Howdy y'all. I am writing a play at the moment and I have just about everything nailed down as to where I want to go with it, but I've written myself into a corner now. I am coming towards the end of scene two and I just can't figure how to end it and move to the next scene. If it helps, the last piece of dialogue involves a daughter and father arguing over something silly, followed by the daughter promising her friend she won't fight over stupid things with her father anymore. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I could use this to end the scene and move onto the next one?
Without seeing the whole thing it would be really hard to give you any advice. From what you've given us, I think the scene kind of just ends on its own don't you think?
I understand it's difficult to give advice without seeing the actual script, but what I am hoping to find are any techniques or ideas that can help smoothly move the play along from one scene to the next. For example, to close the first scene, I have the a character turn on the radio and a song suitable to the era it's set in plays while the lights are out and the stage is being set up for the next scene and as the lights come back on the song naturally fades away. Again, I'm aware it's difficult to give much advice for this, but perhaps someone knows where I'm coming from and can help.
Is the girl talking with her friend face to face, or over a phone? If it's the latter you could have it be nighttime, conversation happens, they say their goodbyes and her going to bed on the promise w/ simple fade out. Then depending on how this prior argument with her father went, you could take opportunity of next scene being a sort of nightmare scene of what she is afraid of what might happen next if her father does not forgive her, or her fears on he may not forgive her. I'm reading a lot into the little snippet you gave, so ignore that if you've already decided the direction on your next scene. If it's face to face that might be harder to end the conversation and the scene without it being rather abrupt I think.
The argument itself is a very small part in this play, it isn't mentioned again, but could be partly foreshadowing to a future event. The conversation takes place with the friend face to face as the father enters the room and she kicks up a stupid argument with her father who she otherwise gets on with very well. I was thinking the scene could end where the girl asks her friend to leave because she gets upset, feeling he sided with her father in the argument. The girl is temperamental and it is the first time her possibly unstable mental state, brought on by her particular obsession, becomes apparent. She is a ditsy, bubbly girl most of the time, but can quickly take a serious mood swing if you speak ill of the thing she is obsessed with. I have the image in my head where the friend agrees to leave, knowing she is an a foul mood, and the lights fade as she sits at the table, head in hands. Could it work? This play is due to take a dark turn anyway so it wouldn't be out of place for it to become serious.
I think this would be decent enough, it leaves questions with the audience and brings up the interest.
How should the audience feel when the scene is over with? Because I think with plays the transition is not just used to change the set but to also give the audience a moment to reflect on what they just saw. If the fight was intense and demonstrated something like the main character finally snapping or losing her mind, then perhaps the scene should with a sudden and abrupt silence, maybe even quickly fade to black. The suddenness of a scene will definitely make the audience feel uneasy. However, if the argument was really nothing at all and it's whatever foreshadowing it's trying to do is going to be subtle, then maybe the characters walking off and a slow fade to black. If music is involved, something would probably play there and it would continue until the next scene has started. I have some experience with play writing, but probably not enough to give any substantial advice...
I have gotten myself out of the proverbial corner through the power of music once again. Xander and Mike, your input was much appreciated. Thanking you both!
