Playwriting - Part 6C - The Working Process, Mixing the Processes

I've stressed many times that there is not one correct way to write a play. You write how things work for you. I was in a playwriting class where it was stressed that we had to do things in one certain way. We had to write character biographies first. We had to write plot treatments before writing the play. This is not my style of writing.

I often like to start out with whatever my initial idea was. I tmight have been the beginning where a character or a few characters speak. For a story, it might just be the opening lines of a story. I will use what I need when I need it.

If I know that I have a character and I know that I need to figure out more about the character, I'll use a character biography, but I don't force myself to fill out everything. I write down what I feel I need in order to continue writing. I may find that I need to create another character to make the play work, so then I'll use a method of character creation.

I'm not fond of plot treatments, but if I find that I'm stuck, I may use a plot treatment for some of my story to figure out where my story is going. However, it is more likely that I'll use a method of storyboarding.

It is perfectly fine to combine methods in order to write. As long as you get your writing done, ther is no wrong method. It's always up to you.

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Playwriting - Part 6B - The Working Process, Storyboarding

The first thing many people think of when they hear the word storyboarding is movies. It is understandable that they think of this because that is usually where storyboarding tends to mostly be seen. People don't tend to associate storyboarding with writing. However, if you think about it, it really is no different than a movie. A movie is telling a story in picture format and a play is first telling a story in the format of words to later be told in live pictures.

If you're not sure what storyboarding is, it is putting small parts - scenes or plot points - on a separate card or piece of paper so the points can be rearranged to where they can make a story.

This can be done physically with notecards and taping them on the wall or using pushpins to pin them to a cork board. I know that I started storyboarding by simply using a text document on my computer and moving plot points around on it by using copy and paste,then deleting the duplicate that was where I didn't want it. There are also software programs that allow people to storyboard.

It's hard to think that Shakespeare storyboarded, but maybe he did. Perhaps he did not have everything in Romeo and Juliet planned out in order at first. While it is based upon the poem The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Iuliet by Arthur Brooke and from a story in the collection The Palace of Pleasure by William Painter, Shakespeare had to write his play, too.

Maybe, at first, Shakespeare had a storyboard with plot points that went like this:

1. Romeo is in a relationship with Rosalind.
2. Romeo falls in love with Juliet.
3. Tybalt kills Mercutio.
4. Romeo kills Tybalt.
5. Romeo is banished.
6. Roslind becomes upset that Romeo is banished.
7. Juliet becomes upset that Romeo is banished.
8. Rosalind and Juliet meet and they explain why they are upset to each other.
9. Rosalind gets upset with Romeo and decides to break up with him.
10. Romeo gets Rosalind's letter.
11. Juliet is upset with Romeo, but she still loves him.

Of course, this isn't at all how the play goes, but it still would have been a valid story. Shakespeare would have moved each little plot point around and moved or edited the ones that no longer fit as he moved them.

If you enjoy my content, please consider becoming one one of my patrons through Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/TheatreGeek where I will be sharing more in depth content, answering your questions, sharing which types of software I use and how to find them, and more. By becoming my patron, you allow me to create more content about theatre and more theatrical content.

_{Yes, this counts as my March 30th post.}

Playwriting - Part 6A - The Working Process, The Plot Treatment

There are many playwrights who like the plot treatment. I can honestly say that I am not one of them. I may use it in part, but I do not like using it in whole. However, that does not mean that you won't like using plot treatments.

Plot treatments are esentially writing out every bit of detail in a narrative format rather than writing dialog for the play. Even if there are elements that you aren't going to include in the play and that aren't going to be seen on stage, you include them. The plot treatment includes lots of detail.

