ADAPTATION OF THE NOVEL

So, this week (approx 1 year after the initial option agreement was signed) the producer and I had a meeting to discuss the first, completed draft of the screenplay. Based on this reading the production company, Neofilm, has decided to renew the option agreement for another year. The producer has not set a deadline for the next draft, but my plan is to finish version II by Christmas. That will add some pressure to the writing process and that's how I like to work.

The challenges of adaptation
Many people will say that an adaptation requires the original story to be simplified. But when a adaptation is truely good, the right word is refined. The true art of adaptation is to conserve the core and quality of the original story - and ideally enhance it.

For those of you unfamiliar with the screenplay format I'd like to point out that it rarely consists of more than 25.000 word. The avarage novel, on the other hand, rarely uses less than 60.000 words. The novel in question here, Clan of the Horses, consists of 114.000 words - and in order to succeed with an adaptation, something's gotta give...

Manuscript vs screenplay. This is were we decide which film we are going to make.

First producer meeting (October 25th 2011)
After the first meeting and read through with the producer I have four pages of hand written notes to guide me in the process of writing the next draft.
We both agree that the structure is more or less in place, and when it comes to writing screenplays the gurus of the screen trade will tell you that there are only three things that really counts in the art of writing a screenplay, namely: Structure, structure, structure.
Personally I see it differently.  A screenplay must have structure, that is beyond debate, but it also needs soul. Without soul it will only be an empty construction. It is like building an empty house. And an empty house can never be a home. You need people for that.

The notes from the producer are very valuable to me, because his eys are both professional and fresh. His overall conclusion is also important to me:

Original story, with many magnificent scenes, but the script as such is too long (reduction estimated to between 10 and 20 pages) and the relationship between the characters (the soul) must be nuanced.

The art of adjusting one's ambitions

My first ambition was to keep the book intact through the adaptation process, and I have used the better part of the last twelve months to adjust that ambition. Having worked in the film industry since 1999, I know all too well that the story from my novel will have to be told in a very different manner in order to make it work on the silver screen. We are not going to produce a book in a screen format, we are going to produce a film based on the core of the original story. This simple fact will inevitably force us to make some unpleasant choices, but in the end it will also result in a better movie.

Samples from the adaptation process
In the novel I have eight main characters. In the screenplay I have reduced them to five. Some characters are omitted, some are "blended" into the remaining characters; by taking over important lines and actions needed for the story. Other characters are extended, to help us understand the protagonist and her struggle, turning her inner monologue to visible and understandable action.

I have reduced the original story by about 70 % when it comes to amount of words, but the screenplay is still too long. The upcoming rewrite is going to hurt, in other words. There are no easy choices left, but that is also the real beauty when it comes to scriptwriting. Every single scene must be reassessed in terms of improvement or deletion. I really look forward to this part of the writing process. This is were the search for real gold begins... and where your dearest darlings get killed.

Omitted elements from the novel

When Amanda Fivel, the protagonist in Clan of the Horses, has her first riding lesson with Torgeir Rosenlund he asks her to start to notice the little things.

"What little things?" Amanda asks.

"The little things you do not notice," Torgeir Rosenlund replies.

Here are two other things Torgeir told Amanda about, that is not included in the book. To little things that are far from little from the horse's pont of view:

THE "ART" OF CONSISTENCY
Many cinicians and trainers will point out the importancy of riders being "consistent" around horses. But consistancy must not be confused with having good routines. Good routines creates a sense of safety and security for horses. Horses are designed to follow the rhythm of nature - and we owe them a ryhthm when we keep them too. But when we start talking about "consistency", there are some nuances that are easily lost - that really matters to the horse.

In this blog I will explain why the art of consistancy can be counter productive when dealing with horses. I will also argue that this way of thinking is applicable when raising children. The idea of simply deciding what's allowed and what is forbidden, and spend our time guarding the fine line between these two extremities is just not good enough, neither for horses nor children. Still, this is what people do. All the time. Here are two classic examples in riding and horse handeling.

1. IT IS FORBIDDEN TO SCRATCH YOUR HEAD WHILE WEARING A BRIDLE

(Illustrasjonsbilde fra Carterses photostream, Flickr)

When asked, people will give you many different reasons for not allowing their horse to scratch his head when the bridle is on. Wear on equipment is a common explanation. It is also a matter of safety; the horse might get intangled or hurt. Some just say it's just a rule they choose to enforce for no particular reason.

Picture: Maxillary artery and Nerve 
(Antatomy of the Horse ISBN: 3-89993-003-7)

From the horses point of view:
Wearing a noseband can be quite unpleasant for a horse, due to the anatomy of the scull, especially if the noseband is too tight or poorly adjusted.

For one, there is a hole in the horse's scull just about where the avarage noseband will add pressure. And some of the largest facial nerves have their pathway through this hole, and as you well know, nerves that are pinched, often generate discomfort or pain.

The horses teeth are also in potential conflict with the noseband. The horse's lower jaw is wider than the upper jaw, and this anatomic detail creates a sharp edge that can cause a lot of pain on the mucous membranes in the mouth. Sometimes it creates wounds invisible from the outside. You also need to be aware of how wired (full of nerves) and sensitive the whole area aroud the muzzle is.

The noseband can in other words cause both pain and dicomfort. And the degree of discomfort can often be read on the horses behaviour. If the horse is desperate to scrath his face after riding, check your gear. Sweat alone can for sure also cause an itch, but it is your responsibility as a rider to make sure the horse is not subjected to pain or discomfort due to the equipment you put on.

