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16330+ Drama Short Stories to read

Submitted by writers on Reedsy Prompts to our weekly writing contest . Being one of the most popular genres among the submissions to our weekly contest, the drama short stories collected below include riveting works you won’t want to miss.

🏆 Winning stories

“ you ” by elizabeth hoban.

🏆 Winner of Contest #260

We were death partners before we were friends. The day we met some 30 years ago, I was so pregnant with my first child, I resembled an over-stuffed sausage about to burst its casing. I’d forsaken style weeks earlier when my shoes no longer fit. I couldn’t even reach around my massive torso to shave my legs; limbs sporting enough hair to scrape clean a barbecue grill.  You, on the other hand, had just wrapped-up an open-house and strode across my threshold for the first time, like a seasoned runway model. I’ll never forget your chic...

“ Injury Time ” by Melissa Van Rensburg

🏆 Winner of Contest #256

Trigger warning: Domestic abuse, rapeThalia wipes down the pristine kitchen countertops, impatient for the game to start. She glances at the clock, then her eye catches the pile of bills on the table. The radio blares pre-match commentary filled with praise for the footballers. She turns down the volume so it won’t wake little Gabbi. She takes a seat at the kitchen table with a sigh. Another hard shift at the hospital is behind her, but it was always worth it in the end. Today, an elderly woman hugged her and gave her a peppermint. “As ...

“ One thousand and three wishes ” by Maria Adamkiewicz

🏆 Winner of Contest #253

One thousand and three wishes He found it on his way to work. He liked to visit the old antique store before getting sucked into the whirlwind of unnecessary emails, long meetings and pointless discussions. The lamp looked weird and useless, yet he was drawn to it. He threw it in his bag with other pieces that had caught his eye, fought for a better price and won, and left the shop happy. Well, not really. Satisfied is a better word for it. He hadn’t felt happy in a long time.The day went by acceptably fast, considering the fact th...

⭐️ Recommended stories

“ under the mediterranean sun ” by m.d. adler.

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #262

Please regard this as my full confession. I do not wish to die with a heavy heart. I wish you were able to see him just now. He is preparing to land the final blow, and I know I will be dead within seconds; yet, even when he harbors murder in his eyes, I have never seen a more attractive, more enticing - more, more, more - beautiful human than him. Please do not take offense to this, I am sure you are quite tantalizing yourself; I probably would have stalked and hurt you too, as many times as I did him, if we had had the pleasure to meet bef...

“ The Things We Cannot Say ” by Amanda Clark

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #259

Is nobody going to say it? But I’m not brave enough to let the words pounding in my head cross my lips. My mom puffs on her cigarette, oxygen cannulas shoved upher nose, while her brand-new concentrator hums along with the cicadas. A monthin the hospital—four long touch and go weeks, one emergency surgery and thewords “stage four lung cancer.”  Yet, here she sits, as if nothing has changed. Old habits die hard, I guess. Her nightgown hangs loose around her from the weight she lost during her hospital stay. She blames it on the quality o...

“ 07-18-04 ” by Grace R

A burnt child loves the fire, I reminded myself as I crept closer to the writhing blue flames. I felt the heat on my chilled pale skin and exhaled.  I never wanted to leave the city this weekend, but when Clarke called me, I knew I had to oblige. I’ve always thought of myself as a good friend, but just like any other human, I have my intrinsic selfish nature. I would’ve much preferred sleeping inside my apartment with the TV lulling me to sleep and a Diet Coke on my bedside table rather than camping in the middle of nowhere. But it's b...

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✍️ All stories

“ the necklace ” by shay donald.

Submitted to Contest #265

It had been a long time since he saw that necklace adorn his late wife’s neck. He remembered it so vividly: sparkling diamonds set in beautiful gold. He had designed it himself. The sporadically placed rubies had made for a beautiful contrast against her brown skin. He always thought it brought out the cherry colour of her lips - lips he had not kissed for far too long.. Yes, he remembered this necklace very well. It was almost as though it was only yesterday, when he had so lovingly gifted it to his beautiful bride on their wedding day. It ...

“ Homebodies ” by Carol Stewart

***CW descriptions of civil unrest (mild), one or two swear words***When the girls were small, I used to tell them that if Mother Nature wanted us to fly, she’d have given us wings, and because we could only walk a matter of miles in any one day, it was only right we should stay close to home. It’s then they would joke that at the rate their father was going, constantly zooming ahead of us on our family trips in and around the city, he would be on the other side of the planet by tea-time, so no point in yelling after him to wait for us to ca...

“ The Saga of Airport Waiting Rooms ” by Rozmarin Ideas

There’s something rather poetic about being trapped in an airport.This thought occurred to one Rudolph Larens, as he sat, luggage on lap, straight-backed in his private lounge chair. As an author, he was often quite taken with the ideas presented by the situations in which he found himself.That this place, which should allow near-limitless freedom, should become my prison…He squirmed with that particular excitement that awaits the scholar embarking on a new journey of expression. The life he lived afforded him many such moments, and this was...

“ The Fake Wedding Date ” by Dragon The Poet

Submitted to Contest #264

I don’t like drama. I avoid drama. I don’t even like shows with a lot of drama.So why did I ever agree to being this guy’s date to a wedding? The son of a mother who is my mom’s social enemy? And this wedding of some prominent people in this community? I hardly know those people. They’re only a year or two older than me. I made my exit from this giant social community because of how toxic it was. So did my date. Why did we come back?I fix my cobalt blue and forest green saree, Gods know why I decided to wear one. At my ripe age of 25, I stil...

“ Your trusty false partner. ” by Swift Side Stories

“I don't know if this is right. Maybe you should go, It might for the best. I don't want to embarrass my sister.” He said, his voice cracking. My client, Paul, was an anxious man. I've seen the type time and time again: a nervous twitcher, with a few quirks andmannerisms (in his case, rubbing his thumb against the side of his index finger and a trembling voice when his anxiety peaked). This gave an off impression of who he was. You know, he had that type of vibe of who you wouldn't give a second date to, but if you knew him in a situation in...

“ Bea ” by Rachel Bell

The old teapot whistled just before the grandfather clock in the foyer sang its deep chorus; the house was quiet otherwise. Bea smiled, the wrinkles around her eyes responding in melody with her sing-songy voice, "Right on time!" She poured her tea slowly, to avoid another mishap, but also because that was her normal pace and she had long since become okay with that. Lacing her finger through the delicate china, she took the first, soul refreshing sip of her Earl Grey; the day has now begun. And what a day it would be--her granddaughter's we...

“ A Super Duper Totally Awesome Party!!! ” by Madeline Green

There's some spookums ahead so beware. When your friend invited you to the “party of a lifetime”, you imagined gorgeous ball gowns, delectable appetizers, and all the delights of the more privileged. You didn’t think you’d be cast to the side like a slice of stale cake, and yet, here you are. After you and your friend got out of the limousine they “rented”—you don’t believe that; they probably just wanted you to feel better about your financial situation—you rolled up to the party, dressed in not matching, but complementary outfits. This wa...

“ The Crafting of a Prophet ” by KA James

The rains came often enough in the spring, always in mid-afternoon, but lasted not long enough and were usually too violent to be of any real benefit. Full of wind, lightning and loud with booming thunder, the brief but torrential downpours often managed to wash away soil more than provide any real saturation to the fields. The blistering sun always followed the storm, drying and cracking the now muddy top layer of claylike earth.The village had been in slow decline now for years, weather patterns changing as is their ilk. The previous winte...

“ Vows ” by James Spurlock

Promises are suppose to last a long time, like the sky, the earth, and the ocean that most of us assume will last a long time.Sometimes, though, a wedding vow does not last very long, much like an ice-cold beer, a vacation in the tropical islands, or a blooming red rose given on Valentine’s Day.It seems to be forgotten after a short while.“When did this begin?” she asks, sitting on their couch with him.He looks at her as if he knows she wants to start a fight.“I don’t know.”“What do you mean, you don’t know?”“It was probably last year.”...

“ Wedding Roulette ” by Dakota Peterson

She fidgeted with the white invitation, tracing its edges every time she seemed to have a troubling thought. Anxiety isn’t something I would ever associate with her; she’s more of a social butterfly-something I both love and resent. I wanted to rub her arm reassuringly, but she didn’t give me any sign that it would be proper. Although, she flew me across the country for this. Just the two of us. We sat side by side for hours on the plane. I even carried her bags and let her sleep on my shoulder. Still, I rested with something simple:“It’s go...

“ Familial Ties ” by Andrea Krist

Keeta pressed her laptop and power cord into the navy blue suitcase next her cell phone charger. The bag was already filled to the zipper line, but there was still something missing from its cache. Clothes, shoes, toiletries, electronics... She was not sure what exactly she had forgotten, but the the lack of--whatever it was--nagged at her. She spun around to survey her bedroom. Everything she needed from the closet was already in the bag.The essentials from her desk had been removed and included amongst the clothes. All that was required fo...

“ Belle's baby ” by Kim Olson

Rhett Butler had received a message from Belle Watling. It came to him through a young errand boy, a thin freed boy of mixed race who was paid to sweep up and empty ashtrays at Belle’s house of ill repute. The boy stood outside the study at Rhett and Scarlett’s house and threw pebbles at the etched glass window panes. When at last Rhett opened the heavy windows, threw up the sash, and looked outside, the boy darted over and dropped in Rhett’s hand a note written on Belle’s distinctive stationery, the embossed B and W at the top of the t...

“ Octopus ” by Yusuf Adkins

“Are you a groomsman?” “I’m not that important. We lost touch a little these past few years, but I’m not sure if I ever would have qualified to be a groomsman. We went to high school together. Now, one of his groomsmen, I was a groomsman at his wedding. So, it all evens out.” She smiles, then responds, “I probably already knew that answer. I’ve never heard you mentioned before.” “Well, I know when to judge a conversation by the stuff in it, not by its words. I think you just dissed me politely. I mean, I think you actually do like me.” “You’...

“ Wedding Vows ” by Casey Melissa

Greggory Thomas was a moderately happy man. He had a decent job, which he hated; a cheap car without any mechanical issues, a balding spot on the top of his head and a gut which hung lower than he felt was needed. Most importantly, he had a bride-to-be who was just as moderately happy as he was. His life was good and he was a good, yet boring man.  Monica Krill was a liar. They had been together for three years and two months to the day. They met online, then again for coffee. Since the second date, they couldn’t keep their hands off ea...

“ Living in Alaska ” by Melissa Taylor

I always thought it’d be so easy to slash a tire, but here I am, sliding around on the ice in my clogs trying to get a good grip on this thing. I hunch over the wheel and try to grab ahold of it with my gloved left hand. Something possessed me to do this when I set my eyes on Dad’s house for the first time. Before I knew what was happening, my hand was reaching into my suitcase for my small, baby blue pocket knife. This one’s got a tiny, blossoming cholla cactus painted on the side.I was told having a knife in Alaska would be essential ...

The Best New Drama Short Stories

As a literary category, drama conjures up impassioned speeches, exaggerated movements, and moving plots. Incorporating drama into fiction means focusing not on imaginary worlds or thrilling quests, but on the emotional vignettes of everyday life. As such, drama short stories are narratives that focus on the characters at a turning point in their lives. They are forced to grapple with something that’s always been there but is now more apparent than ever. 

To read these stories is to delve into the minds of the characters, explore their thoughts and emotions, join them on their journey to better understand themselves and the relationships they have. From poignant journeys like that in Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner to hauntingly beautiful coming-of-age stories like Alice Sebold’s The Lovely Bones , there’s a wide spectrum of drama stories in which readers can immerse themselves.