For example, a plot treatment of Doubt: A Parable by John Patrick Shanley may have started like the following example:

In the interior of a grand Catholic church where the altar is mainly white, but has green paraments hanging on each side of the altar, stands a Catholic priest, 6' high and thing with long fingernails, dressed in an all white chasubel with a green stole, stands behind a dark brown lectern that comes up to his waist. He had a mop of blond hair and wears square framed glasses. As he talks to his congregation, he nervously rubs his hands together and his eyes dart back and for as he says, "What do you do when you're not sure? That's the topic for my sermon today." As he continues to talk, he gains his composure and confidence. He clasps his hands behind his back. The rattling of paper bulletins can be heard from the congregation.

This has obviously come from my imagination, but there's the possibility that Shanley wrote it, even though he probably didn't. I included dialogue in this part that might have been written as a plot treatment. It is likely there will be dialogue in your plot treatment because it is for a play. It doesn't mean that the dialogue won't change as you write your play.

When you write a plot treatment, you make sure to label each act and scene for your play so you are able to keep them organized. The label can go above the sections or be in bold to the side of them.

You can do a plot treatment in different ways. If you like plot treatments, you may like making a plot treatment out for the whole play at once. You can also make a plot treatment for each act that you write, most likely following the three act structure, so you'd have three different times you would write a plot treatment before starting to write dialogue for a play.

Playwriting - Part 5I - Creating Characters by Treating Them As Imaginary Friends

This entry somewhat goes with the last entry, Playwriting - Part 5H - Creating Characters by Letting them Speak to You. Since your characters will become real and start talking to you, treat them like they are real people. It is always okay to have imaginary friends. It is just that when you are an adult, you have to be able to admit they are imaginary. As long as you can do that, there's nothing wrong. There's especially nothing wrong when these friends are your characters.

Talk to your characters. Where would they want to go out to lunch? Why there? Is there something special about that spot? Is it just because that is a favorite food?

What do your characters want to do with you for fun? Do they all want to be together with you in one large group? Do they all want separate times with you? Do some of them want to be in a group with you while others want to spend one on one time with you?

Sit down and talk to your characters. What do they tell you? Do they talk about trivial things like the weather and current events? Do they talk about deeper things like their dreams and aspirations for their lives? Do they let you in to their lives by letting you know their troubles and their joys? Do they hide their lives from you?

Write down the things you feel you need to remember. Perhaps the things you need to remember are everything. Maybe they are only a few things like favorite colors and relationships. Write down whatever you need to develop your characters.

It is extremely likely your characters will come talk to you when you don't expect it. This may be while you are driving or at night when you are relaxing. You may want to keep a notebook and some type of audio recording device nearby. That way you can turn to one and take notes in some way.

If somebody catches you "staring" off into the distance, don't be ashamed to tell that that you were thinking. When they ask what you were thinking about, if you feel they won't understand you talking to your characters in your head, just tell them that you were thinking about the current play you are writing.

Playwriting - Part 5H - Creating Characters by Letting them Speak to You

No matter which ways you've used to create your characters, you've obviously got characters for your play. If there are no characters, there's no play. Maybe you created characters first and then put them into a situation. Maybe you thought of a situation, and then created characters to fit into that situation.

Whether you are writing your play or you are only writing about your characters, something magical seems to happen in a writer's brain. Your characters start to come to life. They start to tell you about themselves. You may have had one idea, but your character starts to tell you that it isn't how that event happened or isn't who he or she is.

One of my writer friends literally yelled, "Shut up!" to her characters once when she was at a family gathering. She told a group of writers that I was in this story, so we all found it funny because we could relate.

Your characters will tell you who they are. If you are concerned about keeping them one way and not letting them change, then you are being too strict on yourself as a writer. Let your characters change with your writing. Let them take your writing to where you didn't know that it was going to go.

Your characters are part of your creativity. Let them speak to you in daydreams and at night when you are resting. You'll be pleasantly surprised, even if you don't like the details that your characters are giving about themselves, you'll like the way those details fit into your play.

Playwriting - Part 5G - Creating Characters with Shared Milestones

While you may have a play where characters only first meet each other during the play, that is highly unlikely. It is likely that at least two of your characters are going to share at least one milestone. Each character is going to have his or her own memories and perceptions of what happened.

