Drafting Plays

Understanding the Drafting Phase

Drafting is the process of translating your story ideas, characters, and thematic elements into a structured script. This stage is about exploration and experimentation, allowing you to discover the best way to tell your story.

Key Objectives of the Drafting Phase

Establishing Structure: Begin to lay out the structure of your play. This includes defining acts, scenes, and the overall flow of the narrative.
Developing Characters: Flesh out your characters, giving them depth, motivation, and distinct voices.
Exploring Themes: Clarify the central themes and messages of your play.
Building Dialogue: Craft authentic and engaging dialogue that moves the story forward and reveals character.

Steps in the Drafting Phase

Outline Your Play

Start with a rough outline. Break down your story into acts and scenes.
Identify key plot points, conflicts, and resolutions.
This outline serves as a roadmap, providing direction and structure.
When we get to the point that we're thinking about drafting, we've already either thought about an outline or we've made one. Now, it's time to put that plan in action.

Scene Breakdown

Detail each scene’s purpose, setting, and characters involved.
Focus on what each scene accomplishes in terms of plot and character development.
This helps ensure that every scene is necessary and contributes to the overall story.

Write the First Draft

Begin writing your first draft without worrying about perfection.
Focus on getting your ideas down on paper.
Allow your characters to guide you; sometimes they can lead to unexpected and exciting directions.

Character Development

Dive deeper into your characters. Understand their backgrounds, motivations, and arcs.
Ensure each character has a distinct voice and contributes to the plot.
Use character-driven scenes to reveal their personalities and growth.

Crafting Dialog

Write dialogue that feels natural and true to your characters.
Avoid expository dialogue; show, don’t tell.
Pay attention to the rhythm and pacing of conversations.

Incorporate Conflict and Tension

Every scene should have some form of conflict or tension.
Conflict drives the narrative and keeps the audience engaged.
Whether internal or external, ensure that conflicts are clear and impactful.

Tips for Effective Drafting

Stay Flexible

Be open to changes. Your initial ideas might evolve as you write.
Don’t be afraid to deviate from your outline if a better idea emerges.
Remember that we're still discovering things when we draft, and some of the best magic happens when we let the story tell us what it wants to become.

Embrace Rewriting

Your first draft is just the beginning. Expect to rewrite and revise multiple times.
Each draft should refine and enhance your play.
We all, every one of us, write numerous drafts. Run a quick Google search for the phrase "Shitty First Drafts" and check out any number of those links. Anne Lamott's essay of that name discusses a part of every writer's process.

Seek Feedback

Share your drafts with trusted peers or mentors.
Constructive criticism can provide new perspectives and help identify areas for improvement.
We'll do some workshopping together, but having numerous sources of feedback is a blessing every writer needs.

Read Aloud

Hearing your dialogue spoken can highlight issues with flow and authenticity.
Gather friends for a reading session to get a sense of how the play sounds.
Hearing your words coming out of other people's mouths is the fastest way to know whether or not dialog works. Everything else is guesswork.

Take Breaks

Give yourself time to step back and reflect on your work.
Fresh eyes can offer new insights and ideas.

Common Challenges and Solutions

Writer's Block

Set small, manageable goals to overcome blocks.
Write regularly, even if it’s just for a short period each day.
Change your environment or routine to spark creativity.

Balancing Dialog and Action

Ensure that your play isn’t overly dialogue-heavy.
Use stage directions and actions to complement and enhance dialogue.
Maintain the balance, though--remember there's an actor who needs to step into a role, and they need space to exist in that role.

Maintaining Consistency

Keep character traits, plot points, and themes consistent throughout your drafts.
Regularly refer back to your outline and notes to stay on track.

Avoiding Cliches

Strive for originality in your plot and characters.
Challenge common tropes and find unique twists.

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