''The craft of writing for stage and some of its possibilities – exploring character, conflict and dialogue Exploring THE SKILLS: Understanding the importance of the character arc and exploring conflicts. Dialogue as a show and not tell tool, themes/message, conflicts, subtext and structure. Why are they important to all forms of storytelling?
Plus, theatre scripts, and formats.''
How does the dialogue help us understand the characters?
How does the dialogue help move the story on?
Is there information left unspoken, not spoken about, or underlying theme to the writing/a message which is not stated directly but can be inferred i.e., subtext?
Could you show more than tell through the dialogue e.g., a person’s deeper feelings towards another?
Identify and explore how we create believable characters
Explore and recognise the importance of character’s need to drive action and plot
Explore and understand how we can use dialogue as a tool for creating believable characters
Explore and understand how we can use dialogue as a tool of show and not telling
Explore the characteristics and rules of writing for theatre
Identify the transferable crafting skills in theatre
Identify resources for researching character and dialogue.
Internal and external conflicts: what are they and why do we need to understand them?
Understanding the importance of the character arc and exploring conflicts.
Dialogue Quick Write
Remember an argument you had, or overheard, witnessed recently. Write down in notes what happened and what was said.
Bus driver on the bus storms upstairs and says I lied about getting off at Densole and says I have to pay more, I say sorry mate have no money left and he goes ‘’NO! Come down now and pay me! And don't give me a dirty look’’ so my friend gives me a fiver to go and pay him and then after I've paid he goes ‘You lying freeloading parasite’’ and I call him a ********** and get off the bus. What a rude man.
Scene Changes in Theatre
Theatre audiences expect to be engaged in something and not to have short-attention-span episodes paraded before them – scenes are not like film; we can’t keep cutting from scene to scene unless we…
Use lighting to change location, or other staging devices.
Theatre Writing Methodology
A story
Playwriting is storytelling. Audience want to know “What happens next.”
Good characters, inciting incident, events that unfold, building to climax and resolution like all great stories.
2. Say Something
Most plays have a message, a theme that the story explores.
It may be a social, cultural emotional or political message.
3. Structure
Development of character: make sure they say and do things that tell audiences about them , their lives, personalities, values etc
Development of Situation – plan the revelation of the plot. What happens and the order it happens in.
Crisis – where everything comes to a head.
Denouement – everything gets explained
The meat of the play: always ask: have I just given more information about the characters and/or have I advanced the plot?
Characters and dialogue National Theatre
Listen to writers and directors talk about the importance
of good characters and tips on writing great dialogue.
How To Create Characters
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9ucWkyTrVM
How To Write Dialogue
Notes on Videos
Similar character creation techniques - answering questions about the character.
Using real-life conversations as inspiration
Manipulating and stylising dialogue, much more exaggerated
No dialogue is one hundred percent authentic - enlighten the audience!
What Makes Good Dialogue?
Each character’s speech prompts questions/issues in the other’s mind, directly triggering a response, or perhaps causing the next speaker to change tack.
Each speech connects with the previous one, unless of course the speaker deliberately deviates from the established line of argument.
Perhaps a speech challenges or contradicts a previous speech.
Perhaps the characters’ contributions to the dialogue reveal conflicting motives or objectives.
It reveals some new aspect of at least one of the characters involved, and ideally all of them.
Perhaps it marks a significant development in the plot.
Perhaps it resolves an outstanding issue and/or gives rise to a further issue to be resolved.
It involves well timed interaction between the characters.
It exposes aspects of character that might not be apparent from descriptive text.
Every character should have their own voice.
HOW characters say things is important to character and plot. Accents, intonation, speed, pace etc.
WHAT they say but also what they DON’T say (subtext).
Internal and External Conflict
All stories need conflict, but the conflict doesn’t always have to be world-ending, between two armies or even between two people. Stories can have both external and internal conflict or some combination of the two, and both are effective ways to build suspense and keep the reader turning pages.