Looking for some riveting drama short stories?

We’ve got you covered! Above is a vast collection of drama stories, all of which were submitted by budding writers to our weekly contest. Atop the list is the cream of the crop — stories stood out against hundreds of others sent in each week. Family feuds, bittersweet relationships, self-discovery: there’s every kind of situation you can find yourself in as you jump into these stories. 

If you come across a story you love, or a writing style that you enjoy, click the ‘Follow’ button to get notified when the writer submits a new story! And who knows, maybe all this drama will inspire you to write your own story and join your new favorite writers in our coming contests. You'll be in the running for a cash prize, plus a shot at publication in Prompted , our new literary magazine!

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Story in Literary Fiction

• Literary Fictional Story
• Character in Literary Fictional Story
• Narration of Literary Stories
• Desire and Motivation
• Credibility
• Improving Dialogue
• Characterization Improves Dialogue, Motivates Plot, and Enhances Theme
• Techniques for Excellence in Creating Character in Literary Fiction
• How to Change Fiction Writing Style
• Author’s Attitudes
• How Literary Stories Go Wrong
• Preparing to Write the Great Literary Story
• The Anatomy of a Wannabe Literary Fiction Writer
• Victims as Characters in Literary Fiction
• Information and Literary Story Structure
• 1st person POV in Literary Story
• Top Story/Bottom Story
• Strong Voice and Attention to Time
• Humor and Fiction
• Emotional Complexity in Literary Fiction
• Conflict in Literary Fiction
• What Exactly Is a Character-Based Plot?
• Writing in Scene: A Staple for Reader Engagement in Fiction
• Creating Story World (setting) in Literary Fiction
• Perception in Literary Fiction: A Challenge for Better Narration
• Creating Quality Characters in Literary Fiction
• Mastering the Power of a Literary Fictional Story
• Understanding Empathy
• Q & A On Learning to Think About Narration in Literary Fiction To Write Better Stories
• Incorporating Rhythm in Prose Style
• Fiction Writer’s Manual
• A Simple Life
• Gatemouth Willie Brown on Guitar
• The Wreck of the Amtrak’s Silver Service
• The Indelible Myth
• Inside the Matryoshka
• Speaking of the Dead
• The Necklace
• The Golden Flute
• The Amish Girl
• Dr. Greiner’s Day in Court
• The Cart Boy
• The War of the Flies
• Father Ryan
• Suchin’s Escape
• The Stonecutter
• Facing Grace with Gloria
• The Perennial Student
• The Activist
• Curse of a Lonely Heart
• The Miracle of Madame Villard
• On the Road to Yazoo City
• Captain Withers’s Wife
• The Thirteen Nudes of Ernest Goings
• Crossing Over
• Lost Papers
• Sister Carrie
• Graphic story: Homunculus
• Graphic Story: Reddog
• mp3 Short Stories
• The Surgeon’s Wife
• The Spirit of Want
• Guardian of Deceit
• Art Gallery
• Tour of Duty
• Short Fiction of William H. Coles 2000-2016
• The Art of Creating Story
• Illustrated Short Fiction of William H. Coles 2000-2016
• Facing Grace with Gloria and other Stories
• The Necklace and Other Stories
• The Short Fiction of William H. Coles 2001-2011
• The Illustrated Fiction of William H. Coles 2000-2012
• Lee K. Abbott
• Steve Almond
• John Biguenet
• Robert Olen Butler
• Ron Carlson
• Lan Samantha Chang
• D’Ambrosio
• Peter Ho Davies
• Jonathan Dee
• Fred Leebron
• Michael Malone
• Rebecca McClanahan
• Josh Neufeld / Sari Wilson
• Richard North Patterson
• Michael Ray
• Jim Shepard
• Rob Spillman
• Kirby Wilkins
• Susan Yeagley / Kevin Nealon
• Geoffrey Becker
• Julia Glass
• Lori Ostlund
• Lydia Peelle
• Andrew Porter
• Sylvia D. Torti
• Workshop & Tutorial
• Story in Fiction Today
• About Things Literary
• Opening Lines
• Women Authors
• About Style and the Classics
• The Fiction Well
• SILF Gallery
• Book Reviews
• Narration in Literary Fiction: Making the Right Choices, by William H. Coles
• How Humor Works in Fiction, by William H. Coles
• Books on Writing
• Stories for Study
• SILF – Audio mp3 Download
• Books about Writing
• Book Candy TV
• Workshops – I. Choosing a workshop
• Workshops – II. Making the Experience Valuable
• Workshops – III. How to Critique a Manuscript
• Workshops – IV. Workshops and Literary Agents
• Workshops: V. Top-Ten Rules for Fiction Workshops

by William H. Coles

Drama: core thoughts.

Great fiction is surprise, delight, and mastery. Conflict-action-resolution is the writer’s most essential tool. Dramatic writing is more than just revealing prose. Drama in literary fiction is mainly created through:

• a core story premise,
• unique and fully-realized characterization,
• and logical and acceptable motivation.

Drama in literary fiction is choosing well what information is best for the story and then providing that information predominantly in action scenes.

Suspense: feeling of uncertainty, excitement, or worry over how something will turn out.

Suspense contributes to drama, but it is not the sole element of drama in literary fiction. Suspense in literary fiction is the fear of something happening to a character we like or respect, and the character’s personality affects the outcome of plot elements.

Jane books a flight to New York to plead with her estranged husband. Her pilot arrives too intoxicated to fly the plane, successfully covering up his reduced capacities. Jane boards the plane. The pilot ignores the usual preflight checklist. The fuel tanks are less than a quarter full.

Comment. Fear of something happening to a character, and if we like or respect the character, the suspense is heightened. Yet there is a lack in this plot construction of the character-driven element of literary fiction.

Jane calls her clandestine lover to fly her to New York in his small plane to meet with her estranged husband. She has made her lover distraught at her refusal to give up her efforts to patch her marriage. The lover arrives hung over from drowning his sorrows, and fails to complete a preflight checklist. The plane’s fuel tanks have not been refueled.

Comment. This is not a great story but it does show how character-driven plots differ from circumstantial plots. Note how the second scenario also allows for complexities in the resolution that may reveal more about the characters and contribute to the meaning of the story—say, love is the root of disaster. The lover might sacrifice his life for Jane, or visa versa. Again, character generation of plot to create literary fiction. In popular fiction, the resolution may be simply a plane crash or an emergency landing and the arrest of the pilot.

Withheld information

All stories have withheld information. As an author, you can only tell so much. But why an author withholds information contributes to the quality of the story. And when an author chooses to reveal story information is critical to story success; the expectations are different in genre fiction than in literary fiction.

In melodrama (using stereotypical characters; exaggerated descriptions of emotion; and simplistic conflict, and morality) crucial information is withheld to create suspense for a reader. But it is manipulation of the reader. The reader must accept this manipulation too; this reader knows the narrator knows who killed the rector but will accept not knowing until the end of the story to discover a fact. But in literary fiction, all information crucial for the story (this is an author being true to the story and not using the story) is presented for the sole purpose of engaging the reader. Then the reader becomes involved in (and with) the characters resolving their conflicts—not only in being told what is withheld—and the result is a change in the reader, a realization that nothing in their world will ever be the same because of their involvement in the story.

How story information is used—whether delivered or withheld—is the skeleton of how different authors create their own unique stories. Authors of literary stories must not exploit a reader’s interest and involvement through false handling of story facts. Instead, the reader must become involved in the story action and accept character change–and experience change in themselves.

Literary stories are harder to write and require more intense reading than nonliterary stories. A casual reader, not caring about involvement in the story, will prefer stories based on withheld facts—who murdered whom, for example. This reader (and at times all readers will have this goal) does not want to expend effort to become involved in a literary story. This is how most stories are told and enjoyed today. And it is an admirable skill, for an author, to write to this reader effectively. But literary fiction needs to be an alternative choice for readers in the mood to be involved.

Let’s say you write a story about a pregnant teenage girl traveling alone cross-country for an abortion. For many authors, the story may be about the revelation of who fathered the child. And the discovery of this withheld information will delight many readers.

But you could reveal all the circumstances of the pregnancy. What if it were incest and her father raped her, or what if the gym coach at school had seduced her on the trip to the finals in field hockey. Everything is up front. Now you set forth the structure to bring the reader into how the girl will solve her conflict—an unwanted pregnancy by someone she hates. You will reveal her nature and her capabilities. You will find a premise: forced love destroys a normal life, for example. And you will engender understanding in the reader that enlightens, or changes existing thought.

Drama is action

Most beginning writers do not have the instincts to write stories by creating conflict, action and resolution in a series of scenes that present a story happening that will involve the reader. For most part, beginners simple tell story happenings, often with complicated and inflated prose that is static and boring.

Examples of description and showing

Narrative description (telling):

Paul was jealous that Helen could sing with so much passion that others couldn’t take their eyes away from her as she performed.

In scene (showing):

Helen held the floor-stand microphone with both hands. The piano player played the introduction hunched over the keyboard. Helen took a deep breath and sang with a soft breathy voice, her eyes closed until the refrain when her gaze swept the audience of strangers, all watching her. She sang three verses and smiled at the end without a bow. The crowd applauded. Paul approached Helen as she climbed down off the stage. “I wish I could sing like that,” Paul said. “I don’t have your ear for perfection.”

In scene action and showing should be the major portion of a literary story. But it is still true narrative telling, when condensed–and not as a vehicle for asides, and recall and reflection–can be useful to advance the story efficiently.

A) Narrative telling. (Quick, effective.)

The ship sank.

B) In-scene showing. (More story time, more engaging.)

The ocean liner listed, taking on water through the hole the torpedo made in her portside. The bridge shuddered from two explosions in the engine room, and as the crew struggled to release the lifeboats. And the bow disappeared beneath the surface first, soon followed by the hull.

The feeling of momentum must not be lost in a story. The key is learning how to write with action (see also Momentum).

Examples from A Story in Literary Fiction: A Manual for Writers.

Story examples with dramatic elements: Suchin’s Escape , The Miracle of Madame Villard , The Thirteen Nudes of Ernest Goings .

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3 thoughts on “ Drama ”

Life saver!!!! :)

Pingback: Assignment 3. Create a Literary Story » Literary Fiction Workshop

My work would not be possible withour your help.

Thank you so much, Rachel

101 Riveting Drama Story Prompts

Do you want to write a drama but need help conjuring compelling dramatic stories and concepts? Sometimes reading simple genre story prompts is the easiest way to get those creative juices flowing.

We get our ideas from many sources — news headlines, novels, television shows, movies, our lives, our fears, our phobias, etc. They can come from a scene or moment in a film that wasn’t fully explored. They can come from a single visual that entices the creative mind — a seed that continues to grow and grow until the writer is forced to finally put it to paper or screen.

They may inspire screenplays, novels, short stories, or even smaller moments that you can include in what stories you are already writing.

