According to the blurb of Pauline Kiernan's Shakespeare's Theory of Drama:
Kiernan examines work from different stages in the canon to show that far from being restricted by the 'limitations' of drama, Shakespeare consciously exploits its capacity to accomodate temporality and change, and its reliance on the physical presence of the actor.
Write a story involving the staging of a dramatic performance.
Writing about childhood boundaries
Shel Silverstein started the poem Where the Sidewalk Ends with:
And before the street begins,
And there the grass grows soft and white,
And there the sun burns crimson bright,
And there the moon-bird rests from his flight
To cool in the peppermint wind.
Write a story in which a sidewalk marks the boundary of where your children characters are allowed to go in their neighbourhood and about what happens when they cross it.
And before the street begins,
And there the grass grows soft and white,
And there the sun burns crimson bright,
And there the moon-bird rests from his flight
To cool in the peppermint wind.
Write a story in which a sidewalk marks the boundary of where your children characters are allowed to go in their neighbourhood and about what happens when they cross it.
Writing theme via a question
Karl Iglesias has written:
The easiest way to reveal theme is to put it in the form of a question rather than a statement or premise, as most have done since reading Lajo Egri's classic book The Art of Dramatic Writing. For instance, rather than state the premise for Romeo and Juliet as "Great love defies even death," you could ask, "What does great love defy?" or "Can love survive even death?" and let your story provide us with the answer by experiencing it emotionally.
Write a story with the aim of posing and answering a question.
Some clear examples of this are When Harry Met Sally: Can people of the opposite sex be just friends?, The Last Kiss: Should a partner who cheats be given a second chance?, and Liar Liar and Slackers: Is honesty the best policy?
The answer can relate to the instance of your fictional story without being a judgment about all similar cases in real life.
The easiest way to reveal theme is to put it in the form of a question rather than a statement or premise, as most have done since reading Lajo Egri's classic book The Art of Dramatic Writing. For instance, rather than state the premise for Romeo and Juliet as "Great love defies even death," you could ask, "What does great love defy?" or "Can love survive even death?" and let your story provide us with the answer by experiencing it emotionally.
Write a story with the aim of posing and answering a question.
Some clear examples of this are When Harry Met Sally: Can people of the opposite sex be just friends?, The Last Kiss: Should a partner who cheats be given a second chance?, and Liar Liar and Slackers: Is honesty the best policy?
The answer can relate to the instance of your fictional story without being a judgment about all similar cases in real life.
Writing to a premise
Lajo Egri has written that "A good premise a thumbnail synopsis of your plot." One example he has provided of a premise is:
Egotism leads to loss of friends.
Write a story in which the above premise applies to either the whole story or to the beginning of the story.
Egotism leads to loss of friends.
Write a story in which the above premise applies to either the whole story or to the beginning of the story.
Writing set in a hypothetical future
The following is from a spacemart.com article paraphrasing K Radhakrishnan, Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO):
Write a story set in a hypothetical future in which many countries carry out regular space travel.
In 2013, ahead of India's human space flight planned for 2015-16, ISRO plans to put an unmanned crew module on board a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, Radhakrishnan said.
He also said ISRO is working on a mission to Mars, adding that advanced space-faring nations like US and Russia are eyeing human habitation in Mars from 2030 onwards.
Write a story set in a hypothetical future in which many countries carry out regular space travel.
Writing about adventure
A synopsis for the documentary Off the Edge, on nzonscreen.com, begins:
Off the Edge is director Michael Firth's ode to the exhilaration of adventuring on the spine of NZ's Southern Alps. Something of a snowy Endless Summer, Firth follows an American and a Canadian as they ski, hang-glide, walk, climb and delve beneath glaciers, over nine months in the Aoraki-Mt Cook area.
Use the quote above and/or the video below however you like as inspiration to write a story about adventure and how an adventure changes your character's life.
Off the Edge is director Michael Firth's ode to the exhilaration of adventuring on the spine of NZ's Southern Alps. Something of a snowy Endless Summer, Firth follows an American and a Canadian as they ski, hang-glide, walk, climb and delve beneath glaciers, over nine months in the Aoraki-Mt Cook area.
Use the quote above and/or the video below however you like as inspiration to write a story about adventure and how an adventure changes your character's life.
Main plot and subplot
The beginning of Family Guy episode, Brian Wallows and Peter's Swallows, has been summed up as follows:
After another unsuccessful date, Brian is depressed about his romantic prospects. Lois encourages Peter to take Brian with him and the guys to the laser rock show, but when Brian notices that nearly everyone at the show as a mate but him, he just gets more depressed and drinks. On their way home, Brian is pulled over by Joe, who arrests him for driving under the influence. Meanwhile Peter decides to grow a beard.
Write a story with a serious main plot and a subplot that provides comic relief.
After another unsuccessful date, Brian is depressed about his romantic prospects. Lois encourages Peter to take Brian with him and the guys to the laser rock show, but when Brian notices that nearly everyone at the show as a mate but him, he just gets more depressed and drinks. On their way home, Brian is pulled over by Joe, who arrests him for driving under the influence. Meanwhile Peter decides to grow a beard.
Write a story with a serious main plot and a subplot that provides comic relief.
Writing on friendship, inspired by an image
Click on the link to mainframemovies.tv and use one of the images in the picture gallery as inspiration to write a story using the keyword friendship.
Daily Science Focus as a writing prompt
Click on the link to Cinema and Fiction Daily Science Focus and use one of the latest news story snippets from the blogroll in the right-hand column as inspiration to write a story using the key word family.
Writing about jealousy, passion and misplaced trust
Shakespeare's Othello features jealousy, passion and misplaced trust.
Write your own story that features jealousy, passion and misplaced trust.
Write your own story that features jealousy, passion and misplaced trust.
Using a song for inspiration
Use the following music video, 2010 by Sound Sultan (featuring M.I.), as inspiration to write a story.
This music video can also be found on the We Are Jos blog, where it is dedicated to those people of Jos in central Nigeria who have lost their life to violence.
Background details on this issue can be gained by reading this BBC news article or watching this CNN report.
This music video can also be found on the We Are Jos blog, where it is dedicated to those people of Jos in central Nigeria who have lost their life to violence.
Background details on this issue can be gained by reading this BBC news article or watching this CNN report.
Using an image to inspire writing
Click on the link to a post on naijastories.com and use the image as inspiration to write a story.
If you get stuck for ideas, use the song lyrics below the image for further inspiration.
If you get stuck for ideas, use the song lyrics below the image for further inspiration.
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