CREATIVE WRITING MAKE IT EASY

A Work Book
Philippine Copyright 2016
by
ACGAR Publishing Services
and ELLEN JANE C. RAGASA

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any
other information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from
the Publisher.

ISBN 978-621-8045-13-2

Published by:

ACGAR Publishing Services

Dangan, Reina Mercedes, Isabela
Region 02 (Cagayan Valley)

Printed by Ron & Zen Printing Shop

Cauayan City
 A Work Book

by
Ellen Jane C. Ragasa
 PREFACE

I started teaching Creative Writing in the Special Program in the Arts and Design
(SPAD) at Cauayan City National High School Cauayan City, Isabela Philippines way
back 2012. Since I am a lover of literature, I accepted the task to handle this
specialization in the SPAD.

At first, it was really a struggle handling this subject due to problems in

instructional materials. No books were given by the Department of Education, just the
curriculum guide indicating the necessary competencies to be learned by the learners.

I have to buy my own reference books and constantly downloading lectures and
exercises in the internet for my students’ consumption. Many times, problems
encountered as regards to materials to be used in daily meetings seem to be endless battle
because there is no particular book being used.

Seeing the disadvantages of having no books in this subject, I thought of creating

a simple book that would suit the level of my students. A handy and useful book
containing lectures in creative writing, loaded with exercises that would sharpen the skills
taking the subject.

This book will help the students and teachers appreciate creative writing as a
subject due to its simplicity along with varied drills that are designed to make the writing
program more fun and enjoyable to undergo. These drills will serve as tools to discover
one’s creativity, moreover, to cultivate appreciation among them the beauty of literature
as well as to learn its impact in the lives of men.

This book entitled “Creative Writing Make It Easy, A Work Book is a tool to
help you achieve competency in writing pieces of literature. This is divided into three (3)
parts: Part I- Writing Creative Non- Fiction, Part II- Poetry Writing and Part III-
Scriptwriting.

The three different parts contain basic lectures on creative writing which include
the steps in creating literary works and numerous practical exercises that would definitely
bring out the best among the students.

I hope that as the readers go through this book, the necessary skills and
competencies would be achieved and more interesting work of art would be created.
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Seeing this book done and printed is such a rewarding experience. The joy I felt
having this completed is immeasurable because finally a tool is created to meet the needs
of my students and the readers.

My deepest gratitude is extended to everyone who helped me realizing my piece

of work and served as instruments in the making of this book possible.

To all the book authors and copyright owners whose materials are included in this
book, to the bloggers and websites in the internet whose works had helped me a lot, no
words can express how thankful I am with your brilliant ideas.

To Mr. John R. Mina, our indefatigable School Principal who motivated me in

creating instructional materials, your words of encouragement really ignited my
enthusiasm in the creation of this book. Truly, the power of your words had moved me to
continue working so that this endeavor will be put into the realm of reality.

To Mrs. Vivien S. Tunac, Head Teacher III, English Department for her constant
motivation, my sincerest thanks. The moral support you extended had pushed me to
accomplish this arduous task. To all the teachers and friends in the department especially
to Mrs. Timotea L. Evangelista, thank you for the unceasing support and all the pieces of
advice you had given me.

To Mr. Rodel M. Reyes, a friend and mentor, you are indeed a great help to me.
Thank you also for the time you exerted editing and proofreading this book.

To all my friends, my genuine appreciation for your assistance is deeply

recognized by me, especially to someone whom I consider a friend and favorite writer,
Bart Allen thanks for always inspiring me with your literary works. They have served as
my guideposts in creative writing.

To my family who believes in me in everything I do especially to my siblings;

Janeth Joy C. Ragasa, Rodel C. Ragasa, Rowena R. Espedido and Maricris R. Viernes
thank you for inspiring me ,and to my students who serve as my inspiration, this book is
dedicated to you, the very reason I made this is you.

Above all, to the Lord Almighty, all the praises and honors are given to you.
Without the wisdom and strength you showered upon me, this book would be impossible.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface ……………………………………..……………………………………..i

Acknowledgement ……………………………………..………………………..ii

Part I. WRITING CREATIVE NONFICTION

Creative Non-Fiction Overview …………………………….. 1

Guidelines in Writing Creative Nonfiction …………………….. 1

Elements of Creative Nonfiction ..…………………………… 2-3

Creative Nonfiction Exercises …………………………….. 4-15

Part II. POETRY WRITING

What is Poetry …………………………………………………… 16

Tips on to Write Poem …………………………………………… 16-20

Elements of Poetry ………………………………………………. 20-22

Types of Poetry ………………………………………………… 22-23

Poetry Writing Exercises ………………………………………… 24-30

Part III. SCRIPTWRITING

What is Scriptwriting? ………………………………………… 31-32

How to Write a Screen Play? …………………………………… 32-33

Elements of Scriptwriting ………………………………………… 33-45

Scriptwriting Exercises …………………………………………… 45-52

APPENDICES

Appendix A ─ Sample Creative Nonfiction Writings …………… 53-57

Appendix B ─ Sample Poetry Writings …………………………. 58-60

Appendix C ─ Sample Screenplay ………………………………. 61-64

BIBLIOGRAPHY
PART I. WRITING CREATIVE NONFICTION

CREATIVE NONFICTION OVERVIEW

The words “creative” and “nonfiction” describe the form. The word “creative”
refers to the use of literary craft, the techniques fiction writers, playwrights, and poets
employ to present nonfiction—factually accurate prose about real people and events—in
a compelling, vivid, dramatic manner. The goal is to make nonfiction stories read like
fiction so that your readers are as enthralled by fact as they are by fantasy.

For a text to be considered creative nonfiction, it must be factually accurate, and it

should be written with attention to literary style and technique. "Ultimately, the primary
goal of the creative nonfiction writer is to communicate information, just like a reporter,
but to shape it in a way that is read like fiction. Forms within this genre include
biography, autobiography, memoir, diary, travel writing, food writing, literary
journalism, chronicle, personal essays and other hybridized essays. According to Vivian
Gornick, "A memoir is a tale taken from life—that is, from actual, not imagined
occurrences—related by a first-person narrator who is undeniably the writer. Beyond
these bare requirements it has the same responsibility as the novel or the short story: to
shape a piece of experience so that it moves from a tale of private interest to one with
meaning for the disinterested reader." Critic Chris Anderson claims that the genre can be
understood best by splitting it into two subcategories—the personal essay and the
journalistic essay—but the genre is currently defined by its lack of established
conventions.

GUIDELINES FOR WRITING CREATIVE NONFICTION

There are techniques we can use to invigorate our writing, but

there aren’t many rules beyond the standards of grammar and good
writing in general. We can let our imaginations run wild; everything

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from nonsense to outrageous fantasy is fair game for bringing our ideas to life when
we’re writing. When writing creative nonfiction, there are some guidelines that we have
to follow. These guidelines aren’t set in stone, and there aren’t any nonfiction police
patrolling bookstores to arrest authors who stray from the guidelines. These guidelines
might be considered best practices, except if you violate them, you might find yourself in
hot water with your readers. (Melissa Donovan, 1995)

Here are simple guidelines to follow when writing creative nonfiction:

1. Research the topic. Both primary (interview, personal experience, or participant’s

observation) and secondary research (books, magazines, newspaper, Web)
2. Never invent or change facts. An invented story is a fiction.
3. Provide accurate information. Write honestly and truthfully. Information should
be verifiable.
4. Provide concrete evidence. Use facts, examples, and quotations.
5. Use humor to make an important point.
6. Show the reader what happened, don’t tell them what happened. To do this,
dramatize the story.
7. Narrate the story. A story has an inciting incident, goal, conflict, challenge,
obstacle, climax, and resolution.
8. Write about the interesting and extraordinary. Write about personal experiences,
interesting people, extraordinary events, or provide a unique perspective on
everyday life.
9. Organize the information. Two common techniques are chronological or logical
order.
10. Use literary devices to tell the story. Choose language that stimulates and
entertains the reader such as simile, metaphor, or imagery.
11. Introduce the essay or other work with a hook. Its purpose is to grab the readers’
attention and compel them to reader further. Popular hooks include a quotation,
question, or thought-provoking fact.
12. End the creative nonfiction piece with a final, important point. Otherwise the
reader will think, “So what!” “What was the point? It was an interesting story, but
how does it apply to me or my life?”

ELEMENTS OF CREATIVE NON FICTION

The creative nonfiction writer often incorporates several elements of
nonfiction when writing a memoir, personal essay, travel writing, and so on. The
following is a brief explanation of the most common elements of nonfiction:

• Fact. The writing must be based on fact, rather than fiction. It cannot be made up.

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 • Extensive research. The piece of writing is based on primary research, such as an
interview or personal experience, and often secondary research, such as gathering
information from books, magazines, and newspapers.
• Reportage/reporting. The writer must be able to document events or personal
experiences.
• Personal experience and personal opinion. Often, the writer includes personal
experience, feelings, thoughts, and opinions. For instance, when writing a
personal essay or memoir.
• Explanation/Exposition. The writer is required to explain the personal experience
or topic to the reader.
• Essay format. Creative nonfiction is often written in essay format.
Example: Personal Essay, Literary Journalistic essay, brief essay.

Literary Elements
Creative nonfiction is the literature of fact. Yet, the creative nonfiction writer
utilizes many of the literary devices of fiction writing. The following is a list of the most
common literary devices that writers incorporate into their nonfiction writing:

• Storytelling/narration. The writer needs to be able to tell his/her story. A good

story includes an inciting incident, a goal, a challenge and an obstacle, a turning
point, and resolution of the story.
• Character. The nonfiction piece often requires a main character.
Example: If a writer is creating his/her memoir, then the writer is the central
character.
• Setting and scene. The writer creates scenes that are action-oriented. It includes
dialogue which contains vivid descriptions.
• Plot and plot structure. These are the main events that make up the story. In a
personal essay, there might be only one event. In a memoir, there are often several
significant events.
• Figurative language. The writer often uses simile and metaphor to create an
interesting piece of creative nonfiction.
• Imagery. The writer constructs “word pictures” using sensory language. Imagery
can be figurative or literal.
• Point of view. Often the writer uses the first person “I.”
• Dialogue. These are the conversations spoken between people. It is an important
component of creative nonfiction.
• Theme. There is a central idea that is woven through the essay or work. Often, the
theme reveals a universal truth.

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CREATIVE NONFICTION EXERCISES
1. Self-Searching

When you’re struggling with what to write about, sometimes it helps to get
reacquainted with yourself…who you are…what matters to you. Here is an exercise
designed to help you discover, and inspire you to explore in your writing, those things
you feel most passionate about.

Take out two pieces of paper. Now answer every question in Phase One on the list
below. If you would be willing to share your answers with the wider world, put those
answers on the first sheet of paper. Any answers you are not willing to share should go on
the second piece of paper. But all questions must be answered fully and honestly.

Once you’ve finished with Phase One, go through all your answers carefully,
expanding on them by answering the corresponding questions in Phase Two.

If you find that those things you feel most passionate about are the ones you aren’t
willing to share…don’t despair. Creative writing recreates reality – frequently changing
events and characters, times and places – while staying true to the heart of the story – its
emotional truth.

Pick one of your answers and recreate it into a story, an essay, a poem, a performance
piece that you would like to share.

PHASE ONE QUESTIONS PHASE TWO QUESTIONS

Has a book ever changed your life? If so, which one and why?

