Could Your Novel Become a Microdrama?
by Susan Watts
Not long ago, my husband showed me a fantasy movie he had been watching on social media.
I only watched a little of it, but what caught my attention was how realistic it looked. The characters appeared almost like real actors, although there was still something about them that made me suspect AI had been involved.
My husband asked me what I thought.
I replied, “I don’t think they’re real.”
He didn’t seem particularly bothered by that. He was enjoying the story.
I remember being impressed by what I saw, but I didn’t give it a great deal of thought. The movie seemed to run for more than an hour, much like a regular film, and I went back to whatever I had been doing.
A Pivotal Conversation
Then a conversation among other authors made me look at the whole thing differently.
Most weekday mornings, I listen to the Author’s Coffee Chat in the Author’s Conference Room on Clubhouse. Clubhouse is a social app that enables users to participate in real-time, audio only communication within virtual rooms. Authors at different stages of their careers gather to talk about what is happening in publishing, what they are trying, and what may be coming next. It’s like a mini mastermind.
One recent conversation turned to microdramas.
The discussion wasn’t simply about people watching short vertical stories on their phones. Authors were talking about the possibility that technology might eventually allow us to turn our own novels into them.
My first thought was: how good could they actually be?
Then I thought: could I make one?
The Movie Dream I Always Had
I have always imagined my Twelve Guardians series on screen.
I can see those stories in my head when I write them. I know what Sam looks like when she fights. I can picture the demons and supernatural creatures she encounters. I know how I would want the final battle to feel on a screen.
But imagining your novel as a movie and believing it will become one are two very different things.
For me, a movie adaptation always belonged to that wonderful category of things that could happen if lightning struck. Maybe someone in the film industry would discover the book. Maybe someone would buy the rights. Maybe all the other pieces would miraculously fall into place.
I never built a career plan around it.
But what about a microdrama?
Microdramas made me wonder whether that assumption might eventually change.
A microdrama, sometimes called a vertical drama, is a scripted story designed to be watched on a phone with the screen held upright rather than turned sideways. The individual chapters are short, but the entire story does not necessarily have to be.
In other words, we are not necessarily talking about shrinking an entire novel into a two-minute movie. A complete story can unfold over many short episodes.
And this is no longer an obscure experiment.
Reuters reported in August 2026 that market-research firm Omdia expects the U.S. microdrama market to generate about $1.5 billion in 2026, and $2 billion in 2027. The U.S. audience reached an estimated 66 million monthly active users in 2025, up from 26 million the year before. Major entertainment companies are also moving into the format.
More importantly for authors, book-to-microdrama adaptations are already happening.
ReelShort, for example, has adapted novels by established bestselling authors, including Abbi Glines’s Breathe and L.J. Shen’s Vicious. The company also adapting Sierra Simone’s bestselling Lyonesse Trilogy into a series of vertical dramas.
Could Authors Make Their Own Microdramas?
It turns out that the technology already exists.
Several companies are already developing tools and services specifically for microdrama production.
Runway allows creators to build recurring characters and locations and generate scenes shot by shot, while Picsart’s Saga can help plan a season, maintain characters and voices, storyboard scenes, and generate vertical episodes. Other companies, such as Ogun Studios, offer end-to-end production services and specifically work with publishers and IP owners to turn existing stories into vertical series.
So, can an author turn a novel into a microdrama today?
The technology can already help create characters, settings and individual shots, but the author still must adapt the story, decide how each scene should unfold visually and assemble those pieces into a coherent production.
That is quite different from feeding my manuscript into a computer and telling it, “Make me a movie.”
For me, that is a good thing.
If I ever adapt The Jade Amulet, I don’t want to hand the book to a machine and see what comes back. I would want advice from people who understand film-making because writing a novel does not magically make me a director or screenwriter.
But I would also want creative control.
That desire for control is one reason self-publishing has always appealed to me. I decide what happens to my stories.
If I were adapting The Jade Amulet, there are aspects I would not want to change simply because someone decided they would work better on screen. Sam’s character arc matters too much to me. As do the demons and other creatures that are part of this world.
Of course, if a major production company arrived with a substantial check for the rights, I would listen.
I’m not that committed to artistic suffering.
But having a book optioned never guarantees that a movie will be produced. What intrigues me about emerging technology is the possibility of another path.
We Have Seen This Happen Before
Digital self-publishing changed how easily authors could produce professional books and distribute them directly to readers. However, it did not make every independently published book good. And it certainly did not make publishing easy.