Conflict may consist of characters against others, characters against natural forces or characters against things within themselves such as their own emotions or impulses. The first two are external conflicts or conflicts that originate from outside the character while the latter internal conflict comes from inside the character. Conflict against others could be a character against another or against a group, an entire society, supernatural beings or any other sentient entities. A character might also struggle against nature as in the case of a storm or a fight to survive while lost in the woods. Internal conflict might include a character struggling with unpleasant habits or the psychological effects of past trauma
Conflicts Continued
An internal conflict happens when the opposing forces are parts of a single character. their contradictory impulses, duties, desires and self-doubt
Inner conflict - tussle in characters (protagonists) head: (Man/woman vs. Self) Battling Inner Demons: Person Vs. Self
Direct outer conflict - both men love same girl
Indirect – characters have different needs but still a single overriding conflict - 1 obsession – so they love the same girl, but equally have their own inner battles to win as well - two conflicting needs – still something getting in way of a character’s need.
Sister wants marriage - other sister wants to know how to deal with their father. Neither helping the other to overcome conflict and achieve needs
Task
Name as many internal and external conflicts as you can - note them down on Google Sites. Try and find examples from your own experiences of reading and viewing narratives.
Internal Conflicts
Moral Conflict
Sexual conflict
Religious Conflict
Political Conflict
Conflict Love
Self Image Conflict
Existential Conflict
External Conflicts
A violent person
A violent animal
Prejudice
Dangerous weather
Family Conflict
I found these images on google and decided to include them in my blog, as they further helped my understanding of internal and external conflict in Theatre.
Extra Research:
"In narrative, an internal conflict is the struggle occurring within a character's mind. Things such as what the character yearns for, but can't quite reach. As opposed to external conflict, in which a character is grappling some force outside of themself, such as wars or a chain-breaking off a bike, or not being able to get past a roadblock. The dilemma posed by internal conflict is usually some ethical or emotional question. Indicators of internal conflict would be a character's hesitation or self-posing questions like "What was it I did wrong?". An internal conflict can also be a decision-making issue."
Subtext
Subtext is a glorious tool to use as part of the showing and not telling toolbox. It adds depth –and intrigue and misunderstanding and conflicts. There’s the conversation that two characters are having, and there’s the conversation underneath the conversation the two characters are having. The meaning behind the words. Subtexts are proof that stories are not surface-level things. Rather, they have a wealth of information available when you learn to read between the lines and to dig into what the story really means. Subtext allows controversial messages that would otherwise be questioned or left unpublished to reach public eyes.
Examples of Subtext
Example 1
She smiled when she heard someone else had won, but knowing what she was thinking, the smile was a façade which covered her true disappointment at having lost the election.
The subtext in the situation is the reality that what is below the surface—disappointment—does not match the surface—happiness and congratulations.
Example 2
A student goes to turn in his paper. After looking through two pages, his teacher asks, “Are you sure you want to turn this in?”
The subtext of this question is the intended clue to the student that the paper is not ready yet to be turned in and he should edit through it again.
Subtext Examples: Subtle but huge!
Example 1
This mint is really delicious. It’s got a very unique flavour. Do you want one?
The enthusiasm expressed by this person is an example of subtext. As beneath this message is the clue that someone else has bad breath and should take the mint.
Example 2
RAY: Here we go, some nice peanut butter sandwiches.
Rachel looks at him spreading the sandwiches, obviously masking frustration.
RACHEL: I’m allergic to peanut butter.
Ray, surprised, continues to spread the butter.
RAY: Since when?
Beat.
RACHEL: Birth
➡️ This exchange between Ray and Rachel effectively employs subtext to reveal deeper relationship tensions. Ray's casual act of making peanut butter sandwiches contrasts starkly with Rachel's frustration at his lack of awareness about her lifelong allergy. Her quip, "Since birth," highlights not only his ignorance but also her feelings of being overlooked, emphasizing themes of communication and emotional disconnect in their relationship.
Subtext Exercise
Write a short piece that explores character conflicts, but through what the character doesn't say. Think about what they are implying perhaps or want to say but can’t because of fear. It may be a secret. What does one character want and what does the other need and vice-versa.
Scene between 2 characters: 1 wants the other to do/say something - admit to something - but never mention the thing. Use existing characters or create a new set
What is it they want? What do they need?
Ask something without saying it?
