Noun
A writer of plays; dramatist.
So, you want to write a play, do you? Well, you have to consider a few things first. What sort of play is it? A comedy, perhaps? Or a drama. Who is the main character, what do they want, and why can't they get it? Of course, usually when you answer the question, it is with another character - but once you do that, you have to ask the same questions about them. However, once you have that much, you have the makings of a play!
Next step. Make up a plot diagram.
The Exposition - This usually consists of the setting, and possibly what has happened in your main characters' lives leading up to the point where your story begins.
The Rising Action - What happens when your plot begins to thicken? This is mostly the place where new characters are introduced.
The Climax - The most emotional part of your play. Something terrible happens, or something surprising has been revealed. You should aim to have foreshadowed what happens here in the exposition, or the rising action.
The Falling Action - Your play is winding down. Your main character is trying to recover from the heart attack that was your Climax. Will they make it through? I've read a few plays that have introduced new characters at this point, possibly to help the main character make it through.
The Resolution - Finally, the moment we've been waiting for. Your main character has been slowly spiraling to a close, and we receive the closure that we have been waiting for.... Or maybe not.
So there you have it: the steps to working out what your play is. Now, of course you don't have to follow these suggestions, because that's what they are! (It's a bit like the Pirates' code. "I figured... They were a bit more like guidelines, anyway.") It isn't a play, however Gone With the Wind is a perfect example of a not quite complete resolution. Scarlet has found some resolution within herself, finally discovering what she actually wants, however the story is far from finished. There is a play which was written locally by the name of "Practicing". It was very depressing, and it ended in the middle of the main character being about to make a decision.
Some people hate those kinds of things - but they also draw the readers, the audiences, and the actors back to the plays over and over again because they want a sense of closure, and this story isn't giving them that.
So, the next step after that is to find out what length you want your play to be. You should probably have a good idea after working through your diagram. There aren't necessarily any guidelines for this part of your journey, but so that you can know approximately how long your play could be, here is a way that you can set up your pages so that you can know each page you write is about a minute long:
Character A:
I can't possibly believe it! How selfish could you really be?! How thoughtless were you to do something like that?!?! I really CAN'T believe that you would do something like eat the last of my M&Ms!
Now, your dialogue doesn't have to be as positively riveting as that little snippet right there was. ;) But really, the dialogue should just flow. Don't even think about it. If you need inspiration, head to a coffee shop, or a restaurant, or some other bustling and busy place, and sit back to listen in. This is actually an excersize N.D. Wilson suggested once. Snippets of conversations, and observing the way that people say things can be very helpful in developing a character, what they say, and how they say it.
Let's review.
1. Choose what kind of play you want to write.
2. Fill in a rude sketch of a plot diagram.
3. Decide exactly how long you want it to be.
4. Start writing!
That's not too bad, is it??
Well, here's where the tricky part comes in...
DUH, DUH, DUUUUUHHHNNNNNN.....
Editing. *que shivering*
The single greatest nemesis of every writer. Let me try to make it seem a little better...
First, the only editing that you should do at first is grammatical. Spelling, maybe rewrite a few lines that sound a little wonky. Then, give it to a close friend, or a sibling, or maybe just someone that won't laugh at you... if you're kind of sort of bordering on maybe being self conscious.... Give them the red pen and say, "Go at it!" Maybe give them a list of things that you want them to look for: Good character development, good dialogue, fulfilling resolution, riveting climax... You name it. Then, they'll hand it back to you, and you might want to ask for the good things first, but they tell you what they think. THEN, and ONLY THEN, will you go back and edit it. Work through it, step back and look at it from the actors' perspectives.
Another great piece of advice I was given once was to put your first draft in a drawer or in a box, or some place that you can't see it, and try to write the play over again. You may not like the second draft at all, however by doing that you'll be able to tell which aspects of your play are the most memorable, or the least, and you can work from there.
Maybe you'll have to rewrite it a few times. Maybe it'll go through the ripping up and tearing pages process a few times. But in the end, you WILL have a finished product. Plays are always extremely enjoyable to read, and if you ever get the chance to put it into action, it is a blessing of all blessings.
I hope you found this helpful, and enjoyable, and I expect a play from all of you by next week!!!
(Hhahaha........ juuuust kiiiddddiiiiiiiing...... :P)
Be blessed in your endeavors,
tinydancer
PS: I have instituted a song of the week, down at the bottom of the post. Check it out!
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