I am currently writing a short story that I've been working on in one way or another on and off for about a year. This is because it has taken me forever to figure out that that would be a good format for it. I've never really been a short story person, I could never figure out how to get everything necessary in a small word count, but I figured I'd give it a go and so far I think it's better than any other format I've tried for it. The story started out as a novel, but I planned it out and then thought it might be better as a TV show, with the story expanded to focus on more characters and plotlines. I then decided it was a film, and then decided it was a different film with the non-expanded story I originally had. Finally, I've circled back to prose and settled on a short story, and we'll see how that is once I finish it. Sometimes when you start planning a writing project you have the format in mind first- "I want to write a novel." In fact, I think that's the case a lot of the time. But, as in my case, you might start out with an idea for a story in one format and then find that it simply doesn't work. The story itself should always inform the format. In this post I want to look at exactly what makes certain formats suit certain stories better. What's the structure?Is it one singular story, in three acts for example? Or is it episodic, with lots of smaller stories adding up to a larger one- or simply a character or situation you want to explore through several episodes? The episodic structure would suit TV (is it a miniseries with a definite end? how long will it continue for? is there an overarching story, or is it like a sitcom?), a webseries (one long story that is able to be told in smaller sections), or even a webcomic or graphic novel (they can switch from location to location easily, and be a lot more relaxed in structure than a typical film or novel). A single, contained story suits a film or novel best, or even a play. How introspective is it? How visual?This will tell you whether it needs to be something that takes place in your head, like a novel or short story, or something that needs to be seen, like a film. Often one of the big reasons that film adaptations of books aren't quite "as good" (which of course is subjective) is that books can be very introspective, and really delve into a character's head- their thoughts and feelings and perception of the world- especially if the book is in first person. In film, the only real way of doing that in a similar way is voiceover, which unless done well can feel cheesy and distracting from the rest of the film. Stories don't always have to be written in prose or poetry to be introspective, though. I think musicals do this too, just in a different way. Songs like "Electricity" from Billy Elliot and basically all the songs from The Last 5 Years give you an insight into a character's emotions that aren't possible in that same way without music and/or words. Also, think about how visual your story is- does it need a certain aesthetic or feel that can be communicated better with a visual format like film? Is the story enough to sustain your chosen format?Relating this to my own story I was talking about earlier, the reason I didn't turn it into a novel was because I didn't feel that the story I had come up with was big enough to sustain an entire novel. I tried planning it as a novel with several plotlines and perspectives (think Cloud Atlas but all the stories are in the same place at around the same time) which is where it turned into a TV show with an episode per plotline, but I think the short story format gives me more space to focus just on the core story I wanted to initially, but doesn't drag it out to be more than it needs to. So think about whether the particular story you have in mind suits a novel or short story, or a film or short film, and if it doesn't suit your initial plan either switch the format to a shorter one or try to expand the story in a way that works. Is it a parody?I'm thinking specifically of a) stories that parody a specific different story, such as the Twilight parody film Vampires Suck, and b) stories that parody or play off a specific form, such as the TV show Jane the Virgin, which is based on a telenovela and explicitly plays off the form. If you've decided to make a parody in this way it won't be too hard to decide the format- it's the format of whatever it is you're parodying. In what way do you want the audience involved?Another consideration is the level of audience involvement you want. I haven't talked much about theatre here, but the connection between the story and the audience is hugely different between film and theatre, and is something worth thinking about. Stories can also be communicated through video games, which obviously involve a high level of audience (player) participation. Do you want your audience to observe your story (film, TV etc.), participate in it (video games) or experience it vicariously (prose)?
Don't be afraid to try something new if it suits the story- never seen yourself writing a film? Give it a go anyway! Be ambitious. Obviously these are only guidelines- adaptations prove that stories can work in multiple formats if they are tweaked to fit its qualities, and there are always successful experimentations with form and structure. If you have any thoughts on this, let me know!
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"After nourishment, shelter, and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world."- Philip Pullman Archives
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