COMING SOON
Some tips on writing Christian Dramas.
- Find out as much as you can about the theme your drama is meant to service.
- Research. If doing a script about a Bible story, it's very easy to think we know the story, but often there are myths and variations in the casual re-telling of well known Bible stories. Make sure you go back to the Bible and get a refresher on exactly what is written. To some degree minor facts being wrong won't matter, especially considering you're probably creating an imagined set of actions and dialogue, but in getting facts right you not only help teach the actual story, but the scholars in the room will be less distracted without seeing common misconceptions shared. So, while the overall message is the most important part of your script, getting key facts rights is what can take your script to a higher level.
- When you have several cast members on stage at once and have a series of dialogue lines to go back and forth with in conversation, it may flow better when you limit blocks of back and forward conversation exchanges to two people, rather than having many people involved in the conversation jumping in with their one line - it's harder to remember when to come in with their line, and it also may not flow as smoothly.
- It can be fun to occasionally have everyone pipe in with a line one after the other, starting logically and getting more ridiculous or end on with eh final comment being majorly unexpected for a laugh.
CAPTAIN: Someone is going to have to go out of the submarine and clear the propeller for us.
COOK: Can’t be me, I’ve got some pancakes cooking.
CLEANER: Can’t be me, I have to clean up after the pancakes.
MECHANIC: Can’t be me, I’m eating pancakes
NAVIGATOR: Can’t be me, I’m allergic to pancakes.
- You could occasionally break the fourth wall for effect. "The fourth wall is the implied plane that marks the “edge” of the onstage action. Actors break the fourth wall by acknowledging the existence of the audience."
eg when it's apparent something funny or naughty is about to happen, and the actor knows and will make it happen, they can turn and grin mischievously to the audience, with a double eyebrow rise, before moving into the action. - Include the occasional cultural reference (TV movies commercials) as long as they are not too distracting. Also include the occasional local reference, about someone in your church, for a giggle - but do so with respect and thoughtfully.
- Include a layer for kids, and also a layer for adults to muse on, a layer on the topic.
- Are there enough clues for most of the audience to follow along and confidently know what is going on? The first few lines could be spent setting the scene and catching up the audience where and what is happening. Of course you may also on occasion want to keep things a mystery or even misdirect the audience until the end - but usually try and and drop on character names early, state where they are and what they are doing. A narrator with a few lines at the beginning, and even end, is the simplest way to do such thing, but don’t always use that method.
- If your teams is a true store, like a Bible story, never start with ‘once upon a time’ which is a catchphrase for a fictional story . Use ‘many years ago…’ kind of terminology.
- Are there any key actions that cannot be seen by all the audience, making them miss a key point or story element?
- If writing for someone else, be sure to show them a draft you are confident meets the brief the girst time. They may lose faith in your script and go elsewhere if they think you’re not on the same page.
- Write to the right age group
- Write to the capabilities of available cast. Often it’s good to have the cast members in mind as you write - helping you picture how the dialogue and actions will come across.
- Consider if having background sound fx will enhance you drama. Country sounds. Office sounds etc. but not if it will be distracting.
- Consider if background music will suit. Emotional or rousing. Work hard to match the action with the music’s changes in melody eithe by adjusting the script or editing the music by cutting out sections or repeating sections.
- Are there any opportunities for dropping in any sound FX connected to actions happening. Breaking glass, baby cry, siren etc.