The Medium Affects The Story

The more I listen to creators I trust, the more I find agreement on a particular point: if you take a story in one format (prose, TV series, movie, comic book, webcomic, etc.), you will not be able to tell the same story in any other format. In fact, if you have an idea for a story, the first question to figure out is what format would best allow you to tell the story you envision.

Every medium you can use to tell stories will be different. They will each have their own unique charm and nuances. If you tell a story in one medium that truly makes use of its nuances, then by transplanting it to a different medium, you will lose those parts of your story. It may end up completely bastardizing your story in the eyes of its fans.

That said, it is not necessarily true that a story only can exist in one medium. In fact, I would argue that you could tell many stories in most media. They will be different, but each one can have its own charm. You may personally favor one version the most. The general public may generally believe that one version is the best, but it's all opinions, not universal truth.

I challenge you to write a story in different media. Whatever your next short project is, do something with prose. Write a poem. Draw a comic. Write a script. Tell that short story in a few different ways and experience (and embrace) the differences. Let me know how it goes.