Warm-ups
Character Warm up:
Think of someone you see all the time but have never spoken to. It could be someone on the bus, at school or around town. Write a back story for him or her--or them. You could write about a group of people.
Where does s/he live? Do? Fear? Love? Want?
Once you feel you have the back story in your mind. Write a scene in which your character starts his/her day.
or
Create an opening scene with two or more characters staring at water.
Something just happened that will change the course of their lives.
What could the thing that happened be?
Is it positive? Negative?
Will they be in trouble? On the run?
Did something end that the were hoping would end? (Or the opposite)
Did they receive big news?
Think of the setting: where are they? What's the water? Lake, stream, ocean, flooded basement, their water glasses in a restaurant?
1-25 Warm-up #5
Write a dialogue in which two key characters in a bigger story discuss the essence of the bigger story.
Think When Harry Met Sally
Think Catch-22
Watch Heat (watch how dialogue is filmed)
Think of The Breakfast Club when they talk in a circle
or
Write a dialogue like the two women in the bar (Cheers Episode). Start off as one might expect and then take it to a unexpected--hopefully funny place.
1-22 Catch-22 Warm-up
Write a scene, in which two people discuss something that is confounding like Catch-22.
Warm-up #4
Create a new Doc called Warm-up #4
From there, choose a person or two with whom to work. Each person should share their Doc with the
partner or group members.
When each student has a person in mind, put these folks in a scenario (let's generate a few as a class):
Road trip (Where? Why?)
Campfire
Planning revenge (On whom? Why?)
On a mission
Talking about dating
End of the world
Trapped on a boat/island/out of gas
Murder/Mystery
Going to be evicted
Newfound wealth
Impending Deadline
Barbershop/Salon
1/14 Warm-up #3
Write a scene, in which two people discuss a place where one person went and another wants to go.
Consider what the traveler would tell the other
What happened in this place?
What would make the other want to
Read Pulp Fiction 2nd Scene-- (somehow interesting) CREDIT SEQUENCE "PULP FICTION" INT. '74 CHEVY (MOVING) – MORNING
1/11 Warm-Up #2
Create an opening scene with two or more characters staring at water.
Something just happened that will change the course of their lives.
What could the thing that happened be?
Is it positive? Negative?
Will they be in trouble? On the run?
Did something end that the were hoping would end? (Or the opposite)
Did they receive big news?
Think of the setting: where are they? What's the water? Lake, stream, ocean, flooded basement, their water glasses in a restaurant?
Before we start let's get the add-on "Screenplay Formatter"
1/8 Warm-up #1
Character Warm up:
Think of someone you see all the time but have never spoken to. It could be someone on the bus, at school or around town. Write a back story for him or her--or them. You could write about a group of people.
Where does s/he live? Do? Fear? Love? Want?
Once you feel you have the back story in your mind. Write a scene in which your character starts his/her day.
(You can write this in paragraphs/story form or give Screenplay Formatter a try)
1/10 Intention and Obstacle Warm-up Exercise
Go to the page and contribute to the Doc I created. Contribute possible intentions and obstacles. Then pick one and start a script for it. Click here to go to the Doc.
2/25 Stress Week Warm-up
You will start your own script, work with groups and contribute to our Stress Week Project
2/12 Rear Window Warm-up
It had to be Murder--read 3-4 paragraphs
Try to write the set up/action
See The Script
Watch The Opening
Warm up Dialogue
Write a conversation between two liars. Give everything they say a double or triple meaning.
Never state or indicate through outside description that these two people are lying. Let the reader figure it out strictly from the dialogue.
Try not to be obvious, such as having one person accuse the other of lying. That is too easy.
Thanks to http://www.poewar.com/12exercisesforimprovingdialogue/
4/23 Warm-up Bedtime Story Screenplay
Consider our Adaptation Advice and write a screenplay for the following story.
"Bedtime Story" by Jeffery Whitmore
"Careful, honey, it's loaded," he said, re-entering the bedroom.
