For a screenwriting class I'm looking for some great short stories which could be translated into film. Preferably, they wouldn't include too much internal pondering.
@chaser324: I'm looking for stories that are at least more or less set in the modern world (post 1900), preferably in an urban environment and which don't really involve huge leaps in location and/or time. I'm willing to consider any genre ;)
It's been quite a long time since I've made much effort to read short stories, but I'll see what I can dredge from the back of my mind.
My immediate thought is something by Raymond Carver, I suppose, but I think a large portion of his stories would be too internalised for you. There are a few stories which have a bit more action, - and maybe you'd relish the challenge of trying to figure out how you can convey things visually?
My second thought was that you might want to have a look at some of the short stories Haruki Murakami has written, in particular his collection "after the quake" might strike the right sort of balance. That would also add the additional challenge of having to localise the stories which might be fun, although they aren't hugely "alien" or anything.
If anything a bit more specific occurs to me I'll come back. Good luck!
I really enjoyed The Magic Barrel, which is a short story collection by Bernard Malamud. He also wrote The Fixer and The Natural, if you've had any experience with those novels. Mind you, The Natural has a much different narrative arc than the movie, so be warned if you are only familiar with the movie version. Let's just say Bernard Malamud can kind of be a bit depressing, but I found his short stories to be pretty well contained and could be made into a short film. Minimal sets, not a lot of actors, that kind of thing. I remember quite vividly the story called "The Bill" and you can find it online if you want to read it to get a feel for his work.
It's a short story about what a bunch of soldiers in Vietnam had in their pocket. Could probably get away with just having a close-up on the things, and a narrator over-the-top.
John Updike has a short story called Poker Night, which is just about a guy playing poker, thinking about how he's going to tell his wife how he's got cancer. Shouldn't be that hard to film. Can't find a link to it online, though.
@chaser324: I'm looking for stories that are at least more or less set in the modern world (post 1900), preferably in an urban environment and which don't really involve huge leaps in location and/or time. I'm willing to consider any genre ;)
Gangster Sherlock Holmes. It doesn't exist yet, but you know that it has to.
I like The Statement of Randolph Carver by HP Lovecraft. It's very short but it's great. Could be possible if you know how to do some good lighting.
There's also I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison, which you should read and then kill yourself and me too. But this is pretty much unfilmable unless you have a budget, and are gross.
That short story is totally NSFW, if anyone in your work can get close enough to see what you're reading. It's probably also one of the greatest short stories I've ever read.
There's a great article by the same guy (who also wrote Fight Club, by the way) about the amount of people who've fainted whilst hearing it read out loud. Apparently they always faint around the line: 'Corn and peanuts.'
Neil Gaiman has a lot, I particularly like one called "The Price" which can be found in Smoke and Mirrors. He has other short story collections as well but unfortunately I haven't gotten around to reading them yet.
@demmetje: Is adapting other people's stories part of the assignment? Using other artists' work as your own, even if you're turning it into a screenplay or film, isn't really a good idea. Although, there is a ton of good stuff (like many Lovecraft stories as folks mentioned above) that is in the public domain.
I've always thought that Stephen King's The Reach could make a great film/short film. Survivor Type would also be incredible. Both can be found in the Skeleton Crew collection
@joshwent: Yes, the adapting is part of the assignment. I know that is probably isn't as taxing as actually creating a new story, but the process of adaptation presents its own problems. While the Oscars probably aren't a place to actual great movies, most of the ones which are nominated for best picture are actually adaptations. This probably has more to do with the reverence that our culture still has for the art of literature, but it at least proves that adaptations can certainly work when done right. Hell, even Shakespeare's plays are more or less adaptations. That said, you're very right that using the work of another artist is complicated. At least the process of trying to adapt it will be a good lesson on how to handle this relationship.
Anything by Paul Jennings. He's an Auzzie writer that wrote humourous stories that were absurd and had a great twist at the end. The books are aimed at teens and pre-teens but totally relatable and enjoyable for adults as well.
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