by Will Dunne
THE FACTS THAT MATTER MOST
Look at the list of expositional facts from your scene:
i. Is all of this background information absolutely necessary for your story to be understood and experienced by an audience? See if you can eliminate any of your expositional facts without damaging the story throughline. Remember that less is more.
2. Of the facts that remain, are all of them really and truly needed in this particular scene? See if any might work better in an earlier or later part of the story.
3. In the opening scene of The Real Thing, Max's discovery of Charlotte's passport is among the most important background information revealed. Look at the list of expositional facts that still remain for your scene. Which are the most important? Number them in order of their significance to the story and use the next part of this exercise to analyze them with the appropriate level of attention.
WEAVING EXPOSITION INTO THE DRAMATIC ACTION
Use these steps to evaluate each of your most important expositional facts. Analyze one fact at a time.
i. Before Max's discovery of his wife's passport is revealed, the curiosity of both Charlotte and the audience is stirred when she returns home and Max greets her with an erratic rush of questions about her trip. Why is he acting so strangely? The news about his discovery answers this question and thus works as payoff which we welcome. Think about your expositional fact. What question might this answer? How might you raise this question in our minds before you pay it off?
2. Max reveals his discovery because he wants to find out whether or not his wife is actually having an affair-a scenic objective which he ultimately fails to achieve. Nevertheless, the objective gives him a reason to bring up the passport and make news of its discovery pivotal to what's happening here and now. Think about the character in your scene who reveals the expositional fact. What does this character want? How can exposition be used to support this objective?
3. After Charlotte is grilled about her trip abroad, the simple announcement about the forgotten passport speaks volumes about her deception. Consider the amount of information that your expositional fact entails. Can you reduce it to fewer words by focusing on what matters most? Can you explain less and imply more about it? Are there any new clues you can add to the scene so that this fact can be presented in a more streamlined way? If it is a major or complicated fact that requires detail, can you boil it down to bits and pieces that are revealed here and there throughout the scene instead of all at once?
4. Max's discovery is embodied in the passport itself-a physical object-which he produces at the appropriate time as evidence of his find. This creates a telling image that is rooted in the physical life of the story and makes it unnecessary to debate whether or not he is telling the truth. Think about your characters in the unique physical life of your scene. Can you translate your expositional fact into an interesting image that speaks for itself and reduces the need for dialogue?
5. Look again at how your exposition is being revealed. Is one of the char acters acting as a foil-asking question after question-so that the other character can conveniently deliver this information? If so, how can you turn the foil into an active character with an objective and problem?
6. Is your exposition a rehashing of something the characters already know, such as a "remember when" retelling of a memory they share? In other words, are they discussing this information only for the benefit of the audience? If so, how else can you reveal the fact so that something new is happening here and now? Is this really the best time in the story to bring out this information?
7. Does the expositional fact include any information that the audience already knows? If so, can you start the scene later so that the audience doesn't have to sit and wait while your characters update each other? Can the scene start later so that this repetition can occur offstage?
8. Can any of this information be suggested by what the characters don't say? Look for opportunities to convert explanations into silences and implications. Keep in mind the emotional life of the actors, which later may make many of your lines feel redundant and unnecessary.
9. If one character is explaining something to another, what might motivate the teller to try to conceal this fact or at least part of it? What might force the character to reveal this information anyway? See if you can use conflict to make the revelation of the fact more dramatic.
io. If you are using a letter, telegram, television or radio broadcast, telephone answering machine message, or other cliche to reveal this fact, is the device really necessary? How else might you reveal this information?
i i. Take a creative leap and see if you can find any new, interesting ways to reveal your information-for example, through the physical life of the scene, the needs and behaviors of the characters, or the nature and course of the dramatic event unfolding here and now.
WRAP-UP
How you handle exposition is a sign of your skill and experience as a dramatic writer. When presenting information about the "there and then," try to show, not tell, as much as possible, and remember that less is more when explanations absolutely must be made.
THE QUICK VERSION
Explore scene dynamics by fleshing out three types of character discovery
BEST TIME FOR THIS
During scene planning, writing, or revision
CHARACTER DISCOVERY: A LINK TO WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT
Most of the turns in a dramatic story are the effects of important discoveries that the characters make about themselves, each other, or the world at large. Such discoveries may translate into good news or bad news, and may prove to be accurate or inaccurate over time. In each case, the character experiences an aha!-a new realization, insight, or conclusion-that leads to a change in behavior and a shift, large or small, in the dramatic journey.
At the story level, aha!s are often turning-point experiences that can trigger a new scene or, if extraordinary enough in impact, a new act. It is often a character discovery that launches a dramatic journey or brings it to its close, or both. At the scenic level, aha!s can result in new beats: new units of dramatic action in which a different topic, emotion, or character strategy comes into play because of what the character has just learned. As you develop your script, it is important to understand the aha!s of the story: to know what they are, where they came from, and where they might lead.
