Writing a One-Act Play Cary NC

Provided by: 
Click here for more content from HowToDoThings.com

When people think of plays, many things come to mind. One of those things can occasionally be "Man, that was long!" While great plays sometimes make time fly, many full-length plays do in fact last for at least two hours. Some, like well-known plays by Shakespeare and Eugene O'Neil, are a lot longer - much longer. Some plays, however, come in under the hour mark and don't have any sort of intermission or mid-point curtain. These plays of half an hour to an hour in length are generally referred to as one-act plays. Writing a one-act play can offer challenges to first-time writers, playwrights used to the full-length play format and screenwriters used to considering stories in a three-act structure. On the other hand, writing a one-act play can be a great experience.

Here are some ways to get started writing a one-act play. But keep in mind that writing a play, like most things, requires more than just following a process. Practice, experimentation, study, help from experts - and didI mention practice? - will be necessary, too.

1. Read and/or see some one-act plays. My first suggestion to anyone taking up a new writing skill is usually to get some examples to follow. There are many one-act play compilations available where you can read work by both famous playwrights and up-and-coming writers. Study these scripts for their construction - what happens when? How many settings and characters are used? What is the time frame of the play's action - a day, a year? Plays vary greatly in content and form, of course, but that's just another reason to read, and if possible see, a lot of one-act plays if you're going to write one: You will know a variety of ways you can proceed with your story.
   
   One-act plays often differ from full-length plays in their scope. They will have fewer characters, perhaps, or a more simple setting. Mainly, though, they will be very focused on a main character and a single incident or goal - there will be little time to go to subplots or scenes not involving the main character and his story. This is something you will notice as you read one-act plays, and something you will want to keep in mind as you go through the writing process.
   
   ...

Click here to read the rest of the article at HowToDoThings.com

Author: B. Danesco