Writing an adaptation

[Chrisp67]

Perhaps someone on here can shed some light...

I'm interested in adapting a novel for film. I've been trucking right along with it (well, three scenes, which took about eight hours, but still) but I've got to thinking about copyrights and whatnot. Do the rights to a novel need to be purchased before any adaptation can be done? Am I in fact breaking the law everytime I sit down at the computer? If not, what would be the best "next step" once I am finished? Should I attempt to locate the author and contact him? These may seem like big aspirations (writing a movie) but I feel confident about what I'm doing.

Thanks for any responses.

 

[Ashlea]

The screenwriting guide I've read heavily suggests securing the rights beforehand, not because it's a legal issue (don't think it is unless you publish, perform, share, whatever) but because you're setting yourself up for heartbreak if you are unable to secure the rights after you've spent so much work on your "baby."