Some writing advice from Project Hail Mary’s Andy Weir | The VergeSkip to main contentThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.The VergeThe Verge logo.TechReviewsScienceEntertainmentAIPolicyHamburger Navigation ButtonThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.Hamburger Navigation ButtonNavigation DrawerThe VergeThe Verge logo.Login / Sign UpcloseCloseSearchTechExpandAmazonAppleFacebookGoogleMicrosoftSamsungBusinessSee all techReviewsExpandSmart Home ReviewsPhone ReviewsTablet ReviewsHeadphone ReviewsSee all reviewsScienceExpandSpaceEnergyEnvironmentHealthSee all scienceEntertainmentExpandTV ShowsMoviesAudioSee all entertainmentAIExpandOpenAIAnthropicSee all AIPolicyExpandAntitrustPoliticsLawSecuritySee all policyGadgetsExpandLaptopsPhonesTVsHeadphonesSpeakersWearablesSee all gadgetsVerge ShoppingExpandBuying GuidesDealsGift GuidesSee all shoppingGamingExpandXboxPlayStationNintendoSee all gamingStreamingExpandDisneyHBONetflixYouTubeCreatorsSee all streamingTransportationExpandElectric CarsAutonomous CarsRide-sharingScootersSee all transportationFeaturesVerge VideoExpandTikTokYouTubeInstagramPodcastsExpandDecoderThe VergecastVersion HistoryNewslettersArchivesStoreVerge Product UpdatesSubscribeFacebookThreadsInstagramYoutubeRSSThe VergeThe Verge logo.Some writing advice from Project Hail Mary’s Andy WeirComments DrawerCommentsLoading commentsGetting the conversation ready...EntertainmentCloseEntertainmentPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All EntertainmentReportCloseReportPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All ReportFilmCloseFilmPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All FilmSome writing advice from Project Hail Mary’s Andy WeirThe author explains why you should never approach writing a book like a movie.The author explains why you should never approach writing a book like a movie.by Andrew WebsterCloseAndrew WebsterSenior entertainment editorPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Andrew WebsterMar 23, 2026, 4:00 PM UTCLinkShareGiftAndy Weir on the set of Project Hail Mary. Image: Amazon MGM StudiosAndrew WebsterCloseAndrew WebsterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Andrew Webster is an entertainment editor covering streaming, virtual worlds, and every single Pokémon video game. Andrew joined The Verge in 2012, writing over 4,000 stories.Andy Weir has done pretty well when it comes to adaptations. His first novel, The Martian, was turned into a movie in 2015, and the Ridley Scott-directed picture earned more than $600 million at the box office. And Project Hail Mary just had a huge opening weekend that puts it on track to be one of the year’s biggest movies. However, despite that success, Weir tells me that he does his best to keep the idea of an adaptation out of his mind when he starts a new novel. “I try not to think about it at all,” he explains.The reason, according to Weir, is that the two mediums are just so different. That’s something he’s learned over the last decade, particularly when it comes to Project Hail Mary, which Weir served as a producer on. “I was intimately involved in every aspect of the production,” he explains. “I was there for the shoot, principal photography, I was involved in casting and picking directors, post-production and editing. I got to give notes on everything. The main reason that I’m a producer is because of the way that my contract is structured, but for the most part I tried to stay out of the way of the real producers who knew what they were doing.”That role gave him more insight into how films are made — on The Martian, he says, “they just gave me money and told me to go away” — but he says that his experience with both movies hasn’t changed how he approaches his writing process.Here’s how he explained it to me:When I’m writing a book — and this is advice I give to all authors — I don’t think about a movie adaptation. If you want to write a movie, write a screenplay. But if you want to write a book, write a book. And you should be focused on the reader’s experience while they’re reading your book. You shouldn’t be limiting yourself by what would make a good cinematic movie. You need to be focused on what makes a good literary book. Because there are a lot of things you can do in books that you can’t do in movies, and vice versa, so you should take advantage of your much larger canvas and the flexibility you have with the written word. Just use all of those tools rather than limiting yourself to basically writing a novelization of a movie that you have in your head.That said, there’s something about Weir’s books that, so far at least, have made for great cinematic experiences. And there’s perhaps no one more qualified to explain what they are than Drew Goddard, who was the screenwriter on both The Martian and Project Hail