Florida State College at Jacksonville Script Writing Paper

Part One: Script Development

There may be two major challenges when writing a play. The first is to decide on a topic. Have some fun with the assignment. Focus on the theme of a cultural miscommunication, but know that this can take on many forms. You may have characters from different countries, backgrounds, belief systems, or socioeconomic status. In any case, demonstrate a conflict and how it may unfold.

Know that everyone in the class has to write a play and most have never tried it before, so this is a chance to stretch your abilities and learn something new. Aim to write a play with an overall purpose. What will the play communicate to the reader? How might it be staged?

The next major challenge is to learn how to communicate ideas through dialogue, rather than through descriptions. This exercise is a chance to build your skills in communicating your ideas, and a chance to gain a new appreciation for the work of writing a play. Write several drafts of the play and read the work aloud. A play will be read aloud when staged, so it can help to listen to the work while you are writing it. Consider how characters may phrase their thoughts in unique ways. Consider what some people would say aloud and what others might hold back. Experiment with the use of language and concepts of plot and character.

In this exercise, each student will develop a play script approximately 3-5 pages in length. Your play should focus on a conflict and follow the elements of plot.

The study of Humanities gives us an opportunity to take note of similarities and differences between cultures in a productive way. We can learn about our own culture, beliefs, and practices when we come to see other points of view. We won’t always be persuaded to a new way of life, but we can become better at expressing our point of view without assuming others see the world in the same way. Also, this knowledge can help us to avoid or resolve issues of cultural miscommunication and misunderstanding. It is informative to consider some of the ways that people of different cultures interact, and the obstacles to understanding that might arise.

For this assignment, you will write a short play that demonstrates a miscommunication between people of different cultures. Do not merely tell the audience that there is a difficulty. Show the difficulty in action and aim to resolve it.

You will work on the assignment individually. After the scripts are complete, you will share your work with members of a team for a small group discussion.

There may be two major challenges when writing a play. The first is to decide on a topic. Have some fun with the assignment. Focus on the theme of a cultural miscommunication, but know that this can take on many forms. You may have characters from different countries, backgrounds, belief systems, or socioeconomic status. In any case, demonstrate a conflict and how it may unfold. Know that everyone in the class has to write a play and most have never tried it before, so this is a chance to stretch your abilities and learn something new. Aim to write a play with an overall purpose. What will the play communicate to the reader? How might it be staged? The next major challenge is to learn how to communicate ideas through dialogue, rather than through descriptions. This exercise is a chance to build your skills in communicating your ideas, and a chance to gain a new appreciation for the work of writing a play. Write several drafts of the play and read the work aloud. A play will be read aloud when staged, so it can help to listen to the work while you are writing it. Consider how characters may phrase their thoughts in unique ways. Consider what some people would say aloud and what others might hold back. Experiment with the use of language and concepts of plot and character. Your play should have one to four characters. Also, remember the script should be written for the stage performance and a live audience. Add stage directions and dialogue to communicate your conflict and who the characters may be.