When characters share a milestone, if you use character creation techniques and monologues, then you should have each character give his or her monologue about that milestone. The characters aren't going to have the exact same story. They are both only going to remember that the event happened. Let them each tell in their own way.

Once you have written a monologue for each character about the event, then you can have the two dialogue about the event. Find the feeling of how the two characters interact with each other.

Remember that just because the two character share the same milestone, it doesn't mean that they like each other. The two characters could've always hated each other and still hate each other. They could've not liked each other and then "grown up" to start getting along. On the other hand, they could have always liked each other and could still be friends. Or they could have liked each other and something could've happened to where they don't like each other.

It's your play. Any of those scenarios or even a different one is valid. Don't let others tell you that the scenario is not valid. Write your play.

Playwriting - Part 5F - Creating Characters by Having them Monologue about Backstories

If you've created backstories for characters, a way to get deeper into those backstories is to create a monologue for one of the events in your backstory. This exercise will allow you to get to know your character just as if you were talking to a new friend who is telling you stories about his life.

Since in my last entry, I used the example of a character I might create named Peter and gave him some events for a backstory, I'd take a look at those events.

• My fight with Jacob
• Winning the basketball game in junior high
• My first date
• Accidentally setting the hayloft on fire
• The time I almost drowned in the local creek

From my list, I would pick one of the events. Once I chose the event, I would start writing a monologue for Peter. Maybe I picked the event of winning the basketball game in junior high. My monologue might start something like, "We knew there was no possible way we could win against the Dragons. They had defeated every team in the state except for us and that was only because we had not played a game against them. We were afraid, but also excited about the game because we had been practicing for weeks and studying all of their moves in their previous games."

Peter would talk about the game, the way he perceived his teammmates and the other team, his feellings, and possibly more. It would depend on what came out as I wrote. Then it might end like, "And there we were. The scoreboard read Dragon 18, Haymakers 22. We couldn't believe it. No newspapers were going to print headlines full of the pun 'Dragons burn the Haymakers.' This was a major event for my junior high. It was the first time any team had beat the Dragon. As exhausted as we were from playing the game, the adrenaline kept us going and we could not settle down. We all ran around cheering and high fiving each other. The only thing that got us to come together in a group again was when the coach annoucned we were going to get on the bus and get pizza. I don't think anybody slept that night."

If you write a monologue about one event and it goes into another event, there is nothing wrong with that. It just means that they happened that way for your character. Maybe you will use some of these monologues in your play or other writing. Maybe you'll never use them and they will only be for you. It doesn't matter.

Playwriting - Part 5E - Creating Characters and Giving them Backstories

When you create characters, something that can help you identify with them is to create backstories. These are more details that are usually not known to others who read your play. Sometimes a few things may end up being mentioned in your play, but it is likely that most of the things you write for a backstory will not be mentioned.

Whlie it seems like the character biography may be a backstory, it isn't. A backstory actually tells the story of something that happened in a character's life. Start out a characters backstory by making a list of significant events the character when through in life.

Maybe my character is named Peter and grew up on a farm and rode a bus ten miles to school. Perhaps at school, he got in a fight with one of the other boys, named Jacob, because Jacob was picking on of the girls in his class and Peter wanted to defend her. That would be a significant event in the character's life. My list might look something like this:

• My fight with Jacob
• Winning the basketball game in junior high
• My first date
• Accidentally setting the hayloft on fire
• The time I almost drowned in the local creek

What are your character's past significant events? Make a list and find out. You might surprise yourself in finding that you've created more about this character than you think you have.

Playwriting - Part 5D - Creating Characters - Giving Characters Their Names

If you're a writer, you've probably done it. You've probably givena character a name that means something that is supposed to have a meaning to match the character's personality. Sometimes this works. You might give a character who is a dive the name Estrella, since it means "star."

However, doing such a thing usually becomes too specific. You try to make the character it the name more and more. It is good to have names that make you think of your characters in a certain way, but you don't want to give a name that makes you stretch the character to be almost a stereotype to fit that name.

