Whether you are a reader or a writer you love a little conflict and a few antagonists in any plot. So to the writers of stage plays.…
It is a challenge to write conflict with dialogue only. There is no description (like fiction) where you can tell the reader how angry and against something your antagonist is. Granted you have the characters right there to tell the story with their body language but….
I am going to use examples from my most recent play. A children’s play but the rules still apply and are not less challenging because it’s a kids’ play.
Sub-PLOT: The sooner the plot is revealed the better. If you haven’t engaged the audience in the first three minutes, you don’t have a very good plot. In Emma and the Aardvarks the plot begins on the first page of script. Two Aardvarks, sisters, tumble out of a Time Portal and into the fabled forest. In minutes the occupants of the forest discover them and the audience discovers the protagonists and antagonists.
Example: (Plot)
AGNES ©
(Gazing up into the trees, HER nose switching as fast as possible.)
I think we’re lost, dear sister. This doesn’t look anything like the pictures of Australia in our book.
ANNIE
(Frowning.)
Oh, dear, I’m quite afraid.
STARE (Owl)
Whooo?
ANNIE
(ANNIE runs over to AGNES.)
Ekk. What was that?
STARE
Who?
AGNES
What?
ANNIE
That.
AGNES
Not certain. But keep a look out anyway.
ANNIE
I don’t like this place, Agnes.
AGNES
You’re such a scaredy-cat, Annie. It’s a simple forest, much like the jungles of home.
(DONALD, a fairie, enters.)
DONALD
Don’t go. I mean you no harm.
(With the dialogue, we’ve told the audience that the two sisters are in the forest by accident. That their destination had been Australia. They meet their first friend (protagonist).
ANTAGONISTS: We’ll return to the plot later but let’s go on…Enter the first antagonist. This character is very selfish and immediately is suspicious of the two newcomers.
Example: (Antagonist)
PATSY (Banana Spider)
(Knitting her web very fast.)
Eye–eee! Por favor, who are these ugly newcomers? Dios mío, ¿se comerán mis insectos? The bugs are for me and me alone!
DONALD
Patsy, where are your manners? Everyone is welcome in the fabled forest, as long as they come in peace.
PATSY
Dios mio, how do we know they come in peace, pequeño? Se ven como bandidos!
Another Protagonist enters:
EMMA
Please join us. (Turning to Donald.) Donald introduce us immediately.
DONALD
Miss Agnes, Miss Annie, this is my friend, Emma.
EMMA
Oh! You are so cute. It’s nice to meet new friends. And such pretty hats. May I? (EMMA reached up and adjusted the frothy thing atop AGNES’ head that had been knocked askew in the mad dash into the forest.) You’re the shy young lady, aren’t you? May I adjust your hat, Miss Annie? There! All fixed. May I ask? What species are you?
PLOT: After a few main characters are established, we return to the main Plot, (all told through dialogue) which is about global warming and endangered species.
Example (Plot):
EMMA
Miss Agnes, why were you going to Australia?
AGNES
Back home, in Africa, we are losing our habitat to humans, farms, and roads.
ANNIE
It’s terrible. There aren’t very many of us aardvarks left, you know.
CHEETS
What does that mean? ‘Not many of you left’?
AGNES
We’re being killed off.
EMMA
Oh no! But you’re so cute. And if you’re insectivores, you help keep the natural world balanced.
AGNES
One would think so. (Beat.) So when our habitat goes, we go. We are threatened.
DONALD
We must do something!
ANTAGONIST & Protagonists: The Plot thickens when you have more than one antagonist. And when you can, more than one protagonist.
Example (Antagonist and Protagonists.):
CHEETS
I don’t like them. Nope. Don’t like the look of them and they smell funny.
STARE
Who?
CHEETS
Those two⸺whad-ya-call-ems.
EMMA
Aardvarks.
CHEETS
Yeah⸺them.
EMMA
Cheets, that’s unkind. You know nothing of Annie and Agnes. They seem perfectly fine to me. In fact, I think they’re cute.
STARE
Who?
THOMAS
Quiet, Stare. Those two ladies are my friends from the Dark Continent. As for you, you⸺you scurvy young scallywag you keep yer opinions to yerself.
CHEETS
But what if they eat someone we know?
EMMA
Cheets, that’s silly. Do you know any ants? Beetles? Termites on a personal basis?
CHEETS
Noooo⸺but I might meet some.
EMMA
Yes, Cheets, you’re judging these newcomers and deciding you don’t like them based on⸺what? Nothing.
THOMAS
They’ve had a rough go. The place they lived is no more. The picaroons have burned it, then planted it. Some of their family and friends have been killed.