It gave writers access to tools and distribution they had not possessed before.
Something similar is happening with audiobooks.
I personally prefer audiobooks narrated by real people. A talented narrator brings an interpretation and humanity to a story that I enjoy. Sometimes I will listen to an audiobook from an author I am not familiar with because I really like the narrator.
At the same time, AI narration is creating an option for authors who could never afford traditional audiobook production.
Some listeners may reject an AI-narrated book. Others simply want to hear the story.
That reminded me of my husband watching that fantasy movie. I noticed that something seemed artificial about it. He noticed enough to ask me whether I thought it was real.
Then he kept watching because he was enjoying himself.
More Questions
That single experience certainly doesn’t tell us what audiences will generally accept, and the growing use of AI in film raises legitimate questions involving performers, consent, compensation and creative ownership.
The Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) currently has agreements specifically addressing AI protections, and the union now has a Verticals Agreement designed for independent microdrama productions with budgets up to $300,000.
Those questions deserve more discussion than I can give them here. But they do not erase the other question I keep coming back to:
What happens when authors have access to creative possibilities that previously belonged almost entirely to production companies?
Maybe the Book Isn't the Only Destination
At first, I thought about microdramas the way authors often think about other media. Perhaps someone watches the series, discovers The Jade Amulet, and then buys the book.
That would certainly be nice.
But the more I considered it, the less convinced I became that selling books should be the only way to measure whether an adaptation succeeds. Some people love reading. Other people would rather listen to the story. Video potentially reaches someone else entirely.
Maybe the goal doesn’t always have to be to turn viewers into readers.
The larger opportunity may be allowing people to experience the same story through the medium they enjoy.
That possibility excites me far more than simply having another piece of book marketing.
Will independently produced microdramas become a realistic business opportunity for authors? I don’t know yet. Current tools can do impressive things, but producing a coherent series still requires adaptation, visual decision-making, editing and other skills many novelists have never needed.
And easier production will certainly not mean better production.
Giving more people the ability to create something has never guaranteed that everything they create will be worth watching. What changes is who is allowed the opportunity to try.
That may be the part I find most exciting.
For years, I could imagine the final battle in The Jade Amulet. I could see Sam fighting and the creatures around her. I could imagine what it would feel like to watch a world that had existed in my head suddenly moving across a screen.
The question was always whether someone else might someday decide to make it.
Now I find myself asking a different question:
What would I need to learn to make it myself?
I don’t know the answer yet. But if the technology were good enough and affordable enough today, I know exactly what I would do.
I would start.
If the technology became affordable and convincing enough, would you want to turn one of your books into a microdrama? Why or why not? I’d love to hear your thoughts down in the comments!
* * * * * *
About Susan
Under the pen name Michelle Allums, Susan Watts has authored a young adult urban fantasy titled, The Jade Amulet and is currently writing the sequel. Her short stories are also included in the anthologies Christmas Roses and Forever and Always.
Susan has dedicated over four decades to training in multiple martial arts styles and holds the impressive title of a five-time US Karate Alliance world black belt fighting grand champion. Through her karate school, she is able to impart martial arts and life skills. Susan also incorporates her martial arts knowledge into her writing.
An avid triathlete, she keeps in shape by running, biking, and swimming. She lives in the country with her husband, where they raise animals and enjoy being outdoors. Susan also has three grown children and numerous grandchildren. In addition, she is a CPA and VP of finance for a company in her hometown.
Some other WITS posts by Susan Watts:
- How Repeating Character Emotion Weakens an Emotional Scene
- What Your Character Notices Reveal More Than You Think
Top Image purchased from Depositphotos.
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26 comments on “Could Your Novel Become a Microdrama?”
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I am now adapting some of my books into scripts and completed Accidental Death, with my now working on a series based on my novel A Dangerous Love Affair, using The title Th Forest Waits Below
Congratulations on completing your first script! I’m curious how you’ve found the transition from writing novels to writing scripts. Have you had to make significant changes to the story to accommodate the microdrama format?
Great article on microdramas. I have already started in this fast-moving market by joining a micro-drama incubator with Isabel Drean, who has written several micro-dramas, including The Summer I Turned My Sexiest, which has received a lot of press coverage, most recently in the NYT. I think microdramas offer a huge opportunity, but not only through adaptation. Work specifically written in microdrama style is what's getting bought right now, but that can change over time. Both Disney and Netflix are making moves in Microdramas right now, so we'll see over time if independent microdramas can find distribution. Right now, production companies are snapping up scripts and rights at low prices. Thanks for the insight.
