Good day everyone. In this video, we're going to learn how to write drama, particularly one-act plays. Before anything else, let's have a definition of what a one-act play is. A one-act play is a play that has only one act, as distinct from other plays that occur over several acts.
It is worth noting that even though a one-act play is only one act, it makes sense to know that it is a play that has only one act. consist of one or more scenes. Also, although not as long, a one-act play still has the same responsibility as a traditional play. Furthermore, among other things, a one-act play should make and keep the audience engaged. With its limited time and set options, this can be a challenge.
Now at this point, we're going to talk about the characteristics of a one-act play. In terms of characters, a one-act play usually will have four or fewer characters that are developed in varying degrees. Also, depending on the story that you are trying to tell, there may be one or more main characters. Now in terms of developing the character, characters are usually developed primarily through dialogue. It is worth noting that a one-act play will only have four or fewer characters because having too many characters might result in underdevelopment of characters.
In terms of settings, a one-act play should be set in a single location. Furthermore, it should be set over a period of no more than one day. Considering that this is a one-act play, the story is expected to start and end in the same setting. In terms of plot, a one-act play must have one central plot.
It needs to have conflict that is resolved by the end. It needs to be a complete compact drama with a beginning, a middle, and an end. In terms of complete and compact drama, it needs to have the following elements. It needs to have an opening situation or an exposition. It needs to have a rising action in relation to the conflict.
It needs to have a climax, a falling action, and of course, a resolution. Now that we know the characteristics of a one-act play, we now focus on this particular question. How do I write one-act plays?
First, you have to be familiar with one-act plays. A great way to get started with writing your own one-act play is by reading and watching other one-act plays. This helps you to get a better understanding of how to successfully execute an entire play within a limited amount of time.
Also, set a theme for your story. Choose a subject to cover in a brief one-act play. A short story works best. Remember to give the one-act play the necessary plot, action, and characters to make it a complete story.
Next is to build and develop your characters. Write out a character sketch beforehand to help you flesh out your characters and bring them to life. Give your characters a motive in life or lack thereof and up the stakes by making them face a problem. Now, it is important to know who or what your main character is as this will help keep your play focused. Furthermore, when you start to write, figure out whose story you are telling from and from whose point of view.
Building your characters in the story is important because the characters help move the story in a one-act play. After building and developing the characters, another way to write the one-act play is to construct the conflict and the plot. Once you know who your main character is and what he or she wants more than life itself, You need to do the hard part which is to figure out the obstacles that he or she will face and how he or she will overcome them.
Develop the action first, then compose a dialogue before you decide anything else. Keep the plot simple for a one-act play and it should move consistently throughout the play. Furthermore, write a conflict that builds as the play progresses.
As you structure the conflict, think in terms of your play having a beginning, a middle, and an end. This is important Because pretty much a one-act play is a story that is designed to be performed on stage. After the conflict and plot has been constructed, it is important to outline the scenes. A scene is a basic unit of drama. It can be roughly described as a chunk of play that happens in one time and place.
If you read some plays, you can analyze how the playwright breaks the act into When writing your one act, it is best to keep the play to only one set and as few scenes as possible. Also, even with a simple setting, it is still possible to develop different scenes according to the character's obstacles. As a writer, your job is to figure out how to turn those obstacles into cohesive scenes.
Now, it is worth noting that having cohesive scenes is important because the scenes must be logically sequenced. Having logically sequenced scenes would allow the readers or the viewers to know how the story progresses. It would help show how the story flows and how the story would develop in the act. Now, at this point, we're going to talk about other tips when writing one-act plays.
First, write characters that want something which puts them in conflict with other characters and try to get what they want at every moment. This is important as this will help make the viewers feel interested and eager to find out whether the character is able to get what he or she wants at the end of the story. Next, make sure that there is a good reason for an event for your play.
It is not enough for two characters to sit around and talk for a while then leave. There needs to be some important reason why we're watching them now at this particular moment. Remember that in a one-act play, each scene must be related to the upcoming scenes. Each scene must be a setup in order to prepare the viewers for what might happen in the near future. Next, write dialogue that illuminates your characters and advances the plot at the same time.
It is important to remember that in a one-act play, the characters are developed through the use of dialogue. In relation to this, make each character speak in a distinctive voice. Remember that each character would have a different characteristic, different personality, different behavior, and a different role.
As such, make sure that each particular character in a one-act play would be able to portray his or her own personality as differently from the others. And lastly, let the characters show rather than tell what they intend to do. Remember that a one-act play is a story that is intended for performing on stage. With this in mind, it is important to let the viewers be able to know what the character wants to do in the story.
rather than simply telling what the character will do in order to solve the problem. In a nutshell, one-act plays are a type of drama that is relatively shorter compared to full-length plays. Despite one-act plays being relatively shorter, it does not mean that it is easier to write one as it still entails the writer's creativity and adherence to the elements of fiction.
Furthermore, For a writer to come up with a good one-act play, he or she must familiarize himself or herself with the different elements of fiction as well as how other writers are able to produce their one-act plays. More importantly, the writer must ensure that the story for the one-act play is meaningful and properly written.