# DZ-106: How do you know if you have enough story?

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/draft-zero-a-screenwriting-podcast-770577/dz-106-how-do-you-know-if-you-have-enough-story
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/draft-zero-a-screenwriting-podcast-770577/dz-106-how-do-you-know-if-you-have-enough-story.md
Podcast: [Draft Zero: a screenwriting podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/draft-zero-a-screenwriting-podcast-770577)
Published: 2023-12-31T05:34:00+00:00
Episode link: https://draft-zero.com/2023/dz-106/
Audio file: https://media.transistor.fm/d289655d/6d80ecdf.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/draft-zero-a-screenwriting-podcast-770577/episodes/dz-106-how-do-you-know-if-you-have-enough-story
Duration seconds: 5773

## Resource

Listen you're not sure whether your idea has enough fuel for 90 pages. In this episode, Chas, Stu and Mel attempt to answer a listener question: “In your own pre-writing process, how do you know you have enough for a feature? And do you have a specific pre-writing method you're going to?” Thus we launch into a discussion on our writing processes and the varying usefulness of tools such as log lines, turning points, beat sheets, synopsis, treatments, and scene breakdowns. We also tackle the challenges encountered while developing an idea to first draft, such as balancing the pace of the story, developing distinct character voices, character choices, plot changes, pacing, and thematic clarity. Is this backmatter? Or is it development tools? You decide! Hahaha. Thanks so much to Chris Walker for his excellent editing on this episode! As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes. LIKE THIS EPISODE? Watch and comment on YouTube . Send us feedback. Thanks to our Patrons, especially Lily, Alexandre, Malay, Casimir, Jennifer, Thomas, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis and Khrob. → Read the transcript for this episode. ——— "I know that I personally really tend to use a five-act structure on anything that's longer than 20 pages. I just find it more helpful for me to have five acts and the turning points and the climaxes and etc within that." — Mel Killingsworth @ 00:04:06 ——— CHAPTERS 00:00:00 – Cold Open 00:00:30 – Introduction: Falling Short 00:02:38 – Our Development Processes 00:33:06 – Developing from concept 00:45:26 – Sponsor: Arc Studio Pro 00:48:12 – Expanding Your Idea 01:15:29 – Long Short Documents 01:27:22 – Consistent problems with first drafts 01:34:28 – Many thanks to our Patreons! EPISODES IN THE DEVELOPMENT TOOLS S…

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## Transcript

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