I have started in on a short story and as I write it, I can actually envision it being an ongoing type of story. Possibly even something that would make a good tv series. Question is, how do you determine whether to write a normal short story or to go the route of making it a script for possible evaluation for a movie/tv show?
Well if you could see it going places and you want to write it then I think you should turn it into a script, if that's the direction it seems to be taking. It's really up to you as the writer.
Yeah, there's no set formula that says, "this should be a script" - it's not like every script ever adheres to one pattern. I wrote my latest recently-finished novel as a script first, but just for fun and all. Since I'm not a script writer, I then converted it into a novel, with little structure or dialogue change - merely wrote in the description around the edges. How you present your stories is entirely fluid and up to you. Maybe it's time to bring back the epic ballad in sitcom form? WHO KNOWS!?
I agree. It's your preference. An author really can't say if their novel/short story was meant to be a movie instead of a book or vice-versa. Some books through the years have been adapted into screenplays/scripts. Either way, if you do get published, and you're book becomes a series or movie, you'll know it was pretty darn good in the first place T
I was kinda wondering also, which type is better received, but I guess its apples and oranges sort of thing. I get the impression short story markets are a tough one to crack, but same is probably true for scripts...
Scriptwriting is much harder to break into than the short story and novel market. Also, scriptwrinting has very stringent formatting rules, and by your question, I have to doubt you are intimately aware of them. Have you written anything for publication to date?
I take it, when you say short story, you're talking about two or three thousand words. If that be the case then why not write your short story, then have a go at writing a script.
I think that to determine if your story should be a script or a short story, you yourself should decide if you really want to put the effort into it. If you decide to write the short story, then that's great. You'll write the book and that'll be the end of that. But if you decide to make a series, then you should consider the exhaustive creative effort it entails. A series is a continuous story, constantly moving forward, constantly evolving. The possibilities are pretty endless. But whatever you decide, you should always have fun. Good luck. ADDENDUM: My sister has been studying scriptwriting. If you do decide to go with a series, she would be glad to share her knowledge.
Exactly my thought. You should at least complete the first draft of your short story. That can serve as groundwork for your script if you decide to write it as a script.
i have to ditto cog's thoughts on this... and fyi, if you're in the us, you won't be able to get a proposed tv series script even looked at unless you already work in the industry or have a good track record as a screenwriter and an agent with good connections in tv... it may be a bit less impossible in the uk/commonwealth...
Why not do both write the short story and then if you think it has legs turn it into a script? If you are in the UK then it is worth getting hold of the Writers and Artists Yearbook - it has details as to where you can submit scripts. The BBC accepts scripts from new writers as do some of the independent companies.
