A World from Music
If you are having trouble beginning and want to do some brainstorming to find your characters and the basic outline of your play, here's a great place to start! This is also a useful activity if you find that music helps your thoughts flow.
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There is a one page printable version of this activity that you can download.
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You will need…
STEP ONE:
Begin playing a piece of music. If your device has a “shuffle” function, you may want to use this so that the music that plays is a surprise. We suggest music without any words. You may try using music we've selected for this activity below:
- Paper
- Pen/Pencil
- Music-Playing Device
- Speakers or Headphones
STEP ONE:
Begin playing a piece of music. If your device has a “shuffle” function, you may want to use this so that the music that plays is a surprise. We suggest music without any words. You may try using music we've selected for this activity below:
STEP TWO:
As you listen to the first song, ask yourself what kind of person the music makes you think of. Are they young or old? Energetic or laid-back? Lazy or hard-working? Write down a few details about the person the song makes you imagine.
STEP THREE:
Listen to a second piece of music and ask yourself the same questions. This time imagine the person you’ve created doing something. What are they doing? Where are they as they do this activity? It can be quite simple, such as “an old woman rolling out dough in her kitchen.” Once you decide, write this idea down.
STEP FOUR:
You may continue doing this with new songs until you have two characters you are interested in working with further. Listen to the two pieces of music that inspired these two characters again. As you listen, develop a four sentence plot summary:
- First – Character A is where doing what?
- Next – Character B enters bringing what problem with him or her?
- Then – Character A reacts to that conflict in what way?
- Last – Character A or B makes what decision? How does this change or resolve the conflict?
STEP FIVE:
Create the details of your story by developing the following information:
- Develop your characters: Who are your characters? Give each character a name and write down what each wants most and fears most. How long have they known each other? What is their relationship?
- Develop your conflict: What is your conflict? How did it start? What do each of your characters want and what prevents them from getting what they want?
- Develop your setting: Where are they and what does this location mean for each of them? Is it a public place or a private place? Does the place belong to Character A or Character B? Have these two characters ever been in this place together before? When is this happening? What is special about this time of day or time of year for your characters?
- Raise the stakes: The more important, urgent, and difficult the conflict is for your characters, the more interesting your play will be. In order to make the conflict more urgent, add a time limit. When does this problem have to be solved by and why? If it isn’t solved, what will happen? We call this “raising the stakes.” When did this conflict begin and why must it be addressed right now for your characters?
STEP SIX:
Now that you have a summary or arc to work with you can begin writing your play. You may want to try writing at least one page of monologue or dialogue around each of these four plot points. Continue listening to music if you find that it inspires you.
©Philadelphia Young Playwrights 2015