A good short film is like a magic trick. It has to set up a world, a character, a problem, a feeling and some kind of resolution in a tiny space. That is much harder than it looks. The time limit exposes every lazy choice. Every weak line, every stray scene, every unclear beat has nowhere to hide.

If you are serious about becoming a better filmmaker, learning to write strong shorts is one of the best investments you can make. They are your calling card, your testing ground and your sandbox for trying out tone and style.

Below are ten common short film writing mistakes, plus practical ways to fix each one.

 

Mistake 1: Treating a Short Like a Shrunk Feature

Many writers start by thinking of a feature idea and then try to compress it into ten minutes. The result is usually a rushed montage of half baked scenes, a story that feels thin and a viewer who feels as if they have watched a trailer rather than a complete film.

Why this is a problem

A feature has room for subplots, multiple characters, backstory and a slow burn. A short does not. When you try to squeeze a feature into a short runtime you often get:

• Too many characters to care about
• Exposition heavy dialogue
• A plot that jumps instead of flows
• An ending that lands with a shrug, not a punch

Short films work best when they are built to be short from the beginning.

How to fix it

Think of a short film as one of these:

• A single moment of change in a character
• A simple decision with big emotional weight
• A single conflict that plays out in real time
• A question with a sharp, surprising answer

Ask yourself:

If I had to describe this film in one sentence, what would it be?

If your answer sounds like the pitch for a feature, go smaller. Pick one scene, one decision, one turning point from that imaginary feature and build your short around that.

Practical exercise

Take one of your existing ideas that feels too big and do this:

1. Write a one page version of the film that takes place in one location and in one continuous block of time.
2. Focus only on the most important choice or confrontation.
3. Remove any subplot, flashback or extra character who does not change the outcome.

You might discover that the short version is more powerful than the big, sprawling one.

 

Mistake 2: No Clear Central Conflict

A surprising number of short scripts have a mood, a vibe, a setting and even nice dialogue, but no real conflict. People talk, wander about, feel sad or lonely, then the credits roll. It may feel meaningful to the writer, but for a viewer it often feels like nothing actually happened.

Why this is a problem

Conflict is not just fighting or shouting. It is any situation where what the character wants is blocked by something or someone. Without conflict:

• There is no reason for scenes to progress
• The audience does not know what to root for
• The film feels like a slice of life rather than a story

How to fix it

Define three things clearly:

1. Who wants something?
   Your protagonist should have a specific, active want, even if it is quite small. For example: to avoid being seen, to get through a difficult conversation, to hide a mistake, to confess something, to win a game.
2. What stands in their way?
   The obstacle can be another character, a rule, a time limit, a secret, or even the character’s own fear.
3. What changes because of that clash?
   The conflict needs to lead to a shift, even a tiny one. A relationship changes, a belief cracks, a lie is exposed, a choice is made.

If you cannot answer those three questions in a sentence or two, you probably need to sharpen your conflict.

Practical exercise

Write this for your short:

[Character] wants [goal] but [obstacle], so they [action], which leads to [result].

For example:

A shy sound recordist wants to confess their feelings before wrap, but the shoot is chaotic and the actor keeps leaving set, so they keep finding excuses to be near them, which leads to an awkward but honest moment on the final take.

If your sentence is vague, your story will feel vague. Tighten the sentence first, then rewrite the script to match.

 

Mistake 3: Too Many Characters

Short films often suffer from cast bloat. There is the protagonist, their best friend, their boss, their mum, a stranger, three people at the bar and a bartender with three lines. That is a lot of people to introduce, frame and service in ten pages.

Why this is a problem

Each character takes up precious screen time and mental space. Too many characters lead to:

• Confusion about who the story is really about
• Dialogue that exists just to feed information
• Cutaways that slow the pace
• Roles that feel thin and forgettable

How to fix it

Be ruthless. Ask of every character:

If I removed this character entirely, could I give their job to someone else?

Very often the answer is yes. You can combine roles:

• The best friend and the flatmate can be the same person.
• The boss and the main antagonist can be the same person.
• The person who gives key information can also be the person who blocks the protagonist later.

Aim for:

• One clear protagonist
• One main opposing force
• One or two supporting players at most

The tighter the ensemble, the more depth each one can have.

Practical exercise

Print out your cast list and do a merge game:

• Put a circle around your protagonist. They are safe.
• For every other character, write their function under their name chatty friend, love interest, gatekeeper, comic relief.
• See where roles overlap and draw arrows to combine two characters into one.

Now write a new draft of the script with your reduced cast and notice how much cleaner and more focused it feels.

 

Mistake 4: Weak Openings

In a short film, you do not have ten minutes to warm up. You may only have thirty seconds before your audience decides whether they care or not. A soft, confusing or slow opening is a common reason why shorts lose attention.

