I write in both formats.  I find that script works much better than

prose when the emphasis to the fic is on dialogue and character, and
when there are few "action" scenes involved.  In fact, the bareness of
script format forces a greater focus on character in a successful
script, because the opportunities for introspection are more limited
than in prose.<<


My take on this is simple.  William Shakespeare is held to be one of the
greatest writers of the English language, but anyone who's studied him (as I
have -- twice, at 7 am, too, which is why I had to do it twice, bleah!)
would probably agree that it's far better to see Shakespeare performed than
to just read him.  For all his skill, reading a Shakespeare play does not
have the impact of a well-written prose story -- in my opinion, anyway.

I realize that script writers convey a lot more through their writing than a
normal play script does... and a very good script writer can be quite
enjoyable to read... but to me you can accomplish quite a bit more with
prose.  Your goal is to draw your reader into the story, to make them forget
that they're actually reading rather than experiencing it, and that's better
accomplished through prose.  Also, I love a great turn of phrase or clever
word play, and you don't get that with prose.  Clever dialogue, maybe, but
that's all.

Miko!

"When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in a rather a scornful tone, "it
means just what I choose it to mean -- neither more nor less."
"The question is," said Alice, "whether you can make words mean so many
different things."
"The question is," said Humpty Dumpty, "which is to be master -- that's
all."

(Lewis Carroll, Through The Looking-Glass)

Nausicaa@sprynet.com   Belldandy@angelic.com
Anime rpg at http://come.to/akane/
Fan Fiction at http://listen.to/bell/