Has a relationship ever changed

your life? When, how, why?

Describe a friendship you wish you

had. Why?

Describe a friendship you wish you

had never had. Why?

What is the angriest you’ve ever

been? When? Where? Why?

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 At what moment in your life thus
far have you felt the most Describe the incident, recalling
powerful? how it made you feel and why.

At what moment in your life did

you feel a sense of wonder and Describe the incident, recalling
awe? how it made you feel and why.

What would you like most to

change about yourself? Why?

What would you like most to

change about the future world? Why?

What would you most like to

change about the world’s past?

2. Sketching

Think you might enjoy writing about some far-off place and time…or maybe even
inventing an imaginary place and culture of your own? Here’s a basic exercise to help
you define place, time, and cultural mores as a context for your story.

Geographical Features: Photos:

Books: Events/happenings:

Music: Famous people born:

Film: Famous people living:

Theater: Politicians:

Radio: Religious leaders:

Fashions: Philosophers:

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 Foods: Advertising:

Magazines: Education:

Architecture: Military:

Paintings: Geographical changes:

3. Characterization

Use the following format to create your own character. No cheating. Do not simply
fill in the blanks by describing yourself or someone you know. Instead, fill in the blanks
describing someone you’d find it interesting to know. Then, remembering that conflict is
the essence of all dramatic writing, repeat the process by imagining a character whose
value, attitudes, etc. would likely put them in opposition to the first character you
invented.

Full Name: Smoke/Drink/Drugs Profile:

Nicknames: Favorite section of newspaper:
Sex: Favorite type of music:
Age: Last book read:
Height: Last movie seen:
Weight: Morning or night person:
Hair: Introvert/Extrovert:
Eyes: Indoor or outdoor person:
Skin: Greatest fear:
Posture: Closest friend:
Appearance: Dearest possession:
Health: Favorite season:
Birthmark: Class:
Abnormalities: Occupation:
Heritage: Education:
Where born: Family:
Where live: Home Life:
Favorite food: IQ:
Favorite subject in school: Religion:
Favorite game as child: Community:
Best memory: Political Affiliation:
Worst memory: Amusements/Hobbies:

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Reading Interests:
Sex Life:
Morality:
Ambition:
Frustration:
Temperament:
Attitude:
Psychological Complexes:
Superstitions:
Imagination

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 4. Word Lists

Word lists can sometimes be a great spur to creativity. Try this one. Set your timer for
ten minutes, then read the word list below and attempt to write something ( a story, a
short play) that contains all nine of these words.

City Handbag

fire engine Jail

Drug addict Abroad

Porcelain Jewelries

Illusion

Once you’ve completed this exercise, reread what you have written. Is there a
character or a situation worth pursuing farther?

Another variation of this exercise is to create your own word list, listing only words
that in some way are significant to you as a person. Then, use this list as you’re jumping
off place, following the same rules as those given above.

5. Recollections

Write some memoirs about a favorite teacher.

6. Celebration

Write about a special birthday.

7. Reinvention

Write about an incident in your past that you would like a chance to relive and do
differently.

8. Suspense

Write in any form (drama, short story, nonfiction, memoir, etc.) a piece that
incorporates the phrase, “Don’t pick up the phone.”

9. Explorations

A. Write a paragraph or story about noise.

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 B. Make a list: Start each phrase with “It would be crazy to. . . ” Go until you run
out of sentences. Then, write the other side of the coin: Start each phrase with “It would
be perfectly sane to. . . .”

C. Explore the differences of the two lists – either in an essay or poem or put two
characters in a dangerous situation together where one is more likely to have said the “it
would be crazy” statements and the other would be more likely to say their opposite.

D. Put on a piece of music and write where it takes you.

E. Comment on a newspaper or T.V. clip.

F. Imagine yourself as a child, looking at your mother’s wallet. What do you see?
How do you feel? Tell a story from this child’s perspective.

10. Disclosures

A. Make up a word and tell us what it means. Use it in a sentence, a story, a

scene. The word can reflect something you always thought needed a word or it can be a
set of sounds that trigger your imagination. Try it as a verb, an adverb, or a noun. Be
playful.

B. Write a short paragraph/essay about something you used to do with your

grandmother or grandfather that you still do today. Questions you might ask and answer:
Why do I still do whatever it is? Do I enjoy it, how have my feelings for the activity
changed? Why? Have I passed this on to my children? Explore then and now.

C. Look at a picture. What is the secret hidden in the picture? Explore it, push the
characters until they reveal the secret knowledge, power, or pain that they conceal.

11. New Perspectives

A. Write a story about a person turning eighty.

B. Write a dialogue between two people who have to share a seat on a plane and
who are attracted to one another. Introduce an obstacle to the smooth sailing of this
attraction.

C. Write about an ugly moment between two people, but don’t label it. Make the
reader experience it without you telling them what is going on.

E. Choose one aspect of the natural world that you feel has something to teach
you. What specific quality does it express or speak about your own life? Cluster your
thoughts and shape them into a poem. (From Poetic Medicine by John Fox).

F. Write about a birthday celebration.

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 G. Write the saddest thing you know about friendship.

H. Go back to one of the exercises you’ve done since the beginning of class and
edit it with an eye to new ideas, different approaches, and clearer sentences. Add a
sustaining metaphor or an apt simile. Approach it creatively.

12. In the Moment

Today celebrate what you still don’t know. Make a list of the elements you are unsure
of in the plot of your story; the ideas as yet undeveloped in a poem; or the point of an
essay that hasn’t yet crystallized. These are your reasons to keep on writing. Or, write the
phrase “I still don’t know” as a diving study and fill the page with whatever comes out.
Select one thing you don’t know to write/learn about today.

— From Bonni Goldberg, Room to Write

A. In this exercise we’re going to practice being present to what is around us and
reflecting that present reality in our writing. Get up and walk around the house, the porch,
the deck, and/or the yard. Spend five or six minutes. Then write three pages about
whatever comes to mind. This isn’t even a rough draft; this is just flow; pure mental,
emotional, associative pure flow.

B. Go through your three pages and underline the sentences or paragraphs,

phrases, or ideas you think are most interesting, provocative, amusing, enlightening.
Underline or bracket them. With these thoughts in mind, again walk around. Then sit
down and write something you might be willing to share, building on your first efforts.
Let the ideas and subject matter pick the form.

13. Motivation

“Always do what you’re afraid to do,” Ralph Waldo Emerson’s visionary Aunt Mary
advised him. We tie ourselves in knots to sabotage the energy that might be unleashed if
we move resolutely ahead. The risks of making changes are great. . . especially great
changes.

— Gail Sher, One Continuous Mistake

Write out all the things you are afraid to do concerning your writing and your
writing life. Do not simply make a list, but use sentences so you can experience the flow
of your thoughts. If you are stuck, start your sentences with something like, “I am afraid
my writing will. . . .” or “I am afraid writing is . . . .”

Now make a list of other things you’re afraid of doing. Be as outrageous as you
can.

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 In this exercise, we’re going to use quotations as our jumping off place into
writing. You may choose narrative, essay or a dialogue. Then spend the first five minutes
thinking, jotting notes, clustering, doodling, gnashing your teeth, or wandering around. If
no response comes together for you, write three pages on what is going on in your mind,
starting with the quote:

“Where we are going is here.”

or
“Both ways are best.”
or
“What is the straight within the bent?”

Who might say such words? In what context? You may use them as dialogue or
images or theme. Write a poem or a story or a reflection. Let yourself play.

14. Dialogues and Expositions

A. Write about a day in the “life” of an inanimate object. (Suggestions: a mirror,

football, computer, refrigerator, rug, or paperclip.)

B. Write some funny dialogue between a father (or mother) and his/her daughter
(or son) who must explain why she/he is two hours past curfew.

C. Expository essays that define call for short or extended definitions to help both
the reader and the writer understand the meaning of a word. Depending on its length, you
may develop your definition by examples, comparisons, and/or functions. Fill in the
blank. Go for 10 minutes. Bad luck is __________.

D. Write a story about a humorous experience.

E. Write a two-paragraph description of a place you are familiar with like your
school campus, the church you usually go, a bus station, a park ─ but write it using the
voice of someone who is seeing it the first time.

F. Look around the room you’re in. Write about an object that you have an
emotional attachment to or that triggers an emotional response in you. Some tips for
writing ten minutes a day: Try to do it around the same time every day. It helps build a
habit. Go with your first thoughts. Get down the sentences as they occur to you. Trust
yourself. You can edit later. This ten minutes is for writing, not editing, not note taking,
not planning. If you pick up a piece from the day before, you must make forward
progress – at least one sentence. Keep writing!

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 15. Narratives

Writing has tremendous energy. If you find a reason for it, any reason, it seems that
rather than negate the act of writing, it makes you burn deeper and glow clearer on the
page. Ask yourself, “Why do I write?” or “Why do I want to write?” but don’t think
about it. Take pen and paper and answer it with clear, assertive statements. Every
statement doesn’t have to be one hundred percent true and each line can contradict the
others. Even lie if you need to, to get going. If you don’t know why you write, answer it as
though you do know why.

— Natalie Goldberg, Writing Down the Bones

Tip: If you feel stuck, start out: I don’t know why I write, but . . . . or I feel that as
a writer I have something to say, but. . . . But? But what? Stay with this “but” until you
are about “but,” the most knowledgeable person in the world.

Since everyone likes a good story, it’s no wonder that the narrative is such a
popular form of writing. Fairy tales, anecdotes, short stories, novels, plays, comics, and
even some poems are all examples of the narrative form. Simply stated, a narrative is a
story based on fact or fiction. Any type of narrative (or story) writing is built on a series
of events. By telling about these events one after the other, just as they occurred, your
story will satisfy a reader’s curiosity about what happens next. (A more complex
narrative device of moving back and forth from past to present within a story is call the
flashback technique.) A narrative composition can be used to entertain, make a point,
and/or illustrate a premise.

A. Write a story about wanting and staring.

B. Respond to the following quote. Follow where the words lead you.

A man’s life is nothing but an extended trek through the detours of art to recapture those
one or two moments when his heart first opened.

— Albert Camus

16. Highlighting Details

A. Start a story with a word that starts with the letter B – any B, any word.

B. Pick a particular time of day and a particular window. Spend 10 minutes each
day for three days describing what you see out of the window.

C. Write about what you hate most about writing.

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 D. Create a lovable character with one disappointing flaw. Put that character in
the same room as you and a very favorite small child in such a way that the disappointing
flaw is evident. What happens?

17. Found Objects

A. You find a checkbook on the ground-perhaps you’re in a park, jogging along

the highway, or in the parking lot at the Mall. You decide to return it. What happens
next?

B. You’re tired. Who isn’t? You make a mistake, a costly mistake. What happens
next?

C. Question of the year. What do you see in that new piece of art you’re your
parents brought home? How do you feel when you find out it cost the equivalent of three
months pay? Write this story in the third person.

D. Let’s revisit the expensive piece of art your significant other brought home.
Write a story from the point of view of the person who brought it home.

E. Paper clips. How important are they? Pick up your pen and write about paper
clips for ten minutes.

F. Pick out one piece of your writing. Look in Writer’s Market or some other
marketing tool and pick out three possible places to send it. Write them down, bookmark
them. Or type up a query and send off your piece.

