Making a Play
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 - me 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 people 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