ABOUT THE EXERCISE
Use this exercise to explore your characters as discoverers who cause a dramatic event to unfold. Choose a scene to develop, and focus on one character at a time. Imagine what he or she might learn as the scene unfolds, and how these discoveries might influence the dramatic action. As you do this, stay true to the character, but be willing to surprise yourself.
Exercise examples are from Proof by David Auburn. The main character is Catherine, twenty-five, a mathematics student who gave up college and social life to stay at home and be the sole caregiver of her father. He is Robert, in his fifties, a world-renowned genius in mathematics who became mentally disturbed years ago and has since spent most of his time writing in notebooks.
A KEY SELF-DISCOVERY
Throughout any dramatic story, characters make certain discoveries about themselves. Whether positive or negative, accurate or inaccurate, these aha!s may be triggered internally or externally, and may center on something physiological (I've had too much too drink), psychological (I'm falling in love), or sociological (I can't pay the rent).
In Proof, the opening scene takes place late at night on Catherine's twenty-fifth birthday. Robert tries to convince his depressed daughter to stop moping around and get on with her life. One of the most important discoveries that Catherine makes in this scene is a self-discovery: she realizes that, like her father, she may be going mad. Think about what happens in your scene. Identify one of the most important self-discoveries that your character makes-or could possibly make-at any time during the dramatic action. Whether true or false, this is a realization, insight, or conclusion that could ha
ve significant consequences. What is it?
i. Trigger. Catherine's discovery of her potential madness arises near the end of the exchange with her father when, in a stunning dramatic moment, she-and we in the audience-realize that Robert isn't really there. In fact, he died a week ago of heart failure, his funeral is tomorrow, and she's been alone this whole time. Yet here she has been seemingly talking with him and drinking the champagne he brought for her birthday. As she pieces the clues together, Robert spells out the conclusion for her: having late chats with your dead father is a "bad sign." What triggers your character's selfdiscovery?
• Emotional impact. The realization of her mental instability leaves Catherine feeling confused, frightened, and alone. What is the immediate emotional impact of your character's self-discovery?
• Behavioral impact. As a result of questioning her sanity, Catherine has begun to mistrust herself and, by extension, everyone around her. When Hal, one of her father's former students, enters, she turns on him with suspicion. Hal has been here for the past three days reviewing her father's notebooks to see if there is any important information that should be published for posterity. Catherine accuses Hal of wanting to steal her father's work. What action does your character take as a result of his or her selfdiscovery?
2. Later consequence. Catherine's self-discovery stirs up an insecurity and mistrust that she will have to battle for the rest of the play. Even after she later opens her heart to Hal, she will retreat to mistrust when he and her sister are both skeptical of the revelation she makes at the end of the first act: the most extraordinary proof of a math theorem in her father's notebooks was actually written by Catherine. Think about the self-discovery you are exploring. What possible later impact might it have on the character's dramatic journey?
3. Analysis. Is Catherine really going mad? While she does exhibit signs of mental instability, she also learns to manage her personal relationships, and to come to terms with her mathematical genius. The accuracy of her self-discovery, therefore, remains unresolved. When it first occurs, it seems like a negative turn in her life. Yet, over time, the questioning of her sanity leads to positive outcomes, such the ability to use her vulnerability to trust and love Hal. Think about the self-discovery you are exploring. How true or false is it, and why? How positive or negative is it, and why? Could it lead to more unforeseen results and have a greater impact on the character's dramatic journey?
A KEY DISCOVERY ABOUT THE WORLD OF THE STORY
Characters also learn things about the specific world around them. These discoveries may center on other people (my next door neighbor is a drug dealer), organizations (the company plans to downsize the staff), places (this condominium site was once a sacred burial ground), or things (that lottery ticket in my pocket is worth five million dollars).
In Proof, Catherine's worst fear about Hal appears to be true when she learns that he was trying to smuggle one of her father's notebooks out of the house. Identify an important discovery that any of your characters makes-or could possibly make-at any time in the scene about a person, place, or thing in the world of the story.
i. Trigger. Catherine learns about the smuggled notebook when it accidentally falls out of Hal's jacket as he is leaving the house. What triggers the discovery that your character makes about someone or something in the world of your story?
2. Emotional impact. Catherine's belief that Hal may have betrayed both her father and herself makes her angry. What is the immediate emotional impact of your character's discovery?
3. Behavioral impact. After seeing the notebook fall out of Hal's jacket, Catherine overreacts and calls the police to have him arrested. What action does your character take as a result of his or her discovery?
4. Later consequence. Catherine's rash reaction to the hidden notebook leads her not only to apologize to Hal the next night but also to seduce him. In effect, she swings from one extreme to another in her relationship with him. Think about the discovery you are exploring. What possible later impact might it have on your character's dramatic journey?