Planning:
Character A invited Character B to a dinner party, but it's clear that Character A is trying way too hard to impress. The food is a disaster and everything feels forced. Character B is uncomfortable and wants to leave, but instead of admitting it, they over-exaggerate every little thing, like how they are "so glad" they got to "experience" the unique meal and how it's a "bold choice" for dinner. They're both pretending that everything is fine while avoiding the obvious.
Character A wants Character B to rave about how amazing the evening is.
Character B needs a way out, but they don't want to hurt Character A's feelings.
Subtext Exercise Scene
Untitled documentWrite a short Theatre Play
Pick two characters; choose a setting and an object.
The two characters need the object or the object plays a part in the conflict between the two characters.
Does your script explore a specific theme?
Is there conflict in the script?
Is the dialogue consistent with character?
Does the dialogue help us understand the characters (what they say and what they do not say)?
Short Theatre Play.pdf⬆️ PDF link to my Theatre Script
The characters, setting and object that I picked from my classmates were: Paul - A farmer who is allergic to wool, Lavrenne - An innocent looking but evil character, Space and a Treasure chest.
Monologues
In theatre, a monologue is a speech presented by a single character, most often to express their mental thoughts aloud, though sometimes also to directly address another character or the audience. This device can explore internal conflicts.
Below is some notes of theatre and monologue example videos that we watched as a class. 🔻
Doh, K. (2014). The Outside Dog (Talking Heads) - Julie Walters - Part 2. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGZMe5DsnRU [Accessed 13 Feb. 2020].
Reveals internal struggles and contradictions
Keeps the audience intrigued whilst simultaneously not giving too much information away.
The feelings of frustration and guilt are very apparent - immerses the viewer into the scene completely.
Paints an effective image of the scene the main character is describing through just words an increase of concern in her tone and way of talking.
Talks with the same enthusiasm and anger she had towards the officers
National Theatre (2023). Fleabag by Phoebe Waller-Bridge | Official Trailer | National Theatre at Home in UK. [online] YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxWiX0-uefs
Fleabag : Phoebe Waller-Bridge
Intimate and raw, uses humour and direct audience engagement in order to explore a range of themes.
Grief, loneliness and the complexity of modern womanhood.
Breaks the fourth wall - confides in the audience, creating a personal connection
The wit and irony masks deeper emotional pain.
Empty-looking stage with lack of props and other characters focus attention on character's internal conflicts
Intimate and emotionally intense - raw vunerability beneath the humour.
More Monologue Examples
How did it feel reading the scripts?
How did the language help you understand the character?
What did you see/hear/fell?
What did you think about structure/pace/rhythm.
Fleabag
Reading Fleabag felt like you were delving into the mind of the main character. The way she interacts with other characters gives an insight into type of person she is, which is both funny and impactful, as the writer has a way of amplifying a mundane situation in a scene, and making it immersive and interesting by ‘ranting’ about it.The language used helped to understand the character, as the internal thoughts come across as more raw, and often crude, whilst the spoken dialogue is portrayed as a more tame, simple conversation. This allows the audience to perceive the inner conflicts of ‘Fleabag’, and portrays an idea that she is masking her true feelings to be viewed as a more respectable person.
Mojo Reading Mojo felt like immersing yourself into a captivating story that left me full of questions - Why would the protagonist's father kill her and why didn't she confront him? A conflict or fight was expected, but the revelation of the father only killing a cow was shocking. The language is simple and direct, like someone telling a story, which adds to the tension. The present tense heightens the anticipation, keeping the reader hooked. I imagined a father and daughter, emotionally distant, driving in silence. When they pull into a field and the father speeds up, the cow is hit, the whole scene unfolding quickly with just the sounds of the crash and the cow hitting the ground. The fast pace works well, building tension and leaving the reader questioning what will happen next.
Writing a short Monologue
"Take one of the characters from today’s exercises and/or another character you have been exploring from another exercise e.g., subtext - and write a monologue. Here you write about internal conflicts but remember, it is theatre, it needs to “show” and be full of action. Things happening!! Movement."
" Re-watch the Bennett monologues to see how his work is full to brimming with action."
I decided to write a monologue from the perspective of Nigel, the main character in the short film that I created during out 'Film' session.
My Monologue:
"You know, I never thought it would come to this. Talking to a... a mannequin. But here we are. You always said I had a vivid imagination, didn’t you? Well, this... this is a bit much, even for me.
