What is “Fade In”? New screenwriters are taught to open their screenplay with the words “Fade In,” because stories often fade into view. The more screenplays I read, the less and less I see that, but most folks who write for film would likely agree that “Fade In” denotes the opening page of a screenplay.

I’m drawn to writing in the flash and micro-fiction genres because of their brevity (typically less than 1000 words for flash, less than 300 for micro), and for how much it pushes me to craft a clear, succinct, impactful story arc.

I’ll be using this series to get some practice in converting my fiction to film, find my flow in writing screenplays, and gather inspiring visuals for how I’d want my movie to look and feel if I were to film it.

Enjoy 🖤

Opening Page:

FADE IN:

EXT. COVE BEACH - DUSK

Waves catch the last gold light. Footprints track down through the sand to the water’s edge, where a bodyboard stands planted upright.

RILEY (20s), wetsuit half-zipped, crouches at the shoreline, cinching a leash around one ankle. They pause, watching the horizon, the sun low, the sky bruising purple.

Riley grins, tucks the board under one arm, and wades in.

CUT TO:

EXT. COVE - WATER - CONTINUOUS

Riley paddles into the swell, catches a wave, and rides it smoothly to shore. They stand as it breaks, sand pulling away beneath their feet in small rivers as the tide recedes.

Riley looks back out at the water, then up at the darkening sky. They wade back in.

They paddle out further than before, the shoreline shrinking behind them. The water swells, lifting them steadily upward. It doesn’t stop.

They crane their neck, searching for the crest of the wave. There isn’t one.

Their board slides backward along the face of the swell, pulled away from shore instead of toward it.

RILEY

No, no, no…

They dig their arms into the water, kicking hard, cutting sideways against the pull. The current doesn’t loosen. The shoreline keeps shrinking.

Ahead, jagged black rocks jut from the low tide, waves smashing white against them.

Riley grips the board tighter, curls their body around it, and braces.

Based On:

Visual Inspiration:

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