5. Analysis. The discovery of Hal's theft proves later to be false. Though he was, in fact, secretly removing the notebook, his purpose was to have it wrapped as a birthday present for Catherine, since it contains a birthday inscription from her father long ago. At first, the discovery seems negative and creates a hassle for Hal with the police, but it leads inadvertently to a positive result: the connection that Catherine and Hal make when she acknowledges her error and apologizes to him. How true or false is your character's discovery, and why? How positive or negative is it, and why? Could it lead to more unforeseen results and have a greater impact on the character's dramatic journey?
A KEY UNIVERSAL DISCOVERY
Sometimes characters acquire knowledge that leads them to discoveries that are universal in scope. Whether positive or negative, true or false, these realizations, insights, and conclusions reflect what the character believes about such big topics as human nature (like father, like son), society (power corrupts), or spirituality (death is only a transition to another type of life).
When Proof opens, Catherine has been doing nothing for the past few years except take care of her father. Over the past month, she has wasted her time, often sleeping past noon and getting up only to eat junk food and read magazines. When her father confronts her with this reality, Catherine is forced to see a universal truth about the value of time: "When you throw days away, you never know what else you throw away with them-the work you lost, the ideas you didn't have, the discoveries you never made." Identify an important universal discovery that your character makes-or could possibly make-at any time in the scene: a truth or belief that transcends the specific world of the character to include the world we all inhabit.
i. Trigger. In Proof, Catherine comes to realize that each day matters and must be well lived. This discovery is triggered by her father's reprimand after observing her unproductive and melancholy behavior over the past month. What triggers the universal discovery that your character makes?
2. Emotional impact. Catherine's insight about the importance of time makes her feel regretful about the "thirty-three and a quarter days" that she has virtually thrown away with her idleness. What is the immediate emotional impact of your character's discovery?
3. Behavioral impact. Shaken by the failure of doing nothing, Catherine will feel compelled to act-and to do so decisively-when she discovers Hal trying to smuggle out one of her father's notebooks. Her universal discovery thus fuels her phone call to the police. What action does your character take as a result of his or her universal discovery?
4. Later consequence. Catherine's discovery about the importance of living life fully contributes to her decision later to pursue Hal romantically and to trust him with an extraordinary proof of a mathematical theorem she has written. Think about the discovery you are exploring. What possible later impact might it have on the character's dramatic journey?
5. Analysis. Catherine's universal discovery is one which many of us might see as true. For her, it provides an accurate assessment of her current situation and an upturn in her personal growth, since it stimulates her to start making changes that will lead to more meaningful relationships with others. How true or false is your character's universal discovery, and why? How positive or negative is it, and why? Could it lead to more unforeseen results and have a greater impact on the character's dramatic journey?
WRAP-UP
As they pursue their objectives and deal with the conflicts that stand in the way, characters are continually experiencing aha!s that lead them to new visions of themselves, others, and the world at large. Such discoveries often overlap, with one leading to another, just as a discovery about someone else (my father is a mad genius) can lead to a self-discovery (I may be a mad genius as well) and ultimately a universal discovery (genius and madness may both be hereditary). As you enter any new scene, keep track of what your characters know and believe now, how they acquired this knowledge, a
nd, most importantly, what they will do as a result of it.
THE QUICK VERSION
Explore different ways to force a character confrontation
BEST TIME FOR THIS
When you want to heighten conflict in a scene
WHAT'S BAD FOR THE CHARACTER MAY BE GOOD FOR THE STORY Drama is the art of showdown. To make conflict grow, you need not only to present your characters with problems, but also to create unavoidable reasons for them to confront each other in search of solutions. If a conflict can be easily ignored or delayed, or if it can be diffused through compromise, your characters will have little reason to trouble themselves. It is when they are stuck in a conflict with opposing needs and something vital at stake that they rise to the level of dramatic action.
We know that a simple problem will be easily solved and that an impossible problem will never be solved. If a problem is too small or too large, therefore, we predict the outcome and lose interest in the story. However, if there is a slight chance that a difficult problem might be solved, we remain engaged to see what happens.
ABOUT THE EXERCISE
Use any of the following conflict techniques to add dramatic tension to a scene. For best results, approach each technique as an opportunity to look at your story from a different angle and brainstorm new ideas. Even if you end up not using the technique in this particular scene, you may uncover valuable character and story material that you want to keep.
BINDING DISAGREEMENT:
A PROBLEM THAT CANT BE IGNORED
A sure way to trigger a confrontation between your characters is to join them in a "binding disagreement." Such unions are made up not of legal terms, but of needs, obstacles, and motivations. To create a disagreement, give your characters contrary or contradictory objectives. And, to make the disagreement binding, make sure that the motivations to achieve these objectives are so compelling that neither character can walk away from the fight. The mutual determination to overcome an opposing force will bind the characters not only to the conflict, but also to each other, and a showdown will inevitably occur.