G. Pick out three current market listings that sound appealing to you. Think of an
article idea that you would be able to write for that market. Write your idea and the
approach you’d take down. Write down the names of possible contacts to interview or the
titles of books for quotes you might need or use. Play around with a first sentence. Write
a rough draft. (Take ten minutes to do each of the previous directions.)

18. Observe and Analyze

A. Sit in your favorite chair. Write about the view. If you want to write a piece of
fiction, imagine someone who is the total opposite of how you see yourself, and put him
or her in that same chair. How does the view change?

B. The pair of shoes, scuffed and worn, stood sentinel, at the door. Use the
previous sentence as the beginning or ending sentence for a short story-maximum 1200
words.

C. Today, notice all the people that grease your day but who you rarely think
about the newspaper delivery person, the mailman, the elevator doorman, the pizza

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delivery guy, the cashier at the grocery store or the hostess at your favorite eatery. One of
them is a murderer. What’s the story here? Who tells it? What happens next?

D. Pick out one page of your work. Look at it very carefully, sentence by
sentence. Cull 10% of the words. Look at the verbs in each sentence. Punch them up by
choosing more vigorous, more active verbs. On your word processor, take out all the
adjectives and adverbs. Add them back sparingly.

19. Famous People I Have Known

Re-create your own or a relative’s interaction with a famous person.

20. Wild Space

Isolate an outdoor space from your childhood. Quickly write down every element you
can remember in as much detail as possible. Take inventory. Record everything you
remember. Now fill in an emotional tone for each detail. Assemble these specifics into an
essay.

21. My Hood

Write a biography of a place. Choose a street, a forest, a road, a community, etc.

22. My Travels

Write a specific story about a trip you’ve taken. An example would be in the Island of
Boracay in Palawan.

23. Collect Mannerisms

As revealing on the printed page as they are in real life. Pick an emotion and for the
next few days, track it in the people that you see. Keep a notebook--a small one that you
can carry in your pocket. You can unobtrusively jot down few notes in the grocery store
lineup or while at dinner.

• How do different people show that they are bored, how do they disguise it?
• How do you know when someone is impatient or irritable?
• What about stronger emotions like fear, anger, love?
• Did you catch them out in a lie? What did they do with their bodies or their
hands?

24. Creating Characters

Pick a few different words or phrases that your character would use. Can you
visualize him saying them, hear his voice in your head? Have him express them in anger

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and in humor; you get to know what tone and emphasis your character would use under
stress or when teasing someone. You might even use them yourself for a few days. This
works best if it is something you wouldn’t normally say.

25. From the Headlines

Consider the newspaper. If creative nonfiction is in part “a way of seeing,” what is in

a different view of a standard story? Take the front page of the newspaper and make a list
of stories. Is there a more particular angle that you can draw up an essay from?

26. Holiday Meal

Write an essay after compiling a list of details that made a holiday meal in your
family unique. Include not just the food but who was there, the atmosphere,
conversations. Have you captured the flavor of your family?

27. Ritual and Spirit

Describe a religious experience or a ritual that you recall from your childhood. Use
quotes from this ritual or service as a frame for your essay. Use present tense and vivid
imagery. Then go back and rewrite the piece using past tense from an adult perspective.
What’s changed?

28. Your Timeline

Make a timeline from the year of your birth up until now. Research local, national
and international events that have happened in your lifetime. Then also add on deaths,
births, weddings, parents’ divorce, first haircut, first dance, and other dates that have been
significant in your life. Once you are finished write an essay using the dates as your
section headings.

29. Water

Write about a body of water that knows you well. Some places that you have
frequented more than once—a lake, river, creek, pond, branch, ocean. Be very specific.
Let the details of the place guide you.

30. My Love

Write about a person you love. This apparently simple instruction may be more
difficult than you think. What makes us love people? You will immediately be faced with
the decision of writing about someone you love or loved romantically or as a friend. Or
perhaps you’ll choose a family member. Your greatest challenge will be to make your
reader love this person, too.

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PART II. POETRY WRITING

So what is poetry?
Poetry is an imaginative awareness of experience expressed through meaning,
sound, and rhythmic language choices so as to evoke an emotional response. Poetry has
been known to employ meter and rhyme, but this is by no means necessary. Poetry is an
ancient form that has gone through numerous and drastic reinvention over time. The very
nature of poetry as an authentic and individual mode of expression makes it nearly
impossible to define

Poetry is the chiseled marble of language. It is a paint-spattered canvas - but the

poet uses words instead of paint, and the canvas is you. Poetic definitions of poetry kind
of spiral in on themselves, however, like a dog eating itself from the tail up.

One of the most definable characteristics of the poetic form is economy of

language. Poets are miserly and unrelentingly critical in the way they dole out words to a
page. Carefully selecting words for conciseness and clarity is standard, even for writers
of prose, but poets go well beyond this, considering a word's emotive qualities, its
musical value, its spacing, and yes, even its spacial relationship to the page. The poet,
through innovation in both word choice and form, seemingly rends significance from thin
air.

TIPS ON HOW TO WRITE A POEM

1. Know Your Goal.

Before you begin, ask yourself what you want your poem to “do.” Do you want your
poem to describe an event in your life, protest a social injustice, or describe the beauty of
nature? Once you know the goal of your poem, you can conform your writing to that

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goal. Take each main element in your poem and make it serve the main purpose of the
poem.

2. Avoid Clichés

A work full of clichés is like a plate of old food: unappetizing.

Clichés work against original communication. People value creative talent. They want to
see work that rises above the norm. When they see a work without clichés, they know the
writer has worked his or her tail off, doing whatever it takes to be original. When they see
a work full to the brim with clichés, they feel that the writer is not showing them anything
above the ordinary. (In case you hadn’t noticed, this paragraph is chock full of clichés…
I’ll bet you were bored to tears.)

3. Avoid Sentimentality

Sentimentality is “dominated by a blunt appeal to the emotions of pity and love ….

Popular subjects are puppies, grandparents, and young lovers” (Minot 416). “When
readers have the feeling that emotions like rage or indignation have been pushed
artificially for their own sake, they will not take the poem seriously” (132).

Minot says that the problem with sentimentality is that it detracts from the literary
quality of your work (416). If your poetry is mushy or teary-eyed, your readers may
openly rebel against your effort to invoke emotional response in them. If that happens,
they will stop thinking about the issues you want to raise, and will instead spend their
energy trying to control their own gag reflex.

4. Use Images

“BE A PAINTER IN WORDS,” says UWEC English professor emerita, poet, and
songwriter Peg Lauber. She says poetry should stimulate six senses:

• sight
• hearing
• smell
• touch
• taste
• kinesiology (motion)

5. Use Metaphor and Simile.

Use metaphor and simile to bring imagery and concrete words into your writing.

Metaphor

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A metaphor is a statement that pretends one thing is really something else:

Example: “The lead singer is an elusive salamander.”

This phrase does not mean that the lead singer is literally a salamander. Rather, it
takes an abstract characteristic of a salamander (elusiveness) and projects it onto the
person. By using metaphor to describe the lead singer, the poet creates a much more vivid
picture of him/her than if the poet had simply said “The lead singer’s voice is hard to pick
out.”

6. Concrete Words Instead of Abstract Words.

Concrete words describe things that people experience with their senses.

• orange
• warm
• cat

A person can see orange, feel warm, or hear a cat.

Poets use concrete words help the reader get a “picture” of what the poem is
talking about. When the reader has a “picture” of what the poem is talking about, he/she
can better understand what the poet is talking about.

Abstract words refer to concepts or feelings.

• liberty
• happy
• love

7. Use Concrete Words Instead of Abstract Words.

Concrete words describe things that people experience with their senses.

• orange
• warm
• cat

A person can see orange, feel warm, or hear a cat.

Poets use concrete words help the reader get a “picture” of what the poem is
talking about. When the reader has a “picture” of what the poem is talking about, he/she
can better understand what the poet is talking about.

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Abstract words refer to concepts or feelings.

• liberty
• happy
• love
8. Subvert the Ordinary

Poets’ strength is the ability to see what other people see everyday in a new way.
You don’t have to be special or a literary genius to write good poems–all you have to do
is take an ordinary object, place, person, or idea, and come up with a new perception of it.

Example: People ride the bus everyday.

Poets’ Interpretation: A poet looks at the people on the bus and imagines scenes
from their lives. A poet sees a sixty-year old woman and imagines a grandmother who
runs marathons. A poet sees a two-year old boy and imagines him painting with ruby nail
polish on the toilet seat, and his mother struggling to not respond in anger. Take the
ordinary and turn it on its head. (The word “subvert” literally means “turn upside down”.)

9. Rhyme with Extreme Caution

Rhyme and meter (the pattern of stressed and unstressed words) can be dangerous
if used the wrong way. Remember sing-song nursery rhymes? If you choose a rhyme
scheme that makes your poem sound sing-song, it will detract from the quality of your
poem.

I recommend that beginning poets stick to free verse. It is hard enough to

compose a poem without dealing with the intricacies of rhyme and meter. (Note: see
Jerz’s response to this point, in “Poetry Is For the Ear.”)

10. . Revise, Revise, Revise.

The first completed draft of your poem is only the beginning. Poets often go
through several drafts of a poem before considering the work “done.”

To revise:

• Put your poem away for a few days, and then come back to it. When you re-read
it, does anything seem confusing? Hard to follow? Do you see anything that needs
improvement that you overlooked the first time? Often, when you are in the act of
writing, you may leave out important details because you are so familiar with the
topic. Re-reading a poem helps you to see it from the “outsider’s perspective” of a
reader.

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 • Show your poem to others and ask for criticism. Don’t be content with a response
like, “That’s a nice poem.” You won’t learn anything from that kind of response.
Instead, find people who will tell you specific things you need to improve in your
poem.

ELEMENTS OF POETRY
1. STANZAS: Stanzas are series of lines grouped together and separated by an empty
line from other stanzas. They are the equivalent of a paragraph in an essay. One way
to identify a stanza is to count the number of lines. Thus:

o couplet (2 lines)
o tercet (3 lines)
o quatrain (4 lines)
o cinquain (5 lines)
o sestet (6 lines) (sometimees it's called a sexain)
o septet (7 lines)
o octave (8 lines)

2. FORM: A poem may or may not have a specific number of lines, rhyme scheme
and/or metrical pattern, but it can still be labeled according to its form or style.

3. RHYME: Rhyme is the repetition of similar sounds. In poetry, the most common kind
of rhyme is the end rhyme, which occurs at the end of two or more lines. It is usually
identified with lower case letters, and a new letter is used to identify each new end sound.
Take a look at the rhyme scheme for the following poem :

I saw a fairy in the wood,

He was dressed all in green.
He drew his sword while I just stood,
And realized I'd been seen.

The rhyme scheme of the poem is abab.

Internal rhyme occurs in the middle of a line, as in these lines from Coleridge, "In
mist or cloud, on mast or shroud" or "Whiles all the night through fog-smoke white"
("The Ancient Mariner"). Remember that most modern poems do not have rhyme.

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4. WORD SOUNDS: Another type of sound play is the emphasis on individual sounds
and words:

Alliteration: the repetition of initial sounds on the same line or stanza -

Big bad Bob bounced bravely.
Assonance: the repetition of vowel sounds (anywhere in the middle or end of a line or
stanza) - Tilting at windmills
Consonance: the repetition of consonant sounds (anywhere in the middle or end of a line
or stanza) - And all the air a solemn stillness holds. (T. Gray)
Onomatopoeia: words that sound like that which they describe - Boom! Crash! Pow!
Quack! Moo!Caress...
Repetition: the repetition of entire lines or phrases to emphasize key thematic ideas.
Parallel Stucture: a form of repetition where the order of verbs and nouns is repeated; it
may involve exact words, but it more importantly repeats sentence structure - "I came, I
saw, I conquered".

