The Vertical Viewer Is Not Passive

People watching vertical content are:

• Holding a phone inches from their face
• Surrounded by distractions
• One swipe away from leaving

You don’t earn their attention.
You re-earn it every few seconds.

That doesn’t mean dumbing things down.
It means writing with urgency and intention.

Rule #1: Start Inside the Moment

Vertical stories should almost never “warm up.”

No:

• Establishing shots
• Long intros
• Slow reveals

Instead, start mid-moment:

• An argument already happening
• A secret already exposed
• A decision already in motion

The audience should feel like they arrived late — and need to catch up.

That curiosity is what keeps them watching.

Rule #2: Emotion Beats Plot

In vertical, emotion is the engine.

Ask yourself:

• What is the character feeling right now?
• What do they want in this exact moment?
• What happens if they don’t get it?

Plot still matters — but it rides on emotion, not the other way around.

If a scene doesn’t have:

• Desire
• Fear
• Conflict
• Tension

…it probably won’t survive the scroll.

Rule #3: Faces Are Your Production Value

In vertical, faces are your wide shots.

You don’t need:

• Big locations
• Crowd scenes
• Expensive visuals

You need:

• Eyes
• Reactions
• Silence
• Micro-expressions

Write scenes that live comfortably in close-ups.
If your scene only works from across the room, it’s probably not a vertical scene.

Rule #4: Keep Scenes Short, Not Shallow

Vertical scenes should be tight, not thin.

Most effective vertical scenes:

• Run 20–60 seconds
• Focus on one emotional beat
• End with a shift, reveal, or question

Think of each scene as a chapter, not a clip.

If nothing changes by the end of the scene — emotion, power, information — it probably shouldn’t exist.

Rule #5: End With a Reason to Stay

Every vertical scene should end with a reason not to swipe away.

That doesn’t mean a gimmick or cliffhanger every time. It can be:

• A look
• A realization
• A choice
• A reversal
• A secret about to be revealed

The goal isn’t shock — it’s momentum.

The Big Mindset Shift

Vertical writing is not “less cinematic.”

It’s more intimate.

It forces you to:

• Strip away excess
• Focus on character
• Respect the audience’s time
• Tell the truth faster

In many ways, it makes you a better writer.

Final Thought

If your story:

• Works without spectacle
• Lives in emotion
• Respects the audience’s attention

…it will thrive in vertical.

Next week, I’ll break down how to structure a vertical series or micro-drama so it feels intentional, not episodic chaos.

See you then.

— Dominic Giannetti