Writing a monologue for creative writing means writing a one-man show. A monologue for creative writing can be used to explore any subject matter you want, from history to philosophy, from psychology to art. It can even be used as a form of self-therapy to explore issues you might want to address in your own life. The possibilities are endless! Let’s look at how to write a monologue for creative writing.
Choose A Genre
The first step in writing a monologue for creative writing is to decide on a genre. You can write a comedic monologue, a contemporary dialogue monologue, or a straight-up drama. It’s important to decide on a genre because, as a reader, I want to be confident that what I’m reading will make sense. For instance, if I read a fantasy monologue, I know that I’m in for something different than a crime procedural. It’ll probably be funny, but not quite as entertaining as a traditional drama or comedy. You’ll have to decide what type of monologue you wish to write based on what makes you laugh or cry. Sometimes it’s a combination of both! A writer can always choose a humorous slant for an otherwise serious topic, or vice versa.
Characteristics
After deciding on a genre, you’ll need to establish some characteristics for your protagonist. Your protagonist is the individual who is the focus of your story. Usually, a character in a monologue will be in one place and have one or two things they want or need. This makes them rather simple. Since you’re only dealing with one character, it’s easier to develop their motives and goals. You’ll need to decide what drives your protagonist’s actions. Maybe they want to change the world, or maybe they simply wish to be happy. You can add more layers to your character by giving them backstory, or by adding more traits and characteristics. Make sure to establish the personality of your character as soon as possible; this will help the reader get a sense of who they’re dealing with. While developing your character, consider what makes them unique and memorable. You want your readers to look back on your story later and say “I never knew anyone like that before” or “I never saw someone do that before”. Think of specific examples of how you can stand out among other writers in your genre. Once you’ve developed your character, it’s time to move on to the next step.
Setting
Now that you have your character, it’s time to think about their world and the setting of the story. Where will your character be located? What’s the weather like? How does your character feel physically? Consider the textures and flavors of each environment your character interacts with. What sights do they see? What sounds do they hear? There are many different types of weather, so be sure to describe the climate you’re writing in. For instance, if it’s cold, add some frost and snow to your writing. If it’s hot, go for something more tropical. Maybe even add a few thunderstorms! It’s also important to establish the time frame of your story. This can be tricky, especially if you’re writing a historical novel, but try to keep the sense of the historical era alive throughout your story. If you were writing in 17th century Spain, make sure that your descriptions reflect that time period, even if you’re writing in the present day. The setting of your story can be used to add more authenticity to your writing. You could even get specific and name the streets and buildings your character walks down, or the people they meet along the way. If possible, travel to the same places your character visits in your story. This will help give the story more depth and make it feel more real. Think of how much more interesting a story can be when it feels real!
Scenes
Once you have your character and setting, it’s time to start writing scenes. A scene is any sequence of written or spoken words that contribute to the development of your story. For example, let’s say you have a scene where your character visits a museum. It can be fun to write the dialogue as you would in actual conversation. This can help establish a more realistic tone to your narrative, as well as give you better control over the flow of your writing. Sometimes it’s easier to write a scene as dialogue when you’re not entirely happy with your writing style. Once you’ve written a few scenes, take some time to evaluate whether or not you’re pleased with the way the story is going. Is there something you want to add? Perhaps you wish to develop another character, or perhaps you feel that your story is going in a different direction than you originally planned. Whatever it may be, take some time to rethink your scenes and start all over again. Sometimes it’s good to step away from a story for a while and come back with a fresh set of eyes to tell it like it is.
Structure
After you’ve written your first few scenes, it’s time to start laying out the structure of your story. Stories are typically composed of a number of scenes, each one contributing to the advancement of your plot. In traditional dramatic monologues, these scenes usually have a beginning, a middle, and an end. Consider what happens at the beginning of your story and how you get to the point where your story begins. At the end of your story, what happens and why does it fit within the context of your plot? The middle is usually filled with actions and events that help move your plot forward. Once you’ve got your middle, it’s time to start shaping your plot’s ending. Make sure you’re consistent in your structure, even if it means reworking the entire story, because a sloppy writer can end up with a messy narrative that doesn’t flow well. Clarity of writing is always important, and so is structuring your story in a way that makes sense, considering your characters and narrative purpose. Your writing should be able to flow as naturally as possible, free of any messy errors that could possibly take the reader out of the story or make them question whether or not they’ve read and understood what you’ve written. This might be difficult, especially if this is your first time writing a dramatic monologue, but don’t be discouraged if you have to go back and read what you’ve written multiple times before you feel confident that you’ve got it right. The more you write, the easier it’ll get, and the more you’ll learn. Don’t be afraid to go back and rework scenes that don’t work well, as long as you know how to progress to the next step.
Style
Finally, we come to the most important part of writing a monologue for creative writing: the actual writing of the script! Depending on the style you chose for your story, you’ll need to adapt your writing style to match. If you’ve chosen a more traditional path and want to keep things simple, you may want to consider using language that is as close to the way you speak as possible. You don’t want to overuse slang or technical language, as this might make your writing seem fake or unauthentic. It’s always good to write how you speak, and having a traditional style can help keep your writing authentic. If you’ve chosen a more modern or colloquial style for your story, make sure to take the time to learn how to spell the proper English words and make proper sentences. Learn the rules of grammar and usage, as well as how to write a proper letter, an email, or a text message. Spellcheck won’t save you if you’re not careful! Most importantly, make sure to write what you know and have an authentic, clear voice. If you have trouble finding your voice, it might be time to take a step back and rework your story. There are many different types of characters and many different ways to tell a story. However, if you can find the one that works best for you, the absolute joy of writing will be yours.