Writing Question: How can you tell if a story is best suited to be a screenplay or a novel?

I get asked this question with some frequency. Instead of blathering on with my own take on the subject, I thought it would be helpful to hear from you.

Have you ever confronted a story that you thought could work either as a screenplay or a novel? If so, how did you decide which path to take? What are some key markers you figured out to help you make that choice? And just generally, are there some key story elements that point the narrative toward one or the other format?

There are several writers who have approached me with this question in the last few months, so you’d be doing them a big favor by sharing your insights on the subject. Plus I’m genuinely interested to hear your observations as well.

See you in comments!

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