How To WRITE A PLAY Part 2

Summary

This video provides seven practical activities to enhance playwriting, whether you're a beginner or a seasoned professional. The techniques include using Big Post-Its to clarify key questions in your play, giving your brain space through breaks and walks, rewriting scenes from memory to focus on essential elements, introducing supernatural twists for creative flair, layering scenes like Christopher Nolan, adding a third unexpected character for tension, and analyzing plays like a thief to steal the best writing techniques. These exercises are designed to stimulate creativity and refine your writing process.

Takeaways

• 😀 Focus on the questions your play is asking, such as 'What is the personal cost of success?' or 'Is revenge really worth it?' These questions will help guide your writing process.
• 😀 Give your brain space to generate creative ideas by taking breaks. Activities like walking or running can help your mind subconsciously work through problems and come up with new solutions.
• 😀 Rewrite scenes from memory after taking a break. This exercise helps you distill scenes down to their core elements, focusing on the most important aspects while letting go of the less engaging parts.
• 😀 Explore adding supernatural or impossible elements to your play. Breaking boundaries with elements like time travel, magic, or ghosts can add excitement and uniqueness to your story.
• 😀 Use Christopher Nolan's 'Nolan Rewrites' technique by writing and rewriting scenes one at a time. This layering method ensures each scene informs the next and allows for detailed connections and surprises.
• 😀 Introduce a third character into a scene, even if they aren't supposed to be there. This unexpected presence can create tension and energy, influencing how the other characters behave.
• 😀 When reading other playwrights' works, analyze their choices. Ask why they wrote the play, how they structured it, and what techniques they used, and then steal ideas that resonate with you for your own writing.
• 😀 Use post-it notes or paper around your writing space to remind yourself of the central questions your play is exploring. This visual reminder helps maintain focus and direction during your writing process.
• 😀 Allow time away from writing for your brain to make subconscious connections. Inspiration often comes during moments of relaxation or detachment from the task at hand.
• 😀 When rewriting, compare the new version of a scene with the original. You may find that the rewritten version is clearer and more concise, capturing the essence of the scene more effectively.

Q & A

What is the purpose of using Big Post-Its in playwriting?

Big Post-Its are used to write down the key questions your play explores. These questions act as focal points to guide your writing, helping you stay on track and refocus when you encounter challenges in the process.

How does taking breaks help improve the creative process in writing?

Taking breaks, such as going for a walk, allows your brain to process ideas subconsciously. This time away from active writing helps generate new solutions and insights, fostering creativity and inspiration.

What is the benefit of rewriting a scene from memory?

Rewriting from memory allows you to focus on the strongest elements of the scene, eliminating less effective parts. This process distills the scene to its most essential components, leading to a clearer and more concise version.

Why should writers consider introducing supernatural elements into their plays?

Introducing supernatural elements can surprise the audience and push the boundaries of realism. It adds intrigue and excitement, making the play more unique and potentially opening new creative avenues for storytelling.

What is the ‘Nolan Rewrites’ technique, and how does it benefit playwriting?

The 'Nolan Rewrites' technique involves writing each scene and then revisiting and refining previous scenes. This layering method ensures each scene informs the next, creating a more detailed, cohesive, and finely-tuned script.

How does the third character technique affect a scene?

Adding a third character to a scene creates tension and alters the dynamics between the original two characters. This unexpected presence can influence how the characters behave and speak, enhancing the conflict and energy of the scene.

What is the purpose of the 'Think and Write Like Thieves' exercise?

This exercise encourages writers to read plays analytically and 'steal' elements from them—such as structure, character relationships, and dialogue—that resonate with them. This allows writers to incorporate effective techniques into their own work.

What kind of plays should writers choose for the 'Think and Write Like Thieves' exercise?

Writers should choose short, interesting plays like 'Far Away' by Caryl Churchill or 'Face To The Wall' by Martin Crimp. These plays provide strong examples of writing that can be analyzed and used as inspiration.

Why is it important to focus on the questions your play is asking rather than just thematic words?

Focusing on the questions your play asks encourages deeper exploration of its themes. It helps to create a more focused narrative, as the questions guide the characters' actions and the audience's engagement with the play's ideas.

What does Simon Sinek say about the role of time away from the writing process?

Simon Sinek emphasizes that ideas and innovation often occur when our minds wander during time away from constant engagement. This 'standby' mode allows the brain to subconsciously connect ideas and generate new solutions.