There is no right answer, it depends on the individual.

As Mike said it is easier to get feedback on shorts, features require a considerable sacrifice of time to read all the way through particularly if it is a problematic script.

Writing shorts will develop your ability to write in the correct format, which is important and will also help to develop your ability to think visually.

The vast majority of writers and scripts I come across don't write film scripts, they write stories masquerading as scripts or write streams of consciousness overlaying some images.

If you genuinely want to be a screenwriter I would personally set yourself the task of writing a silent film. Think of a story and tell it only with images. Once you get to a point where you can tell a 20 minute or so story that has depth of charcater without even using a single line of dialogue, then you can be confident of writing a "proper" film script.

For a briliant example check out this film:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0210308/

The Storekepper by Gavin Hood. You can find the film on the extras in the Tsotsi DVD.

One thing that writing shorts can't do is prepare you for the task of structuring a feature, read screenwriting books and study film scripts and the films themselves to learn to do this, although bear in mind that in film every rule can be broken, they're not set in stone.

Also analyse exactly what you think is going wrong with your script and tell us. At the moment you are being very vague. The problems are probably easily correctable if you sit back and plan the film properly.

My final bit of advice would be to tell you to relax. You can't ruin a film idea by writing a bad script. It's just a first draft. Writing is really re-writing. You finish a draft and then leave it for two weeks or longer. Read it with a fresh pair of eyes and then note down what's wrong with it and then write a new draft.

Cheers, Rick.

I have a problem with writing features. I always set out to write one, but i become bored with it and it turn it into a short. Writing shorts has definetly helped me improve as a writer, though.

If you write a good detailed treatment you should have very few problems. On shorts or features.

My treatments usually last 9 pages of the basic plot and babble but the good kind. I never post treatments because sometimes they only make sense to me but they work really well for writing.

I started out trying to write features.

My first failure turned out a measly 45 pages.  My second turned out at around 112 pages, but I had to create pointless scenes to fill in gaps.  Not good...

Personally, if you are a complete beginner, then I would start with shorts and learn to tell a story.  After that, you can be ready to move on to bigger and better things.

But like Wes said, a treatment can work wonders.

Well, I've decided to start with trying to write shorts, so I can get some practice just writing different types and maybe have the formatting and proper usage down through people going over what I'm doing write and wrong initially.

Therefore my first short is a working title called Sweet Salvation, which from what I have come up with for a logline thusfar could very well get rewritten later into a feature (which is what I hope to do with some of these shorts).

Here's what I have so far:

An 18 year old man is struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts, but the thought of suicide just seems too final and scares him to the point he stops when he nearly attempts to do it.  Instead, he acts like nothing is wrong and goes out to parties with his friends and gets trashed.  Therefore, he has a reputation of being the life of the party.  All of this changes when he meets her...

I have a few scenes thought out, and I wrote the first few lines of one the other night, but I was hoping maybe for some advice and some ideas as to how to make this fit well within the confines of a short without making it go too long and turn into a feature.

Hey Matt,

First of all, go through the "Short" section here and see how other writers structure their scripts.

After reading you logline it seems that you're gonna need scenes that show the following:

- Why he is despressed
- How it affects him
- The suicide attempt (especially why he doesn't go through with it)
- Him keeping up appearances
- Him partying with his friends
- Him meeting her
- How she changes his life (for better or for worse)

To me it does seem like a whole lotta ground to cover in a short. I wouldn't fixate on it being a short from the get go if I was you. Just write. You can (and should) do a rewrite later on in the process, there you can always trim the fat or add more substance.

Anyway, good luck with it.

Cheers
Rob

The best advice I can give you is: Do NOT write a feature concept as a short, unless you know your structure. People tend to do this, and often the result is very uneven. The only good one I can think of right now is Martin's Placebo.

Your story does not sound like a short. It sounds like a character driven feature.

I would work on your logline too if I were you. The one right now doesn't really entice, because I have no idea what the conflict of the story is. You have an internal conflict in his depression, but we need an external one as well. Is it about winning the girl? Some people might go: "great, another introspective teenage suicide story..." from that logline. I have no idea if that's accurate, but you should be able to convince people that your story is DIFFERENT in the logline.

But good luck. The first one is always the hardest.You learn from your mistakes.

Hey everyone, I have been stalling on a script for quite sometime now and I cannot figure out how to turn a simple idea into an original script. Bascially I just dont have the inspiration nor the motive to begin... but, I would really like to write this story. What do you guys do in these situations? In advance, thanks for all help provided.

Inspiration is a funny thing to find. I've had a lot of success with scotch. Lots and lots of scotch.  


Matt.

Finally found my old account lol, and I dont think Scotch would be of any use to me. I only drink tea, water, juice and soda =0 lol

Quoted from jstarbob Hey everyone, I have been stalling on a script for quite sometime now and I cannot figure out how to turn a simple idea into an original script. Bascially I just dont have the inspiration nor the motive to begin... but, I would really like to write this story. What do you guys do in these situations? In advance, thanks for all help provided.

eliminate your contradictions, then you'll be able to move on.

Like what do you mean? I dont think contradictions are a big part of it, its just that I have this idea.... but nothing to back it up. More like an image or a thought I developed. A picture that kind of sums up the story.

Quoted from jstrbb Like what do you mean? I dont think contradictions are a big part of it, its just that I have this idea.... but nothing to back it up. More like an image or a thought I developed. A picture that kind of sums up the story.

you said you don't have inspiration or motive, but you want to write it.

that is contradictory, at least to me.

when you start WRITING, stuff usually begins to flow.

Oh ok I get it.... I think the thing I meant to convey... is that Im lazy to getting to the story. The idea is there. lol Sorry for the confusion.

Quoted from jstrbb Oh ok I get it.... I think the thing I meant to convey... is that Im lazy to getting to the story. The idea is there. lol Sorry for the confusion.

LMAO! you're still making my point. get unlazy.