Playwriting Exercise: Fun With Words – One

It’s time to have some fun with words! We’re taking a word that means a mouthful and using it as an inspiration for a scene. But not only that, the word in question is from a foreign language.

Today’s word is:

Waldeinsamkeit

The definition of the German word Waldeinsamkeit is………. drumroll please……

• the feeling of being alone in the woods.

That is gorgeous. How do you feel when you’re alone in the woods, even if you’re not actually alone in the woods? Waldeinsamkeit! And what does that mean, exactly? What does it mean to be alone in the woods? Is it peaceful and quiet? Do you feel like the trees are watching you? Is it fearful? Does it mean you’re lost and alone, without cell service?

Playwriting Exercise

• Automatic Write for two minutes on what it means to be alone in the woods. What is your interpretation of the phrase? Is it something wonderful, or something fearful?
• Look around on the internet for a picture of an intense forest. What do you see when you look at the picture? Start to reach beyond the logical here. Do you see faces? Do you see emotions? Do you see shapes?
• Write a monologue from the perspective of the person who took the picture. They are alone in the woods. Who are they? How long have they been there? What inspired them to take the picture? Who are they talking to in the monologue?