Based on the Multi Prize-Winning Novel, Black Inked Pearl

Love can be a complicated emotion. While a person may want to love, they may not be ready to love. And those who want nothing more than to be loved may have the hardest time accepting that others aren’t ready. Black Ink Pearl by Ruth Finnegan explores these ideas of love and connection. Our protagonist, Kate, has been connected to a young man since her youth. He wants nothing more than to love her. She is not ready to love him in return. So begins their rift and the frantic journey to reconnect. They’ve got obstacles ahead of them, of course, thanks in part to the godly beings who observe our daily lives. The question becomes then, if Kate will ever be ready to love Christy. The question is not, ‘will she finally be ready’, but ‘will he still be waiting for her’.

This is a screenplay of the fantastic novel, Black Inked Pearl A Girl’s Quest. The synopsis at the beginning does a wonderful job clarifying the content of the novel.

Like a novel, the screenplay does a good job of conveying the emotions that the characters are supposed to be feeling. By having those few cues give context, it makes it easier to get absorbed in the passion and the panic that this story evokes. Kate is our leading lady and her emotions are powerful, if not overwhelming. There are even cues for which music is desired to accompany the scene. You may find yourself hearing some in your mind as you read along. There is a heavy reliance on the supernatural as the story nears the middle and the ending. It’s alluded to and briefly exposed in what some would consider the first act, but it comes on much thicker closer to the end.

Reading a screenplay is very different from reading a novel. Black Ink Pearl by Ruth Finnegan is based on her novel, Black Inked Pearl A Girl’s Quest so some readers may think that it is just a rehashing of the novel. While there are parts that are like that, having reviewed both pieces I can confirm that the screenplay does a better job at getting the story across. The text is not as fragmented and dream-like as it is in the novel, so the screenplay is much easier to read and digest the content. This fantastical journey is for those who are suckers for a love story.