How exciting that you’re already involved in a microdrama incubator! You bring up an interesting point about writing specifically for the format rather than adapting existing novels. I’ve been looking at microdramas primarily as another way for authors to bring their existing stories to audiences, but there’s obviously an opportunity to create something entirely new.
I’m curious—what have you found to be the biggest difference between writing for microdramas and writing more traditional stories? And do you think independent authors will eventually have more opportunities to produce and distribute their own microdramas rather than selling the rights to production companies?
The biggest difference I've found between writing for microdramas and writing novels is significant; however, it is very favorable for fiction authors. 1. It's micro; therefore, the scenes are very short - 2 +/- minutes per episode. I had to learn to strip down the writing for the short, short format. 2. You write as a screenplay writer; different format with director instructions, different verbiage, but not difficult to learn. Screenwriting software like Final Draft has the formatting set up. 3. Drama - the drama in microdramas is hyped up. Very dramatic. Every short episode ends on a cliffhanger. Lots of drama, lots of secrets, and therefore, reveals. Everything happens at lightning speed and with intensity. Lots of dialogue, which I love writing. 4. I like writing them now that I understand the frameworks and the key differences in the formats. It's a new industry, and it's evolving. Right now, there's a lot of opportunity, and it's more like writing an appetizer than a full-course meal. And there's no prolonged revise/edit/edit/edit phase. The craze for them is something all authors should pay attention to, though, because microdramas aren't just a trend. They meet a market need: exciting stories you can consume on your phone. It's still about telling stories, which we authors understand. Just in a new format. I encourage it.
P.S. Once you realize that writing microdramas probably won't be an adaptation of your own work but a completely different story, it's a mindset shift. Then you have the freedom to think about storytelling differently. For me, that means a fun, lighter take than the coming-of-age, family drama that still lights me up.
That’s great information. I appreciate you sharing. It definitely seems like an exciting opportunity. I’ve been editing my current manuscript and it seems like a never-ending process. I sure do like the idea of not having to do so much editing. 🤗 As I research this topic more, I plan on writing more about it. I look forward to further discussions on this topic.
Micro Dramas are fascinating, and authors are already creating their own (Cassie & Novae on Substack is worth looking at: Not Affiliated). One thing that wasn't discussed is the economics of this market. Yes, there are people watching, but the Token/pay to play aspects and the CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost) can be eye-watering. The churn rate on most Micro Drama apps is 70+% on the first day, 90+% loss in the first week. And those omnipresent social ads mean the CAC is more than $50/user. But with subscriptions at sometimes hundreds of dollars a month, these companies are still making money. Also, it should be noted that currently close to 85% of the stories are Romance because the viewership is there.
Thanks for bringing up the economics of microdramas! I’ve been looking at the possibilities primarily from the perspective of authors being able to produce their own adaptations, but you’re right that production is only part of the equation. Getting those stories in front of an audience—and making the numbers work—could be an even bigger challenge.
I wonder whether authors with established readerships might have an advantage when it comes to finding an audience for their adaptations. And since I write urban fantasy, I’m particularly interested in seeing whether other genres will gain traction as the market develops. I know that the video my husband was watching was in the fantasy genre and it allowed for great special effects.
Thanks for the Substack recommendation, too. I’ll have to check it out!
I would definitely do this, but the question is affordability. Even audio books are impossible to produce on my own. I sold my most popular series to a producer because I didn't care for automated voices but couldn't afford to produce nine books on my own. Always price. Thanks for a great overview.
I think affordability is going to be one of the biggest deciding factors for authors. Like you, I prefer human narration for audiobooks, but I can certainly understand why authors explore other options when production costs are prohibitive. I’m hoping we’ll see microdrama production become more affordable as the technology improves. I’d love to experiment with adapting one of my books, but whether I could justify the expense is another question entirely!
Just a note, but I've read that it is possible to get your book published as an audiobook without paying an upfront fee to an established reader. There are split revenue arrangements where the reader will get a (probably) 50% + share of sales.
I haven't undertaken this yet, myself. However, it is the way I will go for releasing my novels to audiobook.