5. FIGURATIVE/CONNOTATIVE DEVICES

1. Simile is the rhetorical term used to designate the most elementary form of
resemblances. Most similes are introduced by "like" or "as." These comparisons
are usually between dissimilar situations or objects that have something in
common, such as "My love is like a red, red rose."
2. A metaphor leaves out "like" or "as" and implies a direct comparison between
objects or situations. "All flesh is grass."
3. Synecdoche is a form of metaphor, which in mentioning an important (and
attached) part signifies the whole (e.g. "hands" for labour).
4. Metonymy is similar to synecdoche; it's a form of metaphor allowing an object
closely associated (but unattached) with an object or situation to stand for the
thing itself (e.g. the crown or throne for a king or the bench for the judicial
system).
5. A symbol is like a simile or metaphor with the first term left out. "My love is like
a red, red rose" is a simile. If, through persistent identification of the rose with the
beloved woman, we may come to associate the rose with her and her particular
virtues. At this point, the rose would become a symbol.
6. Allegory can be defined as a one to one correspondence between a series of
abstract ideas and a series of images or pictures presented in the form of a story or
a narrative. For example, George Orwell's Animal Farm is an extended allegory
that represents the Russian Revolution through a fable of a farm and its rebellious
animals.

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 7. Personification occurs when you treat abstractions or inanimate objects as human,
that is, giving them human attributes, powers, or feelings (e.g., "nature wept" or
"the wind whispered many truths to me").
8. Irony takes many forms. Most basically, irony is a figure of speech in which
actual intent is expressed through words that carry the opposite meaning.

o Paradox: usually a literal contradiction of terms or situations

o Situational Irony: an unmailed letter
o Dramatic Irony: audience has more information or greater perspective than
the characters
o Verbal Irony: saying one thing but meaning another
▪ Overstatement (hyperbole)
▪ Understatement (meiosis)
▪ Sarcasm

Irony may be a positive or negative force. It is most valuable as a mode of

perception that assists the poet to see around and behind opposed attitudes, and to see the
often conflicting interpretations that come from our examination of life.

TYPES OF POETRY
a. Lyric Poetry: It is any poem with one speaker (not necessarily the poet) who
expresses strong thoughts and feelings. Most poems, especially modern ones, are
lyric poems.

b. Narrative Poem: It is a poem that tells a story; its structure resembles the plot
line of a story [i.e. the introduction of conflict and characters, rising action,
climax and the denouement].

c. Descriptive Poem: It is a poem that describes the world that surrounds the
speaker. It uses elaborate imagery and adjectives. While emotional, it is more
"outward-focused" than lyric poetry, which is more personal and introspective. In
a sense, almost all poems, whether they have consistent patterns of sound and/or
structure, or are free verse, are in one of the three categories above. Or, of course,
they may be a combination of 2 or 3 of the above styles.

Here are some more types of poems that are subtypes of the three styles above:

1) Ode: It is usually a lyric poem of moderate length, with a serious subject, an

elevated style, and an elaborate stanza pattern.

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 2) Elegy: It is a lyric poem that mourns the dead. [It's not to be confused with
a eulogy.]It has no set metric or stanzaic pattern, but it usually begins by
reminiscing about the dead person, laments the reason for the death, and then
resolves the grief by concluding that death leads to immortality. It often uses
"apostrophe" (calling out to the dead person) as a literary technique. It can have a
fairly formal style, and sound similar to an ode.

3) Sonnet: It is a lyric poem consisting of 14 lines and, in the English version, is

usually written in iambic pentameter. There are two basic kinds of sonnets: the
Italian (or Petrarchan) sonnet and the Shakespearean (or Elizabethan/English)
sonnet. The Italian/Petrarchan sonnet is named after Petrarch, an Italian
Renaissance poet. The Petrarchan sonnet consists of an octave (eight lines) and a
sestet (six lines). The Shakespearean sonnet consists of three quatrains (four lines
each) and a concluding couplet (two lines). The Petrarchan sonnet tends to divide
the thought into two parts (argument and conclusion); the Shakespearean, into
four (the final couplet is the summary).

4) Ballad: It is a narrative poem that has a musical rhythm and can be sung. A ballad
is usually organized into quatrains or cinquains, has a simple rhythm structure,
and tells the tales of ordinary people.

5) Epic: It is a long narrative poem in elevated style recounting the deeds of a

legendary or historical hero.

6) Haiku: It has an unrhymed verse form having three lines (a tercet) and usually
5,7,5 syllables, respectively. It's usually considered a lyric poem.

7) Limerick: It has a very structured poem, usually humorous & composed of five
lines (a cinquain), in an aabba rhyming pattern; beat must be anapestic (weak,
weak, strong) with 3 feet in lines 1, 2, & 5 and 2 feet in lines 3 & 4. It's usually a
narrative poem based upon a short and often ribald anecdote.

POETRY WRITING EXERCISES

1) Alliteration and Assonance List

Create a list of word pairs and phrases that are built around alliteration or
assonance. Remember, alliteration is when the words in close proximity start with the

23 | P a g e
same consonant sounds (as in pretty picture). Assonance is when words in close
proximity echo vowel sounds (bent, pen). Use the words from your lists to write a poem.

2) Metaphors and Similes for Life

Make a list of significant life events: birth, death, graduation, marriage, having
children, starting own business. Next come up with one metaphor and one simile for each
event of these events. Remember, a metaphor is when we say one thing is another thing.
A simile is when we say one thing is like another thing.

Metaphor: Life is a dance.

Simile: Life is like a box of chocolates.

Bonus Exercise: Write a poem about one of your life events using only the
metaphor or simile you have chosen. When it’s done your poem should be a bit
ambiguous; a reader will wonder whether the poem is literally about the metaphor or
metaphorically about a life event.

3) Lyrics and musicality

Choose a catchy song that you enjoy and rewrite the lyrics, but stick to the
rhythm. Try to go way off topic from what the original lyrics were about. You can play
the song while you work on exercise or search for the lyrics online and use those as your.

4) Alliteration Creature Poem

Alliteration creature poems are lots of fun to read and to write! These humorous
poems use alliteration to describe an imaginary creature. Choose a letter to alliterate and
use it throughout each line of your poem to create a sound similar to a tongue twister.
Each line of your poem (except line one) should have at least four words beginning with
the letter you choose. Do not repeat alliterating words you have already used.

Directions:

Line One - Name your creature (add –ian to the end of the word).

Line Two – Write about where your creature lives.

Line Three - Write about what your creature eats.

Line Four – Write about what your creature likes.

Line Five – Write about something else about your creature.

Line Six – Write about something your creature did to you.

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 5) Cinquain Poem

A cinquain is a five-line poem with a very strict form. You begin by choosing a
noun (person, place or thing) that is meaningful to you. Throughout the poem, you use
various parts of speech to describe the noun you chose.

Directions:

Line one has one word: the subject of the poem. This word is a noun.

Line two has two words: adjectives that describe the noun. Separate these two words
with commas.

Line three has three words: verbs expressing actions that tell what the noun does. These

actions should end in –ing and be separated by commas.

Line four has four words: a short phrase expressing feeling about the noun.

Line five has one word: a synonym for the noun.

6) Color Poem

A color poem is a ten=line poem that uses the senses to create a vivid image of a
color. To write a color poem, choose a color to write about and follow the pattern below.
Many lines in a color poem use similes and metaphors to describe a color. Remember,
similes compare two things using “like” or “as.”For example, the tree was like a giant is a
simile. Metaphors are also comparisons, but they don’t use “like” or “as.” Metaphors say
that one thing actually is something else. For example, the tree was a giant is a metaphor.

Directions:

Line One: ______(color)_______"is like _________ ."(simile)"

Line Two: ______(color) _______"is like _________."(simile)"

Line Three: ______(color)_______"is _________."(metaphor)"

Line Four: ______(color)_______"smells like _________.""

Line Five: ______(color) _______"tastes like _________.""

Line Six: ______(color) _______"sounds like _________.""

Line Seven: ______(color)_______"looks like _________.""

Line Eight: ______(color) _______"feels like _________.""

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 Line Nine: ______ (color) ______"makes me _________.""

Line Ten: ______ (color) ______"is _________."(metaphor)"

7) Bio poem

It is a poem that describes a person in 11 lines. There is a specific formula in

writing it.

Directions:

(First name)-

(Four adjectives that describe the person)

Son or Daughter of (your parents’ names)

Lover of (three different things that the person loves)

Who feels (three different feelings and when or where they are felt)

Who gives (three different things the person gives)

Who fears (three different fears the person has)

Who would like to see (three different things the person would like to see)

Who lives (a brief description of where the person lives)

-(last name)

8) Found Poetry

Bring your cameras to school and spend a class period walking around the
campus (or surrounding town, if possible), taking pictures of signs, labels, notes, etc that
you come across. Compile the words and phrases into a list, and have them construct
poems using nothing but those words and phrases. For an extra challenge, give them a
topic their poem has to be about (love, the environment, passing of time, loss, etc). Also
optional: Creating a collage from the pictures they took that tells the poem.

9) Four-Sense Food Sonnets

Blindfold one another and hand a plastic sandwich baggie with food in it. (used
pineapple slices, peanuts, chocolate-covered raisin, pickles, and stuff like that.) For five
minutes, you should taste, smell, feel, and listen to the food items without knowing what

26 | P a g e
they look like. After five minutes, take off the blindfolds and write sonnets about the
foods, being as descriptive as possible but without including a physical description.

10) No-Send Letters

Write a letter (or letters) to someone (or someones) that you know you’ll never
send.

11) Something Beautiful, Something Ugly

Free write on what you think makes something beautiful and what you think
makes something ugly (half the class period for each). For the second one, let loose in
the school or go outside, and turn on your “macro” lenses to look at as many tiny details
as possible, taking extensive notes as you do so. For the third, focus on the objects you
took notes on and write two creative responses, one on something beautiful and one on
something ugly that you found.

12) Write About Names

Where yours came from or where you wish it came from? Who you’re named
after? Who your father, mother, neighbor is named after? What you wished you were
named. Why they’re important, why they’re not important. Write about names.

13) Red Bicycles, Blue Seas:

Pick a color and write about a memory associated with the color.

14) Last Word

You are given a poem (such as a limerick) with the last word of each line missing,
a rhyming scheme and a jumbled list of words. You must complete the poem using the
rhyming scheme and the list of supplied words. For

Example:

There once was a sailor named_(A)

Whose mates rushed him off to the_(A)

Said he, I've a_(B)

As a pet in my_(B)

There's no reason for raising a_(A)

Jumbled words: Stink, skunk, link, clink, bunk.

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 15) One-Rhyme

The aim of this game is to write the longest piece of verse using only a single
rhyme. The first line begins with the letter ‘A’ and each subsequent line must start with a
consecutive letter of the alphabet. For example:

A was an ape, a hairy thing

B was a ballerina who'd rather sing

C was a cord, a long thin string

D was a dog, mangy and barking

E was an eagle, a bird on the wing

F was food we were asked to bring, etc

16) Adverb Poem

Students choose an adverb (or the teacher nominates one). The adverb must be
used as the first word of each line of the rhyming poem. For example, for the word
`quickly':

Quickly horses move around the track

Quickly planes fly to Rome and back

Quickly pigs gobble down their dinner

Quickly I declare, `I'm winner!'