Why this is a problem

A weak opening:

• Delays the moment when we know who the story is about
• Fails to signal the tone of the film
• Forces the audience to wait for the interesting bit

If you waste your first page on setting and small talk, you are using the most valuable real estate in your script on something forgettable.

How to fix it

Start as close to the turning point as you can.

Consider opening with:

• An image that hints at the central conflict
• A line of dialogue that reveals character or stakes
• A mini crisis that grabs attention
• A question in the viewer’s mind

Ask yourself:

Can I cut the first scene and start with the second?

Very often the answer is yes. The first scene is you, the writer, warming up. The audience does not need that.

Practical exercise

Take your current opening and try three alternative first moments:

1. Start in the middle of a conversation, on a line that suggests tension.
2. Start with the character doing something unusual, not with them waking up or travelling.
3. Start with the character already in trouble, however small that trouble might be.

Read each version out loud and ask: which one makes me most curious to see what happens next?

   

Mistake 5: Clunky Exposition

Short films have very little time to explain who is who and what is going on. Writers often react by stuffing information into early dialogue. Characters tell each other things they already know, simply because the audience does not know them yet.

You get lines like:

As you know, Mum, ever since Dad left and I failed my exam last year…

Nobody talks like that.

Why this is a problem

Clunky exposition:

• Makes dialogue feel fake
• Slows down the pace
• Distracts from the emotional core

If the viewer can feel the writer pushing information at them, the illusion of the story breaks.

How to fix it

Use these tools instead:

1. Visual exposition
   Show, do not tell where possible. Wedding rings, uniforms, a packed suitcase, a storage unit, a messy desk, a sticky note on a fridge. These can carry information silently.
2. Implied history through behaviour
   People with long histories do not explain those histories. They speak in shorthand, in jokes, in habits. Let us infer the relationship from how they interrupt each other, tease, or avoid certain topics.
3. Give information only when it changes something
   Ask: does the audience need this information now for the next beat to work?
4. Trust the audience a bit more
   Viewers are quick. You do not need to explain every detail. Let some things stay subtext.

Practical exercise

Highlight every sentence in your script where a character explains the past or labels a relationship.

For each one, ask:

• Can this be shown instead of told?
• Can it be cut and the scene still makes sense?
• Can the line be changed to sound like something a person would actually say?

Replace obvious exposition with visual cues or shorter, more natural lines.

 

Mistake 6: No Emotional Spine

Many shorts have an interesting premise, but no emotional through line. The idea is clever, but we do not feel much. A twist happens, the lights go down, and the audience says, yes, clever but they do not remember it the next day.

Why this is a problem

People remember how a film made them feel more than what happened in it. If your short has no emotional spine, it will struggle to stand out among the hundreds of other shorts online and at festivals.

How to fix it

Identify the emotional journey in one clear sentence, for example:

• A proud teacher learns to accept help.
• A stubborn parent realises their child has grown up.
• A lonely neighbour risks connection.
• A cocky runner faces failure for the first time.

Make sure every key scene connects to that journey. Ask:

• What is my character feeling before this scene?
• What are they feeling after it?
• Did something shift?

If the answer is nothing really changed, your scene might need reworking or cutting.

Tie your central image or motif to that emotional spine. For example, if the story is about letting go, maybe we keep seeing objects being put down, left behind or passed on.

Practical exercise

Write a quick emotional map of your short:

1. Opening state how your character sees the world and themselves.
2. Midpoint the moment something cracks that view.
3. Final state what they now accept, fear less or understand.

Then re read your script and mark where those beats are. If you can not find them, rewrite to make them clearer.

 

Mistake 7: Dialogue Heavy Scenes

When you are writing, dialogue feels like progress. Two characters talk, you learn things, it looks like something is happening. Then you get to set and realise that six pages of two people sitting and chatting is not very cinematic, especially in a short.

Why this is a problem

Too much talk can:

• Flatten the visual possibilities of your film
• Slow the pace
• Put pressure on performances and editing to keep things alive

Short films shine when they use images, actions and contrasts, not just conversation.

How to fix it

Try these steps:

1. Reduce sitting
   If your characters are seated, see if you can put them in motion. Walking, packing, fixing something, getting ready, hiding something. Give them a task that reflects the stakes.
2. Turn lines into actions
   Look at a long speech and ask: can I show this instead? For example, instead of a character saying, I care, show them staying late, missing a bus, or fixing something quietly without calling attention to it.
3. Give dialogue more shape
   Make sure conversations turn. Someone changes tactic, someone reveals something, someone misinterprets something. Avoid back and forth chit chat that circles the same point.
4. Cut the first and last lines
   Often the first lines of a scene are warm up and the last lines are you wrapping up neatly. Cut both and see if the scene feels more alive.

Practical exercise

Take your talkiest scene and:

• Remove one third of the lines.
• Force yourself to replace them with behaviour, business and visual choices.
• Only keep lines that either change the power dynamic or land an emotional blow.

Then read the new version. It will likely feel sharper, faster and more filmable.