I constantly hear your laughter or some sort of sick manifestation of it. It echoes in this god-awful empty house. God, how I miss that sound. It’s like a cruel joke—this beautiful silence where your voice once danced. I dress you up in your favorite clothes, and it’s as if I’m trying to wrap myself in your memory, hold on to what little I have left, everything I have had to let go of that still bears claw marks from my unabating grip that refuses to part with your soul.
Remember our first date? You wore that red dress. You were so nervous, twirling that glass of wine like a delicate piece of art. Like everything you held was on the brink of shattering in the empyrean domain of your palms. I thought you were radiant, like you’d stepped out of a dream. And now... now all I have is this... this stillness.
I thought talking to you—well, to this—would ease the ache, but it just makes it sharper. I confide in you, share secrets I can’t bear to voice to anyone else. But it’s just a shadow of what was, isn’t it? Just me, lost in this... this echo of life.
But what happens when I have to face the truth? This isn’t you. You’re gone. And I’m here, stuck in this fragile illusion, desperately trying to cling to the past. It feels safer, doesn’t it? But it’s not real. It’s just a veil, a trick of my mind.
I have to let go, don’t I? I can’t hide behind this forever. The memories, the love—they deserve to be honored, not trapped in a lifeless figure. You wouldn’t want that.
I need to face the world, even if it’s painful. Because that’s where you truly are—in the laughter, in the memories... not in this illusion. It’s time to step out of the shadows, isn’t it? Time to say goodbye.
Goodbye, my love."
'A Room With a View' - E.M. Forster
Read the extract
How does the author, E M Forster, indicate where, and when , the argument is taking place?
Lucy and Charlotte are cousins. Who do you think, is Miss Bartlett? How does Forster indicate the relationships between them through dialogue
Why are they obliged to be polite?
Answers:
Forster indicates the setting through the mention of the Arno, a river in Florence, Italy, which places the scene during a trip abroad. The discussion about room views suggests they are staying in a guesthouse or hotel, and the dialogue reveals the discomfort of competing for the best room with a view.
I think that Miss Bartlett is an older relative, responsible for overseeing her during their travels. She is more formal and protective, feeling a duty to act as a guardian and often making self-sacrificial gestures, as shown by her insistence on giving Lucy the room with the view. Through dialogue, Forster reveals a power dynamic between the two women. Miss Bartlett acts as a guardian, making selfless gestures, while Lucy feels guilt and is quick to defer to her. Their interaction highlights Lucy’s dependence on Charlotte’s approval, as well as the tension of maintaining good manners.
They are obliged to be polite due to social expectations of decorum, especially while abroad. Miss Bartlett feels responsible for Lucy and must maintain a self-sacrificial image, while Lucy feels guilty for wanting the room and quickly defers to Charlotte. The man who interrupts adds pressure to maintain good manners in front of outsiders.
Evaluation Questions
How does the dialogue help us understand the characters?
The use of dialogue, especially in a theatre script is a powerful tool for understanding characters as it reveals their inner thoughts, emotions, motivations, and personalities in a direct and immediate way. After exploring dialogue myself this session I can identify a range of methods in which it is important when understanding characters, for example:
Voice and tone: The way a character (Accents, formal, casual, angry, etc.) can give us an insight into their background, education, and attitude. For example, a character who uses slang or modern dialect might be portrayed as more relaxed or youthful, while someone who speaks in a measured, formal tone could seem more authoritative or uptight.
Internal and external conflicts: How characters interact with each other through dialogue often highlights their relationships and any underlying tension. The way characters respond to one another can also reflect their social status, power dynamics or emotional state.
Subtext: Dialogue can have subtext - an underlying meaning that isn't directly expressed. This gives depth to characters as it shows that they might not always be straightforward and transparent. for example, a character might say something polite on the surface, while implying something completely different underneath.
Personality and quirks: Repeated speech patterns, catchphrases, or specific word choices can define a characters unique personality. For example, a character who is always cracking jokes may be seen as humorous and easygoing, while one who is often blunt and brief may be seen as serious and emotionally distant.
How does the dialogue help move the story on?