Instead, you may think of people who know and how those names make you feel. Maybe most of the Amandas that you know are high spirited and fun loving. So, you might give your character the name Amanda if that's what you want your character to be.

Maybe all the Jonathans you know are extremely smart and are music lovers. If you want those characteristics for a character, you might name your character Jonathan. Perhaps you want a unique name, but you don't want it to become a nuisance to try to make your character fit that name.

Find a basic name and then change the spelling so that it sounds like the basic name, but it makes your character unique. Perhaps you want a character who like video games and you know a Jeremy who likes video games. Yet, you want to make something unique about the character, so you change the spelling of the name to Jairmy. That way the name sounds like the familiar name, but there's a uniqueness to it.

Whatever you name your characters, you want them to resonate with you. If you decided that the names don't fit, you can always change them.

Playwriting - Part 5C - Creating Characters from Characteristics of Animals

When I was a freshman and a sophomore in high school, I didn't think a lot about using the characteristics of animals to create characters. There must have been some books or stories that used the characteristics of animals to describe certain motions or features of characters, but I didn't think about it the other way.

However, that all changed one day during my junior year of high school. I knew one of the people who was running for a class office. A classmate of mine in my theatre class mentioned that his face looked like a snapping turtle. As much as I didn't want to see him that way, I couldn't help but think of it every time I saw him after I heard her say that. Because of this, I began to think of other ways that he might be like a snapping turtle. In a way, he was relentless like they seem to be. He would keep trying no matter what happened. At times, such as class elections, this could be good. However, when it came to relationships, this could be bad.

Choosing an animal and thinking about it's physical features, motions, attitudes and actions are ways to get ideas for a character. You can base a character purely on one animal. However, if you want to make a more in depth character choose two or three animals and pick the different characteristics you'd like for the character.

Perhaps your character has rings around her eyes like a raccoon. However, she may be as mean as a wild boar and have legs like that of a horse. While this may never match the actress chosen to play your character on the stage, it gives you an idea of the character that you are writing. It doesn't matter what type of actress a director chooses to play the character. Character creation is to help you. If you want to keep your character with all of these things, you should probably be writing short stories or novels. However, as long as these are just characteristcs for you to be able to write teh character in your play, you are doing well. Use any or all of the exercises mentioned in this blog. You can combine them or you can completely ignore them and go with your own writing habits. Whatever works for you is the right way for you. Remember, these are tools.

The Teenager Project - Mythbusting Adolescence is in Lake Charles for Four More Performances!

McNeese State University Theatre is currently presenting "The Teenager Project: Mythbusting Adolescence." This play is different from many plays because it is not one that is telling a classic story from beginning to end.

Instead, this play is full of small scenes to help people understand the teenager years. Everybody will be, is, or has been a teenager. These are the issues that teenagers are dealing with today. Some issues will still be familiar to those that are older, but others are new to today's teens.

Some of the scenes invite laughter while others are somber and serious and may even trigger tears. However, every scene is important to either learn or relate to the teenage years and learn to help teens navigate through them.

The cast, in alphabetical order by last name, is Hannah Jolivette, Himshree Neupane, Supratik Regmi, Evan Seago, Romm Silwal, Jake Snyder, Peyton Stanford, Jennifer Tolbert, and Madilyn Wright.

This play is directed by Charles McNeely and was created by the cast and other contributors. A script was written from their contributions. The play can be seen Thursday, March 22-Saturday, March 24 at 7:30pm and on Sunday, March 25 at 2pm. Tickets are available online through The McNeese Performing Arts Box Office Website or in person at the McNeese Box Office. Tickets are $10 for McNeese Faculity and staff and $15 for adults. McNeese and Sowela students get in free by showing their school IDs.

Playwriting - Part 5B - Creating Characters by Combining Characteristics of People You Know

You may know a person on whom you'd like to base a character. However, if you do not have direct permission from that person to try to make the character exactly like the person, you need to be able to create a character that uses the characteristics from that person that you want, but that does not use all of that person's characteristics.