Quickly lightning zips up the sky

Quickly birds in formation, fly,

Suggested adverbs: Lazily, sadly, bravely, merrily, optimistically, stupidly, crazily,

sleepily, slowly

17) Clerihew

Write a four-line poem with a rhyming scheme of a/a/b/b about a nominated

person. For example, for Ben the Traveller, the poem could be:

Brave and bold is our friend Ben

He's going overseas, we don't know when.

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 We'll see him off with many tears

We hope he's not away for years.

Suggested names:

- Gwen, a Pirate
- Roger, a teacher
- Natalie, a two-week-old baby
- Charles, a prince
- Cyril, a singer
- Ferdinand, a fake

18) Boring Poem

In this poem, the second and alternate lines are always the same. This line is
specified by the teacher. You must write the first and subsequent odd-numbered lines.
For example:

I get up and go to school

Day after day, day after day!

Do what I'm told,

Day after day, day after day!

Listen to the same old warnings,

Day after day, day after day!

Get most of my sums wrong,

Day after day, day after day! Etc

Suggestions: Week after week, month after month, year after year, payday after
payday, weekend after weekend, minute after minute.

19) Conversation Poem

Write a poem in which one person is speaking to another. The first line presents
one speaker, the next line the other, and so on. For example:

Put your shoes on, son

But I can't find them

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 I'll count to ten: one…

I can't, they're gone

Hurry, or you know what I'll do-

I’ve found them. They've got knots!

I'm not waiting any more. two... etc.

Suggestions: Butcher to customer, teacher to pupil, small child to Santa Claus, driver
to police officer, teenage boy to another, editor to author, actor to director, lizard to
worm, snake to snake, clown to a small child

20) 7x7x7
Find the 7th book from your bookshelf. Open it up to page 7. Look at the
7th sentence on the page. Begin a poem that begins with that sentence and
limit the length to 7 lines.

21) Magazine Puzzle

Cut out interesting words, phrases, and images from a magazine. Place
them in a bowl, close your eyes and pull out two of these magazine
snippets. Write a 6 stanza free verse poem.

22) Found poem

Find two ads in the newspaper. Create a poem only using words from the
two ads.

23) “I remember…”

Start you poem with, “I remember…” and let your memories dictate what you
write.

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Part III. SCRIPTWRTING

What is scriptwriting?
Scriptwriting, also called screenwriting is the art and craft of
writing scripts for mass media such as feature films, television productions or video
games. It is frequently a freelance profession.

Screenwriters are responsible for researching the story, developing the narrative,
writing the screenplay, and delivering it, in the required format, to development
executives. Screenwriters therefore have great influence over the creative direction and
emotional impact of the screenplay and, arguably, of the finished film. They either pitch
original ideas to producers in the hope that they will be optioned or sold, or screenwriters
are commissioned by a producer to create a screenplay from a concept, true story,
existing screen work or literary work, such as a novel, poem, play, comic book or short
story.

In the most basic terms, a screenplay is a 90-120 page document written in

Courier 12pt font on 8 1/2" x 11" bright white three-hole punched paper. Wondering why
Courier font is used? It's a timing issue. One formatted script page in Courier font equals
roughly one minute of screen time. That's why the average page count of a screenplay
should come in between 90 and 120 pages. Comedies tend to be on the shorter side (90
pages, or 1 ½ hours) while Dramas run longer (120 pages, or 2 hours).

A screenplay can be an original piece, or based on a true story or previously

written piece, like a novel, stage play or newspaper article. At its heart, a screenplay is a
blueprint for the film it will one day become. Professionals on the set including the
producer, director, set designer and actors all translate the screenwriter's vision using
their individual talents. Since the creation of a film is ultimately a collaborative art, the
screenwriter must be aware of each person's role and as such, the script should reflect the
writer's knowledge.

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 For example, it's crucial to remember that film is primarily a visual medium. As a
screenwriter, you must show what's happening in a story, rather than tell. A 2-page inner
monologue may work well for a novel, but is the kiss of death in a script. The very nature
of screenwriting is based on how to show a story on a screen, and pivotal moments can be
conveyed through something as simple as a look on an actor's face. Let's take a look at
what a screenplay's structure looks like.

HOW TO WRITE A SCREEN PLAY?

1. Craft Your Logline

A logline is a one-sentence summary of your story, and

they’re primarily used as a marketing tool. When a studio
executive asks you to give him your best pitch, your logline is the
first thing you’ll mention.

Loglines also function as a helpful guide to focus your writing on the most important aspects of
your story. In other words, loglines help your story stay on track.

Loglines generally contain three elements:

• A protagonist
• An antagonist
• A goal

2. Write a Treatment: Your First Sketch

Also primarily a marketing document, treatments give executives an idea of whether the story
is worth their money. However, like the logline, it also serves as a helpful tool for the writer, a
kind of first sketch of the story.

For most of the history of art, paint was prohibitively expensive, and so before Monet or
Picasso would attempt a full scale painting, they would do a “study,” a sketch of their subject
(artists do this today, too, of course). If a sketch wasn’t coming together, they might save their
paint and not make the painting, or else revise the study until it looked worthwhile.

In the same way, a treatment is like a first sketch of a film. Treatments are generally two to
five page summaries that break the story into three acts. Here are the three main elements of a
treatment:

1. Title of the Film

2. Logline
3. Synopsis

Treatments may include snippets of dialogue and description, but the main focus is on
synopsizing the story.

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 1) Structure Your Screenplay’s Outline

In this step, you mine into the structure of the story. As Wilder said, the most important
element a screenplay is, “STRUCTURE! STRUCTURE! STRUCTURE!”

Your screenplay’s outline is the first step completely focused on creating. You likely will
never show this to anyone but your writing partners. Most feature films have forty scenes, and
your job in the outline is to map out the setting and major events of each scene. You might
include major dialogue as well.

2) Write a Flash Draft

This is the fun part, your first real draft, and the same guidelines apply here as to your fiction
writing:

• Write quickly
• Don’t think too hard
• Don’t edit

Wilder told me his goal was to write the entire first draft of a screenplay, about 120 pages, in
three days. If you’ve done the hard work of structuring your story in your outline, this should be
easy.

3) Edit

As with books, I recommend doing at least three drafts. After you finish your first draft, read
it through once without editing (you can take notes though). In your second draft, you can focus
on major structural changes, including filling gaping holes, deepening characters, removing
characters who don’t move the story forward, and even rewriting entire scenes from scratch.

In your third draft, you can focus on polishing, specifically, on making your dialogue pop.

ELEMENTS OF SCRIPTWRITING
These are the unique margin, case, and position attributes that give feature film script
text the format and consistency expected by all participants. Once you are accustomed to
them you'll be able to tell your story the way an industry reader is accustomed to seeing
it. The elements for a script are:

1. The Scene Heading, sometimes called Slug line

It tells the reader of the script where the scene takes place. Are we indoors (INT.)
or outdoors (EXT.)? Next name the location: BEDROOM, LIVING ROOM, at the
BASEBALL FIELD, inside a CAR? And lastly it might include the time of day -
NIGHT, DAY, DUSK, DAWN... information to "set the scene" in the reader's mind.

33 | P a g e
 The Slug line can also include production information like CONTINUOUS
ACTION, or ESTABLISHING SHOT or STOCK SHOT. Here are examples of Scene
Headings:

INT. BEDROOM - MORNING

EXT. LAS VEGAS STRIP - SUNSET

INT. OFFICE - NIGHT - CONTINUOUS ACTION

EXT. KEY WEST MARINA - DAWN - ESTABLISHING

EXT. PASADENA - ROSE PARADE - STOCK FOOTAGE

Keeping Scene Headings consistent allows your reader to recognize locations and
places and not have to figure out if this is a new set (location). You don't want to take the
reader's mind off your story, ever.

Here is a sample in Scene Heading sample in script form:

FADE IN:

EXT. KEY WEST MARINA - DAWN - ESTABLISHING

We have 'established' that we're in a marina at dawn.

2. Action

It runs from left to right margin, the full width of the text on the page, the same as the
Scene Heading. Be sure to use the word wrap function of your script writing software, to
make editing and rewrites easy. Text is single-spaced and in mixed case. When you
introduce a speaking character for the first time, you should put the name in all caps.

The action or description sets the scene, describes the setting, and allows you to
introduce your characters and set the stage for your story. Action is written in real time.

FADE IN: EXT. KEY WEST MARINA - DAWN - ESTABLISHING

Sailboats, yachts, and cabin cruisers all bob up and down
in the warm blue water. INT. MASTER SUITE - MORNING
Expensive designer sheets and comforter covers the nude,
shapely body of drop dead gorgeous JULIE COOPER, 25.
Sunlight filters through portholes over the muscled, tan
body of FRANKIE CAMPISI, 38. He pulls the comforter down
and begins kissing Julie.

3. Character Name

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 Before a character can speak, the writer inserts a CHARACTER NAME to let the
reader know this character's dialogue follows. A character name can be an actual name
(JOHN) or description (FAT MAN) or an occupation (DOCTOR). Sometimes, you might
have COP #1 and then COP #2 speaking. It is okay to identify the speaking parts like
this, but actors will like you more if you personalize their part with a name. Try to be
consistent.

FADE IN:

EXT. KEY WEST MARINA - DAWN - ESTABLISHING

Sailboats, yachts, and cabin cruisers all bob up and

down in the warm bluewater.

INT. MASTER SUITE - MORNING

Expensive designer sheets and comforter covers the

shapely body of drop dead gorgeous JULIE COOPER, 25.
Sunlight filters through portholes over the muscled, tan
body of FRANKIE CAMPISI, 38. He pulls the comforter down
and begins kissing Julie.

FRANKIE

4. Dialogue

The margin is indented 2.5" from the left margin. A line of dialogue can be from
30 spaces to 35 spaces long, so the right margin is a bit more flexible, usually 2.0" to
2.5".

DIALOGUE rules apply when anyone on screen speaks. During a conversation

between characters. When a character talks out loud to himself... even be when a
character is off-screen and only a voice is heard.

Great dialogue is a window into the soul of your character. It sounds real... It's
conversational. The audience feels like a fly on the wall, hearing natural interplay
between characters. Great dialogue may use common language but express great passion,
and even become a catch phrase in popular culture, as the line from Clint
Eastwood's Dirty Harry Callahan "Go ahead. Make my day."

It's not a bad idea to read your dialogue aloud to see how it really sounds. If you
have a difficult time reading a line, it may not be good dialogue. You'll definitely be able
to tell if you organize a reading of your script and hear it that way (best with professional
actors, like they do in Hollywood and on Broadway).

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 FADE IN:

EXT. KEY WEST MARINA - DAWN - ESTABLISHING

Sailboats, yachts, and cabin cruisers all bob up and

down in the warm bluen water.

INT. MASTER SUITE - MORNING

Expensive designer sheets and comforter covers the

shapely body of drop dead gorgeous JULIE COOPER, 25.
Sunlight filters through portholes over the muscled, tan
body of FRANKIE CAMPISI, 38. He pulls the comforter down
and begins kissing Julie.

