TEN-MINUTE PLAY MODEL
We are supposed to write a ten page play.
Pages 1-2: Set up the world we’re in, introduce your central character(s), and make sure we understand what they need / want / desire in the journey of the story.
Pages 2-3: Illuminate the central conflict – a dramatic question that will be answered by the play’s end.
Pages 3-8: Complicate the story two or three times.
Pages 9-10: Resolve the conflict, even if that creates an unhappy ending.
IDEA FOR A PLAY
Write a play with a protagonist who is about to go over the edge. Introduce another character who is the perfect antagonist to do the pushing.
WHAT IS THE CONFLICT?
What is the dramatic question? (The problem at the core of the play that must be answered at the play’s end.)
EXPOSITION
An explanation of the backstory.
Move to the central conflict
SCENE CONSTRUCTION
You should be able to fit your conflict and its resolution into a single scene.
There is generally a problem that has to be resolved.
Every page of your scriipt must count.
Clear and immediate conflict.
Does the middle contain several complications and reversals that upset our expectations?
Is the ending both surprising and satisfying>
BELIEVABLE CHARACTERS
Does each character have a clear goal that he or she wants badly to attain?
Are the characters distinctive and unusual?
Are they believable as human beings?
Do you have too many, or too few characters?
CONVINCING DIALOGUE
Simple and forceful
Is believable
Adds to character development
Introduces backstory in a credible way
Heightens conflict and moves the action forward
THEME
The way a set of beliefs or principles manifests itself in your play.
Does the play have at least one clear theme?
Does the theme emerge as a result of the play’s conflict and characters?
Does the title subtly, but unmistakably, point the audience in the direction of the play’s theme?
Is the theme likely to inspire further thought and discussion after the performance is over?