Read More: Dead Poets Society's Tom Schulman on How to Write an Oscar-Winning Drama

101 Drama Story Prompts

1. Long-lost twins find each other.

2. A father deals with the death of his whole family after a tragic accident.

3. A mother struggles with grief after losing her oldest child.

4. A recently divorced man returns to his hometown and reconnects with his childhood sweetheart.

5. A rich executive realizes the error of their ways and sells everything to travel the world.

6. A family discovers the truth about ancestors.

7. A father and son go on a safari to reconnect.

8. A family befriends a homeless person.

9. Parents learn that their college-age daughter has disappeared.

10. A man befriends the drunk driver who killed his parents.

11. A mother wants to realize her life-long dream and train for the Olympics.

12. A father is tasked with coaching his son's soccer team, even though he has never played the sport.

13. A teacher deals with returning to school after a mass shooting.

14. A group of teen friends decides to stop their partying ways after a friend dies after a party.

15. A little boy struggles to fit in with the kids living in his new neighborhood.

16. A family that loses everything in a fire must rebuild their lives.

17. A family must adjust to the PTSD of the father after returning home from war.

18. An estranged family is reunited.

19. The President of the United States and his family go incognito to live a normal life.

21. A group of friends goes on a quest to bury a time capsule after one of their own dies.

22. A family travels to the American Frontier to find their new home.

23. A star baseball recruit struggles to decide whether he should take a scholarship or go pro.

24. A teen comes out of the closet in the rural Midwest.

25. Siblings learn that their parents were Soviet Union-era, sleeper agents.

26. A family on a wilderness retreat takes in a wounded bank robber.

27. A rich and affluent family loses everything and must live in the ghetto.

28. A group of families decides to move out of the city and live in a commune, cut off from the corrupt society.

29. A family sells everything to buy a sailboat to sail around the world.

30. A family finds a wild wolf pup.

31. Siblings start a successful business after their parents lose their jobs.

32. Two brothers do everything they can to ensure that their family gets to keep their house.

33. Two sisters navigate the difficult world of teen angst as their parents navigate the difficult world of keeping up with the Joneses.

34. A family decides to buy their own island.

36. A racecar driver dies, and his family struggles with grief.

37. An African-American family escapes the crime-ridden ghetto and moves into the suburbs.

38. A woman travels the world in search of love.

39. A family on a canoe trip is whisked away down the Mississippi River during a horrible storm and flood.

40. Kids discover an underground mine shaft and are trapped within it.

41. A bullied boy struggles to stand up to the bullies that torment him.

42. A bullied girl struggles to stand up to the mean girls of the school.

43. A family must survive when their plane crashes.

44. A family is willed in an old castle.

45. Two divorcees meet in a diner as one waits for a bus.

46. A man and woman fall in love during a layover.

48. A town must survive the worst flood in history.

49. A lawyer goes up against the government.

50. Overwhelmed parents leave their kids home and go for an adult vacation.

51. A small farm family avoids the invading armies of World War III.

52. An outcast nerd decides to organize an alternative Prom for other outcasts.

53. An Asian-American teen living in the rural south struggles to realize his dream of becoming a country music singer.

54. Athletic siblings from a split home face up against each other in the state tournament.

55. A dog struggles to find the right human family.

56. Puppy siblings separated by pet adoption escape bad homes to find each other.

57. Siblings in an orphanage escape and find their beloved aunt and uncle.

58. Past prison cellmates find each other after thirty years.

59. A WWII veteran struggles to return to normal life.

60. Two groups of kids from rival gangs are forced to live together in a house.

61. A boy from a rich and spoiled family wants them to live without their mansion, belongings, and money for a year.

62. A rich boy and poor girl convince their families to switch places for a year.

63. A family sailing the ocean waters must overcome the worst hurricane in history.

64. A grief-stricken cop that killed a teen struggles to reconcile with the family.

65. A mentally-challenged student wants to make the football team.

66. A physically-challenged student wants to letter in every sport in high school.

68. A woman that spent 30 years in prison returns to her hometown.

69. A father struggles with becoming a stay-at-home dad.

70. A woman that grew up in a family of football star boys decides to become the high school football coach.

71.  A family struggling in life sell everything to move to Hawaii.

72. A local town bands together as miners are trapped in the local mine.

73. Parents deal with their son robbing a bank and being on the run.

74. A city family inherits a farm.

75. A riverboat captain and his children attempt the first trip down the Mississippi River.

76. Childhood friends have reunited after thirty years apart.

77. The son of a poor family struggles to attain a sports scholarship so he can go to college.

78. A teenage girl decides to join the football team.

79. A World War II-era family starts a minor league baseball team to uplift the town.

80. The high janitor that students make fun of is actually a war hero.

81. A family adopts a puppy after losing the family dog.

82. A family is tasked with going on a unique scavenger hunt at the behest of the grandpa's last will and testament.

83. A girl overwhelmed by middle school drama decides to be homeschooled.

85. Siblings mourn the death of their father and inherit his business.

86. A grumpy executive is forced to live with his family after a stroke.

87. A family must find each other after the worst earthquake in human history.

88. A family discovers that they are the descendants of Hitler.

89. A girl with Asperger's Syndrome befriends a horse.

90. A disgraced boxer begins to train youth boxers.

91. A disgraced professional baseball manager starts a baseball team of inner-city kids.

93. A stay-at-home mother deals with empty nest syndrome.

94. A successful female executive leaves her career to spend quality time with her husband and children.

95. A young student has a crush on their teacher.

96. Former middle school best friends decide to have an old school sleepover after they've all gone their separate ways in high school.

97. A Post Civil War-era Union soldier returns to his southern hometown.

98. A beloved school teacher loses his family as the community bands together to become his new family.

99. A mob boss goes into the witness protection program and struggles to adjust to life in the suburbs.

100. The life of a girl is told as she grows into an adult.

101. A family decides to move into a lighthouse and take on the daily duties within.

Share this with your writing peers or anyone that loves a good dramatic story. Have some prompts of your own? Let us know on Facebook and Twitter !

WANT MORE IDEAS? TAKE A LOOK AT OUR OTHER  STORY PROMPTS !

What entails a drama concept.

Drama can be best defined as a state, situation, or series of events involving interesting or intense conflict of forces. While other definitions can be found, this is best applied to the cinematic context of film and television.  Screenplays and teleplays focus on situations or series of events that involve interesting conflict — with the best kind of drama containing conflict that is intense and cathartic.  Conflict is everything in film and television. Without it, there is no story to tell. Nothing is interesting about a character that doesn't struggle in some way, shape, or form.

Drama is also recognized as a specific genre of storytelling featuring realistic characters forced to deal with true-to-life issues and conflicts.  Yes, there is drama found in superhero movies, spy thrillers, and suspenseful horror stories. However, a drama — as defined by genre definitions — is a story that is embedded explicitly within reality, often involving characters that audiences can identify with because the conflicts they face are everyday struggles.

Read More: The Single Difference Between Cinematic Drama and Melodrama

Please note: Because we’re all connected to the same pop culture, news headlines, and inspirations, any similarity to any past, present, or future screenplays, novels, short stories, television pilots, television series, plays, or any other creative works is purely coincidence. These story writing prompts were conceived on the fly without any research or Google search for inspiration.

Ken Miyamoto has worked in the film industry for nearly two decades, most notably as a studio liaison for Sony Studios and then as a script reader and story analyst for Sony Pictures.

He has many studio meetings under his belt as a produced screenwriter, meeting with the likes of Sony, Dreamworks, Universal, Disney, and Warner Brothers, as well as many production and management companies. He has had a previous development deal with Lionsgate, as well as multiple writing assignments, including the produced miniseries Blackout , starring Anne Heche, Sean Patrick Flanery, Billy Zane, James Brolin, Haylie Duff, Brian Bloom, Eric La Salle, and Bruce Boxleitner, the feature thriller Hunter’s Creed , and many Lifetime thrillers. Follow Ken on Twitter @KenMovies.

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75 Drama Writing Prompts To Spice Up Your Script

It's time to tap into the human experience..

Little Children

The drama genre captures the essence of life's trials and triumphs, inviting audiences and readers alike into worlds both vastly different and strikingly similar to their own.

The following drama writing prompts are designed to ignite the imagination of writers.

Check them out below.

75 Drama Writing Prompts

Creating drama writing prompts can be an engaging way to inspire stories filled with conflict, emotion, and character growth. Here are 75 prompts designed to spark your creativity, whether you're writing a play, screenplay, novel, or short story:

• A character discovers a hidden letter revealing a family secret.
• Two strangers are the only survivors of a plane crash in a remote area.
• A young lawyer takes on a case that challenges their moral compass.
• A forbidden romance between members of rival families.
• An ambitious artist struggles to balance their passion with personal responsibilities.
• A whistleblower faces the consequences of exposing corruption in a powerful corporation.
• A time traveler tries to prevent a historical tragedy, but falls in love with someone from the past.
• A group of friends on a remote camping trip uncover something sinister.
• A detective becomes too emotionally involved in a case.
• An immigrant's journey to build a new life while facing prejudice.
• A soldier returning home struggles with PTSD and reintegrating into society.
• A family is torn apart by a will that reveals unexpected conditions and secrets.
• A couple's marriage is tested when one of them is diagnosed with a terminal illness.
• A community is shaken by a series of mysterious disappearances.
• An athlete faces a career-ending injury and must find a new path in life.
• A politician's career is threatened by a scandal from their past.
• A scientist makes a breakthrough discovery that challenges ethical boundaries.
• An undercover agent gets too close to the criminal organization they're infiltrating.
• A child prodigy wrestles with expectations and their own desires.
• A person gains the ability to hear others' thoughts, uncovering more than they bargained for.
• A parent and child reconcile after years of estrangement.
• A heist gone wrong forces criminals to confront their own morality.
• A celebrity's fall from grace and their journey to redemption.
• A young adult must choose between familial duty and personal dreams.
• An ancient curse haunts a family generation after generation.
• A character faces a moral dilemma after finding a bag of money.
• A betrayal among friends leads to a web of lies and revenge.
• A natural disaster traps a group of characters, revealing their true selves.
• An aging athlete attempts a comeback against all odds.
• A character is accused of a crime they didn't commit.
• A couple adopting a child faces unexpected challenges.
• A rivalry between two chefs in a high-stakes culinary competition.
• A survivor of a cult struggles to adjust to normal life.
• A character receives a heart transplant and begins to take on the traits of the donor.
• An actor's obsession with a role leads to blurred lines between fiction and reality.
• A character embarks on a quest to find a lost parent.
• A dystopian society where emotions are forbidden.
• A small town's dark secrets are uncovered by a new arrival.
• A character must navigate the dangerous world of organized crime to protect their family.
• A magical realism story where a character can see the future but cannot change it.
• A journalist fights to expose the truth in a corrupt society.
• A character struggles with addiction and the journey to recovery.
• A forbidden love story set in a futuristic society.
• A story of survival in a post-apocalyptic world.
• A family's generational curse comes to a head with the youngest member.
• A character's life changes after swapping bodies with a stranger.
• A person tries to rebuild their life after losing everything.
• A tale of revenge between two powerful families.
• A character discovers they are part of a government experiment.
• A love triangle with a supernatural twist.
• An artist finds a mysterious painting that holds the key to their past.
• A character must choose between love and duty.
• A story exploring the complexities of identity and gender.
• A group of survivors on a deserted island uncover a mystery.
• A ghost seeking to resolve unfinished business in the living world.
• A political thriller set in a volatile regime.
• A character becomes entangled in the world of espionage.
• A forbidden relationship challenges societal norms.
• A family is haunted by a tragic event from their past.
• A story of redemption for a character who has lost their way.
• A rivalry between two magicians becomes dangerously intense.
• A journey through a fantastical land to break a curse.
• A character must save their sibling from a cult.
• A prophecy foretells a great calamity, and characters must prevent it.
• A story of friendship tested by a moral dilemma.
• An exploration of the impact of technology on human relationships.
• A character is forced to confront their past when an old friend reappears.
• A rivalry turns into an unexpected partnership to overcome a common enemy.
• A person must navigate the complexities of a polyamorous relationship.
• A character's ability to manipulate dreams becomes a curse.
• A small town detective uncovers a national conspiracy.
• A character is reincarnated with memories of their past life, affecting their present.
• A historical drama about a revolution that changes the fate of a nation.
• A character faces discrimination while trying to reveal their true identity.
• A tale of sacrifice, where a character must give up something precious for the greater good.