Her back rested against the headboard. "This for your wife?"
"No. Too chancy. I'm hiring a professional."
"How about me?"
He smirked. "Cute. But who'd be dumb enough to hire a female hit man?"
She wet her lips, sighting along the barrel. "Your wife."
"Bedtime Story" (It's the 2nd story--the others might interest you)
Warm-up #3
Step #1: Make a list of people with whom you have had interesting conversations.
Think of a person you know who can talk about different things, asks interesting questions or makes funny observations.
Step #2: List the kind of things they like to talk about.
3/19 Warm-up #1
Character Warm up:
Think of someone you see all the time but have never spoken to. It could be someone on the bus, at school or around town. Write a back story for him or her--or them. You could write about a group of people.
Where does s/he live? Do? Fear? Love? Want?
Once you feel you have the back story in your mind. Write a scene in which your character starts his her day.
2/23 Warm-up #6
Voicemail warm-up:
"Hey it's me--there's a problem. It was an accident but I may have killed him."
"Hey it's me. our problems are over. It'll look like an accident but I definitely killed him."
Write your own message that would set a story into motion.
Who's leaving the message?
Who's receiving the message?
Why is the message important? What the reciever's reaction?
1/15 Warm-up #3
Write a scene, which contains at least four people interacting with one another. Make sure that each character has a different background. Pick characters with different genders, socioeconomic backgrounds, different races, different ages, from different parts of the country, or from different countries etc.
The setting is inside an elevator in a public government building in a downtown city. Halfway up to the 50th floor, the elevator jolts and stops. The lights blink. It's stalled. What happens next?
You can choose a different setting if you like--just make it a place you would likely get four people of different backgrounds.
After you write the scene, ask yourself, "Do the characters sound like four different people, or do they all sound the same?" Use different slang, rhythm, intonations and speech patterns to convey the characters' differences.
Partner Warm up
Create a scene and a character. Write the opening until the first character speaks. Have him/her say something and then exchange papers
Person #2 gets to create the second character and what s/he says. Think through who these people might be and what they are after. Why are they in this particular setting?
You could also agree to do this with more than two people--just agree to all have the same number of characters.
1/8 Warm-up #2
Character Warm up:
Create an opening scene with two or more characters staring at water.
Something just happened that will change the course of their lives.
What could it be?
Is it positive? Negative?
Will they be in trouble? On the run?
Did something end that the were hoping would end? (Or the opposite)
Did they receive big news?
Think of the setting: where are they? What's the water? Lake, stream, ocean, flooded basement, their water glasses in a restaurant?
Write a dialogue of someone's phone conversation.
http://www.newmysteryreader.com/the_phone_bill.htm
Modern Family episode: Connection Lost
Warm up #7
Eavesdrop on a group of people during break. After break write down their conversation pick one that is school appropriate. When you come back from break, start the conversation on a new page start the scene.
After you establish the scene, trade off with a partner with each of you assuming the role of one of the characters. See where the conversation goes. It might be a good idea to change the names if you know them.
OR
Another option: eavesdrop on a single person who is speaking on a cell phone. You will only get half of the conversation. Now, using parts of the first conversation, complete the second conversation. How could the partial conversation be merged with the full conversation? Be creative, but use as much of the two conversations as possible.
Adapted from: http://www.enotes.com/creativewriting/group/discuss/dialogexercises9273
Warmup #6
Go out and do this: take a notebook or something to write on.
Write down bits overheard conversation.
Maybe what you hear coming from a classroom
Somebody running to class
Chris on his phone
Someone checking in at the front office
Example:
I heard one student say to another, "Wait, how many lovers have you had?" (I didn't stick around to get the rest of the story)
Come back at 1:10 with what you heard
1/9 Warm-up #3
After doing Syd Field's Character Exercise, do a warm-up from your created character
Friday 1/9
(Syd Field's Character Excercise was a warm-up of sorts)