Adapted from...?

[BustedStuff]

So I wrote a screenplay, mostly for writings sake, based on something I stumbled upon on the web. It was a forum posting and was presented as the true first person account of a heroin dealer in NYC about 5 pages long. As it involved criminal activities (drugs and murder) the post was anonymous.

In any event, I wrote a feature length screenplay roughly based on the post for practice, but in the end, i really like the screenplay more than i thought i would. Obviously I added a ton of things, changed a ton of others so now the script is really it's own animal.

I have no way of finding the person who wrote it, and if it is all true, as presented, he would never want to be known.

Can I show this script or do anything with it, or does it just get filed away?

Thanks for any opinions...

 

[maralyn]

I wouldn't use it. I'd be inclined to think it had some bad karma exploitational "not yours" sensationalism vibe.

Maybe try to imagine how you would feel if it were your brother or sister who had been murdered. Would you want someone to use it?

 

[Inglorious Fiction]

Could be worth a shot man, you may however need to get into contact with a copyright lawyer or someone similar, just in case.

Because who knows, this could be the next "Underbelly" (an Australian crime drama based on the gang wars) of screenplays! And well you wouldn't want that to go to waste, would you?

 

[CamVader]

As long as you fully disclose your story is based on anonymous writings from the internet and state that all persons and events are fictional in your adaptation, I think you are clear. Just make sure they are fictional based on events with different locations.