Eugenie Trow

Antelope Valley College

Introduction to Playwriting THA 225

Writing Exercises Spring 2004

Exercises in writing scenes and a play develop the writer's individual voice. This is accomplished by creating believable dialogue, three dimensional characters, and motivated action. Class discussions emphasize the value of giving and receiving constructive criticism as a basis for revising plays. The course culminates in a presentation of selected scenes from student work.
NOTE:
1. Type all writing exercises so that the actors can read what you wrote. Computers are available in the Learning Center and in SSV 202. (See hours in the Schedule of Assignments.)
2. Put character NAMES in upper case 2 1/2 inches from the left margin; stage directions in normal case 3 1/2 inches from the left margin
3. Number the pages so that class members can easily find specific dialogue. (In Microsoft Word, under View, it is easy to use Header and Footer to do this.)
4. Bring a separate copy for each actor in your scene and for stage directions.
5. For class purposes you may reuse paper by printing copies for actors on the blank sides of copies from previous scenes.
6. Each time you print a new rewrite of a scene, print the date of the current version. (In Microsoft Word, under View, it is easy to use Header and Footer to do this.)
7. You will find exercises for repeating students at the end of this list.

SIX LINES
1. Look at the phrase given in class for the Six Lines.
2. You may begin or end your scene with the given Six Lines phrase, use it in the middle, or use it as the theme.
3. Write at least six lines of dialogue. (You may write more if you wish.)
4. Use at least two characters.
5. Use stage directions if needed.

WHO IS IN THE PHOTO EXERCISE
1. Pick one of the photos provided in class.
2. Pick a character in the photo that you connect with emotionally and name the character.
3. Decide what the character needs.
3. Write in the voice of the character. (Monologue - one page.)

TIME LOCK EXERCISE
1. Write a scene with two characters in which one character must get the red box from the other character before a certain time is up (i.e., the bus stops, the game is over, the old one dies, the paint dries, he marries her, the ice cream melts, the baby is born, etc.).
2. Keep the action in the same place (no change of scene).
3. Keep stage directions to a minimum.
4. Write a scene that ends when the character gets the red box or fails.
5. Write two to three pages.

HARMLESS/HARMFUL EXERCISE
1. Pick a harmless action, such as: eat a cookie, hug someone, jump rope, open a box, lick a stamp, shake hands, etc.
2. Pick two characters engaged in the action.
3. Give one of the characters an evil intent with the harmless action.
4. Write a scene that ends when the character carries out their intent or is thwarted.
5. Write at least three pages.

FROM A SOURCE EXERCISE
1. Read pp. 90-92 in Writing Your First Play, by Roger A. Hall.
2. Pick an item from a newspaper, magazine, the internet or other media that intrigues you.
3. Allow the intriguing item to suggest at least two characters and a goal for one of them to use for a scene.
4. Write a scene that ends when one of the characters succeeds or fails at their goal.
5. Write at least four pages.
6. Turn in a copy of the article or other source with your scene.

COMEDY EXERCISE
1. Pick a situation that the main character sees as tragic and two other characters see as comic.
2. Have the main character undergo a transformation from an unhappy state to a happier state.
3. Emphasize stakes the audience will see as inappropriate or ludicrous. ("If I sneeze, the spider will grow to six feet.")
4. Write a scene that ends when the main character undergoes their transormation.
5. Write at least five pages.

HOTHOUSE EXERCISE
1. Read pp. 57-60 in The Playwright's Workbook, by Jean-Claude van Itallie.
2. Use the characters and follow the scene outline given in the text.
3. After you finish the exercise, feel free to add more dialogue until you are satisfied with the scene.

SYMPATHETIC EVIL CHARACTER EXERCISE
1. Create a character who wants to commit what you consider an evil deed.
2. Create a scene in which this character tries to persuade another character to help commit the deed.
3. Make the first character as sympathetic as possible.
4. End the scene when the second character agrees or refuses.
5. Write at least five pages.

CHARACTER, PLACE, OBJECT EXERCISE
1. In class, take two characters from the CHARACTER envelope, one place from the PLACE envelope and one object from the OBJECT envelope.
2. Put these two characters into the place, each trying to get the object.
3. End the scene when one character wins the object.
4. Write at least five pages.

For Repeaters:

SPILL MY GUTS EXERCISE
NO ONE WILL LOOK AT THIS - FOR YOUR EYES ONLY.
1. Read p. 33 in Writing, Producing and Selling Your Play, by Louis Catron, or pp. 84-89 in The Playwright's Handbook, by Frank Pike and Thomas Dunn.
2. What do you feel passionately about? Love to do? Hate to see?
3. What do you wish you could change?
4. Write about it, at least one page.

DISCOMFORT EXERCISE
1. On the Discomfort Ex. Handout, answer each question by marking your comfort spot on the line of possibilities.
2. Go away from your comfort zone along at least three of these lines and choose two characters, their voices and a place.
3. Put the characters with their voices into the place.
4. Give your main character a goal.
5. End the scene when the main character reaches their goal or fails.
6. Write at least three pages.

DISRUPTED RITUAL EXERCISE
1. Read pp. 71-79 in The Playwright's Handbook, by Frank Pike and Thomas Dunn.
2. Put four characters into a ritual situation (Thanksgiving dinner, tailgate party, the prom, brushing teeth, break room at work, passing homeless on the street, waiting in line, etc.).
3. Disrupt the ritual.
4. End the scene when your main character changes.
5. Write at least five pages.

CHANGE THE ENDING EXERCISE
1. Take the last scene of a play by another playwright and change the ending.
2. Begin with the original dialogue, then change to your dialogue.
3. Write at least three pages.
4. Turn in a copy of the original ending.

FLIP FLOP EXERCISE
1. Take a scene that you have already written from your play.
2. Change the sex of at least one character.
3. Write at least three pages.
4. Possible outcomes: you make a minor character more believable; you get ideas for better plot development; you decide your play is about a different character than you thought.

REVERSE POV EXERCISE
1. Take a scene that you have already written from your play.
2. Take the point of view of the character who opposes your main character.
3. Write at least three pages from the POV of the opposer.
4. Possible outcomes: you make your oppositional character more believable; you get ideas for better plot development; you decide your play is about the opposer.

MOVE OUT EXERCISE
1. Take a scene that you have already written from your play.
2. Put the characters in a different room, building, city, or universe, or outside.
3. Write at least three pages.
4. Possible outcomes: you make your characters more believable; you get ideas for better plot development; you decide your play is about a different charcter than you thought.

WHO IS THAT TALKING EXERCISE
1. Take a scene that you have already written from your play.
2. Cover up all the character names.
3. Read the dialogue out loud. Can you tell who is speaking by their word choice?
4. If you cannot tell who is speaking, give one of the characters a different way of speaking: more poetic or less poetic; with more slang or less slang; words that are more educated or less educated; in shorter sentences or longer ones; words in a different order within each sentence; or words from a different part of the country.
5. Rewrite the dialogue in the scene.
6. Possible outcomes: you make your characters more distinct and thus more real in their own world; you decide your play is about a different character than you thought.
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