Stage Plays Archives - Page 4 of 6 - Trisha Sugarek, Author, Playwright & Poet

How To Format A Screenplay

TS. ‘ACTION drives a screenplay, that and plot. DIALOGUE drives a stage play so it better be damn good. In my opinion, if your action is good in a screenplay, the dialogue can be mediocre and often is in blockbusters. If your dialogue is crisp and interesting and helps drive the story, you’ve done a better job than most in Hollywood.’

While you can buy books and software to do the job for you it’s always good to have a grasp of the general spacing standards. The top, bottom and right margins of a screenplay are 1″. The left margin is 1.5″. The extra half-inch of white space to the left of a script page allows for binding with brads, yet still imparts a feeling of vertical balance of the text on the page. The entire document should be single-spaced.

The very first item on the first page should be the words FADE IN:. Note: the first page is never numbered. Subsequent page numbers appear in the upper right hand corner, 0.5″ from the top of the page, flush right to the margin.

Screenplay Elements

Below is a list of items (with definitions) that make up the screenplay format, along with indenting information. Again, screenplay software will automatically format all these elements, but a screenwriter must have a working knowledge of the definitions to know when to use each one.

Scene Heading
Indent: Left: 0.0″ Right: 0.0″ Width: 6.0″

A scene heading is a one-line description of the location and time of day of a scene, also known as a “slugline.” It should always be in CAPS.

Example: EXT. WRITERS STORE – DAY reveals that the action takes place outside The Writers Store during the daytime.

Subheader
Indent: Left: 0.0″ Right: 0.0″ Width: 6.0″

When a new scene heading is not necessary, but some distinction needs to be made in the action, you can use a subheader. But be sure to use these sparingly, as a script full of subheaders is generally frowned upon. A good example is when there are a series of quick cuts between two locations, you would use the term INTERCUT and the scene locations.

Action
Indent: Left: 0.0″ Right: 0.0″ Width: 6.0″

The narrative description of the events of a scene, written in the present tense. Also less commonly known as direction, visual exposition, blackstuff, description or scene direction.

Remember – only things that can be seen and heard should be included in the action.

Character
Indent: Left: 2.0″ Right: 0.0″ Width: 4.0″

When a character is introduced, his name should be capitalized within the action. For example: The door opens and in walks LIAM, a thirty-something hipster with attitude to spare.

A character’s name is CAPPED and always listed above his lines of dialogue. Minor characters may be listed without names, for example “TAXI DRIVER” or “CUSTOMER.”

Dialogue
Indent: Left: 1.0″ Right: 1.5″ Width: 3.5″

Lines of speech for each character. Dialogue format is used anytime a character is heard speaking, even for off-screen and voice-overs. Normal upper and lower case is used.

Parenthetical
Indent: Left: 1.5″ Right: 2.0″ Width: 2.5″

A parenthetical is direction for the character, that is either attitude or action-oriented. With roots in the playwriting genre, today, parentheticals are used very rarely, and only if absolutely necessary. Why? Two reasons. First, if you need to use a parenthetical to convey what’s going on with your dialogue, then it probably just needs a good re-write. Second, it’s the director’s job to instruct an actor on how to deliver a line, and everyone knows not to encroach on the director’s turf!

Extension
Placed after the character’s name, in parentheses

An abbreviated technical note placed after the character’s name to indicate how the voice will be heard onscreen, for example, if the character is speaking as a voice-over, it would appear as LIAM (V.O.).

Transition
Indent: Left: 4.0″ Right: 0.0″ Width: 2.0″

Transitions are film editing instructions, and generally only appear in a shooting script. Transition verbiage includes:

CUT TO:
DISSOLVE TO:
SMASH CUT:
QUICK CUT:
FADE TO:

As a spec script writer, you should avoid using a transition unless there is no other way to indicate a story element. For example, you might need to use DISSOLVE TO: to indicate that a large amount of time has passed.

Shot
Indent: Left: 0.0″ Right: 0.0″ Width: 6.0″

A shot tells the reader the focal point within a scene has changed. Like a transition, there’s rarely a time when a spec screenwriter should insert shot directions. Once again, that’s the director’s job.

