WriteForTheStage

Are you an aspiring playwright looking for inspiration? Do you want to kick-start your creativity and write compelling scenes that captivate your audience? You need playwriting prompts that help release the barriers that hold you back.

Look no further!

This comprehensive guide explores a collection of playwriting prompts and writing exercises that could ignite your imagination and help you craft unforgettable stories.

Why Playwriting Prompts Matter

As a playwright, you know that writing a play is an artistic journey. However, the blank page can be intimidating, and you may struggle with writer’s block.

Playwriting prompts offer a valuable solution by providing a starting point for sparking your creativity. They can help you discover new ideas, challenge yourself, and push the boundaries of your storytelling.

The Benefits of Using Playwriting Prompts

Using playwriting prompts can have several benefits for both experienced and novice playwrights:

1. Overcoming Writer’s Block: Playwriting prompts act as a catalyst to push through writer’s block and get your creative juices flowing.
2. Exploring Different Themes and Genres: Prompts allow you to venture into new territories, experiment with various themes and genres, and expand your writing repertoire.
3. Developing Your Skills: Working with prompts helps refine your writing skills, from character development to dialogue and plot construction.
4. Enhancing Creativity: Playwriting prompts encourage you to think outside the box and approach storytelling from fresh and innovative perspectives.
5. Generating New Ideas: Prompts inspire unique storylines, characters, and conflicts that you might not have considered otherwise.
6. Practising Consistently: Regularly engaging with playwriting prompts helps you establish a writing routine and develop discipline in your craft.

Now, let’s dive into a handpicked selection of playwriting prompts to ignite your imagination and spark your creativity.

“Hurdling the First Line” Playwriting Exercise

Every great play begins with a powerful opening line. So, use this exercise to overcome the hurdle of starting and dive headfirst into your storytelling.

Set a timer for five minutes and write freely without overthinking. If you need a starting point, write about:

How you’re feeling today

• The room you’re in
• The weather
• Your favourite meal
• A news story that’s caught your eye

Then, choose the most intriguing phrase from your free-write and craft a 10-line monologue inspired by it. Or use it as a starting point for a page of dialogue.

This exercise could help you find your play’s unique voice and set the tone for your story.

The “And” Game

This exercise is about exploring the exponential possibilities of a single sentence.

Start with a name and an action, i.e.:

• Anna cooked the chicken
• Pete pressed the button
• Sophie climbed the stairs

Then, keep writing, using “and” continuously. I.e.,

Anna cooked the chicken. AND checked her phone for the message. AND stared at the missed call. AND she took a deep breath and called the number back AND while she waited, she discovered a shadowy figure standing in the middle of her back garden AND

Keep going; you’ll be surprised by what you discover. You may well find the start of something exciting.

“Name Game” Title Exercise

The title of a play serves as a gateway into its world and captures the audience’s attention.

In this exercise, explore the power of titles by creating a variety of them based on a photograph.

Let your imagination run wild as you brainstorm evocative and intriguing titles that encapsulate the essence of your play.

This exercise could sharpen your ability to convey your story’s core themes and emotions through a captivating title.

“Inner Monologue” Playwriting Exercise

Observation is a vital skill for playwrights. So, paying attention to the details of people, places, and things provides a rich source of inspiration for your writing.

This exercise focuses on sharpening your observation skills through inner monologues. Choose a character and imagine their internal thoughts and emotions as they navigate a specific situation.

Or pick a random person on the bus and imagine what’s going on in their head. What is their story? Where are they going? What do they want right now (and are they expressing it?)

Explore their fears, desires, and conflicts through their inner voice. This exercise will add depth and authenticity to your characters’ inner worlds.

But:

Don’t stare at people! It makes them uncomfortable. Develop the ability to observe with subtlety.

“Subtext” Playwriting Exercise

The subtext is the unspoken intention beneath the surface of dialogue, adding layers of meaning and tension to your scenes. For example, if someone tells you they like your new coat, are they being nice, or do they want something? They could be indirectly working you, with a different aim underneath the compliment.

Actors love subtext – it gives them a deeper understanding of what they’re doing and where they’re going.

In this exercise, explore the unspoken intentions beneath the verbal conversation of one of your previously written scenes.

