Adapting Story Principles

What a Tormented Screenwriter Can Teach Us About Storytelling Rules

Many years ago, I ran into Charlie Kaufman at a Whole Foods in Pasadena, California.

Not unlike his films, the encounter felt surreal. Here was the man who wrote Being John Malkovich—a wildly surreal comedy that follows a struggling puppeteer who discovers a portal into the mind of actor John Malkovich—pushing a shopping cart like the rest of us.

If you’re not familiar with Charlie Kaufman, he’s the quirky and introspective screenwriter who challenged traditional storytelling conventions. He wrote some of my favorite, and considerably most iconic, films of all time:

Adaptation, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Synecdoche, New York. The list goes on, really.

At the time, I was still a college student with creative ambitions and lofty goals of becoming a writer. And I was standing just a few feet away from the man whom I considered a creative genius. The man I deeply admired for the absurdity and surrealism he instilled in his stories. Someone I looked up to for blurring the boundaries between reality and imagination in his narratives. 

I knew I needed to seize this opportunity and tell him how much I loved his work. 

Finally mustering up the courage to go speak to him, I walked in his direction and tapped on his shoulder. As he hesitantly turned around, I immediately dove into a meandering, somewhat incoherent speech about how much his work meant to me as an aspiring writer. 

His response?

An awkward half-smile while reluctantly extending his arm to shake my hand. Then he unceremoniously walked away.

Not a single word.

But, I shouldn’t have been too surprised, given his reputation as a shy and self-effacing recluse, whom I was lucky enough to see face to face at a local grocery store.

It was a reminder that underneath the veil of mystery and eccentricity, he’s still a human being, just like me. 

Adaptation as a Lesson in Storytelling

Meeting Kaufman reminded me that even the most experimental and eccentric storytellers are grounded in their humanity (and relatability), which is what makes their work resonate so well. 

While much of Kaufman's writing defies conventional narrative frameworks, it does so while remaining deeply personal, which will always be relevant to any type of storytelling. 

Let’s take one of Kaufman’s most notable works, mentioned above: Adaptation. 

It’s a self-aware film that blurs the lines between fiction and reality.

At its core, Adaptation explores the creative struggles of storytelling. The film follows a fictionalized version of Kaufman (played by Nicolas Cage) as he wrestles with how to adapt Susan Orlean’s book, The Orchid Thief. 

Orlean’s book is known to be more observational, explorative, and thematic. Kaufman, however, wants to stay true to its tone, and avoids any typical “Hollywood” cliches and storytelling tropes.

As a result, he becomes obsessed with writing a screenplay where “nothing happens.”

He wants the adapted script to be more of a reflection of life’s messiness and complexity. But as he spirals into self-doubt, hit with the dreaded writer’s block, he caves and decides to attend Robert McKee’s seminar. 

McKee (played by Brian Cox) is regarded as a legendary screenwriting guru known for advocating conventional, but deeply effective, storytelling principles. 

In an iconic moment in the film, Kaufman stands among a group of other aspiring screenwriters at the McKee seminar and pitches his script where “nothing happens.” McKee, known for his intense personality, breaks into a fiery tirade and berates Kaufman, criticizing him for misunderstanding story and the importance of engaging the audience. 

You can watch the full scene below:

It’s a revelatory and pivotal moment for Kaufman.

“What you said shook me to the bone,” he says to McKee.

McKee’s intense speech wasn’t just a declaration of the culmination of life’s inevitable dramas.

It served as the crux of Kaufman’s internal struggle:

Being able to balance his desire to subvert storytelling norms with the need to connect with the audience on an emotional level. 

To me, Adaptation is an endlessly relevant companion to a conversation on storytelling frameworks.

It’s fine to be innovative and inventive; in fact, I’d encourage it. But to engage your intended audience, you have to apply certain timeless storytelling principles.

Adapting Timeless Storytelling Frameworks 

Whether you’re writing a screenplay or developing a brand campaign, storytelling can provide a means by which your product or service connects to your audience on a deeper level. 

Adaptation reminds us that while storytelling structures and principles are essential, what makes a story truly resonate is its emotional impact and ability to connect. This applies not only to screenwriters and novelists, but to content marketers as well.

In the next blog, we’ll examine some common storytelling frameworks and how certain brands apply them to their marketing campaigns.