Tips on Writing for a Short Play Festival

Last Halloween, my short horror comedy, ‘Til Death, premiered at the Short on Drama play festival by The Fleetwood Project in Mansfield, TX. (Read it here!) I have produced my own plays in the past and had others featured in festivals. It is so exciting to see my own work brought to life onstage. One minute you are putting words on the page, and the next you’re watching it live in front of an audience that is seeing it for the first time. It is such a unique and exhilarating experience, and you can experience it for yourself!

If this is your first time writing a short play that you’re going to submit to festivals, there are several things to keep in mind. Whether you’re a novice or expert writer, writing short plays is an art unto itself. You might think that shorter plays may be easier to write, but it can come with its own challenges. Here are a few tips I’ve learned from writing short plays for festivals myself. It doesn’t have to be as daunting as you think!  

Get to the point early  

Unlike in a one-act or full-length play, short plays only provide a brief timeframe to introduce the characters, set the scene, and have the entire plot unfold. You don’t have time to write an extensive backstory for the plot or your characters, so get to the action quickly. When I write short plays, I think of them in terms of writing scenes. You only have so many minutes to get to the climax of the story, so keep that in mind when plotting your story.  

Keep it simple  

Many short-play festivals have rules regarding production. One of these is that they want only a few characters, sometimes no more than five. There is also often a requirement for only one set. This helps with the flow of the festival. The more bells and whistles, the harder it is to set up the lineup of the short plays. Keep all the requirements as minimal as possible.  

Figure out the runtime  

Many festivals have page and time limits, usually ranging from 5-15 pages, which often translates to a 5–15-minute play. The usual rule is that one page equals a minute. This is true of screenwriting, too. This, of course, depends on your writing style, but it serves as a guideline. Be sure to read your play out loud, or have some actors read it, to get an idea of how long it will run. This is important because, during festivals, there will be a series of short plays, and the runtimes need to be as accurate as possible.  

Follow the theme  

In many cases, festivals announce a theme that the plays will share. If the plays you’ve already written don’t fit the theme, make sure to start fresh and keep your story within the parameters of what the festival lays out for you. If you don’t keep on topic, there’s a good chance your script won’t be one of the plays chosen.  

Formatting is important  

When festival judges receive scripts, they only have so much time to determine whether yours is going to make the cut. Proper formats are incredibly important. Without proper formatting, they may reject your script right off the bat. I like using Final Draft because it makes formatting extremely easy, though it is pricey. There are free alternatives, though, like WriterSolo. Less expensive options include Fade In Pro and Scrivener. I highly recommend using one of these applications to streamline formatting and save you time and headaches.  

Although there can be many limitations with writing short plays for festivals, it can also be an enjoyable process. So have fun with it! It is so rewarding to attend festivals and see your scripts come to life. So, keep up the good work and keep writing! The more plays you write and submit, the greater your chances of getting your plays onstage and in front of audiences.