Revenge Drama Template

A revenge story in eight episodes: the wrong, three rules for the avenger, a plan the viewer sees before the villain does and a reveal in public.

Use this template
  • FitsA season of 6 to 10 episodes
  • IncludesFilled example and blank
  • CostFree to copy

Updated

A bride in a white gown reads a message on her phone in the open doors of a sunlit stone chapel
A bride in a white gown and veil at a wedding with rose petals in the air

Frames of the example, a wedding betrayal, made in Ziztu.

The template

The example continues The Wrong Wedding. Episode 1 is the real episode; episodes 2 to 8 were written for this page. Read down the arc column to see each episode do a different job.

Revenge drama plan

The Wrong Wedding, season planYour title here

The wrong

A revenge story is only as good as the wrong it answers. Be exact.

Who wronged whom
Daniel betrayed Maya, and told the guests nothing.
What was taken
Her trust, and a year of her life spent planning a wedding to a man who was leaving.
Who knows
Daniel and a woman in red. Nobody else.
What she will not do
Lie, or raise her voice.

Three rules for the avenger

Rules keep a revenge from turning into cruelty, and they make every scene easier to write.

  1. 1Public, never privateEvery payback happens in front of the people who watched the wrong.
  2. 2One truth at a timeShe never says more than the one fact she needs.
  3. 3A priceEach win costs her something she wanted to keep.

Eight episode arc

Each episode has one job. The viewer should always know more than the person being punished.

EpJobWhat happensWhat the viewer learns
1The calm brideMaya tells the guests there is a small change of plans, and the doors open on a woman in red.Maya read the messages and planned this.
2The first surpriseThe woman in red walks to Maya's side of the aisle, not Daniel's.Vera is not Daniel's ally.
3A little proofMaya shows the guests one message, not all of them.She is holding more than she shows.
4The offerDaniel's family offers Maya money to stay quiet.They are afraid of what the rest says.
5The planMaya and Vera talk in a parked car.The plan was Maya's from the start.
6The wrong moveDaniel tries to turn the guests against Maya, and it backfires.He has lost the room.
7The last messageMaya reads the final message aloud.It names the person who set it all up.
8The empty chairMaya walks out of the chapel. One chair in the front row is empty.She won, and it cost her the life she planned.

Check the payoff

Three checks before you shoot the last episode.

  1. 1The audience knows firstWe learn the plan in episode 5, three episodes before the target does.
  2. 2The reveal is publicThe last message is read in front of the whole room.
  3. 3It costs herThe empty chair shows what she lost.

Paste it into Google Docs, Word, Notion or any text editor. It is free to copy and use.

The fastest way to use it

On your own

  • Copy the template into a document and fill it in.
  • Find an image tool, a video tool and a voice tool, and move your work between them.
  • Keep the same faces, places and style yourself, shot after shot.

In Ziztu

  • The idea box opens with the example already written. Change the names and press go.
  • Studio plans the shot list, makes every shot and adds the music, in one place.
  • Character sheets keep the cast looking the same in every shot.
  • 40 free credits, no card: write the script, cast your characters, draw the storyboard and hear the voices. Video starts at $12.
Use this template

How to fill it in

  1. 01

    Write the wrong exactly

    Name who did what to whom and what it took. A vague wrong makes every payback feel arbitrary.

  2. 02

    Set the avenger's rules

    Pick where payback happens, how much she reveals at a time and what winning costs. These rules write the scenes for you.

  3. 03

    Give each episode one job

    Surprise, proof, offer, plan, wrong move, last message and aftermath. Make sure the viewer learns the plan before the target does.

What makes it work

Keep the viewer ahead

Revenge is satisfying when we know the plan and the target does not. Show the plan by the middle of the season.

Punish in public

A payback in front of witnesses mirrors the original wrong and gives every episode a stronger last shot.

Charge a price

An avenger who loses nothing is less interesting. Let the last episode show what was spent.

More templates

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Frequently asked questions

What is the structure of a revenge drama?

A revenge story has a wrong, a plan, a series of payoffs that escalate and a final reveal that costs the avenger something. In a micro drama that usually means eight to twelve short episodes, with the plan shown to the viewer around the middle.

How do I write a good revenge drama?

Make the wrong specific, give the avenger rules she keeps, let the viewer know more than the target and make every payback public. End with a price, so winning does not feel free.

How many episodes should a revenge micro drama have?

Eight is a good first season: enough for a surprise, a proof, an offer, a plan, a reversal, a last message and an aftermath. Longer series add more reversals between the plan and the reveal.

Is episode 1 of the example real?

Yes. Episode 1 of The Wrong Wedding is a real 32 second episode made in Ziztu. Episodes 2 to 8 were written for this page and are not made yet.

Can I turn the arc into a video?

Yes. Press Use this template to open the idea box with episode 1 written out, or try a single scene in the micro drama generator. In Studio you can plan all eight episodes with a cast that stays the same.

Is the template free?

Yes. Copy it as text, download it as a Markdown file or print it to PDF without an account.

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