Playwriting Exercise: A Month of Monologues

If you want writing to become a tangible act, practice it with consistency.

Consistency does not mean volume – there’s no need to start with a 400 page project. That will weaken your resolve almost immediately. Start with the monologue. Write a monologue every day for a month. Use a prompt, set a timer (say 15 minutes) or a length limit (no longer than a page) and write. By the end of the month you will be a monologue expert.

Where do you look for monologue prompts? 

• Newspaper, or google news headlines. Pick a headline that grabs you and the write a monologue from the perspective of someone within the story.
• Use literary sources. Write an inner monologue for your favourite fictional character.
• Go to Google images, and type in the word “faces.” Pick a face and make them the character in your monologue. Avoid faces of famous people.
• Google “Monologue prompts.” You will find a wealth of sites wanting to help you write.

To get you started, I’ve got a page of 15 monologue prompts to see you through the first two weeks. Click below and get writing!