Perhaps you know of a person who is always nice to everybody that he meets. He helps out everybody with every task that they have when he is nearby. You'd take that personality trait, but then you would find a different person for the physical characteristics. Even when using physical characteristics, you should combine at least two people's characteristics to not make the character look exactly like a known person.

Perhaps your next person has long, blond, curly hair and tends to wear long sleeve turtle necks no matter the weather. Only take those things from that person and then find another person for more characteristics.

You might find somebody who likes to golf and then find another person who has the most muscle you've seen on anybody's legs. Use all of these things and combine them to make your character.

Once you've combined these details, your character is also sure to start having a "life" of his own. If you like using character biographies, use these details with the character biography you are making. Just make sure that people may be able to tell that you put in a specific nod to them that it is not okay to use their likeness in a play unless that person has given you permission. Using a few small characteristics, habits, or hobbies is fine as long as they are combined with different ones from other people.

Playwriting - Part 5A - Creating Characters Starting with a Piece of Nature

When it comes to writing plays, it is important to know your characters. However, sometimes you have an idea for a play that is only a concept and you can't think of the character that you want to create. In this case, you need an activity to help you create a character. Here is one such activity.

Find any item from nature. It is preferable if you can hold it if you want to bring it inside to work with it. It can be a flower, a leaf, an acorn, or any other small object or even part of an object. It might be some tree bark or part of an old bird's nest. If you are working outside, you can pick a bigger object.

Make a list of the physical characteristics of this item. Make a list of words or phrases about how this item makes you feel. Depending on how long you have to create your character will depend on if you move straight to the next step or take some time. It is good to take some time such as a day between each activity. However, if you have to create a character immediately, you can still use this activity.

Once you've made your list, you no longer need the item from nature. From your list, draw anything that the words on it make you see or feel. You don't have to be a good artist and you can choose any type of medium you'd like to use. You can use a paint program on your computer, you can use paints on a canvas, you can sit and draw with marker or crayons, or you can use any other medium of your choice to create a picture. Once you've created the picture, get rid of the list you created it from and focus only on the picture.

From this picture, make another list. Once again, list all the words and phrases that describe it physically. List all the words and phrases that it makes you feel. Does the picture look like it has any feelings or personality? List those things.

Put the picture away and focus only on the list. From here, use the list to start creating your character. You probably won't use every item that you have listed, but you probably have a good start to a character. If you started with something like an apple, you might have a list that has kept the word red, but maybe the apple was shiny and through this exercise, you ended up with the word streaked. Perhaps your drawing looks angry. So, your character could be red, streaked, and angry. Maybe your character has a sunburn. You likely have many more words and phrases that can describe the character. Use the ones that stand out to you. Create your character.

If you have more time and you like sculpting, you can use some type of colored sculpting material after drawing the picture and making it's list. You don't have to be good at sculpting. This can be playdough or children's clay. After sculpting, you would create your list of words and phrases and them move on to creating your character.

Playwriting - Part 4F - Character Biographies, The Internal World

If there's' an external world for characters, that means there's also an internal world. If you can think of more things than I've listed for external characteristics and want to use them, by all means, list them for your character biographies. The internal world deals with things that the character uses to identify himself, but other characters may not know about him at all.

What is the character's personality type? Is the character mainly introverted or extroverted (Remember, nobody is 100% introvert or extrovert)? Is the characcter optimistic or pessimistic? Does the character have a hot temper or does he bbarely have a temper?

What's the character's spirituality? This is not the same as religion as in the external world. What does the character believe? It's not where he does or doesn't go to church. Does he take his faith seriously or is it something he rarely thinks about at all? What about his morality? How does he perceive it? What about his intelligence?

Does he have any major secrets that others don't know? These could be things he has done in the past or they could be things that he is currently doing and hiding. what are his personal goals? He may have shared some of these with other characters and that is okay. However, they obviously had to start as his own. What are his major disappointmnets and which are the ones that disappointed him the most? And t hen what are his special talents? These can be spiritual, physical, intellictual, artistic, or any combination of them.