Word of advice:
We rarely talk about the horse's need to scratch the head after riding, but it is really worth talking about. Correcting a horse for scrathing might be a mistake, whilst adjusting the bridle, or changing it completely, might be a very good idea. If there is no discomfort connected to the bridle, horses feel no need to scratch...

2. THE HORSE MUST STAND STILL WHILE MOUNTED

This picture is gathered from a british website on riding.

Under the picture the expert list nine things to bear in mind when mounting a horse. The fact that it will be nearly impossible for this horse to maintain balance, and thus stand, isn't mentioned with a single word...

It is important that the horse stand still while you mount for safety reasons, and first and foremost because it teaches the horse to stand still when you get (or fall) off. But you should always be very carefull about correcting the horse if he moves when you mount. Expecially if you haven't made 100 % sure that it is possible for him maintain the balance he needs in order to stand still... 

From the horse's point of view:
The riders weight has a great influence on the horse's balance, as any rider well know, but the balance is never disturbed more than the moment we mount the horse. Hence, we owe it to the horse to prepair him for the weight transfer in advance. In other words, it is our responsibility as riders to make sure it is physically possible to stand still before we mount the horse. The horse needs a solid triangle to keep his balance, so the placement of the horse's feet is vital before you even concider to mount. If your body weight push the horse off balance, he will be forced to move to regain it. Now picture that you punish the horse for moving a step or two forward whilst trying to regain the balance you have disturbed through poor preparation? It is done frequently...

Word of advice:
You should always prepair you horse before you mount, by making sure the horse's body weight is equally distributed. The feet must form a solid triangel or a solid square. Using a stool is recommended, because the disruption af balance is reduced and it saves the nerves and muscles in the back and withers. Taking a deep breath and expecting the horse to stand, will also prove helpfull - for the horse.

As far as children goes, we have similar challenges; we often invent rules and enforce them without having considered wether the rules are based on something authentic that will provide meaning or if they are merely constructions made to state an example. If something is forbidden, it must mean something. It can't be forbidden just because mom or dad said so. Rules like that add no knowledge or understanding in your children's world, and thus only makes it smaller...

The true connection

An important element in the novel Clan of the Horses/Zwischen Himmel und Erde is the almost magical connection that can grow between (wo)man and horse. Our encounter with horses can also serve as a metaphore for our encounter with nature - the one we have within and the one that surrounds us. Everytime you encounter a horse you will get first hand knowledge about yourself and the state of your inner balance - if your heart and eyes are open.

The quality of the connection I am describing in the novel is rare. You are not likely to see it in the competition arena and you are not likely to see it in a traditional stable (although it happens). There are few videos you can find that will guide you to guide you. But there are videos out there that can give you a clue if you wonder what it looks like. Like this video by Klaus F. Hempfling, a horseman that has inspired me on many different levels over the last years. This footage shows the first steps.

Please note:
1. How the horse moves, with lightness, pride and freedom.
2. The subtle communication with the horse's hind legs - the dance.
3. The space between them - and how they both treasure it in a respectful way.

The Absence of Method

Many of the clinicians that are operative in the horse world today build their work on a given method, often one with a fixed idea of where to start, what to do next and sometimes also where to finish (reach the highest or final level) - as though there is an end to life besides death…

I haven't been blogging for a while now, due to writing, but this blog is long overdue and had to be written. The topic is an important part of the very foundation Clan of the Horses is built on: The absence of method.

Why we disregard methods in our philosophy

A method is always based on fixed ideas, thus making it incompatible with the true path of the horse – and the true path of your life. Over time, a method will never add anything to your life, but the feeling of being lost.

The fact that the majority of the methods in the horse world are based on dominance is not helping either. It is true that dominance is a language every mammal can understand. But we should always bear in mind that no one speaks this language more fluently than a human being with a fixed plan…

The greatest challenge we face in our encounter with methods is the fact that many of them seem to “work” - at first glance. And when we start to smell the scent of success, we often fail to take that important second glance that would disclose what we lose in the process. I could list dozens of major flaws related to the most popular methods in use today, and I will at some point, but for now I’ll stick to three important headlines:

1. Methods destroy initiative. The horse's own initiative - and yours.

Without an opening for initiative, the horse will at some point decide to leave everything up to you, because that is the only real choice at hand for a cooperating herd animal within a fixed system. Interestingly enough, a lot of trainers consider this to be a good thing. But this forced mental surrender is not only against a herd animal's inner nature, it also ruins the deeper qualities of the relationship we can experience with our horses. Real partnership and real friendship have the qualities of mutual trust, shared initiative and love. It is a myth that qualities like these can grow out of a method.

2. Methods disregard the opportunity to meet in the moment

Horses always live in the moment and if we listen to them they can teach us how. Instead of welcoming this tremendous gift in our busy lives, we tend to stick to our fixed plan. And as far as the ability to live in the moment goes, we often enough end up with e.g. expensive meditation lessons, provided by instructors with superficial techniques to aid us in our search for the same inner balance that the horse is offering us for free.

3. Dominance is not the natural language of the horse

Cooperation is. Horses are herd animals, whose primary instinct is to cooperate voluntarily and unreservedly for the greater good, knowing that a well functioning herd is the key to survival.

Horses understand dominance as a language, but they don’t use it for their own personal benefit, like humans do. A herd of horses consists of members who all have different tasks and they complete each other. The idea of a dominant leader is a human concept that over time will break the horse’s spirit. The fact that this is a pronounced goal within many methods should really cause some raising eyebrows. Who in their right mind would break the spirit of their human partner? Isn’t this the goal of a psychopath?

Running out of options will never create a free choice.