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Sat Oct 07, 2006 1:42 am
Snoink says...



Yeah. So this is a REAL chat conversation between me, my teacher, and a classmate in a creative writing class. We're supposed to write a one act play, and I was stumped. So I asked for help. This is the converstion that took place on the internet. Enjoy!

Teacher: how are those little plays coming along?

Snoink: slowly, I'm afraid. I can do poetry and stories, but plays scare me. O_o

Classmate: horrible - I've never written a play before.

Teacher: awww

Classmate: See - mee too. Plays are intimidating

Teacher: just think of the last argument you had with your significant other...

Teacher: THAT is a PLAY!

Snoink: ...that's it?

Teacher: seriously -- dialogue does it all

Teacher: conflict, character, dialogue... = DRAMA

Snoink: but what if it's not a fight?

Classmate: dialogue is the hardest thing to write. My characters never sound like peopel they sound like prose

Teacher: Well...a play has got to have conflict of some kind

Teacher: take a bus and listen to people argue

Snoink: so it doesn't have to be a fight, but it needs some tension?

Teacher: well, there has to be some strong conflict

Teacher: usually that means an argument of some kind

Snoink: hehehe... in the buses I seem to be on, either everyone is quiet or it's much too noisy. XD

Teacher: like ... here's a 'PLAY STARTER"

Teacher: he says: Hi honey...I'm home

Snoink: And then I say, "You're late. Again."

Teacher: she says: Did you forget to pick up the baby's formula? Teacher: right! you got it!

Teacher: it can go any way you want it.

Teacher: life is just FULL of drama

Snoink: or dramatic people anyway. ;)

Teacher: righto

Teacher: let's try it here

Snoink: yay! rping!

Teacher: Snoink - you start

Snoink: oh dear...

Teacher: well, start with what we just said. your name is now ... RALPH

Teacher: RALPH: Hi, honey, I'm home...

Snoink: eep. I knew a really creepy guy named Ralph...

Teacher: tee hee

Teacher: okay, next line?

Classmate: She says: I called you office. They said you weren't in today

Snoink: yeah, you're my honeybunch. ;)

Snoink: Ralph: I was in. They were lying.

Classmate: No. I think you're lying. Again. You promised at counseling we were going to be honest aobut everything

Snoink: Oh, so suddenly I'm not honest? I'm not lying. I was not at the office, but I was out all day at a meeting.

Teacher: WHOO!

Teacher: Okay... I'm ringing the doorbell. RING RING!!

Teacher: ?

Snoink: Ralph: Open the door. I'm setting this down.

Classmate: She says: You'd better behave tonight

Teacher: ring RING

Snoink: Sure. Whatever.


Teacher: KNOCK KNOCK

Teacher: ring RING

Teacher: ?

Classmate: She says: Hello mother - Ralph and I are sooo happy to see you

Teacher: Hi darling! are you all ready to go?

Classmate: She says: Aren't we Ralph?

Snoink: Go? Where?

Teacher: We're going to be late to BINGO

Teacher: and I FEEL LUCKY TONIGHT

Classmate: She says: Yes I'm so excited
Snoink: Oh, hell. You'll just spend all your money again.


Teacher: My money is MY money, dearie...come on!

Classmate: She says: Here we go with my issues.

Teacher: maybe my luck will rub off on you tonight, Ralph

Snoink: I'm not going.

Classmate: Poor ralph - Sorry Snoink - I think I'm laughing so hard I'm crying.

Teacher: MOM: rALPH... WHO'S GOING TO DRIVE?

Snoink: You can walk. Or, if you would like, I can rent a wheelchair for you and you can roll.

Teacher: I'm NOT driving with my daughter... she's a maniac

Teacher: You promised

Classmate: I've been drinking again

Teacher: Aghhgh! You promised to take me to Bingo tonight!

Snoink: Okay! You can go to your damn bingo game. But you *turns to his wife* are not playing Bingo.

Classmate: We can still go - let me just find my keys. I drive better drunk

Snoink: Don't bother. I hid them from you. I'll take you.

Classmate: No drinking No driving No BINGO!!! Go? Why?

Snoink: You're not making any sense.

Classmate: sorry - my kids are fighting

[Classmate] has left the session

Snoink: hahah... now kids fighting? That would make great dialogue. XD

Teacher: aww... now THERE'S a family drama

Teacher: really!!

Teacher: you get the idea...

Snoink: yeah, lol

Snoink: so basically my main thing is STARTING.

Teacher: dialogue and conflict, argument is REAL and exiting

Teacher: righto

Teacher: you can start anywhere, with two characters in the middle or the beginning of an argument O

Snoink: haha... though most likely the argument will eventually sound silly. XD

Snoink: But since both sides are stubborn, then who knows? Conflict!

Teacher: maybe, maybe not... if you listen to an argument, it usually veers into very serious... or maybe very funny stuff

Teacher: right

Teacher: depends which way you want to take it

Snoink: probably the more ridiculous route since I've mostly read plays with comedy. ;)

Teacher: my hubby and I start off serious...then end up laughing

Teacher: right

Teacher: good!!!

Snoink: so thank you!

Teacher: great...have fun
Ubi caritas est vera, Deus ibi est.

"The mark of your ignorance is the depth of your belief in injustice and tragedy. What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the Master calls the butterfly." ~ Richard Bach

Moth and Myth <- My comic! :D
  





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Sun Oct 15, 2006 6:37 pm
Emerson says...



We can still go - let me just find my keys. I drive better drunk


:lol:

Your teacher sounds a little loopy. they said "tee hee" that was..surprising.

So, how is that play going?
β€œIt's necessary to have wished for death in order to know how good it is to live.”
― Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo
  





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Tue Oct 17, 2006 5:30 pm
Wandwaver says...



THAT TEACHER KNOWS WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT!

I've started hundreds of nvoels and plays. The only things I've finished are plays.

Just pick a scene and start writing. It may help to start with a "prototype," an exert from a book or movie...or both, depending on the fame of the story.

How is it going?
I am Sash Greenlea, Padawan Learner
  





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Thu Oct 19, 2006 8:22 pm
Snoink says...



The play is done. It's called "Detention." I think I posted it on YWS...
Ubi caritas est vera, Deus ibi est.

"The mark of your ignorance is the depth of your belief in injustice and tragedy. What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the Master calls the butterfly." ~ Richard Bach

Moth and Myth <- My comic! :D
  








But even the worst decisions we make don't necessarily remove us from the circle of humanity.
— Wes Moore, The Other Wes Moore