.) But even then what is shown frequently differs from what was written. That is because your work must pass from you to dozens of others, maybe even hundreds. And, if your talented and lucky enough, there will be thousands of people who will be employed because of what you took the time and effort to put into another's hands.
5) Like But Different.- When all the words are in place, and all is said and done, there is only one thing that matters: Can you sell it? It's a business after all. The country is addicted to remakes. I used to make a fuss about their prevalence, but it is no trend that can be thwarted. Remakes are a staple, as are the recycling of other ideas. "Like but different" is a mantra for success. The key is the balance struck between those similarities to work that has come before and the creative differences you deliver, which make the idea fresh and viable.
6) Easier Said than Done - As a writer you may develop a kind of Monday Morning Quarterback mentality. For me, it happens once I've hit the Send Button. It's a heightened objective sense response to the dread of someone now possessing the power of opinion over my work. Or as we all know it, Hindsight. Chemicals released in the brain around that moment that causes a sudden 20/20 clarity. Often the best ideas or most acute observations about a work can come at such times. But by then it is too late. It's a hit or miss on the grounds of what it was, and not on what it would have been or will become. Therefore, it may be best to work your way up a list of would be contacts instead of down.
7) Timing - Lastly, how your subject matter relates to what is happening in the world vastly affects the reception you will receive. What is in the ether, the zeitgeist, on the top of people's minds right now influences their decision making process. Of course great work always gets noticed, no matter if it has connections to the moment or not. But what happens should that material arrive at an inopportune moment? An opportunity may be lost.
These are a few of the possible pitfalls that you may encounter when moving from Literary work into screenwriting. I know because I have been stumbling into them for the past year. Mind the gap and enjoy the ride.
