  Drama
This week: Edited by: StephBee  
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Drama is:
#1 - The Greek word for "action."
#2 - A real life situation or succession of events having the dramatic progression of a play.
Drama is action. Putting your characters into motion at the beginning grabs a reader's attention. "Information Dumps" about the character's background, or a paragraph describing your setting slows a reader down. In this newsletter, I'll explore how to begin your work of drama by putting your characters in the thick of the action. |
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 First off, I'd like to welcome esprit  and Adriana Noir to the Drama Newsletter. This 'lil newsletter can be a bunch of fun and it's nice to have both of them on board.
Drama is Action
"Romeo and Juliet" is one of my favorite Shakespearan plays. How does it open? With action. Servants from the house of Capulet fued with servants from the house of Montague with swords causing a stir. From the get-go, Shakespeare establishes his characters in motion using a disturbance to stir up the problematic dust.
A Disturbance
That's the key. Put the characters in the thick of a disturbance. So what's a disturbance?
Action. Anything that makes waves in the characters' lives. Now, Shakespeare didn't put Romeo in action right away, but the disturbance did pertain to him. You can go Shakespeare's route and put minor characters in action or you can be bold and put the main character in action. The key is: the disturbance takes the main character out of their ordinary routine - which the disturbance in Shakespeare's play does.
So why start with action?
Because it grabs a reader's attention. Let's go back to Romeo and Juliet. Would the opening have grabbed you if you read the part in Act I Scene I where Benvolio catches up to Romeo and all Romeo does is lament over Rosaline?
 Start with an opening that catches attention. Which sounds better?
#1 - The humid July day slowed Sharon down. She ran through the forest, intent on evading her pursuers.
#2 - Sharon flew through the forest. Her heart pumped fast; blood rushed through her veins. She took one deep breath after another. The anxiety that bubbled up in her throat wouldn't go away. She had to escape from her pursuers.
Hopefully, in the second example, you're there with Sharon sharing her physical exertion and her anxiety as she races through the forest.
Things that slow a beginning down
Be weary of.... prologues.
The right way to do a prologue is to keep it short, use action, and let it establish a sense of anticipation for the story to come.
DON'T:
#1 - Have it depict a scene which is not relevant to the story to get the reader to bond with the main characters.
#2 - Use it as an info dump for the story's setting.
#3 - Use it an an info dump to give your character backstory. Too much back story so soon slows the story itself down.
RULE OF THUMB:
Act first, explain later.
Keep in mind that readers don't need to know everything about the characters right away. Save the exposition for later.
 How do I put characters in action?
Dialogue is a good tool. Have them walk (or run) into the action. A little sword fight, Shakespearan style, doesn't hurt either. 
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Reference for this newsletter: Revision and Self Editing James Scott Bell, F&W Publications, 2008.
NEXT: I've written Act 1 - now what do I do with the middle and the end? Middles & Ends in Drama Writing.
I'll also take a peek at film festivals I might not have covered. If you'd like me to talk about a film festival I haven't already, please write in and let me know. Next time out I'll take a look at the Edinburgh Film Festival.
TAKE THE HOT DRAMA POLL
July's Question: What aspect of storytelling is most important to you?
#1 Answer: Nailing down the characters
#2 Answer: Establishing the setting.
August's Question: Where do you find inspiration for your muse?
listening to CDs?
watching DVDs?
watching movies?
reading your favorite author?
Pop on over to the poll and let us know.
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Here are some Drama pieces I found on the site. Enjoy.
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#1010257 by Not Available. |
Opening line: The sun turned her glowing face and she shouted to an old man in a dark cave at the edge of a noisy highway.
Opening line: The clouds were approaching on the horizon.
Opening line: Bitter memories of my first love flood my mind till today.
Opening line: Chewing hard on the wad of bubblegum trying to cling to my upper teeth, I hissed in a breath of disgust at the sight before me.
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#687828 by Not Available. |
Opening line: "So, can I ask you a personal question?"
SOME DRAMA ACTIVITIES
|  | Drama Forum (13+)
For those of us drama queens and kings, a forum to swap writing ideas and post questions
#1394242 by Joy  |
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Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
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Vivian 
I'm a big Angela Lansbury fan. I hope I'm still going and doing as well as she is when I'm her age. *laugh* Thanks for an interesting newsletter. ~~ Viv
Thanks, Viv. I love Angela Lansbury's work. I'm glad she's still finding roles.
happy mommy
Thanks for this great newsletter. I found it very helpful. I still struggle with including a good setting in my stories and reading this article has given me some great tips to try. Keep up the good work. Look forward to reading more from you.
Sara
Thanks, Sara. I hope the tips help. If you craft something focusing on setting, submit to the newsletter and share. I'd love to look at it
Joy
Terrific newsletter! Wonderful tips on the setting and thanks for mentioning the Tony Award winners, Steph.
And we'll certainly miss Elisa in the drama NL group.
Thanks, Joy. The Tony awards sound like fun. I'd love to see a Broadway play one day.
honolulu
Hello editor I thank you for making the drama easy to read. And drama is always my favorite.
sincerely,Paul.
Drama Rocks. 
StephBee is a 911 Dispatcher for LAPD. Her book, "Across The Fickle Winds of History," is available through Lulu.com. It just received 4 stars from Shannon Yarbourgh at the Lulu Book Review. |
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Drama: July 22, 2009 Issue [#3162]
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