"I never see a novel as a film while I'm writing it. Mostly because novels and films are so different, and I'm such an internal novelist"

Alice Hoffman is highlighting the distinctions in between novels and movies. She is saying that while she is composing an unique, she does not think of it as a movie. This is most likely due to the fact that books are more internal and focus on the thoughts and feelings of the characters, while films are more external and concentrate on the physical actions of the characters. Hoffman is an internal novelist, suggesting she concentrates on the internal aspects of her characters and stories. She likely believes that novels and movies are too various to be compared, which it is best to focus on the novel as a novel and the film as a movie. By doing this, she can create a story that is real to the unique and likewise real to the movie.