These prompts can serve as a foundation for stories that explore deep emotional truths, challenge societal norms, and capture the complexities of the human condition.

Feel free to adapt and combine prompts to create unique and compelling narratives.

Now, go get writing before your estranged uncle reveals a tragic secret about your family heritage.

• 10 Writing Prompts in the Film Noir Genre ›
• Check Out Our Creative Screenwriting Exercises, Character, and Dialogue Prompts ›
• 100+ All New Screenwriting Prompts To Start Your Engines ›
• 140 Creative Writing Prompts For Adults - Learn Squibler ›
• Best Dramatic Writing Prompts of 2023 ›
• 101 Riveting Drama Story Prompts - ScreenCraft ›

Learn the Secrets of Perfecting Parody with 'Challengers' Spoof "Putters"

Shane barbera breaks down the art and craft of parodying summer's favorite tennis throuple..

It goes without saying that Challengers took the world by storm with it's take on hot people playing tennis and kissing. The tennis? The sexual tension? The banger score? The tennis ? We love Challengers , but it goes without saying it would be way funnier if instead of tennis, our favorite throuple played mini golf instead.

Lucky for the world, we have "Putters".

Shane Barbera's Challengers parody not only perfectly goofs Luca Guadagnino's horny masterpiece with a razor sharp sardonic tone, but also goes the extra mile to do so with some impressive artsy behind the camera. Like any great parody, the jokes sell bigger when the filmmaking at their heart is skillful.

Below, we chat with Shane about his process making "Putters", as well as the art and craft of parody. Check it out, and then watch "Putters" for yourself below the below. But you have to read first! I'll be watching...

Editor's note: the following interview is edited for length and clarity.

NFS Interviews "Putters" Creator Shane Barbera 

No Film School: What are some of the general challenges of writing parody?

Shane Barbera: I think a challenge of writing parody is making fun of the source material without the parody becoming completely derivative.

A good parody can stand on it’s own, either telling a new story, or retelling the story in an original way. In "Putters" I largely do this with a completely unrelated b-story about the birth of the universe through the end of civilization. It parodies the time-jumps from Challengers in an outlandish way, while telling a new story that wasn’t at all present in Challengers .

When I sent my rough cut out for notes from friends, a few suggested I lose the b-story and just make it a pure Challengers parody. For me, that b-story in the film made it uniquely my voice and not an obvious parody that anyone could make.

Another challenge of writing parody falls on the opposite end of the spectrum,—making sure that you acutely make fun of specific flagship moments in the subject of your parody. I only watched Challengers once in a theater on a date, and we were making out for probably 20 percent of the film. I think paying less attention might have actually helped because my memory captured the big moments that probably everyone remembers and not the other minutia.

When I decided I was going to write a parody of Challengers , the writing process was about six days long. The first four days I was ruminating on what jokes and scenes I wanted to hit, jotting notes down as I went about my day. The actual typing of the screenplay I did over two days. I wrote it while concurrently reading the Challengers ' screenplay to make sure I was hitting all the major beats in the right order. The timeline of Challengers jumps all over the place, so it’s easy to forget the order of events.

NFS: The filmmaking is perfectly sarcastic in tone while still honoring Challengers. What was that process like?

Barbera: My take on Challengers is that the cinematography, soundtrack, and editing are amazing. As a filmmaker, Challengers was a really fun movie to parody because I could be really creative with the cinematography and editing.

The final scene of Challengers is especially creative and was the key scene I felt I needed to ace—the ball’s perspective, the time-ramps, the final jump-hug moment. I made sure to recreate all of these moments in "Putters".

In terms of the story of Challengers , it’s a little soapy and melodramatic, but it’s not a completely cookie cutter love triangle story. It’s a bisexual love triangle, and I feel like you don’t see that a lot in films. That makes it interesting. There are undertones in the film that the true romance is between the two men. I parody that in "Putters" by making the two men overtly into each other and pushing the woman away.

When it comes to parodying the characters of Challengers , I took each of their core attributes and heightened them a lot. In Challengers Art is a bit of a cuck, Patrick is a fuckboy, and Tashi is cold and aggressive. I especially heightened the Tashi character in "Putters". She’s fully a middle school bully, whipping out wedgies, copy-cat mocking people, etc.

Another key component of Challengers is that it’s sexy . Sexy tennis. Hot people, dripping sweat, grunting and moaning, all hooking up with each other. Mapping that onto mini golf is ridiculous and fun and easy laughs. A dinky family recreational activity but now it’s sexy and intense? Yes please.

"Putters"

NFS: Love the dino and future time jumps. Was that AI? It was integrated perfectly, so curious to hear more about the method.

Barbera: All the extreme time jumps to the past and future in the film were made with stock footage I got from Motion Array.

I searched for stock footage as I was writing the script, and wrote those parts of the script around the stock footage I was able to find. For instance, I knew I wanted a post-apocalyptic future scene, and while I was looking for stock footage of that I found a bunch of dancing skeleton videos.

Once I saw that there was no going back.

NFS: How many times did you watch Challengers to get the perfect cadence and shot refs to replicate?

Barbera: I only watched Challengers once, in a theater on a date, and was paying more attention to the date than the film a good chunk of the time. But when I buckled down to create this parody, I rewatched a lot of clips from the film on YouTube, specifically the opening (I do a shot for shot match of the opening in "Putters"). I also watched back the hotel scene, the ending, and the trailer.

The cinematography and editing of the Challengers ending is so unique and creative, it was one of the main things that made me want to parody this film and take a stab at replicating that magic.

NFS: What are some of your common rules and instincts for writing, directing, and editing comedy?

Barbera: If it makes me laugh and smile a lot then I feel like I’m onto something. I keep a running notes file on my phone. Whenever something really funny happens that I think could be a comedy video, I write it down. I also generate a lot of comedic ideas from doing live improv comedy.

There’s probably endless different ways to make something funny, but some of the main ways I do it are (with examples from "Putters"):

Heightening to Absurdity:

• Tashi was cold and aggressive, now she’s a middle school bully.
• Challengers time jumps a lot, "Putters" time jumps to the Jurrasic period.

Juxtaposition:

• Mini golf is usually tame, now it’s intense and sexy.
• A mini golf romantic rivalry micro story juxtaposed with a macro story of the birth and death of the universe.
• Wiggling your putter against your golf ball before every putt.
• A future of dancing skeletons.

When it comes to directing comedy, I like the characters to feel real amidst absurd circumstances. I think the more serious and committed the characters are to their own personal truth, the more the audience will be invested in them, and the comedy can shine through. You need a status quo that can be disturbed by the comedic moments. If it’s all crazy all the time it’s just confusing, and confusion is a killer of comedy.

Editing comedy can be tricky. You spend so much time with the project that what was once funny to you now evokes no emotion whatsoever. I think you just need to have faith that if it was funny to you when you wrote it, filmed it, and first saw the footage, then it’s probably still funny to a new viewer. Then once you have a cut, share it with some friends to get a fresh pair of eyes on it for notes and feedback.

NFS: Any advice for aspiring alt comics making short films for the bones of the future?

Barbera: My advice would be to just keep making stuff. Consistency is key. If you can, find or create a community with fellow filmmakers to give yourself a deadline.

Here in LA, I use Sethward’s Show & Tell Screening Spectacular as a deadline to make new videos for. It’s a monthly backyard comedy screening that just had its 10 year anniversary. If you’re in LA, I’d highly recommend checking it out, if you’re not, I’d try to find or form something similar to it! Screening your films regularly is also a great way to get feedback and encouragement. I spent two months really burning myself out making "Putters" (I need to work on balance in my life and not always hyper-focusing on a project until it’s done), but screening it in front of a huge crowd that had a huge reaction to it, and getting lots of complements after the show, really made it feel like all the hard work was worth it. It gave me motivation to go do it again on the next project.

When you just throw your video up online you don’t really get to experience people’s reactions to it and it can be disheartening if it doesn’t get a lot of attention.

Anyway, moral of the story, keep making stuff. It’s the only way to improve as a filmmaker. From my experience, working as an assistant in the film industry will get you nowhere creatively and will eat up all your time and energy. I’d much rather not work in the film industry and be making my own projects than working in the industry but not making anything creative. And if you focus on making your own work, eventually someone in the industry will recognize your talent and give you a job. That’s what happened to me at least.

I’ve been working as a video editor for the past seven years, but I never sought out to become an editor. After working three years in various production assistant roles, I left LA and got a 9 to 5 job, and spent most of my free time making short films (the biggest of which was a parody of Stranger Things , called " Weirder Stuff "). Eventually a production company saw my work and gave me a chance as an editor for a week while one of their editors was out on vacation. They liked my work and kept me around, and I’ve been working as an editor ever since.

Watch "Putters" NOW

Keep up with all Shane's online stuff with this online info: YouTube: @shanebarbera | Instagram: @shanebarbera

| Website: www.shanebarbera.com

The 'Longlegs' Ending Explained

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• Knowledge Base
• How to write a literary analysis essay | A step-by-step guide

How to Write a Literary Analysis Essay | A Step-by-Step Guide

Published on January 30, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on August 14, 2023.

Literary analysis means closely studying a text, interpreting its meanings, and exploring why the author made certain choices. It can be applied to novels, short stories, plays, poems, or any other form of literary writing.

A literary analysis essay is not a rhetorical analysis , nor is it just a summary of the plot or a book review. Instead, it is a type of argumentative essay where you need to analyze elements such as the language, perspective, and structure of the text, and explain how the author uses literary devices to create effects and convey ideas.

Before beginning a literary analysis essay, it’s essential to carefully read the text and c ome up with a thesis statement to keep your essay focused. As you write, follow the standard structure of an academic essay :

• An introduction that tells the reader what your essay will focus on.
• A main body, divided into paragraphs , that builds an argument using evidence from the text.
• A conclusion that clearly states the main point that you have shown with your analysis.

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Table of contents

Step 1: reading the text and identifying literary devices, step 2: coming up with a thesis, step 3: writing a title and introduction, step 4: writing the body of the essay, step 5: writing a conclusion, other interesting articles.

The first step is to carefully read the text(s) and take initial notes. As you read, pay attention to the things that are most intriguing, surprising, or even confusing in the writing—these are things you can dig into in your analysis.

Your goal in literary analysis is not simply to explain the events described in the text, but to analyze the writing itself and discuss how the text works on a deeper level. Primarily, you’re looking out for literary devices —textual elements that writers use to convey meaning and create effects. If you’re comparing and contrasting multiple texts, you can also look for connections between different texts.

To get started with your analysis, there are several key areas that you can focus on. As you analyze each aspect of the text, try to think about how they all relate to each other. You can use highlights or notes to keep track of important passages and quotes.

Language choices

Consider what style of language the author uses. Are the sentences short and simple or more complex and poetic?

What word choices stand out as interesting or unusual? Are words used figuratively to mean something other than their literal definition? Figurative language includes things like metaphor (e.g. “her eyes were oceans”) and simile (e.g. “her eyes were like oceans”).

