Parts of a Play

There are certain elements youll want to include if you want to make your play interesting
and professional. One important concept to understand is the difference between
the story and the plot. This difference is not always so easy to understand, however.
Story pertains to the things that really happen; it is the chain of events that take place
according to a time sequence. Some of the story is fluffits the filler that makes the drama
interesting and keeps it flowing.
Plot refers to the skeleton of the story: the chain of events that shows causality. What does
that mean?
A famous writer named E. M. Forester once clarified a plot and its relationship to causality
by explaining:
'The king died and then the queen died' is a story. 'The king died and then the queen died
of grief' is a plot. The time-sequence is preserved, but their sense of causality overshadows
it."

Plot
The action and emotional ups and downs of a plot determine the plot type.
Ads
Plots have been classified in many ways, starting with the basic concept of comedies and
tragedies used in ancient Greece. You can make up any type of plot, but a few examples
might help you get started.

Episodic: Episodic plots involve episodes: several events are linked together

with each event or episode containing a possible climax.

Rising Action: This plot contains a conflict, tension, and climax to resolve the

conflict.
Quest: This type involves an adventurer who sets off on a journey and reaches

a goal.
Transformation: In this variety of plot, a person changes character because of

an experience.
Revenge or Justice: In a revenge story, a bad thing happens, but eventually
everything works out evenly.

Exposition

The exposition is the part of the play (normally in the beginning) in which the writer
exposes the background information that the audience needs to understand the story. It is
an introduction to the setting and characters.

Dialogue
The dialogue of a play is the part that allows you to show your creativity. A play is carried
along through conversations, called dialogue. Writing dialogue is a challenging task, but it is
your chance to flaunt your artistic side.
Things to consider when writing dialogue are:

Habits or accents that provide insight to the character

Actions or behavior the character displays while talking

Conflict
Many plots involve a struggle to make things interesting. This struggle or conflict can be
anything from a concept in one persons head to a battle between characters. Struggle can
exist between good and evil, between one character and another, or between a dog and a
cat.

Complications
If your story is going to have a conflict, it should also have complications that make the
conflict even more interesting.
For instance, a struggle between a dog and a cat can be complicated by the fact that the
dog falls in love with the cat. Or the fact that the cat lives in the house and the dog lives
outside.

Climax
The climax happens when the conflict is resolved in some way. It is the most exciting part of
a play, but the journey toward a climax can be choppy. A play can have a mini-climax, a
setback, and then a bigger, final climax.
If you decide you enjoy the experience of writing scripts, you can go on to explore the art in
college through elective or even major courses. There you will learn advanced practices and
proper formatting for submitting a play for production some day!

How to Write a Script

F

Learning Scripting Conventions

1.

Have a title page. Your script will need a title page. This will include the title and your
name, but it will also include your contact information and your agent's information (if
you have an agent).
Ad

2.

Use the correct font, margins and breaks. You will need to use Courier font
(typewriter font) (12 point) when writing your script. This will give it a more professional
appearance but it is also key for making it easier to read. Similarly, you should use the
correct indentations for each part of your script, as it will help the reader differentiate
between dialogue, scene description, etc.[1]

3.

Give helpful details about the setting and characters. Use slug lines before each
scene. These say whether the action is taking place inside or outside, what the location
is, and if it is day or night. A character's name should go in all caps above or next to
their dialogue (depending on what you're writing for). You can also put instructions, such
as pauses, in parentheses.

4.

Use the correct formatting for your intended method of presentation. If you want to
write a movie script, then you will have to write your script in that format. If you want to
write a play script, then you will have to write your script in that format. While they are
largely similar, there are distinct differences and learning them all can take time. [2] Read
lots of scripts in your intended medium to see how the pros do it.

5.

Make sure you haven't written too much. Scripts usually last about one minute per
page, though there is certainly some wiggle room. [3] Scripts are not like books in that
word counts. It is a definitive way to gauge length.
Ad

Developing Your Story

1.

Formulate a premise. Write a short sentence or phrase of the fundamental concept

which drives the plot. This can be something which is the message or idea behind your
story, an extremely short plot idea, or something else to give you a goal and unifying
idea to work toward.

2.

Create an outline or treatment. Before you begin actually writing dialog and script, it
might help to create a basic road-map/story of what will happen in your story so you
don't get sidetracked and can work out any plot holes or kinks. Sketch out a general
plan and envision how events will unfold. This should be told in the third-person.

3.

Flesh out your story. Write the entire premise of the play, movie, etc. with lots of details
and ideas, paying no mind to style, format, repetition, or anything else that gets in the
way of your creative flow. Your finished product should cover the plot, personalities,
relationships, character arcs, and a larger point to the story. Sometimes, drawings or
diagrams may be used as a temporary storyboard to show to other persons to
demonstrate facets of your plot and characters, etc.
Your characters should drive the action on the stage or screen, so make

sure they are interesting and innovative. It may not be necessary for you to fullydevelop
them right away, however, as they tend to take on lives of their own as the script-writing
continues.

