Writing a Script

To complete this task well, read the following steps and apply it to
the article below as you turn a real life incident into a scripted
format.
Imagine that the scene is a conversation, conflict or a
debate between the people mentioned in the article. The
characters identifying features (age, sex, race, nationality,
etc.,) need to be established (by obvious or subtle means)
The characters should alternate speaking at least three or
four times. Write a draft of the scene.
1. Now picture where your scene is located. Are you
inside or outside? Write some notes about where the
scene takes place. Write this information in.
2. Give your characters mannerisms. Put these into each
characters script
3. Now rewrite your scene in the formal script format.
Begin with the location.
Is it inside (INT., which stands for interior) or outside
(EXT., which stands for exterior)? Where is it? About
what time of day is it? Here are two examples:
INT. KITCHEN. MORNING.
EXT. CITY PARK. DUSK.
Notice that these are typed in capital letters and are
brief.
4. The scriptwriter gives descriptions only of what the
audience would see. You can see a happy expression.
You cannot see why a character is happy. The
characters words are in the centre of the page
underneath the characters name in capitals. Here is an
example of a scene opening.
INT. KITCHEN. MORNING.
KRYSTAL enters looking happy. She is a young girl
about 15 years old.
KRYSTAL
Good morning, Mom. Whats for breakfast? Im so
hungry I could eat the kitchen table!
Isnt it just the most beautiful day youve ever seen?

SOVEREIGN Island residents embroiled in a

turf war with the Gold Coast City Council
have vowed to take their fight to court.
Diane Padbury incurred the wrath of compliance
officers when she spent $10,000 placing synthetic
grass along a council nature strip.
She said council bureaucrats told her the grass
would melt and burn the feet of children playing in
the area. Neighbour Donna Read was also told to
remove her synthetic grass or face thousands of
dollars in fines.
Mrs Reads council compliance notice said the
grass was a trip hazard and ordered her to
perform work to remedy the damage or face a
court imposed fine of up to $3750.
It cost $4000 to put it outside our house and the
grass looks amazing, Mrs Read said.
In this modern day and age we should be
promoting features that save water and help the
environment. It is very petty of council and we will
fight this all the way.
Ms Padbury said a further 14 Sovereign Island
residents with synthetic grass recently met with
council officials outside her home to demand
answers.

They threatened me and told me it would get

worse if I spoke to the media, she said.
My lawn looks amazing and the one next door is
brown, unwatered and ugly.
Even the compliance officers agreed the lawn
looks great but they told me it was dangerous and
could hook a womans stiletto shoes.
We have to water and maintain the nature strip,
so we should be able to choose the grass.
Area Councillor Cameron Caldwell, who spoke to
the residents, said Ms Padbury had been issued a
notice to rectify the breach of a bylaw.
There was a general discussion the other day but
Ive made no promises to fix anything, he said.
There was no instruction not to talk to the media.
The advice Ive been provided is that council had
issued her notices to rectify what is a breach of
bylaw.
Ms Padbury is urging council to grant the residents
a six-month synthetic grass trial to prove the
material is not dangerous.
A spokesman for the Gold Coast City Council
declined to comment, citing Ms Padburys privacy
as the reason.