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First Act

You've finished a first draft. You're proud, amazed, you gently hold the stack of pages with wonder. There's lots to be proud of, it takes determination to get from the idea stage to a finished draft of a play, or novel, or any kind of writing. But that first draft is only one step in the writing process. The next step is a doozy, but will take your work to the next level in leaps and bounds.

The first draft is the do draft. You do what you have to do get it done, get it on paper, get your thoughts out of your head and in some order. The second draft is the think draft. You have to think about what's on the page. Why it's on the page. Why a character acts in a specific manner. Why Jimmy burns the letter at the end of the first act. Why the ending resolves the way it does. What you want the audience to take away from your play. What's the main conflict.

Where do you start with a second draft? The 'I'm finished' feeling can be overwhelming at the end of a first draft. It's easy to think you've poured your heart and soul into the play and there's nothing left to give or change. Without a concrete starting point, it can be easy to slide into writer's block as you stare blankly at your draft.

These are normal feelings. And this is why your second draft work should start with exercises that deal indirectly with the text instead of directly. You work on material that supports the play but not worrying about the play itself. One example of this is character background exercises. You learn about your character, you create material that supports the characters, and without a doubt, this knowledge will organically lead you directly to your second draft.

Try these beyond the first draft character exercises:

What is Known: In a point form list write down everything you know about your characters. The list is important, it shows what you (and the audience) know about your play from the dialogue. Is the list long? Really short? Is there inconsistent information? This is the known.

What is Not Known: Now that you have the known, think about what's not there. What would you like to know about each character? Write down a question that you would like answered about each character.

Answer in Play Form: Now answer the question in play form (monologue or dialogue) This step is very important. Don't answer the question from the third person, or in a paragraph. Always strive to write in play form. Write from the perspective of inside the play, from the perspective of the character.

Is this important to the play: Once you've written out your answer, decide if this new material is important to the play. Is the way the character presents themselves in the new monologue or dialogue reflected in the play? If not, think about how you can make those changes. That's how you move forward in a second draft!

Outside the World of the Play Exercises: Another great way to learn about your characters is to explore them outside the world of the play. Write memory monologues for your characters (their most prominent child hood memory), give each character a secret and then make them tell it. In dialogue form of course! The more you write about your characters the more you will know them. They will become three dimensional and alive. That's what is going to make them connect to an audience. In these exercises, do your characters change? Are you happy with the changes? Are they reflected in your play? Why or why not?

Explore the Past: Any character moment or relationship that happens before the time line of the play must be explored. If there's a break up in the play, write the scene of the first date. If there's death, write the characters in happier times. This gives your characters a depth of memory that will be extremely helpful in refining second draft dialogue.

Certainly, there are plays that are just fine after one draft. But every play can benefit from this type of character work. The more specific your play, the more effective and efficient it will be for an audience. That's what this process is all about, connecting to an audience and making your play shine.

Lindsay Price is the resident playwright for Theatrefolk, an independent publisher of playscripts for schools and student performers.

http://www.theatrefolk.com

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