ADAPTATIONS
Mastery Journal Blog Post Adobe Spark Assignment Emma Kent
Creating my adaptation titled: The Gift. These four weeks have allowed me to better understand how to adapt a story from one genre to another. The chosen story for this assignment was; Gift of the Magi, by O Henry. A famous story of love and sacrifice.
These four weeks have been enlightening in ways that have made me enjoy writing script. This has not been my happy place. Before this class, I’d just finished reading the book. Another Man’s Son and I thought, wow, this would make a great screenplay, and then along comes this adaption class. The book, Another Man’s Son, by Katherine Stone, was an excellent story, and I think it would be a great screenplay if done correctly. If I can be honest, this module has genuinely been the only part of writing, as it relates to scripts, that I have enjoyed.
Our task was to create a story as it related to modern-day events. In my adaptation, I’ve tried to include elements of The Black Life’s Matter movement and Covid-19. My story, “The Gift” centers on the Youngs, who is a mixed-race, military family. James Etta is married to Dylan Young, a Major in the army. They have a son Dallas who is turning 15 Christmas day. James Etta is also pregnant with twins. Dallas and his parents learn that sacrifice can come at a price. The angels are the wise ones and are there to care for their humans. On Christmas eve, the angels and the family are both tested. “The Gift” is a story about receiving blessings big and small. A pair of Wings, a locks bag, a pair of sunglasses, and twin babies, are all part of the story that makes “The Gift” so unique.