If you use character biographies, you will have a complete character by filling out all of this information for a character. However, there is no one right way to create a character. I'm not a fan of writing out biographies for characters. I let them form along with the story in my head and write out parts of the character biography for myself when I need it. I'll keep my character biographies and notes for each play I'm writing in a document that I save so I can open it and refer to it when needed. You can make a character biography for every character, just your main characters, or be like me and not bother creating character biographies at first and let them form as the idea for your play forms along with your writing in progress.

Beauty and the Beast, Jr. At LaGrange Senior High for Two More Performances

LaGrange High School is currently showing a production of Beauty and the Beast, Jr.. Children of the 90s will fondly remember the story of Belle and the Beast, as well as her eccentric father and the boorish Gaston. Of course, any Disney fans will also know the story.

Directed by Shelly Buller, the whole cast is amazing. The vocals of all the cast a great because of Janie B. Williams.

There are sure to be favorites of everybody, but keep a look out for the vocal talents of Mila Bradly as Belle, the comedic and physial comedy of Ravon Guillory as Lefou, and the acting and accent of Caleb Tullos as Lumiere.

Also wonderful are the dancers as the dishes. LaGrange once more proves that the Lake Area is bursting with talent. You don't want to miss your chance to see this show.

There are two more performances today (Saturday, March 17th) at 7pm and and tomorrow, March 18th at 2pm. Tickets are $7 at the door and only cash is accepted.

LaGrange Senior High School is located at 3420 Louisiana Ave. in Lake Charles, LA.

Playwriting - Part 4E - Character Biographies, Leisure Time Activities

I've been dealing with the external world when it comes to using character biographies. One last part that I want to mention is leisure time activities. I know that it seems that this would be part of the internal world of the character, but it doesn't take long to realize that leisure time activities are part of the external world.

It is true that a person may stay to himself or herself if they like to read or do crossword puzzles. However, these are also things they can do when they areamong others. Leisure time activities can also be things like going to the movies, acting in local theatre, bowling, or playing basketball. There are probably people you know mainly by the leisure time activities in which they participate.

Giving your characters leisure time activities makes them more rounded. A character may be a lawyer, but unless that is the only thing that is important to the play for that character, there is probably more. While some of the other details that you have written can help make the character more rounded, but it is likely that the character would not be definied by anything of these things. Instead, that lawyer may want to be known asw the person who likes to roller blade. Maybe that lawyer roller blades down his street every day and his neighbors know him as the roller blader and that's who he want sto be known. Maybe he wasnts to be known in many ways.

Make your characters like real people. All of us wear many hats. Just a few of the ways that I can be known is somebody who likes to do crosswords, somebody that likes logic puzzles, a dramaturg, a playwright, a sister, and a "church girl." If you can't think of leisure time activities for your character, make a list of your leisure time activities and make a list of leisure time activities of your friends and other people that you know. See which ones fit your character.

Playwriting - Part 4D - Character Biographies, Place in the Community

If you use character biographies, another important way that a character is perceived by others is by the character's place in the community. People perceive others by a variety of ways. It depends on how those relationships are formed with each other. By putting down everything you have created about your character, you can determine how other characters and even how your audience, perceives the character's place in the community.

Things that you are going to want to include are the occupation (including how long in the field), education (quality and up to what type of degree), political affilaitions if there are any, any religious affliations, organizational memberships, and the general status in the community.

_{Picture via CJSorg using the Creative Commons Share Alike License}

I don't know if Ernest Thompson worked this way when writing On Golden Pond, but I can imagine some of the things he may have put for Charlie. The following are my guesses. You can do this exercise with characters in plays you know, too. Go back and see what you think the playwright might have put in a character biography and then think of what you would want for your characters.