FRANKIE

Rise and shine, Bluebird. Time

to spread your wings and fly

5. Parenthetical

These are left indented at 3.0" and the right margin is 3.5" although that is a bit
flexible. As seen in our examples, a Parenthetical remark is NOT centered under the
character name.

A Parenthetical remark can be an attitude, verbal direction or action direction for the
actor who is speaking the part. Parentheticals should be short, to the point, descriptive,
and only used when absolutely necessary.

These days, Parentheticals are generally disfavored, because they give direction to an
actor that may not be appropriate once on the set. The slang term for them is "wrylies" as
in:

FRANKIE

(wryly)

Good mornin', Bluebird.

JULIE

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 (sleepily)

What? What time is it?

FRANKIE

(getting out of bed)

After six. You're gonna be late

again and I don't want to hear it.

6. Extension
• O.S. - Off-Screen
• V.O. - Voice Over

An Extension is a technical note placed directly to the right of the Character name
that denotes HOW the character's voice will be heard by the audience. An Off-Screen
voice can be heard from a character out of the camera range, or from another room
altogether.

Frankie pulls all the covers off of Julie. She sits up

in bed, pulls on a long T-shirt, then swings her legs onto
the floor and shuffles off to the bathroom.

FRANKIE

(continuing)

You're welcome.

(beat)

Hey, how long you gonna be? I've

got a meeting and I need to

shower.

JULIE (O.S.)

Twenty minutes.

Some writers use O.C. (off camera) in place of O.S. The "beat" used above simply
denotes that Frankie pauses (perhaps formulating his next thought) before uttering his
next bit of dialogue.

37 | P a g e
 Another common extension is V.O. That stands for Voice Over. Think of a V.O.
as a narration, or a character speaking while s/he isn't in the scene. Or s/he can be in the
scene, but also acting as narrator, reflecting on and describing some time gone by. This
dialogue is recorded and then laid in over the scene in editing.

FRANKIE (V.O.)

I knew I wasn't gonna get in

that shower for at least 45

minutes, so I went for a run.

Our character Frankie is reminiscing about the morning on the boat in a Voice
Over.

7. Transition

We must begin with this remark: Nowadays, in Spec Scripts, transitions are frowned
upon, a waste of a couple of lines you could better use for brilliant dialogue, and are only
used when absolutely necessary.

Transitions you may be familiar with are:

• CUT TO:
• DISSOLVE TO:
• SMASH CUT:
• QUICK CUT:
• FADE TO:
• FADE OUT (never at the end of the script)

The only time to use a Transition is a spec script if it’s integral to telling the story.
For instance, you might use a TIME CUT: to indicate passage of time. More commonly,
a DISSOLVE TO: indicates that time has passed. Or, you might need to use MATCH
CUT: if you want to illustrate that there is some correlation between something we just
and something in the new scene. The point is, unless you become quite skilled in
screenwriting don’t use these things unless absolutely necessary, because the director of
the film will probably don’t use these things unless absolutely necessary, because the
director of the film will probably think of something different.

Frankie pulls on a pair of shorts, slips into some running

shoes and exits.

CUT TO:

38 | P a g e
(Remember, the Cut To: will probably be left out in most spec scripts these days. What it
indicates is a complete change of location.)

8. Shots

A SHOT tells the reader the focal point within a scene has changed. Here are some
examples of shots:

• ANGLE ON --
• OSE UP --
• PAN TO --
• FRANKIE'S POV --
• REVERSE ANGLE --
• As the writer, for reasons already mentioned you should be very judicious
using a SHOT to redirect the reader's focus. Your "directing" runs the risk
of interrupting the flow of your storytelling. If what you really want to do
is direct films, do yourself a favor and DON'T do it in a script you're
trying to sell... wait until it sells and try to negotiate a package deal with
you on board as the director. This most often is a possibility after you've
already had one of your screenplays filmed.
• Once in a while, calling a shot is necessary. You want the reader to see
something not obvious in the scene or you want to achieve a particular
emotion or build to a climax. This device allows you to achieve this goal.
• If you are describing a prison riot, with a prisoner holding a guard at
knifepoint, and you want the audience to see a sharpshooter aiming at the
prisoner, you might use a shot like this:

A PRISONER shoves a homemade shiv against the throat

of a PRISON

GUARD.

PRISONER

(trembling)

I'll kill him! I mean it.

PRISON GUARD

Take him out! Now! Do it!

39 | P a g e
 ANGLE ON - A PRISON GUARD SHARP-SHOOTER

as he lines up the shot, finger poised on the trigger.

PRISONER

I want to talk to the Warden. NOW!

9. Page Breaking
• Never end a page with a Scene Heading. The ONLY time this is acceptable is
if another Scene Heading or Shot follows. (An example would be an
Establishing shot and then an interior scene heading.)
• Never start a page with a Transition.
• Automatically place Continued: notations when it breaks an Action paragraph
or a Dialogue.
• Never end a page with a Character Name line. At least two lines of Dialogue
if there are that many (including a Parenthetical, if used) must follow.
• Never end a page at a Parenthetical. Dialogue MUST follow.
• If you have Dialogue, a Parenthetical and then Dialogue again, break the page
BEFORE the Parenthetical.
• Now you are familiar with the basic elements and directions for writing a spec
script. With these elements, or simply using a script formatting software, you
will write a standardly acceptable script. It will look professional, and the
reader will not automatically assume you are an amateur storyteller because
you don't know basic screenwriting rules. Now there are a few finer points we
should discuss.

Dual Dialogue or Side-By-Side Dialogue

When two of your characters speak simultaneously, that's called dual dialogue or side by
side dialogue. In the script we've been following, our characters might have this
conversation:
Frankie and Julie are in a heated argument

40 | P a g e
 FRANKIE JULIE

Get out of my life! I can't Don't you yell at me!

I'll leave stand the sight of you any when I'm when I'm good
and more!! ready! Tough!!

10. Abbreviations

The film industry uses several abbreviations as shortcuts in scripts. It's up to you
whether you use these abbreviations or not. Some readers find them distracting, while
others prefer the shorthand. We've already discussed several -- O.S., O.C., V.O. -- which
are specific to scripts. Here are some others.

b.g. = background

b.g. is used in an action paragraph.

Frankie sits on the bed tying his shoes. In the b.g.,

Julie takes money out of his wallet. She also pockets his
car keys.

CGI = computer generated image

CGI denotes action that cannot be filmed normally and will require the use of
computers to generate the full imagery, as used in films like The Matrix.

CGI: His mouth begins to melt, then disappears entirely.

f.g. = foreground

f.g. is used in action the same as b.g., except the action takes place in the foreground.

SFX = sound effects

SFX tells the sound people an effect is needed.

SFX: The BLAST of a train whistle

SPFX = special effects

SPFX announces that a special effect is necessary (one that might not require the use
of CGI).

SPFX: A beam of light illuminates Frankie's face. His

features slowly melt like a wax figure.

M.O.S. = without sound

41 | P a g e
 The story goes that a German-born director (perhaps Josef von Sternberg, who
discovered Marlene Dietrich) wanted to shoot a scene without sound and told the crew to
shoot "mit out sound," a phrase which the crew found humorous and thus proliferated it.
It is most commonly used to show impending impact of some kind.

M.O.S. Horses stampeding down Main Street.

POV = point of view

The camera 'sees' the action from a specific character's position

JULIE'S POV - Frankie sits on the bed tying his shoes.

11. Montages

A MONTAGE is a cinematic device used to show a series of scenes, all related and
building to some conclusion. Although a French word, it was created by Russian director
Sergei Eisenstein as a "montage of attractions" to elicit emotions on several levels. Most
often it is used as a passage of time device. Think of a baby being born, then rolling over,
then taking its first steps, and finally running through the sprinklers. For example:

MONTAGE

1) Josh is born. The doctors clean him and hand him

over to his smiling mother.

2) Josh rolls over in his playpen. His mother

applauds.

3) Holding on to the coffee table, Josh takes his

first steps. His mother joyously hugs him.

4) Clad in droopy diapers, Josh runs gleefully through

the sprinklers. His mother sighs, and reaches for the
diaper bag.

You can also number the scenes A), B), C) if you prefer. Either numbering format
is correct. (Note that the mother's emotions change through the montage from joy to
weariness, once Josh is completely ambulant there should be some element of the story
that a montage will illustrate.)

42 | P a g e
 The MONTAGE is formatted as a single shot, with the subsequent scenes action
elements of the complete sequence. It isn't necessary, but some writers write END OF
MONTAGE when the montage is completed.

12. Intercuts

Occasionally in a script, you might want to cut back and forth between two or more
scenes. These scenes are occurring at the same time. Instead of repeating the Scene
Heading for each scene over and over, an INTERCUT is used. This gives the reader the
sense that the scene is moving rapidly back and forth between locations. There is a great
sequence of intercuts in The Deer Hunter of shots of hunters out in the woods with a
wedding going on simultaneously, at a different location. Here's another example:

INT. SHERRI'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Sherri starts disrobing in front of her open bedroom

window.

INT. LENNY'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Lenny gets up to cross to the fridge to get a beer. He

looks out his window and catches a glimpse of Sherri across
the courtyard. He freezes, watching her.

INTERCUT BETWEEN LENNY AND SHERRI

Sherri sits on the bed and unbuttons her double-breasted

suit jacket.

Lenny moves closer to the window for a better vantage

point.

Sherri stands, hopping a few feet, trying to step out of

her skirt.

Lenny, eyes glued to Sherri, moves to keep her in view. He

slams his bare foot into a dumbbell on the floor.

LENNY

Ow!

Sherri hears the yelp and looks in Lenny's direction.

Lenny sees Sherri and DROPS from her view.

43 | P a g e
 Another type of INTERCUT is used when two characters are on the phone and
you don't want one half of the conversation to be O.S. - you want to show them both.

INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Sherri, comfy on the couch, is reading a book when the

phone rings. She answers it.

SHERRI

Hello?

EXT. PHONE BOOTH - REST AREA

Lenny sips a Coke as he talks.

LENNY

Hey Honey, I'm in Barstow.

INTERCUT BETWEEN LENNY and SHERRI

SHERRI

Oh, Honey, that's great...

you'll be here by morning.

LENNY

Yep... I've got the pedal to the

metal.

In older films it was common to use a split-screen to show such a conversation.

It's not common these days, and unless you have a very good reason for writing it in, it is
best to INTERCUT.

13. Title Page

The TITLE PAGE has specific information on it. Type it in the same font as your
script, Courier

It should not be on special paper, no graphics - it should just contain only the
following information:

44 | P a g e
 Centered on the page, vertically and horizontally - The title of your script in bold
type if possible

Two lines below that, centered on the line - Written by

Two lines below that, centered on the line - Your Name (and co-writer, if any) In the
lower right hand corner your contact information (include agent or email address)

In the lower left-hand corner you can put Registered, WGA or a copyright
notification.

The Good, The Bad, The Thin

Written by

Fatty Turner

Copyright © 2001 by Fatty Turner Fatty Turner

Registered, WGAw 1234 Lake St.

Anytown, 12345

(310) 555-1212

SCRIPTWRITING EXERCISES
1. Finding Style Voice

What is it?

In the normal world, scripts are written, then movies are made. For this exercise
we reverse it. So you take an existing scene, then write the script for it.

When to do it?

