Monologues And How To Write Them
Monologue is essentially just a long, tedious speech by one person during a conversation.
Good monologues are structured just like good stories: they have a beginning, a middle, and an end. This rhythmâa build up and a resolutionâis critical in long stories, because without it, stories can become monotonous and stale.
1. BEGINNING: In real life, people donât just start monologuing without a reason; they usually start speaking in response to something else that was said or to something that happened. When writing, try transitioning into a monologue smoothly with your first line. Even the opening line âI was thinking about something you said yesterdayâ is an easy way for a character to start giving a monologue.
2. MIDDLE: The middle of a monologue can be the hardest part to write, because viewers will start to get bored during long speeches; itâs vital to keep your monologues from being predictable. Craft small twists and turns into the storytellingâfrom interesting plot details to unique ways the character describes themâto keep the monologue fresh and engaging.
3. END: Itâs common for monologuesâespecially ones meant to convince another character to do somethingâto wrap up with a quick statement of meaning. However, donât indulge too much in explanation at the end of the monologue; this can make it feel shallow or uninteresting. Instead, trust your readers to derive meaning from it themselves
Monologue writing isnât a way for writers to let loose and write without limits. In fact, monologue scripts should be written with special care and restraint, otherwise they can quickly bore viewers and fail to contribute anything to the character or plot. There are several key considerations you should keep in mind when writing a monologue:
1. The characterâs backstory or importance to the storyline:
Monologues are supposed to reveal important details about a character or the plotâitâs essential that youâve developed the speaking character and a detailed plot for them to inhabit, even before you start writing. Monologues help inform the audience about the characterâs traits and past events.
2. The characterâs motivation:
In real life, people donât monologue unless they have a reasonâin the same way, any character giving a monologue in a play or film should have a purpose for it.
3. The characterâs voice:
First-time writers can be tempted to use monologues as a way to show off their writing skills; however, doing this will quickly pull viewers out of the story. There are many types of monologues a writer can explore, but monologues should feel natural and invisible in your story, which means they should be told in your characterâs voice and point of view. Using language that sounds more authentically like your character is good writing, and it will help create an effective monologue.
Monologues arenât something used to fill time in a scriptâso as you write a monologue, keep it as short as possible. This doesnât mean that your monologue has to be short; rather, it means you should spend time editing and identifying what is most important. The more focused your monologue, the more powerful and memorable it will be for your viewers.
Monologues are very potent writing tools, and too many of them too close together in a story will quickly tire viewers. Limit yourself to as few monologues as possible, and space them out in your story so that theyâre not back to back. This will help each monologue shine and prevent the audience from getting bored.
Monologues written entirely in general language are usually forgettableâviewers need concrete details to latch onto and remember. Pepper your monologues with vivid imagery (when in doubt, think of the five senses) to make them memorable.
4. Read and watch more monologues: Great monologues are inspired by other great monologuesâwhen youâre stuck, seek out other examples of monologues to get you back on track. William Shakespeare is always a good place to start (for example, after youâve read Hamlet, look into A Midsummer Nightâs Dream and Romeo and Juliet).
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