Sample of what your page should look like: [Source: The Writer’s Digest]

other related posts by this blogger:

How To Write a Play

How To Format a Play
How To Format a Novel

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How To Format Your (Self-published) Stage Play

TS. Now that the traditional publishers have turned you down, file away that rejection letter, soothe your fragile writer’s ego with a hot cup of tea, some chocolate, or whatever and self-publish your play.

It’s important to know that the correct way to format a stage play for submitting (to a publisher, agent or theatre) is very similar to the format used when publishing it. Below is a sample of the correct formatting.

List of Characters: I noticed that in the Dramatists Play Service scripts, they do not list the ages of the characters. I know from experience that a director wants to have this information immediately when choosing a play. What if they don’t have an eighty-year old, male who can act? Make-up can only go so far! Ethnicity is rarely listed but there are exceptions. But, generally, no. What if the director has a different vision for casting?

Sample:

CAST OF CHARACTERS (Place on the 3rd or 4th page after title, playwright’s name, Copyright notices.etc.)

CAST OF CHARACTERS (centered.)

Emma ~~ A young earthling girl
Stare ~~ A rhetorical owl
Donald ~~ A young fairie
Cheets ~~ a rambunctious elf
Patsy ~~ A large banana spider
Agnes & Annie ~~ the sister Aardvarks
Thomas ~~ the sea-faring sea turtle
Bertie ~~ the resident reading teacher

SETTING

The Fabled Forest

TIME

Present day.

Format Sample:

(From my published children’s play, “Emma and the Aardvarks”© ) The formatting of the Dramatist Play Service (publishers) do use parentheses when formatting the blocking. It is jumbled into dialogue even though it does not pertain to that particular character’s ‘action’. I find this very distracting but I am certain it has to do with production costs and keeping the page count down. Blocking direction is indented, italicized and in parentheses. Line spacing is 1.15 instead of single-spaced. Character’s names are all in CAPS, centered, and not italicized. Before dialogue, Characters’ names are all in CAPS with a period. Blocking is indented x 2. Scene breaks should be on the next (right) page. There are no extra line-spaces between blocking and dialogue except if there is a ‘beat’ when the same character pauses. Be certain to leave plenty of white space for the actors/director’s written notes. I prefer the format used by (my publisher) Samuel French, Inc. which you see below:

ACT II (centered & underlined.)

Scene 2

At Rise: A clearing in the fabled forest.

(EMMA and MRS. MOSEYALONG are sitting together on the grass. The PUPPIES are rolling around, play fighting, in the grass as puppies do. CHEETS is trying to get into the play. AGNES and ANNIE sit across from THEM reading THEIR book on Australia.)

MRS. MOSEYALONG

Let me assure you, Emma, we hunt and eat impala, Thomson’s gazelle and common wildebeest. Also, smaller animals such as dik-dik and warthogs.

CHEETS
(Stopping HIS play with the PUPS.)

That’s a funny word. Dik-dik. (Demanding.) Cheets wants to know what it means.

EMMA

Manners, Cheets. Perhaps you could ask Mrs. Moseyalong about dik-diks.

CHEETS

Cheets wants to know about dik-diks.

STARE

Who?

(EMMA sighs.)

MRS. MOSEYALONG

It’s all right, Emma. Sometimes my pups can be very rude. (To Cheets.) Dik-diks are a small antelope. We don’t hunt Aardvarks. We find their meat far too fatty.

AGNES
(Over-hearing.)

I beg your pardon. We are not fatty. Really! Annie, did you hear what that dog said about us?

ANNIE

Oh, I don’t think she meant⸺

MRS. MOSEYALONG
(Speaking simultaneously.)

I didn’t mean⸺

AGNES

Really! The nerve of some dogs.

MRS. MOSEYALONG
(Turning back to Emma and Cheets.)

Dik-dik live in the bushland of Africa. Sadly, they are being driven to extinction in some parts of our homeland. We try to eat other things.

PATSY
(Knitting her web furiously.)

Iii–Eee! Los pequeños, los cachorros! Mrs! Your children are destroying my web. Mira! See what they have done.

(Slowly rising, SHE crosses to where HER pups are bumping into the lower strands of Patsy’s web. SHE growls once deep in HER throat.)