 

Mistake 8: Overcomplicated Time Structures

Non linear storytelling is tempting. Flashbacks, flash forwards, intercut timelines and puzzle box narratives can all be fun. In a short, however, complex time structures often confuse more than they impress.

Why this is a problem

In a limited runtime, each shift in time or reality asks the audience to re orient themselves. Too many jumps can lead to:

• Viewers unsure where or when they are
• Emotional beats losing impact because we are busy decoding structure
• An ending that feels clever but cold

How to fix it

Keep time structure simple unless:

• The time jumps are absolutely essential to the concept
• You have crystal clear visual rules for each time period
• The emotional journey remains easy to follow

If you are using flashbacks, ask:

What single thing in the past does the audience need to know for the present to land?

Then limit your structural tricks to the minimum that delivers that.

Use clear markers:

• Changes in colour palette or lens choice
• Distinct locations for different eras
• Hair, costume or props that clearly signal a different time

And remember, sometimes you can fold the information from a flashback into present time scenes instead.

Practical exercise

Take a non linear short and do a linear rewrite:

1. Put all scenes in chronological order.
2. See if the story still works emotionally.
3. If it does, ask if you really need any time jumps at all.

If it only works because you are hiding important information to create a twist, ask whether that twist is worth the potential confusion.

 

Mistake 9: Endings That Fizzle Out

Many shorts build up nicely, then end on a soft note. The story drifts to a halt. The character walks away, sits down, or gazes into the distance, and that is it. The credits appear and the audience feels slightly underfed.

Why this is a problem

A weak ending can make the whole film feel less satisfying, even if the rest was strong. Festivals and audiences watch a lot of shorts; the ones they remember tend to finish with a feeling that sticks.

That does not mean you need a huge twist. It does mean you need some kind of clear, deliberate final beat.

How to fix it

A strong short film ending usually has one or more of these:

• A choice
• A reversal
• A revelation
• A new understanding expressed through action

Ask:

• What has my character learned or accepted by the end?
• How can I show that in one specific, visual moment?

Try to avoid endings that rely only on dialogue to explain the meaning. Instead, find the physical action that expresses the change.

Examples:

• They finally press send on the message they have been drafting all film.
• They choose not to go into the building they were desperate to enter.
• They return something they stole earlier.
• They sit down beside someone they had been avoiding.

Practical exercise

Write three alternative endings for your film:

1. One where the character makes a bold, active choice.
2. One where they choose not to act, and that restraint is the point.
3. One where an earlier image or line is echoed in a new way.

Share them with someone and ask which one feels most satisfying, not which one is the cleverest. Then shape your script around that version.

 

Mistake 10: Ignoring Practical Reality

This last mistake is less glamorous but very common. Writers often ignore budget and logistics and write as if they have studio resources. Multiple company moves, huge crowds, complicated stunts, loads of VFX and locations that will be impossible to secure. On paper it looks exciting. In reality, your film does not get made at all, or it gets made badly.

Why this is a problem

Short films are usually self funded or low budget. If your script is not realistic, you will:

• Spend your energy on trying to make the impossible work
• Compromise in a rushed way on set
• Potentially put people at risk if you attempt unsafe stunts without the right team

Also, constraints are part of the creative fun. Working with what you can access often leads to sharper ideas.

How to fix it

Write with production in mind from the start. Consider:

• Locations you can access for free or cheaply
• Night shoots and whether they are truly necessary
• Scenes with many extras that you may not be able to gather
• Props or vehicles that require permits or insurance
• Animals or children on set, which add complexity

Ask yourself:

Could I tell this story with fewer locations, fewer moves and simpler setups without losing its heart?

The answer is almost always yes.

Practical exercise

Create a small list of assets you realistically have or could get. For example:

• A flat, a café, a local park
• A car you can safely use
• A friend who is a musician and can appear or provide music
• A workplace you can shoot in after hours

Now, outline a short that uses mainly those things. Treat your limitations as a creative prompt instead of a problem.

 

Bringing It All Together

Writing a strong short film is not about being the most complex or high concept person in the room. It is about clarity, focus and intention.

To recap the ten mistakes to avoid:

1. Treating a short like a shrunk feature
2. Forgetting to build a clear central conflict
3. Overloading your cast with too many characters
4. Starting with a weak or slow opening
5. Relying on clunky exposition
6. Forgetting the emotional spine of the story
7. Leaning too heavily on dialogue
8. Overcomplicating time structure
9. Ending on a fizzle instead of a clear beat
10. Ignoring the practical realities of production

If you address these areas, your short scripts will feel tighter, more emotional and more shootable which is exactly what you want if you are aiming to build a strong body of work and move your filmmaking career forward.

You do not need a huge budget or a famous cast. You need a story that fits the form, a character we can care about, and a script that respects the audience’s time.

If you like, I can now turn this into a simple worksheet or checklist you can use every time you write or rewrite a short.

   

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