Should I write a book or a screenplay?

First of all, if you want to be successful at writing, you need to really, really WANT to write. It is a long road which requires discipline, determination and drive. When and if you get someone to read your work they rarely give you positive feedback. You'll be told to rewrite, rip it apart, and start all over again.

So whatever you want to write, start with an outline. Know where want to go and make your words count. Find a book or screenplay that you like. That will give you a good idea of how your story can be put together.

Figure out your market. If it's a series of books, are you aiming at the teenage audience? Romance? Mystery? Same thing for movies. What genre? Each audience has a specific formula and you'll want to taylor your work to one of them.

In screenplays, one page usually equals about one minute of film. A short can be 15 to 20 pages but a feature film is 90-120 pages. Many screenplays are available on-line (like simplyscripts.com).

Screenplays are written with very definite structure where every word of dialogue and description count. But writing a good screenplay is one-tenth the work. Getting someone to buy it (then actually make the movie) will take everything you've got.

Good luck.

first two answerer I completely agree with. Sounds like you have plenty to write about, keep working on that book. You will be better prepared and itis easier to write screenplay whenever you have the opportunity and make the time for it. I am sure there are many books out there on how to get your book published. Search amazon, find the book and take it from there. If you are more than halfway done with the book, that is the time to work things out with publisher and agency. Your stories, it is your special book and angencies and publishers, they respect that philosophy and you. I dont know how many pages a screenplay should be, but that's not important. Publish the book yourself? that's too much headache> If the publisher decided to accept your story, they have editors to edit your writing, and you will see the final product for your appoval. A novel only halfway done and I stopped working on it two years ago. hard times and making a living was quite tough, and maybe was too lazy also. But you can do it. Your stories original and worth it to be in a book, follow your dream then>

You must write what you want to write. Writing isn't about what to do or how to do it. Writing comes from the heart. It is a way of describing your feelings to others. Just write what you think. If it's any good send it to a few publishers. They receive loads of manuscripts that they put on a slush pile. Everything gets read, eventually.

Don't make your first book too long. It'll cost you too much in postage to send out! Seriously!

No, it is not better to publish a book yourself. If you are a first time author you need to get a publisher. If it's no good it won't get published. If you end up paying a publisher it's no good!

When I wrote my first book I tried to get an agent. They don't even bother to reply. They are rude and arrogant. Try to ignore them. It's better if you can find a small publishing house and ask them to read your finished novel. Don't say or do anything until you have finished it.

As for copyright, that remains with you, as the author, when your book is published. If you ever get a contract read it carefully. To be honest they are not that complicated. The only difficult bit is getting one!

Good luck and enjoy your writing. The book is for you really.

You ask a lot of questions!

Write the book first. If it sells, get a professional screenwriter to write the play. Screen writing is very specialised.

Get an independent person to edit it - not your friends or family - they will tell you what they think You, not the manuscript! In fact, I'd recommend NEVER showing your ms to fam and Fr until after you've had a professional editor look at it. Prof editors cost serious money for a full edit, but less for an assessment. There are lots of terrible editors out there. Check out Preditors and Editors website before hiring one.

If you want people you've never met read your work, don't self publish. Submit your edited and polished ms to a real publisher. Again, check out P&E site before you look at publishers. Even better, submit to a literary agent (see P&E again). They will take 10-15% but it's well worth it. They take care of contracts with publishers.

Warning: There are lots of sharks in the business - take care and be well informed. Also, it is VERY VERY difficult to get a good publishing house to accept your hard work. It's more difficult than writing, believe me. It took me years to get published. Once you get the first one published, it becomes much easier.

Good luck and be prepared for disappointment :o)

Write a book that will become a screenplay. And unless you have experience I'd say go through an agency.

Write a book. Then you can use the book for the screen play. (If the book does well enough you won't even have to write the screen play, some one else will and pay you royalities.) Plus in books you can go in much greater detail.

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write a book and go through an agency