Slicing Up a Feature Into Many Shorts…
2009 December 22
Like every other screenwriter in the world, I struggle with maintaining a dramatic story throughout an entire feature length script. I typically start off really strong, then have some “stuff” happen in the middle with maybe a few highlights, and then finish back strong again.
I’ve mentioned more than once before that I feel more confident while writing shorts, because I can imagine the entire story in my head at once. So, in an attempt to maintain my sanity and writing self-worth, with the Superhero script I’ve been completely laboring with over the last few weeks, I’m going to break it into short scripts.
For example, I’m going to chart my outline in pieces, so that when I sit down to write, my mind is only on a fifteen to twenty page story. Where does my character start and where does he end in each piece, and what’s the most dramatic and interesting way for them to get there?
It feels so much more manageable when I think about it in this way and I’m actually excited to work on this story again.
