Screenwriting : Mediums by Banafsheh Esmailzadeh

Hi Banafsheh Esmailzadeh I write both fiction and scripts. The great thing about scriptwriting is there are so many resources available to assist you. This site alone contains more resources and sheer wisdom than you'll ever be able to exhaust. On the other hand, the market for scripts is in reality tiny and animation is also relatively expensive, reducing the chances of your idea being made. The flip side is that comics can be published far more easily, either through a publisher or even just by yourself, but it'll be a lonelier road.

My current approach is to develop and polish my stories using all the resources available to screenwriters. I hope to get some made. I may produce smaller budget ones myself. But I also know that at any point I can convert one of them to fiction and offer it to the world in that format.

Hi, Banafsheh Esmailzadeh. I don't really have a process except I usually make all of my scripts features or shorts. If the idea has a lot of story, I might turn it into a TV series.

Thank you John Clive Carter that is all quite true. I'm still barely a year into screenwriting and I'm learning so much, and watching YouTube videos about traditional animation in particular really elevated my respect for the craft. This story is a side story to my on-hiatus novel Seed and I would like for it to be more visual, was even thinking of making it an illustrated novella, so not quite a comic. Either way it won't be out there for a while ^^;

Right now though I'm learning what I can do to get Marisol and Mezzaluna produced first, since Finding Elpis still needs a polish as well as its sequel written. I will make good use of the resources here :)

Maurice Vaughan That makes perfect sense. I have another life's work series that as a whole would fit wonderfully into a TV series though I might have to have at least one other person help me write it as one (yay for big cast and each member of it having unique and interconnected storylines!).

My process at least generally seems to be how much I want to get into my characters' heads. The more directly psychologically involved medium for me is novels, since it's the easiest setup. Writing novels takes up a lot of creative energy, though, hence the ongoing hiatus...

Dan Guardino Nice! Good luck~

Writing a TV series is a big task, so teaming up with a writer(s) is a great idea, Banafsheh Esmailzadeh. If you decide to do that, I suggest posting an ad on the Job Board (www.stage32.com/find-jobs).

“My process at least generally seems to be how much I want to get into my characters' heads. The more directly psychologically involved medium for me is novels, since it's the easiest setup.” That makes sense. You could also write that kind of story as a script and use voiceovers and other things like mind pictures (what a character is visualizing) to show the audience what’s going on in the characters’ heads.

Thank you Maurice Vaughan, I'll definitely look into that when I'm ready to begin the project. So far I've got the first cast of characters mostly figured out but not their storylines, or even how I want to present them. Huge project is huge lol

Thanks, nice, I actually didn't know you could do that. Definitely something to keep in mind :D

You're welcome, Banafsheh Esmailzadeh. "I actually didn't know you could do that." You could read other scripts that use those things to show the audience what’s going on in the characters’ heads, and you could play around with formatting until you figure out something that works for you. The Handmaid's Tale uses voiceovers to let the audience know what's going on in June's head.

That’s very good to know, thank you Maurice Vaughan. I got so much to learn lol

You're welcome, Banafsheh Esmailzadeh.

If you should first write the comic or the screenplay? My advice is that you first write the one which you expect to be shortest. Because after finishing that one, you will feel "great, this one is finished", which will make it easier for you to write the other.

How do you make money from novels to screenplays? Show me real examples how writing a spec novel lead to a screenplay sale by the same writer?

For example, John Wick is the reverse. From spec screenplay to comic books & video games to tv shows to merchandise.

Thanks Göran Johansson, I’ll definitely consider that. Might be best to make it a script first because comics do take a while to draw and ink.

True Dan MaxXx, I’ll keep that in mind :)

It's a tough call and there's no right answer. A novel is a huge undertaking compared to a screenplay, even if the story is essentially the same.

A writer with contacts would probably be best leaning into whatever their network is most likely to produce. Path of least resistance.

A writer looking to break in would probably be best doing both (if possible) and maximising their odds.

A writer focused on pleasure and fulfilment is best going with that they're most passionate about.

There are examples of writers going the novel route to get a film made. I think Sideways was a film idea that went nowhere and the writer turned into a novel that saw success. These tend to be outliers though and it's easy to call it a strategy rather than luck with the benefit of hindsight.

Start with the script! It will help you flesh out the story for your comic which in turn could help you with getting your animation done.

(BTW... this is exactly what I will be doing with an animation idea I have)

I wrote a script which I'm now turning into a novel because only a few people will see the script unless I make it into a movie. I can self-publish novels and distribute them to others thereby getting the story out. For me, it's just writing until someone reads it and decides to make different decisions based on what I've wrote. For me, it's about not only the joy of writing but about how I can use writing as a tool for change.