Last year, Yulin Kuang hit the shelves with her debut rom-com How to End a Love Story. The sexy, enemies-to-lovers novel was her first book and was chosen for Reese’s Book Club, became a bestseller, and was also blurbed by the likes of romances superstars like Carley Fortune, Tessa Bailey and Beth O’Leary. But this was not her first dive into the world of romantic storytelling. Yulin Kuang is also the screenwriter in charge of the adaptations of Emily Henry’s mega-hit novels People We Meet on Vacation and Beach Read (directing the latter as well).

For so many writers featured on She Writes, the entry into TV and film starts with a book and then heads to Hollywood via adaptation. In Kuang’s case, she’s a screenwriter first. Her credits include The CW’s I Ship It and Hulu’s Dollface. With all eyes on her for two of the most anticipated book-to-screen features coming soon, we thought we’d dive into a recent interview and share her insight on the art of screenwriting, the work of adaptation and the wild storytelling journey she has been on in recent years.

In April 2024, Kuang was featured on the cover of the digital issue for our companion brand, She Reads, where we had the chance to talk to her about her debut release as well as her career in screenwriting. Below, we’ve pull a few quotes from her interview that we felt could not only encapsulated her journey, but could help fellow writers as they explore the screenwriting path.

On Working with Emily Henry to Adapt

When asked how it has been taking on the screenwriting project for People We Meet on Vacation and Beach Read, Kuang shared with She Reads how it has been getting to know Emily Henry. It’s both an endearing glimpse into the personality of a favorite author and a heart-filled reminder of the way we should want to leave everyone feeling in our professional lives as artists.

“It’s a dream come true to have a hand in shepherding these book-to-screen journeys, and it’s been such a privilege getting to know the voice behind the books everyone loves so much. Emily is everything you’d hope for in a creative partner, as a filmmaker adapting an author. She understands her characters and her audience so well, and advocates for them both with such grace. She also understands adaptation as an art form unto itself and has been so supportive as we do the dirty work of transplanting her stories into the soil of a new art medium.”

The most relevant tip all writers can take from this response is to treat screenwriting/adaptation as a completely different art form from book writing. Whether you’re considering adapting your own work or working with a screenwriter, a story’s needs on the page differs greatly from something being written for TV or film.

How does screenwriting assist in book writing?

Given that Kuang was a screenwriter first and a novelist second, we were curious to hear how screenwriting impacted her drafting process when writing How to End a Love Story.

“Screenwriting gave me an appreciation for economical storytelling. We have very little room for linguistic indulgence in screenplays: every scene should move the story forward or it doesn’t belong in the script. When people describe this book as “propulsive,” I have to credit every studio executive, producer, and editor who’s ever pointed at a scene and told me to kill that darling.”

Screenwriters seem to have a knack for slim, minimalist writing that packs a punch. Even if you aren’t working on a script or hoping to adapt, this screenwriter mentality can help in drafting and editing. Ask yourself, if this was a movie, would I want to watch this scene unfold? There is something a little more indulgent to the novel writing process, so even if you aren’t ready for Hollywood, look at the scenes or chapters in your novel and ask yourself, what would it be like to watch this?

Granted, there are things that simply work in books that won’t on TV and that’s okay too, but if you feel pace is an issue, consider this technique.

Adaptation Golden Rule

Given that her biggest projects to date are adaptations, we were curious to hear if there was any reassurances she could give as a screenwriter to Emily Henry fans as well as if she had any “golden rules” for adapting a book for the screen.

“My adaptation philosophy today would not be remotely reassuring to my past self: I believe the primary goal of a successful adaptation is not to please the book fans first, but to bring new audiences to the source material. My loyalty will always be to the screen adaptation, because the book already exists and as an artist, I’m uninterested in copyist echoes. That said, you can’t adapt something well without loving the beating heart of the source material. The compelling puzzle of adaptation is finding a way to compose a love letter that’s a work of art itself.”

This is such a beautiful, albeit challenging, sentiment from the perspective of a screenwriter. As readers, we frequently think we want a copy of the book to watch on screen. But as artists, it’s perhaps healthier to view the adaptation process as Yulin Kuang does and treat it as an entirely different entity. Surely there will always be overlap, but not holding so preciously to the original allows room for a story to grow and to find new fans.

Whether you’re interested in writing a script based on a novel you’ve developed or you’re handing off your book to a screenwriter, Yulin Kuang’s respect for the original source material and her firmness in allowing a film or television show to take the path that is best for the medium is a sharp insight to keep in mind from someone who has been on both sides of the equation.

How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang

Helen should be thrilled, she has landed a spot in the writer’s room adapting her favorite YA book series for television, but the one person who could throw her off is also there. She and Grant haven’t seen each other in over a decade, but the tragedy that binds them together forever stirs up the second they come face to face. Forced to work together, their traumatic past surfaces along with unexpected feelings in this screenwriting-centered, spicy romance.

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