u/AntonioDeLucas7

My plan right now is probably this:

Instead of forcing myself to write a traditional screenplay immediately, I’m thinking about first writing the story as a cinematic prose novel/novella — basically very visual, scene-driven prose with lots of dialogue and atmosphere, almost like “watching” the story unfold.

That style comes much more naturally to me than strict screenplay formatting. When I try writing in pure INT./EXT. script format too early, the process starts feeling mechanical and dry, and I lose motivation.

My idea is that after finishing the story in that cinematic prose form, I could then either:

adapt it into a screenplay myself, or

collaborate with someone who enjoys the technical side of screenplay formatting and structure.

A lot of my ideas already appear in my head as filmed scenes, with mood, pacing, music, locations, and character chemistry, so cinematic prose feels like the most honest “first form” for the project.

I’ve noticed that many early drafts and treatments from famous creators also seem much closer to raw atmospheric storytelling than polished production scripts, which made me realize there probably isn’t only one correct way to begin.

Has anyone else here started this way before moving into screenplay format later?

My mind feels like I've already created the TV series, even though I've mostly just written notes and stories in Google Docs and lived inside the world in my head for a long time.

I want to write one specific story, but I feel like I can't anymore, because mentally it already feels “finished” even though it really isn't.

Has anyone else experienced this?

Did you move on to something new, or eventually find your way back into the story?