Ensure a clear beginning, middle, and end. Know Your Characters: Make their motivations clear.
(Elliot shoves the scarf into the GOODWILL box. Then hesitates. Takes it back out. Holds it.)
When drafting your HSC script, you must become a ruthless editor of exposition. Avoid the "As you know, Bob" phenomenon, where characters tell each other things they already know for the benefit of the audience. Instead, focus on .
MICHAEL She knew some things would hurt. She wanted you to remember laughter. Not the calendar of absences. hsc drama individual project script writing
Your style dictates the rules of your play's universe. Align your concept with an established theatrical form:
This is essential to check if the dialogue sounds natural.
JESS Maybe the truth. Maybe Mom’s last words. Maybe nothing. Maybe— (looks at him) —maybe the truth about why you left. I kept it sealed because I didn’t want to choose which hurt to believe. Ensure a clear beginning, middle, and end
JESS (soft) Why now?
Strong Concept: Two estranged childhood friends trapped in an elevator on the night one of them is supposed to get married. (Contained, high stakes, immediate conflict). Choosing a Theatrical Style
If you’re tackling the Individual Project (IP) in Scriptwriting Then hesitates
JESS You promised to come back for my twelfth birthday. You sent a postcard instead. A beach photo. It said "Wish I was there." You were never there.
For each character, define the following elements to avoid flat, clichéd dialogue:
There was a snort from the back of the room. Mr. Henderson looked unimpressed. "Meta-theatricality. A high-risk strategy. If it’s not executed well, it becomes self-indulgent. Proceed."
Generate ideas, themes, and potential dramatic scenarios.