Scene of Dialogue Writing Directions for Creating a Script

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Scene of Dialogue Writing—Directions for Creating a Script

Dialogue/Character Brainstorming Handout

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Filled Out & Agreed Upon By ALL STUDENTS 1. List the character names/roles at the top.

2. Decide who will be acting out each part and write names in the “Played by” section.

3. After rereading the scene description, list some possible

emotions/character traits the different characters might be feeling throughout this scene and write it in the corresponding section.

Scene of Dialogue Writing—Scaffold/Script

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Filled Out & Agreed Upon By ALL STUDENTS 1. Record all your group members’ names at the top.

2. Create an interesting title for your scene/script.

3. List all of your characters names/roles and give a brief description of each (physical appearance/clothing, age, emotions/character traits, etc.) 4. Describe the setting of the scene (time and place).

5. State where each character is at the beginning of the scene

(onstage/offstage; location; standing/sitting; stage directions; etc.).

6. Create the interesting, realistic, believable dialogue for the scene.

o Write the character’s name first.

o Then, in the “stage directions/subtext” section, record any movement, gestures, facial expressions, character interactions, vocal emotion, etc. that the character will use during these lines.

o Repeat the previous steps when a new character speaks.

o In your dialogue/script, be sure to include an AHA MOMENT to add interest to you scene.

! Aha Moment = When suddenly a character realizes, understands or finally figures something out (i.e. life lesson)

• DIALOGUE CLUES: “Suddenly I realized”; “It just

came to me in a flash”; “I now know”; “In an instant I

saw”; “I finally understand that”; “Do you know what I

finally realized?”; etc.

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o OTHER IMPORTANT REMINDERS FOR DIALOGUE:

! Most people don’t speak in perfect grammar.

• People leave out words, compress phrases into single words, use contractions, interrupt each other, and talk in slang. Your dialogue should be the same.

! Remember, how a person talks depends on whom they’re talking to.

! Write dialogue in a quick fury but in editing make sure every line has a purpose.

! Follow the nonverbal communication.

• People talk with their bodies, even if they don’t mean to.

Everything from the moment they cross their arms to the quirk of their eyebrow, your characters are expressing themselves to you. Don't sacrifice these little nuances for pace. There might be something important going on with the character that you can only see during the conversation. For example, Character A keeps rolling her wrist. Why? Is that an injury or a nervous habit?

Maybe she's getting ready to hit Character B. If she is, does Character B notice and is he prepared?

! Embrace common expressions.

• There’s a reason why people use them in daily life.

They’re easy to remember and say a lot about where we live. Even characters in historical or fantastical novels would have them.

! Remember the setting.

• If the conversation is taking place in a café, then let your characters get distracted by the patrons. If they're

speaking in hushed tones behind a curtain, have a pause when they hear someone on the other side. Interruptions happen in life, they should also happen in your

fiction/scene.

7. Important Performance Reminder: Props, costumes, and scenery

are extra credit (applied to the summative performance grade).

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Dialogue/Character Brainstorming Name: ____________________ Per: _____

In the space below, list the possible characters in your scene (role/name) and who will be acting those parts:

Character 1: _____ Played by: _

Character 2: _____ Played by: _

Character 3: _____ Played by: _

Character 4: _____ Played by: _

Next, list some possible emotions/personality traits the different characters might be feeling or have throughout this scene:

Character 1:

___________________________________________________________________

Character 2:

___________________________________________________________________

Character 3:

___________________________________________________________________

Character 4:

___________________________________________________________________

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SCENE OF DIALOGUE WRITING—SCAFFOLD/SCRIPT

GROUP MEMBERS’ NAMES______________________________________________________________

Title of Scene___________________________________________________________________________

List of Characters with Brief Description (physical appearance/clothing, age, emotions/character traits, etc.):

1. _________________________________________________________________________________

2. _________________________________________________________________________________

3. _________________________________________________________________________________

4. _________________________________________________________________________________

Description of Setting (Time and Place):

_______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Character Placement on Stage When Scene Begins (Stage Directions):

_______________________________________________________________________________________

AHA Moment in Play (Lesson Learned by Characters):

_______________________________________________________________________________________

CHARACTER NAME = C. N. ______________________________(Stage directions/Subtext: _______

______________________________________________________________________________________) _______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

C. N. ________________________________________________(Stage directions/Subtext: __________

______________________________________________________________________________________) _______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

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C. N. __________________________________(Stage directions/Subtext: ________________________