Dialogue moves the story forward by revealing key plot information, building tension and conflict, and driving character decisions. It creates momentum by dictating pacing and can introduce surprises or twists that alter the course of the narrative. This is done through conversations, characters express motivations, desires, and relationships, which propel the plot and shape the direction of the story. Whether through conflict, revelation, or the development of connections, dialogue keeps the narrative engaging and ensures the story progresses in a dynamic way. I have definitely felt that dialogue has helped with the pace of my stories I have written this session and broken up important scenes.
Could you show more than tell through the dialogue e.g. a person’s deeper feelings towards another?
I felt like I could show more than tell when I was writing dialogue, especially in the subtext exercise as instead of directly stating emotions, thoughts, or intentions, my characters could express these principles through how they speak, what they choose to say, and what they leave unsaid. I felt like using dialogue helped to convey tone, body language, and choice of words and revealed deeper feelings without directly stating them. I found that this approach of showing and not telling using dialogue allows the reader to infer emotions and motivations from the interactions, creating more immersive and dynamic scenes in my writing.
Discuss how today’s session has impacted on your writing and perhaps future writing development.
This week, I was introduced to the importance of dialogue in writing theatre scripts, subtext, how to use it, and the art of writing a monologue effectively in order to display a character's internal and external conflicts. I feel more confident when it comes to understanding and identifying the transferrable crafting skills in writing theatre and I feel like it has impacted my writing in the following ways:
Analysing a range of theatre scripts and monologue examples has allowed me to practice my 'Reading like a writer' skills, as I could identify the important tools that were used (Such as humour, subtext, etc.) and use these skills in my own writing. Reading these professional examples also allowed me to get an insight into what an effective monologue should look like and the thoughts/emotions it should evoke in the reader.
Learning about subtext and implementing it into my own writing has encouraged my 'Show and not Tell' techniques, as it allows you to convey a message through dialogue without saying something directly. I initially struggled with the subtext writing task, as I thought that using less description would make my script come across as dull or confusing, however after re-reading my lecture notes and playing around with the concept, I found it did the opposite. I admired how subtext could portray tension, humour, and the overall tone of a story through just what the characters are saying, and it is a tool that I will definitely implement in my future writing as a way to display a secret, or something that is better left unsaid.
Going over internal and external conflicts was another exercise from this session that impacted my writing and character-building, as it allowed me to delve into a character's mind and understand the driving force behind their actions. I found this particularly helpful as I sometimes find myself writing characters that are too surface-level and as I read back these stories, it doesn't make much sense as to why the character has made particular decisions. Now that I understand the importance of understanding and creating internal and external conflict in a character, I feel like my writing has improved and it has propelled the plot even more.
Greg's Feedback
You lying freeloading parasite’’
I hope you reported this horrible man - if it's true. Perfect for this exercise though, on a positive side.
Religious Conflict
Political Conflict
I would see these as more external conflicts really although both can be internalised as well
as they further helped my understanding of internal and external conflict in Theatre.
Excellent - I do like to see students looking for further evidence
emphasizing themes of communication and emotional disconnect in their relationship.
Purposeful and impactful analysis of published/industry examples - very important to see this as it shows a deeper understanding of the areas we explore in class. Great work.
I can really taste the... um, creativity in it.
Wonderful use of subtext to add humour to a scene - and give a sense of the relationship
Some good fun had writing the short play - you can write effective comedy dialogue
My Argument Fictionalised:
Where is this?
It's interesting that you have the character talking to the dead-wide/mannequin and not to perhaps an audience like many of the examples - this adds a darkness and addresses his mental state. Not enough action though and is telling rather that showing - unlike the film that shows the story. You can still have him discovering the mannequin, and interacting - imagine how this would be staged and dramatised. How would we see this as a piece of theatre?
My Monologue:
The analysis of monologue shows an impressive understanding and clearly identifies how the form explore internal conflicts and are full of show don't tell techniques and action
Analysis of the Room with a View extracts shows how dialogue can reveal and shed light on characterisation and vice-versa - excellent analysis - the analysis can be read as an insight into what you took as a writer from the reading.
Now that I understand the importance of understanding and creating internal and external conflict in a character - internal is need and external can be seen as what they want - so we have looked at this before - more of a recap and development of the techniques and narrative device knowledge
Great post with some excellent work!!
