How to Write Your First Short Film
/As a writer, it takes a lot of courage to try something new. Not only are you facing another blank age, but you also have to deal with doing something you aren't sure will turn out right.
This means that mustering up the motivation to actually write in a new medium like screenwriting can be very difficult, even with tons of resources on how to write a screenplay as a newbie.
That's why I've created Speedy Screenwriting, my six-day email course that walks complete newbies through their very first three-page short film.
You might be thinking that three pages is nothing.
But a storyteller can do a lot with three pages.
And if you're really in a storytelling slump and can't seem to write anything, writing a screenplay – even as a prose writer – is a great way to warm up those storytelling muscles.
Often as writers, we can get plagued by the unfinished project. So in order to combat that curse, try writing your first short, simple film. It will make you think in a new way, teach you that you can write screenplays, but best of all it will help you learn how to write in a new medium – an essential trait in being a storyteller.
But what if you've already written scripts before?
Maybe you're thinking you don't need to write a short film again, which I understand. Life is short – why write a bunch of short films?
Well, just like I encourage all storytellers to write short stories, so I encourage them all to continue practicing short films. You can read more about why in my post on short stories, but in addition to the way working on short films enhances your craft, with my Speedy Screenwriting course, I approach screenwriting in a more artistic way, guiding users through the various possibilities, not constraining them to a specific paint-by-numbers approach.
So what do you say? Are you ready to start writing your first short film?