MRS. MOSEYALONG

Grrrrrr⸺

(The PUPS instantly stop THEIR play and run to THEIR mother’s side, whining and kissing HER face.)

MRS. MOSEYALONG

I apologize, Miss Patsy. My pups are careless but mean no harm.

PATSY

Dios mío, qué molestia! My beautiful web. Now I will have to repair. Go away! I am very⸺how you say⸺ocupada.

(MRS. MOSEYALONG leads HER litter to the other side of the glen, where EMMA is sitting. ROGER, JAX and SERENGETI pile into EMMA’s lap and EMMA falls back in the grass, laughing. FERGUS and DONALD enter.)

MRS. MOSEYALONG

Good morning, Sir Fergus, Mr. Donald. (Turning to her pups.) Quiet down, children.

(The PUPPIES, stop their wrestling atop EMMA and sit at attention watching the adults. EMMA sits up.)

EMMA

Good morning. Sir Fergus, did you rest well?
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Do you need help Formatting a Novel?

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To correctly format your stage play for submitting to publishers, agents, directors click here.

Look Inside a script: Click Here
How To Format a Screenplay
Journals by Trisha Sugarek
Want to see some original plays? Click here.
47 Short Plays to choose from. Click here.
Fiction by Trisha Sugarek
Children’s Books by Sugarek
How to Create a Tantalizing Book Cover

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This exciting, instructional book is a collection of tips covering over twenty+ years of experience. Within its pages is a snapshot of the writer honing her craft over time.

Thirty-five writing tips that include:

That first, all important, sentence
How to develop rich characters
Writer’s Block
Procrastination
Writing process
Many more words of encouragement and tips, including quotes from successful writers such as yourself.

Takes the ‘scary’ out of writing!

Order here!

How To Write a Play Click Here
How To Format a Stage Play Click Here
How to Write a Ten Minute Play

How To Format a Screenplay
How to Format Your Novel
Want to try writing a ten minute play? Click here
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How To Format a Stage Play Script (for submitting)

Format is extremely important. If you submit your new play to anyone they will not read it if it is not in the proper format. There is software out there that offer auto-format but sadly I have not found one that demonstrates correct formatting. Notice the character names are in CAPS and centered. Setting, Rise and Dialogue are justified left. Single space between character’s name and first line of dialogue. Blocking (action) is indented and double-spaced from the line above. (The playwright gives the characters instructions on when and where to move. But, keep it short. Remember there will be a director who has their own ideas of where they want their actors to be.) If blocking is only one word, place next to character’s name in parentheses. A ‘beat’ is to enhance the pace of the speech and is in parentheses within the dialogue. Here is a formatting example:

ACT I
Scene 1

Setting: A loft studio in Greenwich Village. Late afternoon. There are many paintings but all of the same woman. Large, open windows overlook the street.

(MONTY is standing at his easel, painting. Voices are heard off stage. His clothing is paint smeared.)

VOICE (Off.)

Hey, beautiful! You’re home early.

(Brush in one hand, palette in the other, MONTY crosses up to the windows and peers into the street below.
The lilting laughter of a young woman is heard.)

SAMANTHA (Voice off. teasing.)

Hey, Mr. Murray. Your wife know you’re trying to pick up women in the street?

VOICE (off.)

No…and don’t you tell on me. My old woman would give me what for…bothering a young lady like you.

SAMANTHA (Voice off.)

Your secret is safe with me (beat.)…for a price.

VOICE (off.)

Oh yeah, what’s that?

SAMANTHA (Voice off.)

Some fresh bagels from your bakery.

VOICE (off.)

You got a deal. I’ll bring them home with me tomorrow.

SAMANTHA (Voice off.)

Thanks, Mr. Murray! I’ll look forward to it. Bye, now.

VOICE (off.)

Bye, beautiful. See you later.

(MONTY’s shoulders slump and he sighs as he watches Samantha disappear into a building.
HE crosses down to his easel.)

MONTY (muttering.)

Jeez…how can that old guy be so easy with her? (beat.) Monty, you’re pathetic. You can’t even say ‘hello’ to her in the street. What the hell’s the matter with you?

