The Idea and Concept phases help determine not only that you are working on the script with the best potential or highest priority, but also your approach and the high-level planning. In the Definition phase, the details emerge, for in this phase, you specify the requirements and specifications of your play, such as:
- Number and descriptions of the characters
- Time period in which the play takes place
- Number of scenes and their settings
- Descriptions of the sets
You also create the outline from which you will be working. Having the list of scenes and approximate lengths gives the playwright a framework to build upon. From here, time estimates can be made about how long it will take to write the scenes.
Development
Having detailed planning in place makes writing so much more efficient. The Development phase is then a matter of collecting and organizing existing notes, sketches, ideas, and snippets, and then incorporating all of them with the dialogue, scenes and blocking.
With notes ready, and working against an outline, you can realistically start writing at any point in the story line. Many times, writers come to a point in a scene where they are stumped and the entire writing process comes to a grinding halt. With a good outline, the continuity of the plot is in place. So if you should reach a stumping point, you could merely leave that section for a time and focus on some other section that may be ready to write.
There should be some reading aloud by the playwright as sections are developed. It's not unusual for a certain passage to read beautifully, only to have the human tongue unable to articulate the particular series of consonants or syllables.
Introduction
Introductory readings present opportunities to test the script with an audience, in a controlled environment. Informal readings or minimally rehearsed staged readings give the playwright a valuable chance to hear the dialogue spoken by others, who may be reading the script for the first time. It is the chance to watch both the actors and the audience for their reactions. Afterwards, a discussion may be held to gather comments, questions, and suggestions from the audience, and also from the actors, who may see inconsistencies in their characters during the course of the story.
It has been said that writing is really rewriting, and that's what this phase is about. As scripts get more experience, rough edges get polished, plot holes get filled, and characters become more developed. The careful playwright takes good notes during the readings, and ends up with a treasure trove of notes for improvement to the script. The wise playwright listens to the discussions, questions, and comments, takes appropriate notes, but is ultimately the one who decides which changes go into the script.
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