The Craft of Writing
When in doubt, think nouns & verbs
- Run dart, sprint, race
- Hit cuff, pummel, brutalize
- Speak chat, mumble, orate
Choose action over exposition
Don’t say the scene. (It’s raining)
Tell us what people are doing in it. (Open up umbrella)
Build energy with parallel constructions
- “Speak softly and carry a big stick”
- “A chicken in every pot, a car in ever garage”
- “that the government of the people, by the people shall not perish from this earth”
Notice how you build sentences and see if you can enrich them in a lyrical way.
Write casually
Don’t overuse fake words that confuse your reader.
Contract: won’t, don’t, isn’t, etc.
You might even find it helpful to shorten sentences.
Singlish
- can, but it will lower the interllectual level of the piece. Usually reserve it for dialogue.
- try using it in one or two places in the sentence. It gives voice to your dialogue, without confusing the reader.
Short sentences build suspense
Open with a bang! Close with emo!
-Your first paragraph should be the best in the entire piece.
-Look at the end. Does it bring emotional closure? Has character changed? Has your audience?
The Role of Conflict
-Conflict is the central feature of the screenplay
;man against man
;man against environment
;man against self
Conflict=Change
Change is common to everyone
change is universal
bodies change
seasons change
lives changes
relationships changes
feelings change
locations change
technologies change
As universal as change may be, people often resist it for rear of the unknown.
People must learn to cope with change if they want to survive.
The action in drama depends on conflict.
Conflict
-Definition:opposition or forces
-it is the interaction of opposing ideas, interests, or wills and creates a plot.
-Plot cannot be constructed without conflict.
-As your charactes attempt to reach their goals, they come into conflicct with each other.
-The end of the story nears when the protagonist and antagonist approach their goals and the conflict rises to generate maximum suspense and excitement.
