Writing Your First Play, 2nd Edition

9

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Writing Your Play

Exercise 9 • Writing A Play

Write a one-act play. It should be about 20-40 minutes in length. It can be an extension of a previous scene or an entirely new creation. Use correct playwriting format.

After you’ve tried your hand at the scenes in the preceding chapters, you might be excused for asking, “OK, do I get to write a play now?” The answer is: “Yes, of course. In fact, you probably already have!” At the beginning of this book I told you that plays unfold like trees. By working through these exercises you’ve already begun to nurture your trees.

“But,” you protest, “I’ve only written scenes.” What’s the difference between a scene and a play? A scene takes place in one setting and in continuous ...