(end of sample)

Title Page of your script: Play title and Playwright’s name. Add contact info on this page if you are submitting to a publisher, agent or theatre.

Early in the script book, list the Cast of Characters. Sample:

Cast of Characters

MONTGOMERY ANDERSON: 29 years old, a reclusive artist.
SAMANTHA SPARKS: 24 years old, an aspiring actress.
DETECTIVE O’ROARKE: 38 years old, a hardened homicide detective.
(Note: Listing the ages of the characters is very important for casting.)

Place
Greenwich Village, New York City
Current
Summer

Leave lots of white space on the page. Actors/Directors will need wide margins in order to write notes and blocking when in production.
Read more about How To Write a Play

Author’s note: This formatting is approved by my publisher, Samuel French, Inc. This is what they expect to see when you submit.
Correct FORMAT if you are self-publishing. And, yes, it’s very different!
How to Format a Screenplay

Journals by Trisha Sugarek
Want to see some original plays? Click here.
47 Short Plays to choose from. Click here.
How To Format Your Novel
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This new, exciting, instructional book is a sharing of over twenty+ years of experience. This writer has honed
her craft of creative writing and ‘is still learning.’

Thirty-five writing tips that include:

That first, all important, sentence
How to develop rich characters
Writer’s Block
Procrastination
Writing process
What Not to Do (when receiving a critique)

….and many more words of encouragement and tips,
Including quotes from successful writers such as yourself. Takes the ‘scary’ out of writing!

Order here

Want to try writing a ten minute play? Click here
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To receive my posts sign up for my on the home page; enter your email address. I love comments too! Take the time to write one at the bottom of the post. Thanks!

To Purchase

Just Published! I WANNA BE a WRITER, Journal and Handbook

‘A stunning new journal with more instruction and extra tips about writing fiction, stage plays, and poetry.’ Midwest Book Review

The newest in a series of Journals/Handbooks. For new and experienced writers alike, this Journal offers more instruction,
tips and more hand-picked quotes by other authors, actors, playwrights, philosophers, and poets. Meant to inspire the creative mind. A handy size that will fit in a backpack or tote.

WHAT TO EXPECT:
How To Begin
How To Develop Exciting Characters
How To Tell A Story
How To Write a Stage Play
How To Write Poetry
How To Write Haiku Poetry

To purchase: click here
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MY BLOGS feature INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! Did you miss the past few months? September: Dylan Callens. October’s author was Donna Kauffman. In November we say hello to Rita Avaud a Najm. In December we will be saying hello to English mystery writer, J.G. Dow.

Check out more Motivational Moments…for Writers!

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On the home page, enter your email address. Thanks!
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‘No Means No!’ New short play for the Classroom by Trisha Sugarek

Available now! The latest short play in the playwright’s ShortN’Small series.
“G” rated for teens and the classroom.

Those who follow me and all my friends in theatre know that I have added to the
ShortN’Small short play series for years now. ‘G’ rated 10 minute plays that focus on issues impacting the teens of today.
Ranging from divorce to cutting, from running away to drug use, from date violence to bullying.

Synopsis: Emilee has reached the age where boys are pressuring her into sexual activities that she is not ready for.
In this ‘G’ rated, short play for the classroom we explore the peer pressure that comes to bear as young girls
try to navigate their teen years.

Emilee is torn between what her friends are doing and what she instinctively knows is not right for
her at this stage in her life. 1m. 5f.

No props, no sets, no costumes, just open dialogue!

To purchase click here

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MY BLOGS feature INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! Did you miss the past few months? September: Dylan Callens. October’s author is Donna Kauffman. In November we say hello to Rita Avaud a Najm.

Check out more Motivational Moments…for Writers!

To receive my posts sign up for my On the home page, enter your email address. Thanks!
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To Purchase

New Short Play, Trans-G Parents

Book #30 in the ShortN’Small Series of short, one act plays. The Trans-G Parents

A look into the world of the parents who are trying to do the right thing…support their child….love their child…sometimes
even save their life. Their child is confused and frightened by their physical being telling them they are one gender
while their heart, soul and mind are telling them that they are another.

This short play’s setting is a support group for parents. Resigned, angry, confused, religious, experienced and lost,
they come together out of a common desperation. Some handling the situation much better than others.