Also keep an eye out for imagery in the text—recurring images that create a certain atmosphere or symbolize something important. Remember that language is used in literary texts to say more than it means on the surface.

Narrative voice

Ask yourself:

• Who is telling the story?
• How are they telling it?

Is it a first-person narrator (“I”) who is personally involved in the story, or a third-person narrator who tells us about the characters from a distance?

Consider the narrator’s perspective . Is the narrator omniscient (where they know everything about all the characters and events), or do they only have partial knowledge? Are they an unreliable narrator who we are not supposed to take at face value? Authors often hint that their narrator might be giving us a distorted or dishonest version of events.

The tone of the text is also worth considering. Is the story intended to be comic, tragic, or something else? Are usually serious topics treated as funny, or vice versa ? Is the story realistic or fantastical (or somewhere in between)?

Consider how the text is structured, and how the structure relates to the story being told.

• Novels are often divided into chapters and parts.
• Poems are divided into lines, stanzas, and sometime cantos.
• Plays are divided into scenes and acts.

Think about why the author chose to divide the different parts of the text in the way they did.

There are also less formal structural elements to take into account. Does the story unfold in chronological order, or does it jump back and forth in time? Does it begin in medias res —in the middle of the action? Does the plot advance towards a clearly defined climax?

With poetry, consider how the rhyme and meter shape your understanding of the text and your impression of the tone. Try reading the poem aloud to get a sense of this.

In a play, you might consider how relationships between characters are built up through different scenes, and how the setting relates to the action. Watch out for  dramatic irony , where the audience knows some detail that the characters don’t, creating a double meaning in their words, thoughts, or actions.

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Your thesis in a literary analysis essay is the point you want to make about the text. It’s the core argument that gives your essay direction and prevents it from just being a collection of random observations about a text.

If you’re given a prompt for your essay, your thesis must answer or relate to the prompt. For example:

Essay question example

Is Franz Kafka’s “Before the Law” a religious parable?

Your thesis statement should be an answer to this question—not a simple yes or no, but a statement of why this is or isn’t the case:

Thesis statement example

Franz Kafka’s “Before the Law” is not a religious parable, but a story about bureaucratic alienation.

Sometimes you’ll be given freedom to choose your own topic; in this case, you’ll have to come up with an original thesis. Consider what stood out to you in the text; ask yourself questions about the elements that interested you, and consider how you might answer them.

Your thesis should be something arguable—that is, something that you think is true about the text, but which is not a simple matter of fact. It must be complex enough to develop through evidence and arguments across the course of your essay.

Say you’re analyzing the novel Frankenstein . You could start by asking yourself:

Your initial answer might be a surface-level description:

The character Frankenstein is portrayed negatively in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein .

However, this statement is too simple to be an interesting thesis. After reading the text and analyzing its narrative voice and structure, you can develop the answer into a more nuanced and arguable thesis statement:

Mary Shelley uses shifting narrative perspectives to portray Frankenstein in an increasingly negative light as the novel goes on. While he initially appears to be a naive but sympathetic idealist, after the creature’s narrative Frankenstein begins to resemble—even in his own telling—the thoughtlessly cruel figure the creature represents him as.

Remember that you can revise your thesis statement throughout the writing process , so it doesn’t need to be perfectly formulated at this stage. The aim is to keep you focused as you analyze the text.

Finding textual evidence

To support your thesis statement, your essay will build an argument using textual evidence —specific parts of the text that demonstrate your point. This evidence is quoted and analyzed throughout your essay to explain your argument to the reader.

It can be useful to comb through the text in search of relevant quotations before you start writing. You might not end up using everything you find, and you may have to return to the text for more evidence as you write, but collecting textual evidence from the beginning will help you to structure your arguments and assess whether they’re convincing.

To start your literary analysis paper, you’ll need two things: a good title, and an introduction.

Your title should clearly indicate what your analysis will focus on. It usually contains the name of the author and text(s) you’re analyzing. Keep it as concise and engaging as possible.

A common approach to the title is to use a relevant quote from the text, followed by a colon and then the rest of your title.

If you struggle to come up with a good title at first, don’t worry—this will be easier once you’ve begun writing the essay and have a better sense of your arguments.

“Fearful symmetry” : The violence of creation in William Blake’s “The Tyger”

The introduction

The essay introduction provides a quick overview of where your argument is going. It should include your thesis statement and a summary of the essay’s structure.

A typical structure for an introduction is to begin with a general statement about the text and author, using this to lead into your thesis statement. You might refer to a commonly held idea about the text and show how your thesis will contradict it, or zoom in on a particular device you intend to focus on.

Then you can end with a brief indication of what’s coming up in the main body of the essay. This is called signposting. It will be more elaborate in longer essays, but in a short five-paragraph essay structure, it shouldn’t be more than one sentence.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is often read as a crude cautionary tale about the dangers of scientific advancement unrestrained by ethical considerations. In this reading, protagonist Victor Frankenstein is a stable representation of the callous ambition of modern science throughout the novel. This essay, however, argues that far from providing a stable image of the character, Shelley uses shifting narrative perspectives to portray Frankenstein in an increasingly negative light as the novel goes on. While he initially appears to be a naive but sympathetic idealist, after the creature’s narrative Frankenstein begins to resemble—even in his own telling—the thoughtlessly cruel figure the creature represents him as. This essay begins by exploring the positive portrayal of Frankenstein in the first volume, then moves on to the creature’s perception of him, and finally discusses the third volume’s narrative shift toward viewing Frankenstein as the creature views him.

Some students prefer to write the introduction later in the process, and it’s not a bad idea. After all, you’ll have a clearer idea of the overall shape of your arguments once you’ve begun writing them!

If you do write the introduction first, you should still return to it later to make sure it lines up with what you ended up writing, and edit as necessary.

The body of your essay is everything between the introduction and conclusion. It contains your arguments and the textual evidence that supports them.

Paragraph structure

A typical structure for a high school literary analysis essay consists of five paragraphs : the three paragraphs of the body, plus the introduction and conclusion.

Each paragraph in the main body should focus on one topic. In the five-paragraph model, try to divide your argument into three main areas of analysis, all linked to your thesis. Don’t try to include everything you can think of to say about the text—only analysis that drives your argument.

In longer essays, the same principle applies on a broader scale. For example, you might have two or three sections in your main body, each with multiple paragraphs. Within these sections, you still want to begin new paragraphs at logical moments—a turn in the argument or the introduction of a new idea.

Robert’s first encounter with Gil-Martin suggests something of his sinister power. Robert feels “a sort of invisible power that drew me towards him.” He identifies the moment of their meeting as “the beginning of a series of adventures which has puzzled myself, and will puzzle the world when I am no more in it” (p. 89). Gil-Martin’s “invisible power” seems to be at work even at this distance from the moment described; before continuing the story, Robert feels compelled to anticipate at length what readers will make of his narrative after his approaching death. With this interjection, Hogg emphasizes the fatal influence Gil-Martin exercises from his first appearance.

Topic sentences

To keep your points focused, it’s important to use a topic sentence at the beginning of each paragraph.

A good topic sentence allows a reader to see at a glance what the paragraph is about. It can introduce a new line of argument and connect or contrast it with the previous paragraph. Transition words like “however” or “moreover” are useful for creating smooth transitions:

… The story’s focus, therefore, is not upon the divine revelation that may be waiting beyond the door, but upon the mundane process of aging undergone by the man as he waits.

Nevertheless, the “radiance” that appears to stream from the door is typically treated as religious symbolism.

This topic sentence signals that the paragraph will address the question of religious symbolism, while the linking word “nevertheless” points out a contrast with the previous paragraph’s conclusion.

Using textual evidence

A key part of literary analysis is backing up your arguments with relevant evidence from the text. This involves introducing quotes from the text and explaining their significance to your point.

It’s important to contextualize quotes and explain why you’re using them; they should be properly introduced and analyzed, not treated as self-explanatory:

It isn’t always necessary to use a quote. Quoting is useful when you’re discussing the author’s language, but sometimes you’ll have to refer to plot points or structural elements that can’t be captured in a short quote.

In these cases, it’s more appropriate to paraphrase or summarize parts of the text—that is, to describe the relevant part in your own words:

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The conclusion of your analysis shouldn’t introduce any new quotations or arguments. Instead, it’s about wrapping up the essay. Here, you summarize your key points and try to emphasize their significance to the reader.

A good way to approach this is to briefly summarize your key arguments, and then stress the conclusion they’ve led you to, highlighting the new perspective your thesis provides on the text as a whole:

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

• Ad hominem fallacy
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By tracing the depiction of Frankenstein through the novel’s three volumes, I have demonstrated how the narrative structure shifts our perception of the character. While the Frankenstein of the first volume is depicted as having innocent intentions, the second and third volumes—first in the creature’s accusatory voice, and then in his own voice—increasingly undermine him, causing him to appear alternately ridiculous and vindictive. Far from the one-dimensional villain he is often taken to be, the character of Frankenstein is compelling because of the dynamic narrative frame in which he is placed. In this frame, Frankenstein’s narrative self-presentation responds to the images of him we see from others’ perspectives. This conclusion sheds new light on the novel, foregrounding Shelley’s unique layering of narrative perspectives and its importance for the depiction of character.

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• Literary Terms

When & How to Write Drama

• Definition & Examples
• When & How to Write Drama

How to Write Drama

• Start with characters . The best dramas are usually character- driven. They have a cast of main characters (usually fewer than 10), plus a handful of supporting characters. These characters should all be very distinct from one another, and the main characters should be authentic and life-like. This way, the audience can relate to them and cares what happens to them.
• Introduce conflict. All stories revolve around conflict, and this is especially true in drama. The conflict could be anything – the simplest example is political conflict or war, but you might also have competing love interests, clashes in personality, or simply a struggle against misfortune.
• Don’t forget about comic relief. Unless you’re writing a tragedy (see section 6), there should be at least some amount of humor in your drama. Otherwise, the negative emotions will get overwhelming and the experience will be too unpleasant for the reader. Give a few funny lines to your characters, or add an amusing situation somewhere to cut the tension – just make sure that this comic relief arises naturally from the story and it doesn’t feel like you’re cramming it in.

When to Use Drama

Drama is great for a creative writing project. It offers opportunities to work on character development, story structure, and a whole other set of writing skills. Every once in a while, you may also find a place for drama in formal essays , but you have to be careful.

For example, history essays are often more enjoyable to read if you craft them with a “dramatic” eye – focusing on a small set of main characters, contrasting these characters and their various desires, and fully describing the conflict at the center of the story. These techniques, in combination with good research and persuasive logic, can turn a good essay into a great one. However, you do have to be careful – too much drama in a formal essay can start to seem distracting, and you don’t want to give the impression that you’re more committed to the entertainment value than to the research and analysis.

List of Terms

• Alliteration
• Amplification
• Anachronism
• Anthropomorphism
• Antonomasia
• APA Citation
• Aposiopesis
• Autobiography
• Bildungsroman
• Characterization
• Circumlocution
• Cliffhanger
• Comic Relief
• Connotation
• Deus ex machina
• Deuteragonist
• Doppelganger
• Double Entendre
• Dramatic irony
• Equivocation
• Extended Metaphor
• Figures of Speech
• Flash-forward
• Foreshadowing
• Intertextuality
• Juxtaposition
• Literary Device
• Malapropism
• Onomatopoeia
• Parallelism
• Pathetic Fallacy
• Personification
• Point of View
• Polysyndeton
• Protagonist
• Red Herring
• Rhetorical Device
• Rhetorical Question
• Science Fiction
• Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
• Synesthesia
• Turning Point
• Understatement
• Urban Legend
• Verisimilitude
• Essay Guide
• Cite This Website

Definition of Drama

Types of drama,  american drama and the postmodernism, dramatic sentences – use of drama in sentences, examples of drama in literature, example #1: much ado about nothing (by william shakespeare), example #2: oedipus rex (by sophocles), example #3: the importance of being earnest (by oscar wilde), example #4: the heiress (by henry james), function of drama, synonyms of drama, post navigation.

