Cheryl McKay and Rene Gutteridge on Turning Books into Films into Novels

Typically, novels are written, they achieve a measure of popularity, and then a filmmaker decides to turn them into a movie. In the last couple of years, the trend has reversed itself. Several popular films have been turned into novels after the film released and created a demand for a book.

The Ultimate Gift is a merging of both of these trends. Jim Stovall penned the original book. Producers Rick Eldridge and John Shepherd turn it into a film with a screenplay written by Cheryl McKay. Then novelist Rene Gutteridge worked with author Jim Stovall to create a novelized version of the film.

Creating the Film   Novelizing a Film

The Screenwriter's Perspective   The Novelist's Point of View

Creating the Film
The original story focuses on twelve gifts (tasks, really) that a grandfather leaves his grandson. "Jim Stovall created a very heartwarming story, but to try to represent all 12 gifts in one film would be too much. Instead, I chose seven," Cheryl said. "When the final credits roll, you see a representation of all 12 gifts."

In order to make the film appealing to its target audience of women, Cheryl added feminine characters to Jim's story. "Lee Meriwether (the executor's assistant) was in the original story, and Abigail Breslin's character was in it, but only in one chapter," Cheryl said. "I also added Jason's (the lead character) girlfriend and his mother because even though the heart of the story is about a grandfather trying to help form his grandson, it still needed to connect with women."

Novelizing a Film
After the film was shot, Rene's publisher approached her about creating the novelization of the film. "I had never done that," said Rene, "But I was willing to try. I hadn't seen the film yet, so insisted that I see it first before making my final decision. I bawled my eyes out. Then I said 'yes.'

"Cheryl had done most of the hard work already. The plot, structure, and characters were all there. My job was to flesh out the story and develop the characters' internal monologues."

"She gets me!" Cheryl said about her collaborator. "Sometimes it felt like she was living inside my head." Turning a screenplay over to another writer can be a daunting prospect, but Cheryl was thrilled with the outcome and loved Rene's work.  

Rene and Cheryl actually met after the novel was finished. When she read the book, Cheryl was so pleased with the results that she knew she wanted to work with Rene on another project.

The Screenwriter's Perspective
Never the Bride is really a screenplay about Cheryl's life. "Jessie Stone is a character that’s based on me and my friendship with God, but especially my arguments with God," Cheryl says about the main character.

"When Rene decided she wanted to write the book in first person present tense, it was a tense I had never read before, so it was a little different. It was also a little scary because I wondered if she’d be able to get inside my head.

"I was amazed by how accurate she was, and how she was able to see and hear things I’d done and said. They weren’t things I had told her, but she intuitively knew," Cheryl recalled. "Honestly, it’s because I feel she was anointed by God to do the work, in the same way I feel God was anointing me when I was doing the screenplay."

The Novelist's Point of View
For Rene, it was an interesting departure from writing her own novels, and a quicker process. "Usually on a good schedule where I'm not on a really tight deadline, it (writing an original novel) takes six months. This was more like four to five months; a much faster-paced project. It worked out well for me."

But the book is still a full-length novel, and some of the mechanics of writing it are the same. "I still have to type all those words," said Rene. "Even though the brain power required isn’t as great as far as coming up with the plot and the characters, I still had to work. And to make it a full-length novel I had to add scenes.

"I poured my heart and soul into that. It was a good experience. Cheryl’s a very gracious writer in that she didn’t hold really tightly to what her original screenplay was. I’d say, 'You need to change this, you need to add this' and 95% of the time she was fine, and the 5% of the time she wasn’t, her reason was very good."

After having read the book, I can tell you that this is a great collaboration (read my review). I, along with many other readers, would love to see more books from this team. And both writers have some terrific material that will translate into great films.

Photos courtesy Cheryl McKay and Rene Gutteridge