It suits beginning writers but will also help those who have been writing for a
while. If you need to improve your style or find your descriptive voice, this is for you.

How to do it?

45 | P a g e
 Pick a scene from a script you own – and love. Initially, keep it short, a minute or
two, three at the most. Play the movie scene on your computer screen, in loop. While it
plays, write the script for it.

When you’re done, compare your version to the one in the script. Does this
exercise regularly, once or twice a week initially. Your description skills will skyrocket.

2. Skype Call

What is it?

Write one or two minutes from a real-life dialogue in screenwriting format.

How to do it?

Record a conversation between two people who don’t know they are being recorded.
Keep taping for at least 15 minutes.

Next, ask their permission to use the dialogue.

Then, transcribe the best two minutes from the conversation. Write minimal description,
focusing on the dialogue.

If you can’t find a suitable situation to tape others, record yourself in conversation with
someone else. Ideally, this would be a face-to-face chat, but if you have no alternative, tape a
Skype call.

In the latter case, tape for as long as it takes you to forget about the recording. The
material has to be 100% authentic, and therefore neither of you should realize they are being
recorded. Oh, and don’t forget to ask permission from the other party.

When to do it?

This is one of the writing exercises I recommend to everyone early in their writing
training. It is an excellent way of learning what real dialogue really looks like in a screenplay. It
is also a fun exercise, and a real eye-opener to most.

Now don’t get me wrong. The objective is NOT for you to forever write dialogue the way
people actually speak. It is more about discovering that magical quality of real dialogue. Once
you get this, you can use the skill when you design your own characters and their language.

3. Copy Paste

What is it?

Download your favorite screenplay.

46 | P a g e
 Copy it.

Word. For. Word.

You may do this in Celtx or Final Draft, but there is another way some people claim is
even more effective.

Handwrite it in a lined notebook.

Spend half an hour every day, and it may take you a month or more. But it will teach you
a hell of a lot more than just reading the script.

When to do it?

This is definitely one of the writing exercises to do early in your screenwriting training.
Or when you’re bored, or uninspired.

If slowly working through your absolute favorite screenplay won’t bring back your zest
for writing… what will?

4. Dialogues Galore

Choose one of the following scenarios and write a short scene of dialogue (about
500 words) in which the characters negotiate with each other:

● A man tries to tell his father that he is gay;

● A woman tries to break up with her boyfriend;

● A man tries to ask a woman out;

● A child tries to patch up an argument with a friend.

Before beginning to write, consider the following questions about your characters:

● How do they talk?

● Do they have any mannerisms or verbal tics?

● How might they avoid saying what they want to say?

● How might they try to imply particular meanings?

● What do they do with their bodies?

● Where are they? Can their conversations play ‘against the grain’ of

the setting for dramatic effect?

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5. What I Like

Getting to know what we like and dislike about movies can be both beneficial to
developing our ability to write them, and to understanding what drives us to create our own work.

a. Make your “Top 10 Movies of All Time” list.

b. Write a one paragraph review of numbers two through 10 on your list.

c. Write a two-page review of your #1 movie of all time.

d. Include an in-depth review of plot, characters, structure, timing and its ability to fit into or
transcend a genre.

e. Include two personal details about yourself that help you connect with this movie.

6. Revealing the Subconscious Mind

Do you know what’s happening in your character’s subconscious? You need to. Writing
authentic characters means creating a deeper understanding of their underlying thoughts and the
life moments that have influenced them. Consider the following situation:
Your character is confronted for lying. In one page, write out your character’s conscious and
subconscious thoughts.

7. Depth and Balance

Drama is not always serious, and comedy is not always funny. Authenticity emerges from
deep and balanced characters. The more complex your characters are, the richer your story will
be.

a. Write a one-page essay about the emotional life of an over-the-top character from a comedy
you’ve seen. Be sincere.

b. Create a “10 Things I Do For Fun” list for a character from a moving drama. Avoid sarcasm.

8. Handling Conflict

Few circumstances reveal a character’s true nature better than watching how he or she
responds to a difficult situation. Before you’ve even begun writing your script, test your
character’s reaction to crises big and small.

Take a character from your screenplay and make a list of 10 problems she might
encounter that are unrelated to the story you’re telling. This list should range the gamut of crises,
from minor (your character is camping, a rainstorm hits, and she discovers a hole in her tent) to
major (your character accidentally hits a homeless man on a dark road). Get into your character’s
mind as you solve these problems.

48 | P a g e
9. Environmental Impact

Place affects our emotions, and accordingly, our behavior. A libertine, for example, may
feel more at home in a whorehouse than a monastery.

a. Take a character out of a movie (one that you’ve created or one that you like) and place him or
her in several different, uncomfortable locations.

b. Keeping in mind the character’s consistent attributes, enumerate what things change and what
stay the same.

c. Write a two-page scene for each location, focusing on gesture and behavior before dialogue.

10. Going Outside

Focus on major environmental changes, but minor alterations can have huge impact, too.

a. Write (or find) a two-page scene that takes place inside during the day.

b. Rewrite this scene three times: once while it’s raining; once while it’s snowing; and once at
night.

c. Write a half-page essay on how weather alters the tone of the scene.

11. Show, Don’t Tell

This adage is the first rule of every creative writing course, but it applies to moviemaking
more specifically than any other medium. Why? Because film is visual. Characters don’t have to
say the words “I love you” for an audience to know it’s true. With that in mind, instead of telling
an audience what to think or feel, we can help them experience our characters’ thoughts and
emotions through action alone.

Rewrite these five sentences as half-page action scenarios.

• I love you.

• I hate you.

• I’m hungry.

• I’m scared.

• We need to get out of here.

49 | P a g e
12. Creative Instruction

Beyond just telling a story, your screenplay is a map for actors (and the director if
you aren’t helming the film). In order to ensure proper translation of your ideas, you have
to make certain that your action elements are concise and instructive.

a. First, find a partner.

b. Partner A’s goal is to instruct Partner B how to put on a shoe (preferably one with
laces). To do this, Partner B must take off one shoe. Then he must pretend he’s so
ignorant of the concept of a shoe that he doesn’t even know it goes on his foot.

c. Partner A must then explain the process of putting on the shoe. Partner A should do
this verbally, without pointing or otherwise physically indicating parts of the shoe. The
goal, here, is to use clear, linguistic communication to control a familiar, but complex,
action.

d. Write a paragraph on how effective your communication was.

15. Controlling the Pace

A good scene moves viewers through action at a deliberate speed. Mastering this
art of pacing gives you the freedom to adapt the physics of your screenplay.

a. Think of an action scenario (i.e. a robbery or a chase sequence).

b. Write the scenario as a three-page scene.

c. Rewrite it as a one-page scene.

d. In a half page, explain how you were able to reduce the length of the scene.

e. In another half page, compare the short and long versions.

16 . Thinking in Timelines

How do you imagine your screenplay’s story? If you’re a visual person—and

many moviemakers are—a timeline may be a good pictorial tool for creating the
chronological outlines of your characters’ lives.

Create a timeline for the internal and external events in your character’s life from
the beginning to the end of your story. Internal events are things that happen to your
character inside his or her mind or body. External events are those that happen physically
(i.e. meeting people, going places, etc.).

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17. Re-Imagining the Scenario

The art of re-writing lives in your ability to let go of key concepts in your original
work. As you edit, you may well excise more than you add. Letting go of your artistic
ego and opening yourself up to criticism is invaluable to achieving a successful second
draft.

1. Pick a scene that involves one protagonist, one antagonist, and a neutral third person.

2. Switch the roles of the characters (the antagonist becomes neutral, the protagonist
becomes the antagonist, the neutral party becomes the protagonist), and re-write the
scene.

18. Movie Breakdown

Closely observing and deconstructing existing films can provide a window into
the art of storytelling.

a. Pick one movie and watch it twice.

b. Make a list of every character.

c. Make a list of every scene, chronicling where the scene takes place, and composing a
very brief description of the scene’s purpose. Is it purely for character development, or
does it also move the plot forward?

d. Describe in a paragraph the arcs of each of the main characters. In another paragraph,
describe the trajectory of the entire film.

19. The Three-Act Structure

The three-act structure has been one of the most influential tools for screenplay
development. Researching and attaining an understanding of its history and applicability
is essential to the burgeoning screenwriter.

a. Research the three-act structure, tracing it back to its Aristotelian roots. I won’t tell you
where to start, because searching is part of the learning process.

b. Write a four-page (2,000-word) essay on the three-act structure based on your findings.
What are its most basic tenets, and how do most writers apply it? What are its
limitations? What are some of the challenges against it? What are some of the movies
that use it best? Has it developed over time? If so, how has it changed?

c. Finally, take your favorite film and see if you can break it into its particular acts.

51 | P a g e
20. The Interview

If you have finished the first draft of your script, now it’s time to re-write. But
before you start, get someone to help you clarify your thoughts by interviewing you about
the screenplay.

Have a trustworthy, intelligent friend interview you about your script.

Here are some questions he or she should as you:

• Can you describe the story?

• What do you like about your work?

• What do you want to change?

• What should you never change? Why?

• How do you feel about yourself as a writer?

• If you had to give up your script to a production company today, what would you be
embarrassed about? Conversely, what are you most proud of?

21. Editing for Character Consistency

Sometimes we get so into the challenge of finishing our screenplays that we

forget to go back and make sure our characters have a consistent voice.

a. Read a screenplay that you or someone else has written.

b. Get into the mindset of one character and read the script while thinking only from her
perspective.

c. Consider what sounds natural, and what sounds awkward. In what ways is the
character well-conceived, and in what ways is she superficial? What could make her
actions more consistent?

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APPENDIX A. Sample Creative Nonfiction Writings

SAMPLE 1 ─ AUTOBIOGRAPHY

My Life's History
by Silvia Rodriguez

My name is Silvia Raquel Rodriguez Flores. I am 18 years old. I am from

Honduras. I have in my family three brothers, one sister, and my mom. I am the third in
my family. My birthday is on June 29th, 1981. In my life I have bad and good
experiences, but a fantastic life overall. These experiences help me to be happy, and I
learn from them every day of my life.

I started kindergarten when I was 4 years old and I finished it at 6 years old. In the
kindergarten, I had very good times. There I made my first good friends in all my life,
and I remember them for the games that we played together. Later, I started elementary
school when I was 6 years old. I remember school very well, because at first I was so
scared of the boys. They were bigger than I was. Also, I didn't know how to talk with
them about soccer, their favorite topic. However, I made friends there and I liked to
study, do my homework, play with my friends, and talk with them about cartoons on
television. In fact, I really enjoyed this time in my childhood. I finished elementary
school when I was 12 years old. I was ready to go to junior high school to learn new
things and make new friends there.

After elementary school, I went to junior high school. It was bigger and had more
students than elementary school. There I had more teachers than I had before. My new
friends were very friendly and some of them were shy, especially the girls. In junior high,
my favorite classes were Spanish and science. On the other hand, I didn't like math. As a
result of that, I had to study this more to have good grades. Otherwise, I was not going to
have vacations or enjoy future vacations. I could reach my goal by studying hard and not
going out with my friends too much.

When I was studying in junior high school, I went to all the activities there. In
particular, I liked most the dancing and games activities, because I could spend more time
with my friends. I really like to remember these moments from junior high because I still
have friends from my junior high school days. In other words, we are very good friends. I
remember these happy moments with them and we laugh about it.

