CREATIVE WRITING

• Drama


  A literary composition to be acted by players on a stage before an audience
• Drama


  • Its successful portrayal depends on the cooperation that must exist among writers, actors, producers, and audiences in accepting the limitations and the conventions of the stage
  • It is difficult to read because it is meant to be seen, not read. It demands much imagination and attention on the part of the reader to enable him to hear the tones and see the actions of the actors against an imaginary background
  • It is also difficult to write because the playwright must be aware of the interests and opinions of the actors and producer as well as his audience. He must also recognize the limitation of the stage and work within the many conventions and restrictions it imposes on the actions of his characters and the locations of his settings
• Literary Elements (Aristotle's Six Elements of Drama)

  • Plot
  • Theme
  • Characters
  • Dialogue
  • Music/Rhythm
  • Spectacle
• Plot


  The action; the basic storyline of the play
• Theme


  The meaning of the play. Theme is the main idea or lesson to be learned from the play
• Types of Themes


  • Conflict between two individuals/groups
  • Conflict between man and a supernatural power
  • Conflict between the man and himself
• Characters


  The people (sometimes animals or ideas) portrayed by the actors in the play. It is the characters who move the action or plot. Characterization is the way an author presents a character
• Types of Characters


  • Major Characters: Protagonist, Antagonist, Foil
  • Static, Dynamic
  • Flat, Round
  • Stock
• Dialogue


  The words written by the playwright and spoken by the characters in the play. The dialogue helps move the action of the play along
• Forms of Dialogue


  • Exchange between two or more characters
  • Soliloquy
  • Aside
• Music/Rhythm


  The rhythm of the actors' voices as they speak
• Spectacle


  The visual elements of a play: sets, costumes, special effects, etc. Spectacle is everything that the audience sees as they watch the play
• Excerpt from "Rated PG" by Liza Magtoto


  • Characters: Joselle, Tonton, Sally, Kumare 1, Kumare 2
  • Dialogue: Exchange between characters, Joselle's soliloquy
  • Theme: Conflict between a mother and her children
• A story intended to be performed in front of an audience
• Acts


  Divisions of a play that occur in different settings
• Scenes


  Major divisions within a play in which two or more scenes are grouped together
• Directions


  Instructions for the director, the actors, and the stage crew
• Props


  Any object that is used in a play that helps to enhance the setting
• Drama is written to be performed by actors for an audience