⋮ January 4-10: Writing in Script Intro: It’s time for the first weekly of the session! This week, we’ll focus on writing one scene in script format. Though the script format may be unusual, you’ve seen it used in your life. Whether it’s from watching a movie, going to a play, partaking in one, or watching a news broadcast, they all use scripts! So now it’s your turn to try it out, and you can write a script about anything you want, from a retelling of A Midsummer Night’s Dream to a report about how global warming affects the planet. So, let’s get started writing! Section 1: Writing Stage Directions Before you start writing stage directions, what are they? They are parts of your script that help describe the action that happens around the dialogue of the script, which is the main part. Three key things that should be included in your stage directions are a description of the action happening in your scene, the location of the scene, and a description of the characters. When you start writing your stage directions, you have to keep a format in mind. Make sure that each stage direction isn’t too long, you have to write clearly and directly so that the reader won’t get bored by how long it is. Everything should be in the present tense, and use the third person while writing. For this part, get an idea of what your script will be about and start writing your stage directions. Make sure to leave room for people to speak in between stage directions, and with your finalized outline of stage directions and places where people will speak, it should be at least 400 words. Section 2: Writing Descriptions Now that we’ve gotten the draft of your stage directions, it’s time to edit them! Stage directions and descriptions should be short and punchy, each section of a stage direction should be 4 sentences or less, so make sure that’s true for each section of your stage directions. If not, remove unnecessary sentences and words to shorten it. Though you want to make sure that your descriptions aren’t too long, remember to include necessary descriptions, for example, if you want to be in a character’s room for a scene, but they are very messy and they trip over one of their clothes on the floor, at the beginning you can write ‘Jame’s room is littered with dirty clothes and unwanted trash.’ you don’t have to be more descriptive than that, and you don’t have to be less descriptive either. Make sure to go over your story to see if there are any other tenses than present and change it to present as it really helps make the reader feel as if they are in the story too. If any characters are introduced in the script, make sure to do a character introduction. Include their name, physical description, and one sentence to describe their traits. One example of a character description, if you need help thinking of one is: “MICHAEL DAWSON (17) looks more like an Abercrombie model than your average high school student as he distractedly tosses a football around. He scans the bleachers. The ball is tossed back to him, narrowly missing hitting him in the face. Of course, he isn't hit, his good looks wouldn't allow it.” Once you are done making edits and writing character descriptions, write 200 words detailing 3 things that you changed by editing your stage directions and one character description that you wrote that will be included in the script.
Section 3: Writing Your Dialogue Going on to the most famous part of scripts, the dialogue! You’ve probably already seen in scripts places where it says: “Jane: I can’t believe you did that!” Now it’s time to include your own dialogue in between your stage directions and descriptions. A good start to thinking about writing your dialogue is that dialogue isn’t just a casual conversation in scripts, it serves a larger purpose, to move the story forward as that is harder to do with a script format. 3 different kinds of dialogue that you should include in your script are exposition (relaying information to other characters), characterization (to flesh out who a character is and what they want), and action (to make decisions and reveal what each character is going to do). Though you shouldn't include too much unnecessary information, it should still feel like a natural conversation that two characters would have, even in real life. Remember, no one says anything unless they want something, and make sure that each word each character says has a purpose to it, whether it’s their motives or just because they’re the kind of person who wants attention. For this part, write 500 words of dialogue that you fit in between your stage directions. Section 4: Scene Formatting Onto the final part of this weekly! Now that you’ve finished your script, it’s time to format it! Though this might seem light a small part of the script, using script format helps you communicate your ideas in a standard and well-organized way. First, there are Scene Headings. Scene headings are used when you’re introducing a new location in your script. That means that everyone will have one in the beginning, and if your characters go to a new setting, you will have to put another scene heading in. Starting on the left margin with either INT. or EXT. showing whether the scene is in the interior or exterior of the location, then the name of the location, then a hyphen (-), then the word day or night. All the letters should be capitalized. Next, whenever a character is mentioned or is speaking, always remember to capitalize every letter of their name so readers are sure they are a character. Unlike the thoughts of many, there is no ‘:’ or colon when a character speaks. Instead, you should go to the next line and if you want to be completely accurate, the dialogue should be 4.2 inches from the left of the paper, but if you don’t want to go into too much detail, it’s fine if you don’t. Sounds heard by the whole audience should be in all caps but sounds issued by individual characters should not be capitalized. Then there are extensions, which are put in parentheses next to a character’s name before they speak. It’s either (O.S.) or (V.O.) which signifies how the viewer hears the voice, either off-screen or being voiced over. It is not necessary to have extensions. Once you are done with this part, you should have a fully formatted and edited scene written in script format! Conclusion: You’ve done it! You’re one step closer to becoming the next Shakespeare <3 now that you’re finished, check over your work to make sure you have: 400 words of stage directions in your script. 200 words detailing 3 things that you changed by editing your stage directions and one character description that you wrote that will be included in the script. 500 words of dialogue in your script. A fully formatted and edited scene in script format If you have done all that, turn your weekly in with proof for 1500 points for your cabin! Congrats on writing a scene in the script, as it is always hard to stray from what’s most commonly written by writers, which is verse, and try something new! If you already usually write in script format, well then you might be the next script-writer for the next blockbuster movie! Either way, be proud of yourself, and rake in all those points!