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 I finished junior high school and had to go to high school when I was 15 years
old. I was not really excited, because I was afraid of the new experiences there, and I
knew I wasn't going to have my friends from junior high. In fact, I was going to have
more responsibility in high school. However, when I started high school, things were
better than I thought. I remember I came and I went with my older brother, because he
was my classmate in high school. We were together all the time. Some students came up
to us and we began to talk with them. At that moment, I made new friends and we talked
about our experiences at junior high.

It was during that time that I started to see guys with different eyes, because
before they were only friends. Later, I liked them very much. I remember one of them in
particular; he was a good friend. His name is Carlos. He was taller than me, with black
hair, white skin, and gray eyes. He was so cute and sweet with me, but my brother didn't
like him, so I didn't talk with him so much. At first I felt bad, but later I got to know more
guys.

I enjoyed high school not only for my friends, but also because I learned many
things there and the teachers were very good people. My experiences in high school are
memorable moments for me. I made trips to parks, beaches, and important places of my
country. My friends and I enjoyed these moments because we told jokes, played, told
stories, and went to parties at my friends' houses. I won't forget these moments. When I
remember these moments, I want to come back to the past to live it again. My friends and
I were sad when the school year finished, because some of us were going to different
universities. On the other hand, we were happy for our progress and our new, important
steps in our lives.

We went to the National University of Honduras to study hard and have fun there.
I started in the university in 1998, but I couldn't finish it because I came to the United
States to study English. I was so excited! In fact, it is a great idea to come here to know
about different countries and customs and to enter at Brigham Young University. That is
where I want to study to be a lawyer or maybe a nurse. I am not sure yet. Also, I want to
travel around this country to know more about it and have fun. I am excited for the many
opportunities I have here and I will have. I will study hard to be better every day. In other
words, I will be happy every day in my life.

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SAMPLE 2 ─ PERSONAL ESSAY

A Mistake and A Good Friend

by Inja
June 2, 2013

The memory of living in Japan is a big part of my life. Sometimes I browse

through an old album because I miss my life in Japan. The images are clearly fixed in my
mind even as time goes by. Although there were many valuable people I have met while I
was in Japan, I especially miss my best friend, Kanzaki.

After I got married to my husband, James, we both were very satisfied with our
married life in Korea. We had decent jobs and two wonderful daughters. Nothing was
insufficient in our lives. However, one day, James asked, “What do you think if I would
finish my master’s degree in Japan?” I said, “I will think about it,” even though I knew he
had made up his mind and was asking my opinion after he had finished planning our
future lives. I also knew from the beginning that he is a man with a big dream.

Moving to Japan would mean that we would have to start from zero without a job.
Obviously, this was a big challenge for our family. Thus, we decided that he should leave
for Japan first by himself to reduce the risk as much as possible. We had to live
separately, and he came home for a few days every few months. Living separately from
my husband, I realized we are missing out on such a worthwhile family experience that
normal couples with children are going through. Two years after he left Korea, I moved
to Japan with my two daughters, three and one years old.

New life in Japan was fearful but exciting. I barely spoke Japanese and only knew
some medical terminologies and greeting words. When I met my neighbors, I just smiled
and nodded to them like a mute. I had no friends in the first couple of months, and there
was no Korean around our house. Japanese and Korean look similar; however, they have
significant differences in language and culture.

After finishing all processes to settle in Japan, my two daughters were able to
enter a government-sponsored day care center. It was about fifteen minutes away by
walking from home. There were no foreign children in this center. On the first day, one
teacher provided us with orientation. She seemed like a mother and looked older than me.
She was tall and slender. Her egg-shaped, white face had round eyes, a double eyelid and
thin, cherry lips. She wore light makeup that looks natural. She was nimble in her work
and walked with a quick light step. This was my first time to meet my best friend,
Kanzaki.

Every Monday morning, I had to bring a couple of sleeping pads, clean clothes
and diapers for my two daughters. And then, every Friday afternoon I had to return the

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sleeping pads to home to dry them under the sun. Most parents delivered the stuff by a
car or a bicycle because the stuff was too heavy to carry by hand. When my husband
wasn’t at home because of his class or part-time job, then it was my job. I couldn’t ride
the bicycle at that time (but my husband could), so I had to deliver my children and the
stuff in two or three trips on foot.

A few days later, the telephone bell rang when my husband was not at home. The
sound of the telephone bell intimidated me at that time because I would not be able to
communicate with the caller.

I became nervous—my heart was beating like a very loud stereo.

I felt a shiver.

Heat spread within my body as fast as the speed of light.

My face was smeared with sweat.

I just said, “Moshi moshi”(Hello)

I recognized the teacher’s voice, but I couldn’t understand what she was saying.
The only thing I could perceive was that it was an emergency. I could remember just one
word. She said, “Gesa . . .” I thought that my daughter had diarrhea and she needed new
clothes and another sleeping pad. Thus, I dashed at full speed, carrying the heavy
package. The heavy package left red deep lines and gave a dull cutting pain on my both
palms. I was panting and dripping with sweat.

I greeted the teacher, “Good morning.”

She replied, “Good morning,” a dumbfounded look on her face.

However, I couldn’t understand why the teacher had puzzled looks on her face.
The teacher pointed to her teeth and toward the swings that the other children were on. I
found my second daughter, yet I couldn’t find my first one. Intuitively, I could realize
that Minji, my first daughter, was involved in anaccident on the swing. My first child,
Minji, was docile and careful. She was calm and never whined. She was girlish. My
second child, Yooji, was my lovely baby who always smiled at everybody.

After my husband came to the center, I knew that meaning of “gesa” is “in the
morning” in Japanese, and I misunderstood it as “geri,” which means “diarrhea.” Minji
crashed into the swing that other friends rode on because she couldn’t understand
Japanese like me, even though the teacher kept yelling “abunaii”(“It is dangerous”),
calling her name. Unfortunately, Minji lost two front teeth.

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 After this accident, the teacher and I became friends. She told me with a warm
and soft voice like my real older sister. Her face was always filled up with a bright smile.
She taught me Japanese enthusiastically while I taught her how to make the Korean
traditional foods: kimchi, bulgogi, and jobche. I asked her, “Isn’t this kimchi too hot for
you?” when she tasted it the first time. She answered, “No, it’s delicious,” though her
face flushed and beads of sweat appeared on her nose. She particularly loved kimchi and
was modest and generous with compliments. She always said, “You are so smart, I don’t
know even a single Korean word,” when I struggled with Japanese. Her passionate
teaching would push me not to give up Japanese. Thus, I studied Japanese very hard. As a
result, I was able to get a full-time job one year later.

This was one of the most embarrassing incidents that has ever happened to me.
At that time, I regretted moving to Japan. However, as time passed, I realized that these
challenges made me a stronger person and also gave me an opportunity to meet valuable
people in my life. We all make mistakes, but we learn from our mistakes. In my case, I
even gained a valuable friend for life.

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APPENDIX B. SAMPLE POETRY WRITINGS

SAMPLE 1─ Ballad

Crying River (The Untold Ballad)

By Skat A

Undercover waters of rain dash

Cold children, no smiling splash

Tragic sobs, epic force of the mountain rain

Beautiful as it may seem -shallow basin

---Dream---

She cries a tune,

Mocking the Maple lands, a beautiful tune

Crooked Cornwall, she steams with the moon

Oceanic dreams, monsoon season, she swoon's

Frozen, dead, ice skating rink

Her wind, Pretty Chains O Lake

Wet and Wild, the Elk drinks from her garden

Water falls from the lids of Jordan

Beautiful as it may seem with open curtain

When the ocean succeeds away from the sea

She's wide awake during winter's rain and breeze

Lost in the mud's of Bellaire's heartache,

River Blues, ice cold snap, bayou stirring up

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Racing rivers crying by the western gutter

Silent, bells chime in the Black Mallard waters

Streams, blowing and drying dew droplets

Little rapid tears, everything spotless

Sugar, Swan waves down by Devils Creek

Listen to the thunder bay rolling deep

Beautiful as it may seem, she weeps

A northern world with streaks of falling rain

Pretty running white hair pane

A weather vane, snow dangles above her domain

Beautiful crying winds

In the Eyes of Michigan

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SAMPLE 2. SONNET

Sweet Rose of Virtue - by William Dunbar

Sweet rose of virtue and of gentleness,

delightful lily of youthful wantonness,
richest in bounty and in beauty clear
and in every virtue that is held most dear―
except only that you are merciless.

Into your garden, today, I followed you;

there I saw flowers of freshest hue,
both white and red, delightful to see,
and wholesome herbs, waving resplendently―
yet nowhere, one leaf or flower of rue.

I fear that March with his last arctic blast

has slain my fair rose of pallid and gentle cast,
whose piteous death does my heart such pain
that, if I could, I would compose her roots again―
so comforting her bowering leaves have been.

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APPENDIX C. Sample Screenplay

SAMPLE 1.

Love Boat

By Ronald D. Moore

INT. FRONT DOORWAY - NIGHT

A doorbell on a suburban home opens. A pert JULIE (late

teens, athletic build) opens the door.

Standing in the doorway is a DISHEVELED EX. He glares past

his rumpled clothes right... at... Julie.

His eyes burn with hatred? Passion? Intensity!

DISHEVELED EX Julie? I have something to tell you.

The disgruntled slowly opens his mouth, letting black goo

dribble out of it.

He lunges for Julie.

She screams.

TITLE CARD

They walk among us.

INT. CABIN IN THE WOODS – NIGHT

ISAAC, a heavily muscled African-American with a shaved

head and a handlebar moustache sits with muscleman GOPHER. The
lamp light flickers off the WEAPONS that line the wall of the
mountain hideaway.

Isaac slowly sharpens his knife while Gopher knocks back a

shot of whiskey.

ISAAC

Those things destroyed my bar.

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 GOPHER

You know what they saw. When in doubt, we go to

They lock eyes.

ISAAC GOPHER

The captain. The captain.

EXT. CRUISE SHIP – NIGHT

People board in the moonlight, happy people without cares

and with durable luggage.

A gruff voice cuts through this serene scene.

STUBING (V.O.)

All aboard!

INT. CAPTAIN’S TABLE – NIGHT

CAPTAIN STUBING’S face is a mess of scars and highlighted

with an eye patch.

His good eye assesses the table, sizing up Julie, Isaac,

and Gopher.

DOC sets a capped erlenmeyer flask on the table. Inside the flash

is a pulsating black goo.

TITLE CARD

They feed on our hate.

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 BACK TO SCENE

STUBING

What the hell is that?

DOC

That, my friend, is the end of humanity.

TITLE CARD

They have already won.

EXT. SHIP’S DECK – NIGHT

Rain pours down around Julie, clad in a black body

stocking,

as she assumes a defensive karate stance. She belts out a

warning cry.

Across the deck from her, VICKI forms a similar stance.

TITLE CARD

From Ronald D. Moore.

BACK TO SCENE
The two women run towards each other, full blast, bellowing

their battle cries.

They draw their hands back, ready to strike. Just as flesh

is about to smack into flesh...

TITLE CARD

The mind behind Battlestar Galactica Caprica

And the Bionic Woman

INT. CAPTAIN’S TABLE

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 Stubing picks up the flask, watching the goo quiver and

stretch for him.

STUBING

How do we kill it?

DOC

With love.

TITLE CARD

Ronald D. Moore’s The Love Boat

FADE TO BLACK.

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