The post was originally published on ScreenCraft’s blog on Nov. 19, 2024.

Every writer has that moment—reading a story so compelling, they think, “This needs to be brought to life on screen.” For showrunner Laura Eason, that moment came when she read Lisa Taddeo’s non-fiction masterpiece, Three Women.

The Starz series Three Women follows four women—Gia (Shailene Woodley), Lina (Betty Gilpin), Sloane (DeWanda Wise), and Maggie (Gabrielle Creevy)—as they explore their desires, intimacy, and vulnerability over several years. Eason, who pioneered the project alongside Taddeo, leads intense conversations that bring the complex narrative to life.

Eason sat down over Zoom to talk with ScreenCraft about how she brought the novel to the screen, honored the source material while making necessary changes, crafted the clever narrative structure, and kept herself and her writers motivated in the writers’ room.

How to Know When a Story Is Ready for Adaptation

Eason believes two key signs indicate a book is ready for adaptation: a personal connection to the story and moments of genuine surprise. For her, Three Women checked both boxes.

“The book and the story of these women just deeply resonated with me,” she shared. “And also, there were moments that really surprised me, and that was super exciting, too.”

Once she knew she was ready to adapt the series, Eason talked with Taddeo about how they would honor the source material while creating a TV show that would resonate with people who might not have read the book.

“That was always our guiding light in terms of honoring what the book was and pulling from it and building on it,” Eason said. “But also making sure that we were ultimately serving the TV show, which led to a lot of inventions and new things coming in that are very unique to the show.”

One of the biggest changes in the adaptation was the addition of Gia, who represents aspects of Taddeo’s foreword in the book. While Taddeo’s personal story is the inspiration behind the novel, Gia’s journey becomes the backbone of the entire show.

These types of changes are the creative decisions necessary to transform stories that seem unadaptable into something perfect for TV.

Read More: How Do I Adapt My Book Into a Screenplay?

Mastering the Multiple Narratives in Three Women

Adapting the narrative structure of a book for a script often means significant changes—especially if the source material already lacks a traditional structure. With Three Women, the book’s unconventional structure required creative solutions.

The novel interweaves the stories of its three main characters, and the TV series does the same. Things get interesting when each woman’s story receives its own space, and some narratives begin to bleed together. This intricate structure can easily overwhelm a writer unless they remain focused on why the structure exists in the first place.

For Eason and her writers’ room, the goal wasn’t to create a timeline that aligned perfectly. Instead, the characters’ journeys dictated the structure.

“We didn’t want people super detailed tracking the months, the years,” Eason explained. “So we let the character and the character arcs lead—that was most important in terms of the structure. But we also wanted to honor the uniqueness of each story, which is why some of the episodes are woven, telling all of their stories in a more thematic way.”

Sometimes, the writers decided that specific aspects of a character’s story needed more room to breathe. Luckily, with TV, Eason and her team had the flexibility to dive deeper into individual stories rather than forcing all the characters’ arcs into a single episode’s theme.

“This gave the space to really honor the specificity of their story while building an arc over the course of the season,” Eason said. “Four different stories interweaving in three or four different locations over a number of years. The goal was to hang onto the essence and the emotional truth of the characters and the book, but really make the show its own thing that lives on its own terms.”

How Laura Eason Stays Motivated—and Keeps Her Writers Inspired

Staying motivated as a writer can be challenging, especially in the face of personal or industry-wide setbacks. For Eason, motivation stems from gratitude for the opportunity to tell stories on a large scale—a perspective she brings into her daily work.

“I enter into every day with an extreme amount of gratitude and understanding of the privilege I have to be able to be a part of telling stories on this large scale,” Eason said. “And I hope that permeates into the culture that I create as a showrunner. But to me, making sure that the culture I’m creating is one that’s full of respect and support so people can really do their best work is really fundamentally important.”

Eason thrives on collaboration, especially the energy of stepping into a room and listening to the ideas pitched by her writers. Her ethos is rooted in creating an environment where everyone feels seen, heard, and supported.

“Part of the ethos of that is really making space for everyone to be seen and heard and supported, and the best idea in the room wins,” she said. “To me, true collaboration means respecting people for their skills and making space for them to bring their full artistic selves.”

Finding the balance between contributing and listening is key to success in a writers’ room. “That’s really true of success in a writer’s room—seeking that balance between contributing as richly as you can while also deeply listening to those around you,” Eason explained.

For writers in her room, Eason emphasizes that there’s no need to feel pressure to get your idea on the board. Instead, the best practice is showing up, listening, and pitching ideas you’re excited about. “Showing up and contributing is always a success,” she added, “and that’s something writers can take into their daily practice, too.”

Motivation varies, but one essential practice is carving out dedicated time to write—and using that time to truly listen to your creative instincts and refine your craft.

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With its intricate narrative structure and deeply resonant themes, Three Women is a testament to the art of adaptation. Eason, Taddeo, and their talented team have honored the source material while elevating it and delivering a compelling series that leaves a lasting impression.

The entire season of Three Women is streaming now on Starz.

Read More: What Can I Do to Impress a Showrunner?