• Occupation: Mailman for 30 years
• Education: High school and probably didn't do very well, a C and D student with a few Bs
• Political Affiliations: Independent
• Religious Affiliations: Whatever little local church is in the area, no real "affliliation"
• Organizational Memberships: National Assoiciation of Letter Carriers, BoatUS
• General Status in the Community: Respected as a hard working mailman, but not seen as a leader or somebody with a high status

You can see how this gives more depth to Charlie rather than just "Charlie, the goofy mailman."

Playwriting - Part 4C - Character Biographies, The Family Situation

When creating your characters, it is important to know how the other characters perceive them. I used the phrase "external world" in my last post about physical characteristics. This is because physical characteristics are part of how other characters perceive a character.

There are important details that others will use to perceive a character just like people perceive others in real life. The reasons that these are external are that they are the things seen or known by others.

Give details about the character's family. Are the mother and father alive? How old are they? Did they die? When did they die? What is the relationship that the character has or had with his or her parents? Does the character have siblings? What are their ages? What are the relationships like?

What about other relatives? How does the family function? Do people find them "normal"? Dysfunctional? Is there something unusual about the family?

Is the character married or does he or she have any romantic relationships? If there is a relationship, how do the people get along? Does the character have children? What about the relationshp between the children and the character?

Does the character have a sex life? Is there a certain way this is perceived by a partner or partners or others? What about close friends or extended family?

All of these details are things that can help you in your writing. These are most likely even more important than your physical characteristics because you will get a sense of your character. However, some people may not feel that way. Some people get frustrated when there are no physical characteristics for a character given. They find knowing age and looks important even if the actors that end up playing the characters don't match the descriptions.

Playwriting - Part 4B - Character Biographies, the Physical Features

When creating the physical features for your characters, start with the basics: name, age, height, etc. Think of what you fill out on the top of a doctor's form. Put these things down for your characters. They can help you to establish the type of relationships your characters will have with each other. Ages can help you decide if you want to go with traditional near ages for relationships or if you want to do things differently like when many arranged marriages of 50-70 year old men to teenage women or more like today when once people are adults, age is just a number and it doesn't matter. (I've met people who give me the example that Hugh Jackman's wife is 12 years his elder and I've even met people who have wives 20 years their elder and they love it). Sometimes these things matter for a play.

However, these are not the only things you are going to want to write for the external world. You will also want to write down the physical characteristics that others characters use to describe this character. These might stay as important details in your play or they may end up not being important at all. However, they can help with your ideas for writing, especially if you are experiencing writer's block. I, for one, tend to go back and forth with many different tips about writing. Then, when I am inspired to write more of my play, I write it.

Perhaps your character is female and has skin the color of milk chocolate. You'd write that. Your character may have cornrows of two colors - some that are caramel colored and some dark as the blackest night. You'd write that. You'd write the character's eye color, voice tone, weight, posture, vocal tone, grooming quality, and anything else that you find important about physical features. Write as much as you need to about your character in order to write your play. If you don't need to write so much, don't be concerned about writing it. However, if you need to picture your character, writing out the external world and physical features will help.

Playwriting - Part 4A - Character Biographies

One of many valid ways to go about creating your characters for a play is to write character biographies. Some people may write a short biography and that may be all is needed to help develop a character. Other people may need a longer biography. In general, though, these are called "short form biographies," even though they can get lengthy.

These biographies cover more than just the basic of your character. The basics are things like name, age, height, and birthday. Basically anything you would put on the top of a form at a doctor's office. However, it will also go more in depth into the character external and internal world.

The internal and external world are how your character perceives him or herself and how others perceive your character. They deal with status in the community and ways that the character identifies him or herself and how others identify your character.

Is your character a doctor? A writer? A knight in shining armor? How does this affect how the character sees him or herself? How does this affect how others see your character?

Short form biographies can be written for every character in your play or just one. This can work for any other type of writing as well. It all depends on how you write. Maybe you use different approaches and mix them together, too. There's nothing wrong with that. Just know the different ways of approaching character development.