3-2-1 | Screenwriting Thursday - Expand & Deepen Your Story Without Padding
It surprises me how often this particular trouble pops up for writers: having a great concept, but finding that you’re falling short of the minimum 90 page marker to hit a feature.
It frequently comes from expanding concepts that were originally written as shorts.
No matter what your situation, the tips below will help you build out your story in a way that actually has substance rather than just stringing things along.
If you want the full 7 page worksheet on this exact problem, you can support this blog and grab it HERE.
Most of these tips lately have been coming from questions asked in NoonWriters!
During each session writers can submit any question they have, regarding craft, management, anything! We vote on a all Q’s submitted and I’ll answer the winner. I frequently do a bit more digging afterwards and put together a custom worksheet on the topic for the members who attended.
These worksheets are FREE for active NoonWriters!!
If you haven’t already, sign-up now to build a solid writing habit and get more pages written than you have in the last 3 years!
On with the show -
3 TIPS FROM ME
I.
DIAGNOSE THE REAL PROBLEM
A story can feel “too short” for three entirely different reasons:
A. The concept is too small.
It doesn’t generate enough conflict, escalation, or narrative consequence.
B. The structure is too flat.
Events happen, but they don’t escalate, reverse, or complicate in meaningful ways.
C. The characters are under-built.
They aren’t making choices, carrying motivation, or generating story momentum.
(The worksheet will tell you which category you’re in, then show you exactly what to do.)
II.
Test Your Concept for Natural Conflict
A strong concept generates conflict without you having to “add stuff.”
Write your concept in one sentence, then test it:
Does your premise force your protagonist into:
• A sustained problem?
• Opposing forces?
• Escalating consequences?
• A meaningful personal stake?
If not, the concept needs a bigger engine.
III.
Strengthen Other Characters’ Agendas
If every character’s only job is “support or oppose the protagonist,” the story collapses into thinness. Give side characters goals, fears, stakes, interpersonal friction, their own agendas that intersect or collide.
For your top 3 supporting characters, fill this in:
“[Character] wants ____, and the protagonist getting what they want threatens that by ____.”
Now find one moment in each act where that tension complicates or escalates the plot. This creates organic subplots that give the world dimension.
2 QUOTES FROM OTHERS
I.
Ray Bradbury, acclaimed author (and yes! Screenwriter!), perhaps best known for his novel Fahrenheit 451:
“If we listened to our intellect we'd never have a love affair. We'd never have a friendship. We'd never go in business because we'd be cynical: 'It's gonna go wrong. Or 'She's going to hurt me. Or, 'I've had a couple of bad love affairs, so therefore... Well, that's nonsense.
You're going to miss life. You've got to jump off the cliff all the time and build your wings on the way down.”
II.
Ken Robinson, International advisor on education in the arts and senior advisor to the president of the J. Paul Getty Trust. This particular quote is from his fantastic and highly recommended Ted Talk: Do Schools Kill Creativity?
"Kids will take a chance. If they don't know, they'll have a go. They're not frightened of being wrong.
Now I don't mean to say being wrong is the same thing as being creative.
What we do know is, if you're not prepared to be wrong, you will never come up with anything original."
1 QUESTION FOR YOU
What can you take off your plate this week? How can you focus your energy on what really matters to you in the long term?
