Workshop notes

As Optimistic Reader* mentioned, we went along to the free workshop for those interested in entering the Westminster playwriting competition.* Here are my notes in case anyone else might find them useful or is interested in entering.

The aim is to write a ten-minute play with a maximum of two characters.

The workshop was participation based with hints and tips along the way. The first exercise Workshop Blokey (forget his name but he was very nice and very enthusiastic and encouraging) wrote the initials C and D on the board. We had to give C and D a name, age, and decide on their relationship. I think I called mine Chris and Dave and decided they were mates and in their late twenties. (I too marvel at my originality). We were told they were in a tent, and given the instruction D is eating an ice cream. Then we had to create a dialogue between the characters without thinking too much and without stopping. This exercise continued, with us being stopped intermittently to be given more info such as D turns the radio off. Then C lights a cigarette. ETC. This was a good exercise and I found each instruction took the story in a different direction, or changed the status, tension etc. After my initial panic of 'shit what am I going to write,' I found that I was scribbling away, even though most of it was dog poo. The purpose of this exercise was to get us writing and to banish our ‘inner critic.’ BOG OFF INNER CRITIC.

Blokey suggested a good way to start thinking about your play was to decide on who is going to be your main character. Hence our next task was to create a character. On a piece of paper we were asked to write a:

Name
Age
Surname

Then we were put into pairs and given an envelope. In the envelope were three smaller envelopes. Ours contained a flyer for an airline in it, a photograph of a man, and the other described a smell (ours was steam engine smoke). We were then asked to answer questions such as:

What does this smell remind our character of?
What is our characters relationship with the man in the photo?
What does our character do?
What is their education?
Where do they live?
Where did they spend their childhood?
What significant family?
Other relationships?
What do they do in their spare time?
What is their special skill? (this can be something big, to something minor like they have a good memory).
What matters to them most? (Blokey suggested that the What REALLY MATTERS TO THEM is a good way to really find out and get to know your character).

Other things we were asked to consider about our characters:

Why are they here?
What is their status?
What do they want?
What do they need?

Then we did a couple of character exercises where we wrote a couple of paragraphs. The first one we had to give the character a vivid memory, good or bad or indifferent, from when they were 10 years old. The second one was, What did your character do for breakfast? We had to describe as much as possible. What could they see while they were eating, what were they thinking about etc. What could they smell?

(Are you still awake? )

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Blokey also warned us about giving away too much too soon about our characters and their stories, as it makes people switch off. We should be holding back and keep the audience guessing about who the character is and what is going on etc. Tease us.

Another tip was to MAKE EACH CHARACTER FIGHT FOR THEMSELVES and to remember that each character doesn'’t know what the other one is going to say or know how they will react. Each character wants something at every moment. What is it? I think it was David Mamet who once said, and I probably misquote etc but it was something along the lines of '‘each time a character speaks, it is to elicit something from the another character.'’

Blokey also warned us about not making the play lopsided. He advised to do character exercises for both characters in the play. Who is the best second character to bring something important out of the main character?

He said lots more, like think about place. How does a sense of place change the dynamics of the character and story etc. Oh and he talked about sense of smell and also sound. But by this time my belly was rumbling and I was thinking about filling it.

But not bad eh for saying it was free. Owt fer nowt and all that!

*GUESS WHO CAN NOW LINK :-)) THANKS FOLKS!

ps. Although the above is based on a real event and real characters it may not be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth as I am prone to fantasy and exaggeration. But it is how I remember it. Thank you and goodnight.