Based On: Adapting True Stories to Screenplays

Based On: Adapting True Stories to Screenplays 
(starting at $50)

You have a true story you want to adapt into a screenplay or TV series—but where do you start? In this 2-hour workshop, you’ll learn how to approach your project like an award-winning documentarian, mining every resource before shaping the dramatic narrative. We’ll ask key questions—Why this story, why now, and who needs to see it?—to clarify your objectives before writing begins. As a seasoned story consultant and screenwriter, I’ve collaborated with studios, production companies, and independent creatives on multiple film and TV projects drawn from real events, existing material, and in-depth research. Whether you’re a memoirist, journalist, director, or someone who holds the rights to a captivating true story, we’ll define your goals and identify your key characters with purpose and precision. If you’ve been carrying a story you believe deserves its moment on-screen, let’s begin bringing your vision to life with actionable steps.

Michelle is an award-winning screenwriter and story consultant with over a decade of experience adapting true stories. With an MFA in Film from NYU and an advanced diploma in creative nonfiction from Cambridge, she has worked with Academy Award–winning producers, DGA Award-winning directors, and optioned multiple screenplays to major studios and production companies. More at www.michellecutler.com.