Preriquities : An active imagination. No previous writing experience required.

Duration 9 hours

One of the earliest and most enduring forms of fiction, scripted drama is a dynamic way of telling stories through dialogue. Whether your interests lie in writing for the screen, the stage, digital platforms or just improving dialogue in your prose fiction, this course will give you the basic tools for creating effective and compelling drama. Using examples of classic plays, television drama, film, video games, and more, participants will be familiarized with the creative strategies of successful scriptwriters and, through in-class writing exercises, learn to apply them to their own work.

Participants will also be set up with exercises in experimenting with structure, character development, plot twists, subtext, pastiche, and adapting existing pieces of work. The course will culminate in each participant creating an approximately ten-minute piece in a form of their choice – anything from a stage play to a video game script – and having them read and constructively critiqued by their peers.

Methodology

Class time will be divided into discussions, writing exercises, and the critiquing of participants’ work, so active participation is essential. Selected readings and viewings (written, staged and filmed drama, monologues, theories on drama, etc.) will be given outside of class time. All participants will be required to write at least one piece of drama of around ten-to-fifteen minutes duration which will be critiqued by their peers by the end of the course.

Content

Discussion topics will include:

• The creative process
• Developing ideas
• Aspects of dramatic writing (e.g. setting, structure, character, conflict)
• Some aspects of dramatic history (e.g, Classical drama; naturalism vs non-naturalism; musical theatre; radical performance)
• Adapting existing stories or novels
• Writing opportunities (e.g., competitions, contacting producers, joining scriptwriting organizations, etc.)