Individual Blog Post- Book 2

Hachette Book Group USA
Grand Central Publishing
1290 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10104
USA

October 8th, 2015

Dear Mr. Sparks,

I am with Paramount Studios, and we are going to be making your book, Safe Haven, into a film. In an effort to keep the book the way you intended, I was asked to contact you and run some of our newest ideas past you. Having read the book, there are some scenes that may be difficult to grasp on screen, We have some plausible ideas the capture the moment on film, but aren't exactly what the book describes, 
       
To start off, in your book, near the middle you start to switch back and forth between Kevin and Katie's points of view. This, as you may know, is difficult to do in a film. We think that it may be best to do larger sections of scenes for each perspective, rather than to continuously switch back and forth, because it is often difficult for the audience to keep up. This may concern you if you are thinking that this could forfeit the integrity of the novel, but I assure you, we will make sure that everything is as close to identical as possible to your book.
       
Secondly, the length of your book could be an issue, considering that if we filmed every minute detail then we would be filming for years. So, what I'm proposing is that we change the way that Erin/ Katie gets away from her husband. The process in which she escapes is brilliant in the book, but is too time consuming for a movie. Rather than her buying the cell phone, and slowly stealing money, maybe she could try to knock him out temporarily, possibly by using a drug or poison. Since Erin was friends with the Feldmans (the neighbors), they could help her get the drug to stop him from following her. My fellow producers were thinking of Katie making dinner for Kevin, but it being poisoned. (Just to clarify, this poison would not kill Kevin, just disable him temporarily.)

Another key point that I believe is meaningful is when Alex unexpectedly leaves his wife's bike on Katie's doorstep. Katie immediately is angered, but slowly accepts that he is just trying to benefit her, and she learns to truly appreciate the kind gesture. This happens at the start of their relationship, but shows the audience that Alex is a good guy, and very different from Kevin, who Katie had just escaped the abuse of. 
      
Finally, I believe that it is crucial for the plot to keep the scenes that Katie and Alex interact, such as when they meet, spending time at the beach, and eating dinner during their first date. All of these scenes capture the development of their relationship throughout the story. When they meet, Katie has wondered into his store. She buys a very minimal amount of things, and it becomes her normal routine. Alex finally gets up the courage to talk to her more than about bread, and Katie is reluctant at first. This is vita because it tips off Alex about her past. Their time spent at the beach with Kristen and Josh, Alex's children, is important because it demonstrates to Alex that Katie could be the mother to his children someday. It also allows Katie to realize that she can enjoy life again, and not constantly be scared of her husband. Their dinner is a turning point in the story because Katie finally opens up to Alex about her past, and it proves to Alex that Katie is in it for the long haul. The development of Katie and Alex is imperative for the understanding of the audience and the mood of the story. 
     
I hope that you will approve of these ideas so we can start filming as soon as possible. 
      
Sincerely,
     
Abby Markworth