Can you uncover the hidden emotions, desires, and conflicts simmering beneath your characters’ words? It could provide you with a new insight into your character’s world.

Remember, subtext is usually better left unsaid, so this exercise is more about understanding your character’s motivations than writing great dialogue. But it can help you create more nuanced interactions between your characters.

“Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast” Creativity Exercise

Creativity is the key to unlocking innovative and unique storytelling.

This exercise challenges you to think outside the box and embrace the impossible.

Inspired by Lewis Carroll’s famous quote, “I try to believe in as many as six impossible things before breakfast,” explore the realm of the extraordinary.

Create scenes featuring impossible scenarios, defy the laws of physics, and let your imagination soar. Embrace the freedom to think beyond the constraints of reality and unleash your creativity.

Think about how breaking a simple rule of physics, like being able to see through walls, could change the entire world.

“Add an Original Scene to a Favorite Play” Exercise

Take a beloved play or film and imagine an additional scene that seamlessly integrates with its narrative.

This exercise allows you to explore your creativity within an existing story framework.

Identify a gap you can fill within the existing story with a new scene. Develop characters, conflicts, and dialogue that align with the style and tone of the original. This exercise will challenge your adaptability and provide an opportunity to put your unique spin on a beloved story.

“A Chase Scene Without Cars” Playwriting Prompts

Challenge yourself to create an adrenaline-pumping chase scene without the use of cars. Remember, it’s difficult to recreate a chase on the stage, so how might you use the medium’s constraints to create a compelling scene driven by an engaging dramatic question?

This exercise encourages you to think creatively and explore alternative methods of pursuit. So, consider using unconventional modes of transport, such as bicycles, skateboards, or even a foot chase. Or maybe a cat-and-mouse sequence of dialogue-driven actions.

Focus on building tension, utilising the environment, and crafting dynamic action sequences.

This exercise will stretch your imagination and push you to find innovative ways to create excitement on stage.

“Write a Monologue Inspired by Artwork” Exercise

Art has the power to evoke emotions and spark inspiration.

So, choose an artwork by artists like Carrie Mae Weems, Francis Bacon, or Nan Goldin, and let it serve as a creative springboard for a monologue.

Allow the artwork to influence your character’s thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

Explore the artwork’s themes, colours, and textures to craft a compelling and visually evocative monologue.

This exercise will help you infuse your writing with visual imagery and create a sensory experience for your audience.

“Create a Group Speaking as One” Exercise

Imagine a group of people speaking as one entity. Why are they speaking collectively? What drives their need for a unified voice?

This exercise explores the dynamics of a group communicating as a single entity.

Craft dialogue that reflects their shared thoughts, desires, or conflicts. Explore the challenges and opportunities presented by collective storytelling.

This exercise allows you to explore the power of unity and collective identity in your writing, helping get you right to the heart of the matter. This is especially useful when you’ve forgotten WHY you’re writing your current piece; we’ve all been there!

“Explore Character Transformation” Playwriting Prompts

Character transformation is a powerful storytelling tool.

Think of someone you know who has undergone a significant change and delve into their journey. Explore the reasons behind their transformation, the obstacles they faced, and the impact they had on their lives.

Use this exploration to craft a scene or monologue that captures the essence of transformation, enabling you to depict the complexities of personal growth and change within your characters.

“Create a Scene with Everyday Life as the Focus” Exercise

Everyday life is rich with stories waiting to be told.

So, choose a mundane aspect of your life that you’ve never seen on stage before and make it the focus of a scene. But (and here’s the twist), what would happen if you could no longer complete that task or action?

Consider the emotions, conflicts, and relationships that can be explored through this interrupted everyday experience and experiment with different dramatic forms and techniques that suit the chosen subject matter.

This exercise will help you find the extraordinary within the ordinary and shed light on the beauty and complexity of everyday life.

Playwriting prompts to get you started

Playwriting prompts can awaken your creativity, help you overcome writer’s block, and ignite your imagination. Engaging with these exercises can help you explore new ideas and refine your unique voice as a playwright.

Embrace the journey and let these prompts guide you as you embark on the exciting adventure of bringing your stories to life on the stage.

So, grab a pen, let your imagination soar, and start writing your next masterpiece today!

Alternatively, check out The WriteForTheStage Podcast – for free playwriting tips designed to get you writing.

Happy playwriting!