From Page to Stage

Your First Steps in Writing Drama

Have you ever left a theatre or finished a film feeling completely electrified? The right play or movie can change how you see the world, and it all starts with a script. But if you’re new to the craft, the idea of writing drama can feel intimidating. It’s a unique art form, a blueprint for a live experience that relies on action and dialogue, not lengthy descriptions. You’re not just telling a story; you’re building a world for actors and an audience to inhabit.

Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. This guide is designed to help you tackle the most common hurdles aspiring playwrights and screenwriters face. We’ll break down the challenges and give you the tools to turn that blank page into a compelling scene.

How Do I Make My Dialogue Sound Real?

The problem: You write a scene, but when you read the dialogue aloud, it sounds clunky and unnatural. Your characters either all sound exactly like you, or they act like walking encyclopedias, spelling out every single plot point and emotion for the audience.

The fix: Great dramatic dialogue is a careful illusion of reality. It’s not just about what is said, but how it’s said and what’s left unspoken. Dialogue must be rooted in subtext, which screenwriting authority Syd Field explains is the “meaning that lies under the dialogue” and reveals what the character is truly thinking or feeling (Field 90).

• Listen to the world around you. Pay attention to how real people talk—the hesitations, the interruptions, the unique rhythms, and vocabularies. Your characters shouldn’t be perfect orators.
• Give each character a unique voice. Think about their background, education, and personality. A nervous academic will speak differently than a confident mechanic.
• Embrace subtext. Characters rarely say exactly what they mean. Conflict and tension are born from what they’re trying to hide or achieve with their words.
• Read it aloud. This is the number one rule. If a line feels awkward in your mouth, it will sound ten times worse coming from an actor.

Before:

ANNA

Mark, I am very angry that you forgot our anniversary. It makes me feel like you do not care about our relationship anymore.

MARK

I am sorry. I was busy at work and it slipped my mind. I still care.

After:

ANNA (Setting a single plate at the table) I thought you might be working late again.

MARK Oh. Right. Was that… was that today?

ANNA It was. Don’t worry, the steak will keep.

Why Is My Scene So Boring?

The problem: Your characters are talking, but nothing is actually happening. The scene feels static, without any tension or purpose. It doesn’t move the story forward, and you’re not sure why.

The fix: Every single scene in a play or film must be built on a foundation of conflict. It doesn’t have to be a shouting match; it can be a quiet battle of wills. Lajos Egri fundamentally asserted that “a weak character cannot carry the burden of protracted conflict in a play,” as drama requires characters with the strength and conviction to fight for their goals (Egri). Your scene is boring because your characters aren’t actively fighting for something.

• Define the objective. What does each character in the scene want? It must be something tangible and immediate (e.g., I want to borrow the car. I want to be forgiven. I want to hide this secret.)
• Create an obstacle. The easiest way to generate conflict is to make your characters’ objectives mutually exclusive. If Character A wants something, Character B is the reason they can’t have it.
• Raise the stakes. What happens if the character doesn’t get what they want? The consequences should feel significant, even if they are only emotional.

Before:

LIAM Hey, can I use your car tonight?

CHLOE I don’t know, I was maybe going to use it.

LIAM Oh, okay then.

After:

LIAM (Jingling his keys) I’m taking your car.

CHLOE (Looking up from her phone) The hell you are. You haven’t put gas in it in a month.

LIAM I’ll fill it up later. This is important, Chloe. Sarah’s flight gets in at ten. If I’m not there…

CHLOE If you’re not there, she’ll get a cab. You can’t keep doing this.

What’s the Right Way to Format a Script?

The problem: You’ve written some great dialogue and a tense scene, but it’s all just a block of text. You know scripts have a special look, but you’re not sure what the rules are, and it feels overwhelming.

The fix: Script format isn’t just about looking professional; it’s a practical tool. It’s designed to be read quickly by actors, directors, and producers, conveying essential information with maximum clarity. Think of it as the universal language of the industry. Proper script format is a professional standard in the industry; its use is essential to conveying essential information with maximum clarity, an expectation described in the definitive Screenwriter’s Bible (Trottier).

• Use scene headings (or “sluglines”). These are in all caps and establish the location and time. INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT or EXT. PARK - DAY.
• Centre character names. The name of the character who is speaking goes in all caps, centred above their dialogue.
• Keep stage directions brief. Action descriptions and parentheticals (short instructions in brackets) should be concise and focused on what the audience can see or hear. Avoid describing a character’s inner thoughts.
• Don’t direct on the page. Trust your actors and director. Use parentheticals like (beat) or (smiling) sparingly, only when absolutely necessary for clarity.

Before:

Scene: A messy apartment. It’s late. JESSICA stands by the door with her coat on. She looks impatient. JESSICA: (speaking in a hurried voice) Are you coming or not? I told them we’d be there by eight, and it’s already quarter past. I really don’t want to be late for this. It’s important to me.

After:

INT. APARTMENT - NIGHT

Clothes and books are strewn everywhere.

JESSICA stands by the door, coat on, keys in hand. She glances at her watch.

JESSICA Eight-fifteen. Are you coming?

How Do I Put It All Together?

The problem: You understand the individual pieces—dialogue, conflict, formatting—but combining them into a single, cohesive scene feels like juggling. It’s easy to focus on one element and let the others fall apart.

The fix: Don’t try to write the entire movie or a three-act play on your first attempt. The key is to start small and build your confidence. Think of each scene as a mini-story with a beginning, middle, and end, where something has fundamentally changed by the final line.

• Write a one-page scene. Give yourself a strict limit. This forces you to be economical and make every word count.
• Focus on a single, clear conflict. For example: One person wants to leave the room, and the other person won’t let them.
• Let the format guide you. Use the structure of sluglines, character names, and dialogue to organise your thinking.
• Ensure the last line is different from the first. The emotional temperature or the power dynamic in the room should have shifted by the end of your page.

Before:

INT. OFFICE - DAY

SAM sits at his desk. His boss, MR. HENDERSON, walks in.

MR. HENDERSON Sam, I need that report now.

SAM It’s not done yet. I need more time.

MR. HENDERSON That’s not good enough.

After:

INT. OFFICE - DAY

A sterile, modern office. SAM stares at a blank document on his computer screen.

MR. HENDERSON enters, holding a thick file. He drops it on Sam’s desk. It lands with a loud THUD.

MR. HENDERSON The Harrison file. Where is it?

SAM (Without looking up) I need another day.

MR. HENDERSON You have another hour. Or that empty desk in the corner gets a new occupant. Your choice.

He exits. Sam slowly looks from the file to the empty desk across the room.

Your Story Is Waiting

Writing drama is a craft, and like any craft, it takes practice. No one gets it perfect on the first try. But by focusing on the fundamentals of conflict, character voice, and clear formatting, you’re already ahead of the game.

So open a new document, think of two people who want different things, and put them in a room together. Listen to what they say—and what they don’t. You might be surprised at the story that unfolds.

This article was developed through an iterative collaboration between our Editor-in-Chief and multiple AI language models. Various LLMs contributed at different stages—from initial ideation and drafting to refinement and technical review. Each AI served as a creative and analytical partner, while human editors maintained final oversight, ensuring accuracy, quality, and alignment with AuthZ's editorial standards.