“Lingo4life”Writing a Script

Parts of a play◦Story◦Plot‘The king died and then the queen died ’ is a story.

‘ The king died and then the queen died of grief ‘ is a plot.

An Introduction to Writing a Script

‘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 casuality overshadows it.

E.M. Forster

An Introduction to Writing a Script

Plot: action and emotions◦Episodic◦Rising Action◦Quest◦Transformation◦Revenge or Justice

An Introduction to Writing a Script

Exposition◦writer “exposes” the background to audience

◦introduces setting and charactersDialogue

◦character’s conversations

An Introduction to Writing a Script

Conflict◦a battle between characters: struggle between good and evil

Complications◦conflict becomes more interesting

Climax◦conflict is resolved: most exciting part mini-climax setback bigger climax

An Introduction to Writing a Script

1938 first edition cover from the Library of Congress Rare Book and Special Collections

An example: Our Town

An example: Our Town

Our Town is a three-act play by American playwright Thornton Wilder. It is a character story about an average town's citizens in the early twentieth century as depicted through their everyday lives. Using metatheatrical devices, Wilder sets the play in a 1930s theater. He uses the actions of the Stage Manager to create the town of Grover's Corners (New Hampshire) for the audience. Scenes from its history between the years of 1901 and 1913 play out.

from Wikipedia

An example: Our Town

Plot: Three Acts◦Act I: Daily Life◦Act II: Love and Marriage◦Act III: Death and Eternity

An example: Our Town

Trinity: Roles in the family

Comments &

Suggestions