Choosing to write in not one medium, but several, can open the creative storyteller up to new opportunities and unique ideas. Some stories only work in one medium, while others have the opportunity to thrive all the more because of a multi-media approach. A film that’s turned into a play, a video game, and given spin off TV shows, has the chance to grow it’s fan base and experience an exponential growth. Conversely, a niche idea, which would fail as a play or a film, could thrive as a short film, becoming memorable for it’s very strangeness.
Fiction writers have more mediums than ever to experiment with. In my last post, I discussed 6 creative types of writing one could do. If you’re interested, you should read the first part. In this post, I’ll be sharing 5 more types of creative writing one can experiment with.
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1) Plays
Plays can be similar to films in structure. However, plays tend to have several key differences: casts are often much smaller; locations tend to be less complicated, with many plays taking place in only one; and each is more actor oriented, including details on characters for actors to consult, and in depth stage directions on lighting, mood, actor positions, music, and so on.
There are different types of plays. There are dramatic plays, which feature everything from Shakespeare to Tennessee Williams. On the other side of the equation, there are musicals, which include the likes of Wicked and even Shrek the Musical.
Plays, unlike films, also have to rely on practical effects, though these, like their digital counterparts, are improving all the time. Whatever your opinion of it’s plot, everyone who went to see The Cursed Child agreed that it’s effects were fantastic, with actors actually dodging spells on the stage.
For those with smaller budgets, the very suspension of disbelief required by the audience gives creators some wiggle room. Projecting your phone’s light on to the stage, with a blue piece of tissue paper in front of it, and an actor waving paper to create seaweed like shadows, can take your story where it needs to be.
Plays by their very nature are experimental, and can be enjoyable for those who love telling three hour stories, or who don’t have the grandiose budgets needed to make their dream film.
Like other mediums I’ve mentioned, plays can also have an interesting relationship with other storytelling types. Those popular novels not converted into films can become plays, with Wicked being a prime example. Musical films, like The Wizard of Oz or the The Little Mermaid, can be sent to the stage after debuting on the big screen. Even non-musical films, like Heathers, can be sent to the stage, and conversely plays that started their lives on stage, such as Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, can be turned into films. This makes plays all the more fun for those looking to dabble in multiple mediums. Even if you don’t have the budget for a feature film, putting up a popular play, and building a fan base around it, could be one way to build the funds and the fans you will need to take it to the screen.
2) Television
Television is another form of screenwriting, but one which is nevertheless distinct from feature films. Primary differences include having more in depth sub plots, expanded casts, a deeper emphasis on characters and their relationships, and more creative control for the writers than the director.
Like feature films, they still require expensive equipment, casting directors, costumes, special affects, music, and everything else that makes features so expensive. Many television shows also exist to supplement actual films, such as in the case of Star Wars or the Marvel shows. More television shows are starting to adopt a cinematic feel, just as some films, like the MCU movies, are starting to act more like shows, with large casts and lengthy story lines.
Films emphasize their directors, while television series emphasize their writers. That said, for new screenwriters, television presents a higher entry bar. Anyone can pick up a camera and make a movie.
Only a privileged few will be admitted into a writer’s room, and given license to write whole episodes and collaborate to craft season arcs. Being a television writer is also highly stressful.
For those looking to tell the story they want, on their time, starting as a television writer isn’t the best route. That said, dabbling in writing TV pilots or episodes can give a writer the experience to craft a spec script.
A spec script is essentially a piece of well written fan fiction for a television show that is already on the air. A writer who dreams of writing for TV can get their foot in the door by writing an episode for anything from The Walking Dead to CSI. However, it’s important to note that these stories will never be made. Instead, spec scripts act as a resume, or a portfolio, for writers to get their foot in the door, and, ideally, writing for a show in the genre they’re best at. Spec scripts demonstrate you can look at a show from the outside, and understand it’s characters and world enough to write in it without creating inconsistencies. More importantly, they show you can write!
For those who like the idea of television, but don’t see themselves in a prestigious writing room, there is another medium.
3) Web Series
Web series are to television shows what web serials and self published novels are to mainstream books. They’re funded entirely by the creator, are led by the writers, and are usually shared on platforms like YouTube for people to watch. Like web serials, web series can give creators a direct line to their audience. People can leave comments on episodes, and writers can share vlogs detailing the filming process.
A web series can be as expensive or as cheap as a creator wants to make it; they can be highly polished productions, or feature three minute clips that were filmed on an iPhone. They can be more unique than a TV series, because a writer can do whatever they want. Creators have full creative control over the story, the episode lengths, the number of seasons, and so on, with the only limit being, like with other film mediums, the budget.
