Conceptualizing a

Character, Setting, Plot

for a One-Act Play
Creative Writing
Vocabulary
Builder
ONE-ACT PLAY is one of the
principal divisions of a
theatrical work (such as a
play or opera) a play in three
acts.
CHARACTER is a personage in a
narrative or dramatic work; also
a kind of prose sketch briefly
describing some recognizable
type of person.
PLOT is the sequence of
events that make up a
story, whether it’s told,
written, filmed, or sung.
SETTING is the time and place (or when
and where) of the story. It’s a literary
element of literature used in novels,
short stories, plays, films, etc., and
usually introduced during the
exposition (beginning) of the story,
along with the characters.
CONCEPTUALIZING
CHARACTER
Characters are so vital. They
literally define the art of drama
and distinguish it from all other
literary genres. A one-act play is 9-
12 pages with four characters or
less.
Your main character is everything in
your story. They might be likable or
awful, yet we generally emphasize
with them because we feel what
they feel too. You may also use pet
names.
The viewpoint character may or
may not be the main character.
Nevertheless, we see and hear the
story through them and there may
be more than one viewpoint
character. They are the narrators.
The most common and effective
ways by which to present a
character in a story are:
1) through appearance or
physical description;
2) through speech or
dialogue;
3) through action; and
4) through the thoughts and
feelings of the character.
CONCEPTUALIZING
SETTING
setting = scene (time
+ place) +
mood/atmosphere
CONCEPTUALIZING
PLOT
 A one-act play is a play that has
only one-act, as distinct from
plays that occur over several acts.
One act play may consist of one
or more scenes.
Ten Tips to Develop
your Plot
1. Create a world that's true to real
life or fantastical or that mixes the
mundane with the magical. But
whatever set of rules you create
for that world, make sure you
follow them .
2. Write a conflict that builds as
the play progresses. As you
structure the conflict, think in
terms of your play having a
beginning, a middle and an end.
3. Write characters that want
something (which puts them in
conflict with other characters)
and try to get what they want at
every moment.
4. Make sure that each
character has something at
stake, a consequence if he
doesn't get what he wants.
5. Write dialogue that
illuminates your
characters and advances
the plot at the same time.
You are one of the Knights of Pen Kingdom, and
your most awaited day has come. Use your
magical pen to create your own stories.
Remember that to be able to defeat the Copy
Beast, you must write something readers haven't
already experienced or thought up on their own
before reading it in the pages of your stories. The
freedom of the kingdom lies in your hand. Good
luck!