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11 Literature (including fiction, drama, poetry, and prose)

Essential Questions for Literature

• How is literature like life?
• What is literature supposed to do?
• What influences a writer to create?
• How does literature reveal the values of a given culture or time period?
• How does the study of fiction and nonfiction texts help individuals construct their understanding of reality?
• In what ways are all narratives influenced by bias and perspective?
• Where does the meaning of a text reside? Within the text, within the reader, or in the transaction that occurs between them?
• What can a reader know about an author’s intentions based only on a reading of the text?
• What are enduring questions and conflicts that writers (and their cultures) grappled with hundreds of years ago and are still relevant today?
• How do we gauge the optimism or pessimism of a particular time period or particular group of writers?
• Why are there universal themes in literature–that is, themes that are of interest or concern to all cultures and societies?
• What are the characteristics or elements that cause a piece of literature to endure?
• What is the purpose of: science fiction? satire? historical novels, etc.?
• How do novels, short stories, poetry, etc. relate to the larger questions of philosophy and humanity?
• How we can use literature to explain or clarify our own ideas about the world?
• How does what we know about the world shape the stories we tell?
• How do the stories we tell about the world shape the way we view ourselves?
• How do our personal experiences shape our view of others?
• What does it mean to be an insider or an outsider?
• Are there universal themes in literature that are of interest or concern to all cultures and societies?
• What is creativity and what is its importance for the individual / the culture?
• What are the limits, if any, of freedom of speech?

Defining Literature

Literature, in its broadest sense, is any written work. Etymologically, the term derives from Latin  litaritura / litteratura  “writing formed with letters,” although some definitions include spoken or sung texts. More restrictively, it is writing that possesses literary merit. Literature can be classified according to whether it is fiction or non-fiction and whether it is poetry or prose. It can be further distinguished according to major forms such as the novel, short story or drama, and works are often categorized according to historical periods or their adherence to certain aesthetic features or expectations (genre).

Taken to mean only written works, literature was first produced by some of the world’s earliest civilizations—those of Ancient Egypt and Sumeria—as early as the 4th millennium BC; taken to include spoken or sung texts, it originated even earlier, and some of the first written works may have been based on a pre-existing oral tradition. As urban cultures and societies developed, there was a proliferation in the forms of literature. Developments in print technology allowed for literature to be distributed and experienced on an unprecedented scale, which has culminated in the twenty-first century in electronic literature.

Definitions of literature have varied over time.  In Western Europe prior to the eighteenth century, literature as a term indicated all books and writing. [1]   A more restricted sense of the term emerged during the Romantic period, in which it began to demarcate “imaginative” literature. [2]

 Contemporary debates over what constitutes literature can be seen as returning to the older, more inclusive notion of what constitutes literature. Cultural studies, for instance, takes as its subject of analysis both popular and minority genres, in addition to canonical works. [3]

Major Forms

A calligram by Guillaume Apollinaire. These are a type of poem in which the written words are arranged in such a way to produce a visual image.

Poetry is a form of literary art that uses aesthetic and rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meanings in addition to, or in place of, prosaic ostensible meaning (ordinary intended meaning). Poetry has traditionally been distinguished from prose by its being set in verse; [4]  prose is cast in sentences, poetry in lines; the syntax of prose is dictated by meaning, whereas that of poetry is held across metre or the visual aspects of the poem. [5]

Prior to the nineteenth century, poetry was commonly understood to be something set in metrical lines; accordingly, in 1658 a definition of poetry is “any kind of subject consisting of Rythm or Verses”. [6]  Possibly as a result of Aristotle’s influence (his  Poetics ), “poetry” before the nineteenth century was usually less a technical designation for verse than a normative category of fictive or rhetorical art. [7]  As a form it may pre-date literacy, with the earliest works being composed within and sustained by an oral tradition; [8]  hence it constitutes the earliest example of literature.

Prose is a form of language that possesses ordinary syntax and natural speech rather than rhythmic structure; in which regard, along with its measurement in sentences rather than lines, it differs from poetry. [9]  On the historical development of prose, Richard Graff notes that ”

Novel : a long fictional prose narrative.

Novella :The novella exists between the novel and short story; the publisher Melville House classifies it as “too short to be a novel, too long to be a short story.” [10]

Short story : a dilemma in defining the “short story” as a literary form is how to, or whether one should, distinguish it from any short narrative. Apart from its distinct size, various theorists have suggested that the short story has a characteristic subject matter or structure; [11]   these discussions often position the form in some relation to the novel. [12]

Drama is literature intended for performance. [13]

Leitch  et al. ,  The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism , 28  ↵

Ross, “The Emergence of “Literature”: Making and Reading the English Canon in the Eighteenth Century,” 406 & Eagleton,  Literary theory: an introduction , 16  ↵

“POETRY, N.”.  OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY . OUP. RETRIEVED 13 FEBRUARY 2014. (subscription required)  ↵

Preminger,  The New Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics , 938–9  ↵

Ross, “The Emergence of “Literature”: Making and Reading the English Canon in the Eighteenth Century”, 398  ↵

FINNEGAN, RUTH H. (1977). ORAL POETRY: ITS NATURE, SIGNIFICANCE, AND SOCIAL CONTEXT. INDIANA UNIVERSITY PRESS. P. 66. & MAGOUN, JR., FRANCIS P. (1953). “ORAL-FORMULAIC CHARACTER OF ANGLO-SAXON NARRATIVE POETRY”.SPECULUM 28 (3): 446–67. DOI:10.2307/2847021  ↵

Preminger,  The New Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics , 938–9 &Alison Booth; Kelly J. Mays. “Glossary: P”. LitWeb , the Norton Introduction to Literature Studyspace . Retrieved 15 February 2014.   ↵

Antrim, Taylor (2010). “In Praise of Short”. The Daily Beast. Retrieved 15 February 2014.  ↵

ROHRBERGER, MARY; DAN E. BURNS (1982). “SHORT FICTION AND THE NUMINOUS REALM: ANOTHER ATTEMPT AT DEFINITION”.  MODERN FICTION STUDIES . XXVIII (6). & MAY, CHARLES (1995).  THE SHORT STORY. THE REALITY OF ARTIFICE . NEW YORK: TWAIN.  ↵

Marie Louise Pratt (1994). Charles May, ed.  The Short Story: The Long and the Short of It . Athens: Ohio UP.  ↵

Elam, Kier (1980).  The Semiotics of Theatre and Drama . London and New York: Methuen. p. 98.ISBN 0-416-72060-9.  ↵

LICENSES AND ATTRIBUTIONS CC LICENSED CONTENT, SHARED PREVIOUSLY

Literature. Provided by: Wikipedia. Located at:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literature#cite_note-44 . License:  CC BY-SA: Attribution- ShareAlike

PUBLIC DOMAIN CONTENT: Image of man formed by words. Authored by: Guillaume Apollinaire. Located at:  https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Calligramme.jpg . License:  Public Domain: No Known Copyright

Listen to this Discussion of the poetry of Harris Khalique . You might want to take a look at the transcript as you listen.

The first half of a 2008 reading featuring four Latino poets, as part of the American Perspectives series at the Art Institute of Chicago.

Listen to poetry reading of Francisco Aragón and Brenda Cárdenas

Listen to this conversation with Allison Hedge Coke, Linda Hogan and Sherwin Bitsui . You might want to look at the transcript as you listen. In this program, we hear a conversation among three Native American poets: Allison Hedge Coke, Linda Hogan and Sherwin Bitsui. Allison Hedge Coke grew up listening to her Father’s traditional stories as she moved from Texas to North Carolina to Canada and the Great Plains. She is the author of several collections of poetry and the memoir, Rock, Ghost, Willow, Deer. She has worked as a mentor with Native Americans and at-risk youth, and is currently a Professor of Poetry and Writing at the University of Nebraska, Kearney. Linda Hogan is a prolific poet, novelist and essayist. Her work is imbued with an indigenous sense of history and place, while it explores environmental, feminist and spiritual themes. A former professor at the University of Colorado, she is currently the Chickasaw Nation’s Writer in Residence. She lives in Oklahoma, where she researches and writes about Chickasaw history, mythology and ways of life. Sherwin Bitsui grew up on the Navajo reservation in Arizona. He speaks Dine, the Navajo language and participates in ceremonial activities. His poetry has a sense of the surreal, combining images of the contemporary urban culture, with Native ritual and myth.

Remember to return to the essential questions. Can expand on any of your answers to these questions? You might want to research these poets.

Chris Abani : Stories from Africa

In this deeply personal talk, Nigerian writer Chris Abani says that “what we know about how to be who we are” comes from stories. He searches for the heart of Africa through its poems and narrative, including his own.

Listen to Isabel Allende’s Ted Talk

As a novelist and memoirist, Isabel Allende writes of passionate lives, including her own. Born into a Chilean family with political ties, she went into exile in the United States in the 1970s—an event that, she believes, created her as a writer. Her voice blends sweeping narrative with touches of magical realism; her stories are romantic, in the very best sense of the word. Her novels include The House of the Spirits, Eva Luna and The Stories of Eva Luna, and her latest, Maya’s Notebook and Ripper. And don’t forget her adventure trilogy for young readers— City of the Beasts, Kingdom of the Golden Dragon and Forest of the Pygmies.

As a memoirist, she has written about her vision of her lost Chile, in My Invented Country, and movingly tells the story of her life to her own daughter, in Paula. Her book Aphrodite: A Memoir of the Senses memorably linked two sections of the bookstore that don’t see much crossover: Erotica and Cookbooks. Just as vital is her community work: The Isabel Allende Foundation works with nonprofits in the San Francisco Bay Area and Chile to empower and protect women and girls—understanding that empowering women is the only true route to social and economic justice.

You can read excerpts of her books online here: https://www.isabelallende.com/en/books

Read her musings. Why does she write? https://www.isabelallende.com/en/musings

You might choose to read one of her novels.

Listen to Novelist Chimamanda Adichie . She speaks about how our lives, our cultures, are composed of many overlapping stories. She tells the story of how she found her authentic cultural voice — and warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding.

One Hundred Years of Solitu de

Gabriel García Márquez’s novel “One Hundred Years of Solitude” brought Latin American literature to the forefront of the global imagination and earned García Márquez the 1982 Nobel Prize for Literature. What makes the novel so remarkable? Francisco Díez-Buzo investigates.

Answer these questions as you listen:

How many generations of the Buendía family are in One Hundred Years of Solitude?

In what year did Gabriel García Marquez start writing One Hundred Years of Solitude?

Who inspired the style of One Hundred Years of Solitude?

A Colonel Aureliano Buendía

B Gabriel García Márquez

C Nicolás Ricardo Márquez

D Doña Tranquilina Iguarán Cotes

Which real-life event is almost directly represented in the novel?

A The Banana Massacre of 1928

B The Venezuelan coup d’état of 1958

C The Thousand Days’ War

D The bogotazo

What is the name of the town where the novel is set?