The script offers an insightful and educational dialogue from parents. There is no manual on parenting much
less facing the challenges of this gender affirmation generation. 6f. 5m.

TS. This seemed like a natural sequel to the Trans-G Kid, another short play by this playwright. Inspired by the television documentary, The Gender Revolution.

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MY BLOGS feature INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! Did you miss the past few months? December: Reed Farrel Coleman, contributing writer for Robert B. Parker series. January was Dinah Jefferies and February’s author is Sheryl Steines. Johan Thompson (South African author) will join us in March.
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Curiosity Killed the Cat? The real Story!

Oddly, (I think) many searches/views on my web site contain the phrase, ‘curiosity killed the cat’. I thought it would be fun to tell my visitors where this story actually came from. (Part of my collection of 10 minute plays for the classroom)

By now you know that I write frequently based on family stories….true ones.

This (short play) comedy is true which just goes to show, once again, that ‘truth is stranger than fiction’.

My auntie Ivah had been grubbing all day in the garden of her brick mansion in the Laurelhurst district in Seattle. While she could afford a gardener or two, she was an avid gardener herself and could be found there, bare foot, in shorts and a sun hat every fair day. Ivah wore shorts whenever she could because she had ‘Betty Grable legs’ (An actress circa 1940’s-1950’s whose legs were insured for a million dollars) and Ivah was quite vain about hers. She was eager to show them off at every opportunity…even if it was just to her flowers abounding in her gardens.

Around dinner time her husband, Arthur (an attorney) arrived home and announced that he had a client stopping by to sign some documents on his way to the airport. Ivah, dirty and smelly from the garden said she’d hide in the kitchen, putting final touches on dinner, until the client was gone. Continue reading “Curiosity Killed the Cat? The real Story!”

The Wedding Crasher * A New Short Play

Not long ago I heard this true story. Inspiration struck and I dashed to my computer and began typing a new 10 minute play.

Synopsis: This can’t be happening on Susie’s wedding day. It’s a girl’s dream wedding and everything is perfect. That is until a small plane suddenly circles the venue and her ex-boyfriend jumps out and begins his descent, trails of smoke shooting out of the heels of his boots. Susie and her father are just pulling up to the dockside in a white festooned boat, to where her groom and two hundred guests are waiting.

For the father of the bride, it’s the last straw. He reaches for a flare gun, and before Susie can react, fires it into the air. Unfortunately for the sky diver, flare guns cannot be aimed. The flare hits the parachute and ignites it. Chute blazing away, Susie’s ex plummets into the wedding tent. Unscathed, he struggles to free himself of parachute and lines. The wedding cake and various food trays have not fared so well. Will the wedding proceed as the police take the heartbroken suitor away? 1f. 4m.

I hope you find this story as hilarious as I did!

To view all of my ten minute plays, click here   All Scripts and Books are on www.amazon.com
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Shakespeare…The Gift that Keeps on Giving

The ‘naked truth‘ is, I’ll bet you can’t count the number of times you use one or more of these euphemisms in your every day conversation. I doubt old Will realized where his words would travel to and for how long. We writers just hope someone will read what we write. But, to have one’s words live on, after we’re ‘dead as a doornail‘ and not ‘vanish into thin air’ decades or centuries later, well, the possibility makes my ‘hair stand on end‘.

Yeah, I’m playing with you.

William Shakespeare wasn’t born (1564) famous… Continue reading “Shakespeare…The Gift that Keeps on Giving”

My Kids Play Opens in Cape Charles

The Exciting Exploits of an Effervescent Elf opens tomorrow at the Historic Palace Theatre in Cape Charles, VA. That’s three openings for me this month; Chicago, Connecticut and now Cape Charles!
See? Dreams Do Come True! I am just thrilled!

Synopsis: In this stand alone sequel to “Emma and the Lost Unicorn”, Emma is held captive in Patsy, the Banana Spider’s web. No one can see her except the irrepressible elf, Cheets. Everyone in the forest has been searching for Emma to no avail and given his reputation, no one believes Cheets… Continue reading “My Kids Play Opens in Cape Charles”

Screenplay Elements

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