Mary. While Goddard told me he was “scared” about approaching the adaptation of Project Hail Mary initially because of how ambitious the story was, he also believes those bigger concepts are what makes Weir’s books work so well for film.RelatedProject Hail Mary is popcorn sci-fi at its bestWhy Project Hail Mary’s creators were ‘scared’ about making the sci-fi adaptation“He’s got these wonderful big, cinematic ideas,” Goddard says. “He has a wonderful sense of plot. For me personally, it’s the soul of his writing that really makes it transcend. It’s easy to overlook because his ideas were so big, and the hard science is so front and center, I think people think that that is the key to his success. But for me, I like that he’s writing about these deeper themes about humanity. He would say he’s not, he’s just trying to give you a good time. I don’t agree with him. I see these beautiful themes of human compassion and emotion that are in between the words that he is writing, and I feel like my job is to bring that soul out and put that soul on the screen.”And that’s what helped Goddard get over that initial fear when it came to Project Hail Mary’s script. “I knew that we have to try because I love this book so much,” he says.Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Andrew WebsterCloseAndrew WebsterSenior entertainment editorPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Andrew WebsterEntertainmentCloseEntertainmentPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All EntertainmentFilmCloseFilmPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All FilmInterviewCloseInterviewPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All InterviewReportCloseReportPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All ReportMost PopularMost PopularThe improved battery-powered Starlink Mini is hereGemini task automation is slow, clunky, and super impressiveThe new MacBook Pro is still fast as hellOnline age checks came first — a VPN crackdown could be nextConfronting the CEO of the AI company that impersonated meVideoThe Verge DailyA free daily digest of the news that matters most.Email (required)Sign UpBy submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. 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Andy Weir, the author of *Project Hail Mary*, offers a crucial distinction in his approach to writing, particularly regarding adaptations, advocating for a deliberate divergence from cinematic considerations when crafting a novel. He posits that the inherent differences between the two mediums necessitate a distinct creative strategy. Weir emphasizes that when writing a book, the primary focus should be on cultivating an immersive experience for the reader, prioritizing the nuanced elements achievable through the written word—a canvas far broader than that afforded by a film adaptation. This approach steers the author away from creating a mere “novelization of a movie,” instead encouraging the exploration of all the tools available within the literary form, allowing for greater flexibility and complexity. Weir’s experience, highlighted by his involvement in the production of *Project Hail Mary*, underscores this perspective, revealing how his initial attempts to mimic cinematic structures ultimately proved unproductive. He stresses the importance of confronting the limitations imposed by translating a visual narrative into a sequential text; the written word, he argues, possesses greater potential for intricate world-building, character development, and the conveyance of complex ideas. Specifically, Weir details his production role, admitting involvement in casting, directing decisions, and post-production editing, which led to a deeper understanding of cinematic processes. This contrasts his initial experience on *The Martian*, where he described receiving “money and told me to go away,” indicating a less integrated creative partnership. Weir’s advice to all authors is clear: when writing a book, ignore the constraints of a potential movie adaptation. This focused approach avoids limiting the author’s scope and enables the full utilization of the literary medium’s capabilities. He acknowledges that elements inherent in Weir’s books—the ambition of the ideas and the profound emotional depth—have successfully translated to the screen, as evidenced by the success of *The Martian* and *Project Hail Mary*, but crucially, he credits Drew Goddard’s contributions to bringing these underlying themes to the forefront, highlighting Goddard’s recognition of Weir's ability to articulate “big, cinematic ideas” and cultivate “deeper themes about humanity.” Ultimately, Weir’s experience suggests a deliberate rejection of a film-centric mindset when writing a book, advocating instead for a fully realized literary experience driven by the reader’s engagement.