A Aracataca

Please explain how One Hundred Years of Solitude exemplifies the genre of magical realism.

What were the key influences in García Márquez’s life that helped inspire One Hundred Years of Solitude?

The narrative moves in a particular shape. What is that shape? How is that shape created?

Gabriel García Márquez was a writer and journalist who recorded the haphazard political history of Latin American life through his fiction. He was a part of a literary movement called the  Latin American “boom ,” which included writers like Peru’s Mario Vargas Llosa, Argentina’s Julio Cortázar, and Mexico’s Carlos Fuentes. Almost all of these writers  incorporated aspects of magical realism in their work . Later authors, such as Isabel Allende and Salman Rushdie, would carry on and adapt the genre to the cultural and historical experiences of other countries and continents. García Máruqez hadn’t always planned on being a writer, but a pivotal moment in Colombia’s—and Latin America’s—history changed all that. In 1948, when García Márquez was a law student in Bogotá,  Jorge Eliécer Gaítan , a prominent radical populist leader of Colombia’s Liberal Party, was assassinated. This happened while the U.S. Secretary of State George Marshall brought together leaders from across the Americas to create the  Organization of American States  (OAS) and to build a hemisphere-wide effort against communism. In the days after the assassination, massive riots, now called the  bogotazo , occurred. The worst Colombian civil war to date, known as  La Violencia ,  also broke out. Another law student, visiting from Cuba, was deeply affected by Eliécer Gaítan’s death. This student’s name was Fidel Castro. Interestingly, García Márquez and Castro—both socialists—would  become close friends later on in life , despite not meeting during these tumultuous events. One Hundred Years of Solitude ’s success almost didn’t happen, but this  article  from  Vanity Fair  helps explain how a long-simmering idea became an international sensation. When Gabriel García Márquez won the Nobel Prize in 1982, he gave a  lecture  that helped illuminate the plights that many Latin Americans faced on a daily basis. Since then, that lecture has also helped explain the political and social critiques deeply embedded in his novels. It was famous for being an indigenous overview of how political violence became entrenched in Latin America during the Cold War.In an  interview  with the  New Left Review , he discussed a lot of the inspirations for his work, as well as his political beliefs.

Don Quixote

Mounting his skinny steed, Don Quixote charges an army of giants. It is his duty to vanquish these behemoths in the name of his beloved lady, Dulcinea. There’s only one problem: the giants are merely windmills. What is it about this tale of the clumsy yet valiant knight that makes it so beloved? Ilan Stavans investigates.

Why do Don Quixote and Sancho Panza work well together?

A They eat at strange times of the day

B They are impatient

C They like to dance together

D Their characters complement each other

Why does Don Quixote want to fix the world?

A He is a knight who believes in social justice

B He reads many books

C He doesn’t have any friends

D He loves toys

Why is Don Quixote’s love for Dulcinea described as “platonic”?

A Plato is their matchmaker

B They love Greek philosophy

C They want material fortune

D It’s purely spiritual

Why is Cervantes’s book described as “the first modern novel”?

A It was originally adapted to television

B The characters evolve throughout the story

C Cervantes only wrote poetry before

D It refers to technological advances

What does the term “quixotic” mean?

B A person without money

C An old man

D A dreamer

In what ways do Don Quixote and Sancho Panza change as the plot progresses?

Is it possible to count the total number of days that pass during their journey?

In what ways does their journey reveal the changes that 17th-century Spain is also undergoing?

Interested in exploring the world of  Don Quixote ? Check out  this translation  of the thrill-seeking classic. To learn more about  Don Quixote ’s rich cultural history, click  here . In  this interview , the educator shares his inspiration behind his book  Quixote: The Novel and the World . The travails of  Don Quixote ’s protagonist were heavily shaped by real-world events in 17th-century Spain. This  article  provides detailed research on what, exactly, happened during that time.

Midnight’s Children

It begins with a countdown. A woman goes into labor as the clock ticks towards midnight. Across India, people wait for the declaration of independence after nearly 200 years of British rule. At the stroke of midnight, an infant and two new nations are born in perfect synchronicity. These events form the foundation of “Midnight’s Children.” Iseult Gillespie explores Salman Rushdie’s dazzling novel.

Saleem Sinai’s birth coincides with:

A The invasion of India by the British

B The end of British occupation and the creation of two new nations, India and Pakistan

C The death of his mother

D His discovery of magic powers

Midnight’s Children is set over the course of:

A About thirty years of Saleem’s life

B A single day in Saleem’s life

C The duration of British occupation

D About thirty years of Saleem’s life, as well as flashbacks to before he was born

Saleem is the only person in the book with magic powers

Saleem has powers of

A Telepathy

B Shape shifting

C Predicting the future

Midnight’s Children is full of cultural references, including

A 1001 Nights

D Mythology

E All of the above

List some of the historical events that are part of the plot of Midnight’s Children

Why is Midnight’s Children a work of postcolonial literature? Describe some of the features of postcolonial literature.

In addition to being a work of postcolonial literature, Midnight’s Children is considered a key work of magical realism. Why do you think this is? What are some of the features of the book that could classify as magical realism?

Midnight’s Children filters epic and complex histories through one man’s life. What are the benefits of fictionalizing history in this way? What do you think he is trying to tell us about the way we process our past? Can history be as much of a narrative construct as fiction?

At the stroke of midnight, the first gasp of a newborn syncs with the birth of two new nations. These simultaneous events are at the center of Midnight’s Children, a dazzling novel about the state of modern India by the British-Indian author  Salman Rushdie . You can listen to an interview with Rushdie discussing the novel  here . The chosen baby is Saleem Sinai, who narrates the novel from a pickle factory in 1977. As  this article  argues, much of the beauty of the narrative lies in Rushdie’s ability to weave the personal into the political in surprising ways. Saleem’s narrative leaps back in time, to trace his family history from 1915 on. The family tree is blossoming with bizarre scenes, including clandestine courtships, babies swapped at birth, and cryptic prophecies. For a detailed interactive timeline of the historical and personal events threaded through the novel,  click here . However, there’s one trait that can’t be explained by genes alone – Saleem has magic powers, and they’re somehow related to the time of his birth. For an overview of the use of magical realism and astonishing powers in Mignight’s Children,  click here. Saleem recounts a new nation, flourishing and founding after almost a century of British rule. For more information on the dark history of British occupation of India,  visit this page. The vast historical frame is one reason why Midnight’s Children is considered one of the most illuminating works of  postcolonial literature  ever written. This genre typically addresses life in formerly colonized countries, and explores the fallout through themes like revolution, migration, and identity. Postcolonial literature also deals with the search for agency and authenticity in the wake of imposed foreign rule. Midnight’s Children reflects these concerns with its explosive combination of Eastern and Western references. On the one hand, it’s been compared to the sprawling novels of Charles Dickens or George Elliot, which also offer a panoramic vision of society paired with tales of personal development. But Rushdie radically disrupts this formula by adding Indian cultural references, magic and myth. Saleem writes the story by night, and narrates it back to his love interest, Padma. This echoes the frame for  1001 Nights , a collection of Middle Eastern folktales told by Scheherazade every night to her lover – and as Saleem reminds us, 1001 is “the number of night, of magic, of alternative realities.” Saleem spends a lot of the novel attempting to account for the unexpected. But he often gets thoroughly distracted and goes on astonishing tangents, telling dirty jokes or mocking his enemies. With his own powers of telepathy, Saleem forges connections between other children of midnight; including a boy who can step through time and mirrors, and a child who changes their gender when immersed in water. There’s other flashes of magic throughout, from a mother who can see into dreams to witchdoctors, shapeshifters, and many more. For an overview of the dazzling reference points of the novel,  visit this page . Sometimes, all this is like reading a rollercoaster: Saleem sometimes narrates separate events all at once, refers to himself in the first and third person in the space of a single sentence, or uses different names for one person. And Padma is always interrupting, urging him to get to the point or exclaiming at his story’s twists and turns. This mind-bending approach has garnered continuing fascination and praise. Not only did Midnight’s Children win the prestigious Man Booker prize in its year of publication,  but it was named the best of all the winners in 2008 . For an interview about Rushdie’s outlook and processed,  click here. All this gives the narrative a breathless quality, and brings to life an entire society surging through political upheaval without losing sight of the marvels of individual lives. But even as he depicts the cosmological consequences of a single life, Rushdie questions the idea that we can ever condense history into a single narrative.

Tom Elemas : The Inspiring Truth in Fiction

What do we lose by choosing non-fiction over fiction? For Tomas Elemans, there’s an important side effect of reading fiction: empathy — a possible antidote to a desensitized world filled with tragic news and headlines.

What is empathy? How does story-telling create empathy? What stories trigger empathy in you? What is narrative immersion? Are we experiencing an age of narcissism? What might be some examples of narcissism? What connection does Tom Elemans make to individualism?

Ann Morgan: My year reading a book from every country in the world

Ann Morgan considered herself well read — until she discovered the “massive blindspot” on her bookshelf. Amid a multitude of English and American authors, there were very few books from beyond the English-speaking world. So she set an ambitious goal: to read one book from every country in the world over the course of a year. Now she’s urging other Anglophiles to read translated works so that publishers will work harder to bring foreign literary gems back to their shores. Explore interactive maps of her reading journey here: go.ted.com/readtheworld

Her blog: Check out my blog (http://ayearofreadingtheworld.com/), where you can find a complete list of the books I read, and what I learned along the way.

Jacqueline Woodson: What reading slowly taught me about writing

Reading slowly — with her finger running beneath the words, even when she was taught not to — has led Jacqueline Woodson to a life of writing books to be savored. In a lyrical talk, she invites us to slow down and appreciate stories that take us places we never thought we’d go and introduce us to people we never thought we’d meet. “Isn’t that what this is all about — finding a way, at the end of the day, to not feel alone in this world, and a way to feel like we’ve changed it before we leave?” she asks.

Introduction to Humanities II Copyright © by loribethlarsenclcmnedu is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Essays About Drama: Top 5 Examples and 5 Prompts

The word drama covers many meanings and subjects; if you are writing essays about drama, discover our guide with interesting essay examples and writing prompts featured here.

What is drama to you? Many know it as a situation or event in which emotions run high. For others, the grand, intricate stage plays of Shakespeare and others of his time come to mind. Regardless, these and all other definitions of drama share one thing in common: emotion.

In all its forms, from theatre to television to cinema to even day-to-day interaction, drama is always centered around emotion, tension, and conflict- things we experience daily. Drama is, quite literally, our life, complete with all its imperfections, troubles, twists, and turns. 

For help with your essays, check out our round-up of the best essay checkers

1. The History of Drama by Homer Stewart

2. why the news is not the truth by peter vanderwicken, 3. drama reflection essay (author unknown), 4. kitchen sink dramas by rodolfo chandler, 5. love yourself, not your drama by crystal jackson, 6. shakespeare’s theater: an essay from the folger shakespeare editions by barbara mowat and paul werstine, 1. what is drama, 2. types of drama, 3. the history of drama, 4. is the world over-dramatized today, 5. a dramatic incident of the past.

“Perhaps the most theatrical form of drama was opera which is still popular in today’s society. Broadway is certainly a sight that attracts thousands of people annually. In addition, the playwrights of today are striving to make the theatrical experience meaningful to the lives of viewers so that it is not just simply “pleasant entertainment”. Many themes that drama plays in modern times focus on are social problems, tragedies involving the elements of love and hate and as well as social problems that affect the inhabitants of today.”