4
Trim the story down. Now that you have everything on paper, look for dead weight,
weak links, irrelevant details, over-explaining, sidetracking, elements that drag, and
anything else that weakens the overall trajectory. Be harsh; just because you fell in love
with something you worked on in the exploratory phase doesnt mean it should survive
the revision phase.
Ad

Improving Your Script

1
Research after writing your first draft. Watch plays, tv shows, and movies which are
similar to the work youve just written. Examine your own work in comparison to these
others. Do you fall into to many tropes? Is your story over done? See if you can find
ways to distinguish yourself from these works.
o

Work on making profound contributions to the subject youve written. Take

a philosophical approach to the topic and challenge conventional ideas. This will make
your work much more engaging.

2
Simplify your writing. You dont need overly fancy dialogue or crazy scenes to keep
your audience engaged. Much like with writing a book, our work shines the most when
we are showing, not telling. Make your characters choices speak for them and put more
meaning into what they dont say than what they do. [4]

3
Write the plot in script format. The exact format will vary depending on whether youre
writing for theater, TV, or the silver screen and in what country. (For example, the
American TV industrys standard script format is modeled on the business plan.) Use
proper headers to introduce scenes, identify each speaker, and so on; many production
companies wont even look at a script if it isnt properly formatted.

Consider purchasing script-writing software for this phase of the process.

There are several programs that will guide you through the formatting or even convert
an already-written script into the correct layout.

4
Maintain your style. Remember, scripts are all about action and dialog. Make sure your
characters speak realistically, and try not to mix styles of speech and vocabulary too
much unless you are going for a certain effect.
Ad

Engaging Your Audience

1.

1
Set the scene. Don't forget to include important details such as time of day, setting, and
actions of the characters in the scene. These are nearly as important as the dialog that
occurs.

2.

2
Describe action only briefly. Provide a sense of whats happening on screen, but
leave it to the director to fill in the details. Writing out all of the action is not the writers
job. Trying to include too much of this will only leave you disappointed when things are
changed.

3.

3
Spend a lot of time working on your dialogue. Dialogue will make or break your
characters and their relationships. Whats worse, dialogue is extremely difficult for most
people to write. To get your bearings, write down or record real conversations to see
how people really speak and which expressions they use.
o

Be sure to listen to a variety of speakers so that you can give your own
characters more flavor and individuality.

Ensuring that different characters have their own "voice" and "persona"

based on their background will keep them from blending into one another. Remember,
their persona will affect their attitude, word choices and dialect.
Read your dialogue aloud as you go, paying extra attention to whether or

not it sounds halting, stereotyped, over-the-top, or totally uniform.

Ad

P: Finalizing Your Script

1.

1
Edit your work. Polish it, but don't be a perfectionist; work toward perfection, notto it.

2.

Show your finished work to people whose opinion you respect. Choose people
who not only come from different backgrounds and have varied personal tastes, but are
also willing to provide honest feedback.
Don't let yourself feel insulted, controlled, upset, or angered by a critiques

or remarks; theyre opinion, not fact. Laugh and be enthusiastic about help and advice,
but weigh your critics opinions against your own judgment before implementing any
changes.

3
Revise your work as many times as necessary. Painful as it may be, youll be glad
when youre finally able to convey your vision.

Tips
Know the type of script you're writing. If your script is a comedy, make sure that

other people think that it's funny. If you're writing a drama, make the dialogue dramatic
and gripping.

Make sure your script sounds good in real life and not like a robot is talking.

If youve written a movie script, you may want to use one of the film industry's
online scouting services, to get your story and screenplay reviewed by industry
executives in a protected platform of exposure.
A stage play should have a cover page clearly showing the title of the play, the

author of the play, and the approximate length of the play. Stage direction/other direction
is written in italics.
Before pitching a screenplay, you'll want to get electronic proof-of-creation. You

can do this online.

You may want to attend a script writing class, which will give you helpful hints on

the nuances of writing a full script, especially things such as plot development, character
development, and dialog.

Be sure to make the script as original as possible!

Find a scriptwriting program such as Celtx to help you learn formatting.

Add your own twist on characters looks or personality.

Be unconventional! Try your wildest ideas and see how your test audience reacts.
Ad

Warnings

Be patient. Writing takes time, and rushed scripts are usually subpar. If you take
your time, your script will be wonderful.

If you would like to have your script performed on stage or screen, you will need
to contact an agent who can help you send it to the necessary people (producers and
directors). It is often a long and arduous process to get a script accepted, so be patient.

Dont expect your very first script to get picked up right off the bat. It is a difficult
industry to make it in.