By: Sarah Chaisson-Warner
Every script starts with a great idea, whether it is a moment of inspiration for a compelling plot or an interesting point of view that sparks your creative juices. But getting from the idea stage to generating a finished draft of your script can be daunting. The idea could be fantastic, but without a strategy for execution, it’s bound to fall short.
Turning your idea into a short film script, though, doesn’t have to be challenging. These 10 tips can help take you to a finished script in no time.
Starting with preparation…
(1) BEGIN WITH PREMISE
While you may have an idea to start with, or perhaps an interesting person, place, or thing from which to build your script, starting with a premise is one of the best first steps one can take in getting their short film idea on paper. The premise identifies the main characters and the central conflict in the script—what is driving the script forward. It may also identify predominant themes in your story. Essentially, it clearly and concisely establishes what the story is about.
Here’s an example of the premise from one of the Oscar-winning short films from last year – “The Girl Who Cried Pearls”:
A poor orphan in 20th-century Montreal falls in love with an abused girl whose tears magically turn into pearls. The boy must navigate a perilous bargain between love and greed after a ruthless pawnbroker tempts him to profit from her sorrow.
The above quickly helps set the parameters for the story and identifies its main characters and the central conflict.
It’s critical to start the writing process with a premise. Skipping this foundational step can often produce a short film that feels unfocused and without direction.
(2) OUTLINE FIRST
Once you have your premise firmly established, consider writing an outline of the script next. Some writers like to use polished outline formats, whereas others may prefer to use the Post-it note method to identify key moments and actions. Regardless of your approach, developing an outline can help keep your script focused from the start, organize your thoughts, and save you time later as you write individual scenes.
Don’t get outlines confused with treatments, though. An outline is largely an internal document to help guide the writer and any early collaborators in the development of the story. A treatment is largely an external document meant for producers, agents, and others.
Using the three-act structure as a guide may be an efficient way to outline a short script. Act one should establish the protagonist and central conflict. Act two should focus on the protagonist pursuing their goal and meeting challenges along the way. Act three includes a resolution and payoff to the challenges identified in acts one and two.
(3) MAKE A SCHEDULE
The goal is to get your idea out of your head and into a first draft. Setting benchmarks for yourself can help you get to that goal. Benchmarks are specific points of completion that help tell you if you’re on the right track and sticking to your plan. If your goal is finishing a roughly 15-page short script within one month, setting benchmarks like three pages completed every 6 days can help you stay focused and on track. Rewarding yourself for each benchmark completed can also help keep the motivation strong, no matter how small the reward might be.
(4) DETERMINE WHAT MAKES YOUR SCRIPT UNIQUE
What makes your script stand out among the rest? While everyone believes their particular script is special, in an industry that sees tens of thousands of potential scripts each year, identifying and showcasing what makes your script unique is key.
The unique aspect of your story can come out in a variety of ways: do you have a particularly unique protagonist, one that perhaps we haven’t seen before? Is the context and setting for your short film a standout, or is there a particular plot twist that might be becoming of the genre? Whatever it is, determining what makes your script unique and interesting can help it stand out in the crowd once it’s on paper.
(5) INTERVIEW YOUR CHARACTERS
You have the initial idea, the script’s anticipated premise, and an outline to guide the story. But what about characters?
“Interviewing” your characters can help you delve deeply into each of your main characters and understand who they are, their backstory and what led them to the moment we meet them in the script, what their motivations might be, their challenges, and more. This is a common technique many writers use before they start writing their script, and it can help better create characters with depth and richness. Other similar exercises include writing character autobiographies and internal monologues.
And moving on to execution…
(6) MIND YOUR BUDGET
These days, the budgets for short films seem to land anywhere from $500 to $100,000, but for many emerging writers and filmmakers, the budget is typically on the lower end. To that end, ballpark your likely budget range, and consider writing your script with budget in mind.
Scripts with limited characters, relatively filmable locations (ie – locations that are common, easy, and cheap to procure), as well as minimal locations, and limiting the necessity for special effects can help keep the budget low. Limit the use of props and keep as many night scenes indoors as possible to keep costs down. You may even consider writing the filming style and execution into the story. For example, there’s a reason that so many horror films use the “found footage” device—that found footage can be believably low quality, handheld, and rely on practical lighting only, and still serve the story.
Minding the budget also means keeping the page count of your script low as well. See #7 and #8!
(7) SHOW, DON’T TELL
Being efficient in your storytelling is critical, particularly in short films where every word and page counts. Telling the story visually rather than utilizing heavy dialogue can help you tell a story in a tight and concise manner, without losing any of the je ne sais quoi that makes your story incredible.
Character development can also take the form of showing rather than telling. Rather than using dialogue to help convey who the character is, consider adding a few punctuated moments that describe how the character interacts with the world around them—how they might sip their coffee, or the manner in which they physically comfort a friend.
(8) TRY THE 15% RULE
A completed short script should be no more than 40 pages, working off the idea that each page will equal approximately one minute of screen time, and many film festivals, as well as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, define a short film as 40 minutes max. It’s most common to see short scripts that clock in between 10 and 15 pages.
This can sometimes feel difficult—your big idea has compelling characters, an interesting plot, and a clear and satisfying resolution. Fitting that all within 15 pages might feel impossible, but you can do it! Starting scenes late and ending scenes early is an industry rule that helps keep scenes tight and pages low.
Once you’ve gotten the first draft completed, consider using the 15% rule. The 15% rule challenges writers to cut their scripts back by 15%. This can be a helpful exercise as it requires you to really think hard about what the most critical elements are in your script and what can be eliminated.
(9) NO EDITING AS YOU GO
Getting your idea onto paper and into a first draft can feel daunting, and many writers find the most success in getting it done by simply writing from beginning to end. This means writing as a stream of thought (using your outline as your guide!)—getting each scene down, one after another, before returning to edit it. Create momentum by ignoring typos or errors in your first draft, and focus solely on getting your ideas down on paper. Resist the temptation to work and rework a few lines of dialogue—save that for the second and third drafts, and focus on simply getting your words and ideas onto paper.
And finally, once the draft is complete…
(10) GET FEEDBACK
Once your idea has gone from a simple idea to the page, it’s invaluable to get another pair of eyes on it. Several pairs of eyes, really. This is where script swaps with your peers, writers’ groups, and mentors become necessary tools for emerging screenwriters.
Script coverage can also be a valuable tool to help you hone your voice and strengthen your work. Shore Scripts offers coverage reports for short scripts for $99. Reports provide key insights on plot, character development, dialogue, and more. Coverage is also available as an add-on to submissions to the Short Film Fund.
And speaking of the Short Film Fund…
The Short Film Fund is now open! The 2026 Spring Season of the Shore Scripts Short Film Fund will award a $15,000 cash production grant to one short script and $4,000 cash in finishing funds to one short film in post-production.
Once you’ve turned your idea into a short script, battled through rewrites, received and implemented feedback, and honed in on a solid draft—submit to the Short Film Fund to help take your script off the page and onto the screen as a produced film.
Sarah Chaisson-Warner is the former Founder and Editor in Chief of Athena Magazine for Girls, Sarah is an award-winning screenwriter. She writes across genres – her feature scripts and television pilots range from LGBTQ period pieces to grounded sci-fis to mysteries. She has spent the last 20+ years working in state and national politics, allowing her to seamlessly intertwine themes of political intrigue into her scripts. Sarah enjoys spending time with her spouse and children, playing tennis, and traveling.