What’s more, those web series which build up enough hype or a large enough fan base may even be picked up by one of the official studios. Hazbin Hotel is an example of a series which started out as a web series, only to be picked up by A24 studios—the studio behind many major films, including Lady Bird, Moonlight, and Midsommar. For those who hope to write in TV someday, starting a web series could be one route. Other web series even went on to be picked up by studios like HBO, though writers who are picked up give up some creative freedoms, and will be expected to edit their work to fit within the frame of whatever that studio usually presents.
4) Video Games
An often overlooked genre for writers, video games are becoming increasingly narrative based. Triple A titles, such as Dragon Age, while featuring the usual fights, bosses, loot collecting, and magic systems, also feature enjoyable plots, interesting villains, and beloved characters. Dragon Age puts a particular emphasis on the personalities of the player’s team mates, and on the relationships the player forms with them. Each has their own motives, their own culture, their own history, and their own opinions about what’s happening around them.
Before Dragon Age, games like Fire Emblem featured characters people could root for. Different characters could have conversations with one another, developing rivalries or friendships.
For those who aren’t into the typical RPG set up, there are even video games tailored around their narratives. The story is their central focus, almost in a sense their only focus, and the traditional video game mechanics take a back seat to the story elements. Examples of narrative oriented games include the celebrated Life is Strange and the beautifully written What Remains of Edith Finch. Though the former features some measure of choice for the player, the latter’s story is somewhat linear. You can explore the plot in your own way, but ultimately you will experience the story the developer wants you to. In this sense, playing What Remains of Edith Finch is like watching a movie, except you can pause it when you want to and watch it at your own pace.
Some programming knowledge would be required, but for writers who are also passionate gamers, this is an avenue which allows for the blending of their two interests. It also offers something for casual gamers, or for longtime gamers who want to sit back a little and enjoy a story that’s detailed, but more interactive than a TV show.
5) Short Films
In this post, I’ve discussed feature films, television shows, and web series. Short films are the least effective way to earn money in the long run of a writer’s career. However, they are an important stepping stone for those looking to enter the world of film. For those dreaming of writing a feature film, short films can be seen as a form of training. They are to feature films what tricycles are to bikes. They offer a mini glimpse into what creating a feature film entails, as they require you to go through the same steps: you must hire actors, purchase props and costumes, acquire the necessary permits, and figure out how to pay your crew. You will need to scout for locations, find a director and a producer who are excited about your project, and pitch your project to others.
Short films are literally mini movies, and creating a few will give you an idea of what to expect when you go to make a feature. If someone comes away hating the process, it’s better to find that out during a short film. While short films can still take months, even a couple years, to make, a feature film could take even longer, and be stressful for beginners. Nobody wants to find out halfway through a six year project that they can’t handle the stress, or that they hate the work involved.
Even if you love your first feature film, lacking the experience gained from a handful of short films will cause you to stumble more than necessary. If you’re learning how to budget a film, it’s better to go through the process of trying to raise $5000, rather than $50,000, on your first go.
Finally, short films can be more, for lack of a better word, quirky. Even the weirdest features have to follow some conventions. A short film can be a 5 minute slide show of black and white photos with narration running over them. A short film can be an animated charcoal drawing featuring existential angst as it’s primary theme. A short film can be a person talking to the camera for 12 minutes. A short film can be whatever the writer wants it to be, allowing film makers to bend rules. Do you want it in black and white, with only the colour blue appearing? Go ahead! Do you want it to be entirely silent? That’s an option. Do you want to tell a story without dialogue, or with music as the only sound? It’s possible!
Some ideas would never work as features, but can translate beautifully to short films for writers with specific visions. When something is 12 minutes, people are much more open minded towards it. Most won’t sit through a silent film that’s 120 minutes, but one which is 10 minutes can intrigue people, and demonstrate the writer’s ability to think outside the box.
On a practical note, short films are a “calling card,” a demo of what a creator can do. Having a handful of decent short films is like having a living resume; when looking to create something bigger, they can do the talking for you.
In Conclusion
Some mediums open doors to others, while others still are relatively new. Plays continue to have a relationship with other types of stories, such as novels or film, while an interest in web series can open a writer up to a career in television down the road.
Whatever a writer prefers, it’s important to experiment with varying types of writing, since one often leads to the other. Even video games can be converted into television shows—Castlevania is now one of Netflix’s top performers. By dabbling in different mediums, writers open themselves up to a wider world of storytelling, and can push growth even within their favoured type.