Short Stories on Film

Last night I went to an indie film fest and watched a friend's short film as part of a set of other short films. It was interesting to see how different people envisioned the path to telling a short story. All but one were pretty dark, and my husband commented that with such a small amount of time it might be easier to explore the pathos side of drama.

At the end of the session we were supposed to take our "voting" cards and rank each movie on a scale from "Poor" to "Great." I had a tough time. Not because I felt any artistic loyalties to these strangers (except for my friend Frankie, although for the others I can appreciate how difficult it is to have someone sit and rank your vision), but because I would have ranked them differently in different categories: visuals, innovation, acting, storytelling.

Seeing those ideas on screen made me realize how important the story is to making an impact in a short amount of time. Film is different, of course, because you might have a visual that sticks with you long after the gist of the tale has flown, but what if your goal as a writer was to do both? To come up with a tale that could be retold, but also craft such strong scenes that they jump off the page and lodge in the mind's eye of your reader?

Thinking now of my favorite short stories and books, that would seem to be the key. Seems a simple and obvious enough concept, but the thing to remember is that it doesn't work for everyone. One of the movies I thought of as a no-brainer "Great," my husband didn't feel as strongly about. We talked about its flaws and strengths and I realized it really is what each viewer/reader brings to the art that makes the difference. I can't write for you and your enjoyment--I don't know you. I have to write for me and what amuses or scares me.

But I hope you enjoy the ride..