I’ve heard of the revenue splitting too. I’ve also heard many authors say don’t do it because if the audiobook takes off, you could be stuck with staring all that revenue. I would have to do a lot more research before I agreed to do that. Sounds like an interesting topic for one of my future articles.🤗
I can see it, sort of, for action stories.
Deep close third person pov is already hard to portray - I haven't figured out how I'm going to tell a story with three main characters and each having a significant amount of internal monologue - even just to do an audiobook that is accurate.
I have the whole thing in my head as a movie, but that's because I know what's going on inside their heads.
Other people will have to do something like what I need so I can see and hear how they accomplish it.
I can certainly relate! My novels are written in deep third-person POV, and so much of the emotional story takes place inside my characters’ heads. Like you, I can picture the scenes unfolding on screen, but that’s because I already know what my characters are thinking and feeling. Translating those internal struggles into something an audience can understand without having access to their thoughts would be a real challenge.
I suspect adapting a novel into a microdrama would require finding different ways to tell the same story rather than simply recreating what’s on the page. I’m looking forward to seeing how other authors tackle that challenge, too!
We've been teaching writers the basics of screenwriting over at NoStress because I think there's a real future in this for authors. I've thought about turning Sisterhood into something, but I'm not sure I'm melodramatic enough for a microdrama! (And every time I think that, I wonder if my writing needs to be stronger!)
Technology is making this available now and it is SO exciting!
I’ve wondered the same thing about my own books! I can easily picture the action scenes from my urban fantasy novels on screen, but translating the characters’ internal struggles into a visual format would be another matter. I suspect learning screenwriting would be an important first step. It’s wonderful that you’re already helping authors develop those skills!
Y'all are just the best over there at NoStress!!
Yes, though my film scripts are more suitable for actual traditional movies. (Not verticals) My husband is tempted to try it with the AI software. It will likely be more sophisticated and less expensive over time.
That’s one of the things I find most exciting about this technology. Even if a traditional movie is the better fit for a story, authors may eventually have more opportunities to bring their work to the screen without depending entirely on a production company. Of course, quality and affordability will be major factors. I’d be interested to hear what your husband thinks of the software if he experiments with it.
Wonderfully interesting article! As a senior (but still active and clever) writer, I find myself obligated to learn many new things every day just in the pursuit of promoting and selling my own work (novels, short stories). Everything worthwhile in these endeavors has a learning curve that requires much time.
So, going forward, if you have more to share on this subject I will be very grateful for all you can share. Thank you!
Thank you! I sometimes think being an independent author requires a second career just to keep up with all the changes in publishing and technology! LOL! And every time I learn something new, another opportunity seems to pop up.
Microdramas have certainly caught my attention, although I have a lot to learn before I’d feel comfortable attempting one myself. I’m planning more articles on the subject, and I’ll be happy to share what I discover!
I absolutely would do this. I just need to know ... everything. Including how to write in script format. OR. if, as you say, the technology is there, then learning in and figuring out how to afford it. I have found SO MUCH fun in creating characters and even scenes from AI generation [for me] while I'm writing.
With that said, the large majority of my author friends militantly hate AI so much because it has moved into writing substandard romances AND people are buying them. So, if I do get to play with this, I don't feel like I can share the accomplishment, at least with them, without fiery backlash about putting real artists out of business. They have a point; of course they do. But this sounds like so much fun, I won't be able to resist.
Like Mr. Tabbott said, I'm a senior and I want to learn and at least try to keep up. Everything is a learning curve and it seems like my brain cells aren't regenerating most of the time. I would like to keep up with anything else you learn and insights you find, as well.
Thank you
I certainly understand your hesitation about sharing AI-related projects with other authors. There are legitimate concerns about how the technology affects creative professionals, and I don’t think those should be dismissed. At the same time, I think we can be curious about new possibilities without necessarily agreeing with every way the technology is being used.
I’ve imagined my own novels as movies for years, so the possibility of actually experimenting with bringing those stories to the screen is exciting. Of course, figuring out how to write the scripts, use the technology, and afford the production is another matter entirely!
I’m planning several follow-up articles exploring those questions, and I’ll be happy to share what I discover along the way. Maybe we can tackle some of that learning curve together!
I hope so as well!
I've been researching more this week following your article.
Thanks, again,
Mary Jo
I am the same as you; I can see my novels as if they were movies. This is worth a deep dive into; I do watch a creator on YouTube who uses AI to create wonderful viewing series based on Star Wars canon tales.
Very interested; thank you for this post.