Writing Challenge #1 - Assorted Dialogue

 

Hi folks

Thanks for signing up for the November Playwriting Challenge with Threshold Theater.

If you’re curious as to what the end result of last year’s challenge (our first) looked like, here’s an overview

We actually decided to give everyone a head-start on the first challenge just to get things rolling, so read on, and you can begin writing as soon as you like...

You have today and tomorrow to play around - this is November First’s challenge, showing up a little early, but still not due until noon Central Time on November 2nd.

So, let’s  dive in, shall we?


**************************************


Challenge #1 - Assorted Dialogue

Due: Wednesday, November 2nd, 12pm noon Central Time
(1pm Eastern Time, 11am Mountain Time, 10am Western Time for the US Time Zones)


I  always like to start with something dialogue-related, just to loosen things up, get the writing muscles working, but not be too proscriptive.

So here’s four random bits of dialogue:


“Don’t ever say that name again.”


“I’m bleeding, you say?  Gee, I hadn’t noticed.”


“Am I… your lock screen?”
“You weren’t supposed to see that.”


“I may or may not have summoned a demon, but don’t worry, he’s friendly.”



Take any of these lines and write something that includes it.  

If you’re feeling ambitious, use more than one bit of dialogue.

If you’re feeling ridiculous, use all four somehow.  (No, they don’t need to be in order, give yourself a break :)


These are all courtesy of the Instagram account SophieMPoraykoWrites, one of many, many writing-related accounts on the platform.  Most are focused on prose writing, but hey, characters are characters, plot is plot, and dialogue is dialogue, so there’s a lot of useful crossover encouragement and tips.  Once you get the algorithm going, it’ll offer up all kinds of fun things.


*************************************************


If you’re not interested in this prompt, you can try 2021’s challenge #1:

I Love You, I Hate You, I Love You

Or, you know, just ignore the prompts altogether and write whatever you want - as long as you’re writing and turning it in by the deadline, that’s all that matters for the challenge :)


*************************************************


And because we call can get in our own way so easily, here’s some words of reassurance on the basics of this month:

Friendly Reminders - Answers To Common Questions:
(Follow the links to read me expounding on these items :)

Don’t Stress About Writing A Full Play

Don’t Stress About Format

Don’t Stress About Sticking To The Writing Prompt

No.  Really.  I Mean It.  Don’t Stress About Sticking To The Writing Prompt

Don’t Stress About Finishing An Idea (You Can Add Later)

Don’t Stress About Thanksgiving

Don’t Stress About “Succeeding” or “Failing”

Don’t Forget To Vote: Tuesday, November 8th (or If You Can, By All Means Vote Early)



************************************************


How to submit your work for Challenge #1

You have options.  They are:

Save your script as a PDF or Word Doc and send as an attachment to an email sent to ThresholdWritingChallenge@gmail.com

OR

Copy and paste your script in the body of an email and send it to ThresholdWritingChallenge@gmail.com

OR

Post your script online (as a Google doc, or in a blog post, on your own personal website, etc.) - email a link to this script to ThresholdWritingChallenge@gmail.com
(If you’re going to Google doc route, just make sure to have the document public, or give permissions to our email address to open it)

When emailing us, make the subject line of your email - Challenge #1
(That just helps us sort through the email more quickly)
(Or, you know, just reply to this email if you want :)

OR

Post the link for the online document option above in the comments section below on this very blog post for this very challenge on our writing challenge blog

Again, this is: Due: Wednesday, November 2nd, 12pm noon Central Time
(1pm Eastern Time, 11am Mountain Time, 10am Western Time for the US Time Zones)


*******************************************


And, just to reassure you, no, we are not going to be sticklers about you following these directions down to the minutest detail - the important thing is that you write, and then that you share it with us, so we can keep track of who’s writing every day.

We will be VERY understanding about technical difficulties and how they can screw up making the deadline on the first few days.  No need to fret about anything except the writing (and hopefully that’s not something causing you to fret too much either :)

Also, no, there is no penalty for finishing and submitting early - but it also isn’t a race, so give yourself all the time up til 12pm noon Central Time on Wednesday to write if you need it.  When you’re done, you’re done.

Again, remember, it doesn’t need to be great, it doesn’t even need to be responding to this prompt (the prompt is just there so you’re not staring at a blank screen to start with no idea what to write about :)

Doesn't even need to be complete - you could have the beginning or the middle or the end of an idea, maybe two out of three but not all, that's still fine. This is all about getting things started, you can write more later.

You have 29 more days to build on whatever you come up with today, if you want.

Just get anything on the page, even if won't make sense to anyone else, as long as it make sense to you.

It just needs to be something.


**********************************************


And that something can be:



Lights up.

Charlie sees Nick’s cell phone.

CHARLIE
Am I… your lock screen?

NICK
You weren’t supposed to see that.

They look at one another.  The music swells.

Lights down.

The End



That’s always your escape hatch, every day.

That’s your base line.

Build on it.

Have fun.

Don’t stress.

Make an impulsive decision and run with it.

Breathe.

You’ve got the day (almost two days this time).

Just write.

Matthew A. Everett
Literary Director
Threshold Theater
(he/him/his)

Coming Up:
Threshold Theater’s New Play Reading Series
A reading of “Leviathan” by Bethany Dickens Assaf
Saturday, November 19, 2022 - 7pm
The Black Hart of Saint Paul - 1415 University Avenue West in St. Paul

Our video recording of our third live play reading in the New Play Reading series, Sam Walsh's "The Visible," is up on our YouTube channel (available to stream through the end of November) -

Support Threshold Theater on Give to the Max Day, November 17th
(Or feel free to give early, any time between November 1st through 16th)
Here's the link: https://www.givemn.org/story/Kssucf



"Write. Find a way to keep alive and write. There is nothing else to say."
- James Baldwin