CHEETS
Don’t care. Still don’t like ‘em. Who ever heard of aardvarks, anyway?
CONFLICT: 5 Ways to Create Conflict in Your Story:
Give your characters clear goals.
Go big, go small.
Let your characters fail.
4. Make your characters opinionated.
Use exposition to your advantage.
The Time Portal is malfunctioning. Some of the occupants of the forest are welcoming, some are suspicious and angry.
Example: EMMA
He’s very excitable, Miss Agnes. Are you really from Africa?
ANNIE
(Cuddling close to EMMA’s side.)
Yes, Miss Emma, we were going on vacation and then this⸺happened.
EMMA
Oh, dear, I’m sorry.
AGNES
Yes, our travel agent, Time Portal for All Your Vacation Needs, was supposed to send us to Australia. We have distant relatives there. Something must have gone wrong. Someone at the agency pushed the wrong button.
ANNIE
Where are we, exactly?
CHEETS
(Poking HIS head out of the bushes.)
You’re in the Fabled Forest. Don’t you know anything?
AGNES
Who raised you? Dogs? (Beat.) No, not dogs, they are strict with their children. Hyenas, perhaps? Yes, hyenas, our arch enemies.
More CONFLICT:
Example:
EMMA
(Steps forward.)
Welcome to our forest. I am Emma and these are my friends. Where did you come from?
STARE
Who?
AGNES
(Sneering.)
Emma, you don’t want to be friends with them. After all they’re just dogs.
Resolution of CONFLICT: The royal engineer enters. Sent to repair the Time Portal so the Aardvarks can be on their way.
Example:
CHEETS
(Jumping up and down.)
The Queen! The Queen! The Queen Cometh!
FERGUS
(Looking around.)
No. I don’t think so. It’s just me and my toolbox.
EMMA
Why have you been sent to us, Mr. Fergus?
FERGUS
It’s just Fergus, Miss. Or in more formal settings, Sir Fergus.
DONALD
And you’re here because⸺?
FERGUS
To repair your portal⸺time machine⸺of course. It is broken, isn’t it?
DONALD
Our portal?
CHEETS
(Whispers in awe.)
We have a portal?
EMMA
And the Queen knew ours is broken?
CHEETS
What’s a portal?
FERGUS
Yes. Yes. Indubitably. If you’ll just show me the way, I’ll begin my work.
EMMA
I’m afraid we have no idea where it might be in the forest. Until the sisters arrived we didn’t know anything about a portal. They arrived from Africa.
More CONFLICT: More animals arrive through the Portal. This results in more conflict.
Example:
EMMA
(Steps forward.)
Welcome to our forest. I am Emma and these are my friends. Where did you come from?
STARE
Who?
AGNES
Emma, you don’t want to be friends with them. After all they’re just dogs.
FERGUS
Blimey. Someone’s coming.
(Out of the entrance to the Portal tumble dog-like CREATURES. The five PUPPIES yip and howl as they tumble to the forest floor.)
MIC
(Howling.)
Moommmyy! What’s happening?
SERENGETI
(Howling louder.)
Moommmyy! I’m a-scarrr-eeddd.
STARE
(Trying to join the howling.)
Whooooooooooooo?
(Two adult DOGS enter from the Portal mouth.)
MRS. MOSEYALONG
Tentatively wagging HER tail.)
It’s all right, children. We’re safe.
JAX
Stop being such a baby, Serengeti.
SERENGETI
(Cowering near HER mother’s legs.)
I’m not.
JAX
Are too.
MR. MOSEYALONG
Quiet now, children.
SERENGETI
Yes, Papa.
MIC
Where are we, Papa?
MR. MOSEYALONG
I’m not certain just yet⸺but I intend to find out! Yip, Yip, yowwww.
MRS. MOSEYALONG
Goodness, who might you all be?
ROGER
(Whining.)
Mama, who are they? Will they hurt us?
ZEKE
(Yipping and howling.)
I want to go home.
CHEETS
(Pointing at the dogs.)
Look! Our forest is turning into a jungle of expired animals!
Remember, dialog is simply conversation between your characters. In your story, imagine what your characters would say to each other in a conversation. The more conflict you create in your story, the richer the story will be. Be aware of ‘loose ends’ when you solve the conflict.
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You find inspiration in the strangest places. I was dedicated to writing scripts for the stage. A few years back, I attended this production of my children’s play, Emma and the Lost Unicorn, outside of Boston .
telling. These children, who knew no fear, gave me enough courage to try chapter books, poetry, and becoming a novelist. Experimental at times, risky at times, scary, but so rewarding.
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