I need help.
This six page script is kicking my arse. I've converted three stories over to scripts so far. All of them are well over six pages and don't make sense if I cut them down. Unfortunately they are all well below the 15 page script I need for the final assignment so the whole lot of them have been a waste of time!
I've gone through a bunch of anthology listings looking for inspiration and nothing has lurched out at me.
What I need: a single scene so I only have to write one setting paragraph (I can work with two at most). Preferably with no more than three characters (two is preferable).
I am to make my characters believable - duh!
I need to clearly demonstrate their wants and needs - duh!
Conflict should be clearly evident - duh!
Show motivation - duh!
Natural dialogue - double duh! But not too much. Less is more.
Must be surprising and entertaining - they don't want much do they...
So this is my cry for help. Suggestions are more than welcome. I need a premise; a situation; a prompt. I'm willing to entertain anything except erotica and KBB - sorry Nat.
Go into as much or as little detail as you care to. I need to have this done by the end of next week - I didn't even know I had a deadline.
From what I've done so far, I think it needs to be a story that can be told in one or two scenes, and no more than 1200-1500 words
With the lack of sleep and pain, and all sorts of other stuff going on, I've just hit a blank wall. Scary.
Thank you in advance for any and all suggestions and comments.
BT
The Time Machine Australia Bound
3 weeks ago
One prompt I'm using this weekend will be from the blog Write Anything - http://writeanything.wordpress.com/2009/05/01/fiction-friday-102/
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in college, I attended a workshop on writing one-act plays. We had an exercise where we came up with an idea for one, and mine was awful, so I'm not really the right person to give advice. :)
ReplyDeleteBut...how about the aftermath of a murder? Or people expecting a flood and they're trapped in their basement for some reason. Or (on the lighter side) an old couple who hate pets preparing for house guests who are bringing along their six dogs.
I don't know if that's what you had in mind, but maybe it'll help spark an idea you can use. Good luck!
I had to do something similar in a creative writing class last year (he wanted to touch on plays in one class).
ReplyDeleteWe had to come up with a couple of pages describing a scene where a character has a secret. You have to show their intent in their movements about the stage without using any dialogue.
My scene was of a women considering suicide. It was over 700 words just describing her indecision as the evening went by. If you were to introduce another character and some dialogue to this it would fill it out some.
Good luck with that, BT!.
By the way, this is my first time commenting on your blog. Recently found it after reading your story on EDF.
Cheers.
Alan
Oops!
ReplyDeleteI linked to your blog through your comments on the story by KC Shaw (not your story as previously noted).
What you said was true. I welcome both positive and negative feedback as I want to learn and grow as a writer.
There are some out there, though, with "dark clouds" hanging over their heads and seem to take pleasure in raining on everyones parade.
Thanks guys for the suggestions and welcome Alan.
ReplyDeleteI had a look at the suicide type scenario - with a twist (of course). I wrote it out and managed to run it to 8 pages :c(
I've done a serious edit on it but it still came out at just over 6. Cutting further may really start to affect the story - not happy.
Still looking.