Stewart gives readers a brief history of drama and its subjects. In different eras, the plays were based around themes and ideas prevalent in those times; for example, the Romantic Period focused on the “experiences of ordinary people.” He also references several playwrights, including Friedrich von Schiller and Percy Bysshe Shelley. In modern times, drama is centered around critical social issues while still managing to be engaging and entertaining.

“Pulitzer turned them into stories with a sharp dramatic focus that both implied and aroused intense public interest. Most newspapers of the time looked like the front page of the Wall Street Journal still does. Pulitzer made stories dramatic by adding blaring headlines, big pictures, and eye-catching graphics. His journalism took events out of their dry, institutional contexts and made them emotional rather than rational, immediate rather than considered, and sensational rather than informative.”

Vanderwicken criticizes the state of news today, saying that many stories are dramatized and outright fabricated to make them more entertaining. He attributes this to Joseph Pulitzer of Pulitzer Prize fame, who introduced He also gives historical examples of instances where the media has exaggerated – news today is too dramatic, and it must change.

You might also be interested in these essays about Macbeth .

“I felt that this learning experience is a very huge step because it takes us from doing a play which is very immature in to something that is big and has maturity in it. It helps me to practice in fluency, public speaking and mostly self-confidence. In the play I developed my ways of acting and how to put emotions in to the character, in which those emotions were not really me.”

This essay describes lessons one can learn from performing drama, such as confidence and speaking fluently. The author also reflects on an experience performing in drama, where the author learned to be more expressive, speak better, and become more hardworking. There is also a brief discussion on the elements of drama, including plot and setting. Drama is important and can teach you essential skills and lessons. 

“In the late 1950s in Britain, the “Kitchen Sink movement”, which is also known as “Kitchen Sink realism” occurred. This cultural movement stemed from ideas about working class activities. A typical writer of kitchen sink dramas is John Osborne, for example his drama “Look back in anger” which aroused many strong opinions when it was first performed as a drama. It is set in a small flat in the west midlands, which is typical of working class people.”

Chandler describes a period in drama where “kitchen sink dramas” depicted working-class stories. He uses John Osborne’s “Look Back in Anger” as an example, briefly describing the play. Jimmy, one of the characters, was known as an “angry young man,” This term was later used to describe young people critical of the social and political state of the world.

“We learn to recognize co-dependence, narcissism, and toxicity for what they are rather than making excuses because we liked the look of someone. In other words, we grow up. We stay in love with our own toxic patterns and keep the cycle of damage going, or we recognize the collateral damage of all our drama and start wanting better for ourselves. We make choices. We experience consequences. If we grow up, we’ll even connect the two.”

Jackson’s essay discusses drama from another perspective, the drama that comes with love life. She gives readers tips on how to care for yourself better and look past all the tension, confusion, and drama that comes with dating. If we look at potential partners from a deeper, more constructive point of view, we can avoid toxic relationships and have a healthy love life. 

“When performance required that an actor appear “above,” as when Juliet is imagined to stand at the window of her chamber in the famous and misnamed “balcony scene,” then the actor probably climbed the stairs to the gallery over the back of the stage and temporarily shared it with some of the spectators. The stage was also provided with ropes and winches so that actors could descend from, and reascend to, the “heavens.””

In their essay, Mowat and Werstine discuss the conventions of performing Shakespearean drama during his time, including the performance of some scenes in different areas of the theater and men playing women’s roles. They also discuss how the theaters they performed in, such as the Globe Theatre, enhanced the plays’ dramatic effect.

5 Prompts for Essays About Drama

The word drama has many meanings and is used differently, as seen in the essay examples above. In your essay, give the word’s etymology, explain the different sides of drama, from theatre to school life, and give examples of how they exemplify the meaning. Explain how they are all connected as well. 

Drama in the context of theatre has four primary forms: comedy, tragedy, tragicomedy, and melodrama. Discuss each type of drama and elaborate on its characteristics. If you wish, compare and contrast them as well. Be sure to give examples of plays when explaining them.   

In your essay, you can also discuss the different periods in the history of drama. Explain what occurred in these periods, how drama changed, and their effects on modern drama. You need not explore too many periods; just make sure you write about key developments and explain them adequately. 

In the world today, the resilience of survivors is glorified and dramatized, while we see media outlets making headlines out of mere gossip and celebrity news. From this, it can be argued that society is centered around making a drama out of nothing. Why is this the case? Discuss your opinion on this issue- feel free to research if you need inspiration. 

Look back to a past event marked by tension, emotion, and drama. Narrate the events and explain how they made you feel- did you learn anything from them? This can be either your own experience or just an event from history or the news. You can read this essay for further inspiration. 

Note: drama can mean different things to different people, so what you consider “dramatic” is up to you.For help picking your next essay topic, check out our top essay topics about love .

The Drama Teacher

Your Go-To Resource for Drama Education

30 Powerful Elements of Drama

The elements of drama began with Greek philosopher Aristotle who stated in The Poetics, written circa 335 BCE, each dramatic performance must contain the six key elements of plot, character, thought, otherwise known as theme, diction, today referred to as language, melody, or music-dance, song, or rhythm, plus spectacle. This is history’s first surviving example of dramatic theory.

In contemporary drama education , there is no prescribed or definitive list of the elements of drama. Below is a list of 30 of the most common elements of drama with my own descriptors, gained from 35 years of teaching practice in drama education. Where similar terms mean the same, I have included both terms. I trust this post may prove useful for both drama and theatre arts teachers and their students alike.

30 Elements of Drama

Action, or dramatic action, refers to the propelling of the plot from one moment to the next in the drama. This will naturally relate to the structure of the play, as the action moves forward from the exposition to the inciting incident, rising action, one or more crises, the climax, falling action, and then the conclusion. See the “Structure” entry further down this list for more information on how plays are formed…

2. Audience

Of all the essential elements of drama, the audience must exist for it to be considered a performance – a play without an audience should be considered a rehearsal.

An audience can specifically refer to the engagement actors have with their audience through performance, known as the actor-audience relationship. The exact nature of this relationship can vary depending on the style of the performance.

For example, a performer in a purely naturalistic drama may ignore the audience altogether. They may even have their back facing the audience. While a performer in a realistic drama may be aware of the presence of an audience but not perform directly to them. Conversely, a performer in an epic theatre play may regularly break the fourth wall and interact directly with sections of the audience. Manipulating exactly how a performer relates and engages with the audience in a performance can be both an academic exercise and fun at the same time.

Most dramas will have one or more crises in the development of the plot. A crisis is a key moment of dramatic tension and conflict in the play, usually occurring between two or more characters and having serious implications for the outcome of the plot. The ultimate crisis, or highest peak, is usually called the climax and often (but not always) occurs toward the end of a play. There can also be more than one climax in a drama, although this is uncommon. An anti-climax is also possible.

4. Conflict

Conflict is one of the key elements of drama. Playwright George Bernard Shaw once said ‘No conflict, no drama’. How right he was! A drama that lacks conflict is normally dull and uninspiring. As a rule, conflict should always be considered an essential ingredient for all dramatic performances.

Conflict can be between two or more characters, or simply one, known as inner conflict. Many Elizabethan soliloquies contain inner conflict. ‘To be or not to be’ is an excellent example. Conflict on stage can be verbal, physical, or non-verbal. Conflict differs from tension in that it is often a fixed and permanent part of the structure of a play embedded in the fabric of the drama, often from the outset, with characters destined to clash with one another.

5. Contrast

Without the careful use of contrast, performances are boring and lack tension. In simple terms, contrast is a point of difference. An obvious example of contrast is a sad scene followed by a happy scene. But contrast can be created in more subtle and sophisticated ways, such as manipulating the drama to create a change in setting, pace, or time.

The contrast between characters should also be considered. Contrast can be created by changes in language, timing, mood, lighting, energy, relationships, situation, and more. Careful use of contrast as one of the elements of drama in performance can keep an audience actively engaged, throughout.

6. Convention

A convention is an acting or staging technique. Examples of conventions include the use of a narrator, an aside, a soliloquy, a direct address, the use of placards, songs, etc. Conventions are often associated with performance styles, which in turn are commonly associated with one or more theatre practitioners. Sometimes conventions are linked more generally with the way theatre was performed in a certain era, for example, the conventions of absurdism or Elizabethan theatre .

7. Dramatic Moment

A moment, or dramatic moment, is self-explanatory. It is a specific moment in the play, usually lasting only a short time, where the action is dramatic in some way. But being dramatic does not always mean loud noises and lots of moving characters. A dramatic moment can be a poignant moment of stillness or silence. Dramatic moments can also occur with only a single actor and even without sets and props, such is the power of drama. The tempo and rhythm of a play often change when a dramatic moment occurs. Tension is often manipulated when creating dramatic moments and the element of contrast is commonly employed.

Energy is the intensity of a character’s actions in the drama. Many plays contrast one or more high-energy characters with low-energy characters. Energy, therefore, refers to both vivacious and vibrant characters as well as slow, dispirited, or tired characters. Before a character can be portrayed with a certain type of energy, the performer must possess this energy. In general terms, energy can also refer to the intensity of specific performances or the type of show being performed, for example musical theatre.

9. Focus / Emphasis

Focus has multiple meanings in drama and performance. While it can often be used interchangeably with the term concentration, as an element of drama, focus is more often associated with emphasis. Unlike in movies or television, where the filmmaker can zoom into the actor or area in question, in the theatre, we need to employ other techniques to attract the focus of the audience.

How do we channel the attention of the audience to a certain area of the stage in order to give this particular space appropriate emphasis? How do we focus the lens of the spectator on the small bird in the hand of the actor downstage left? What directorial techniques can we employ to place focus on the two pirates sneaking onto the ship upstage? How can we use theatrical lighting to ensure emphasis is placed on the character who is singing? These are all challenges associated with focus and emphasis in performances.

10. Language / Text

The use of language in performance can be verbal, vocal, or non-verbal. Language is normally spoken text. It is the written script realised in performance. While normally spoken by the actor, language can also be chanted or sung. Language can also deliberately be nonsensical for dramatic effect.

The choice of language as one of the elements of drama is crucial, as it forms a major means of communicating the story of the drama to the audience. Exactly how the actor in a performance chooses to use language is usually determined by the expressive skill of voice. However, language can also be non-verbal, commonly referred to as body language. The elements of voice and language should not be confused. Using the voice is the process of speaking the verbal language.

11. Dramatic Metaphor

Metaphor in drama involves a second reference in order to enhance the meaning of the first. For example “The man is a goose”. The description of the qualities of the first reference of the man is enhanced by knowledge of the second reference, the fact that a goose is considered a silly waterfowl by its looks, big feet, and awkward behaviour.

A literary example of metaphor can be found in Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible , set in the Salem witch trials of 1692-93, but actually about the spread of Communism in 1950s America, which was the time and place of the play’s composition.

Bertolt Brecht employed a similar dramatic metaphor in his work The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui , a play set in 1930s gangster-ridden Chicago that was really about Hitler’s Germany. George Orwell’s Animal Farm was not about animals at all, but Russia and the Soviet Union under Communist Party rule.

Dramatic metaphors, however, should not be confused with the use of symbols . When an object is used as a symbol, it is replaced by the symbolic meaning – for example, the red rose is now replaced by the feeling of love. However, with dramatic metaphor, the second reference enhances this meaning without replacing it.

12. Mood / Atmosphere

The mood is the feeling or tone of a performance and is naturally associated with the atmosphere. It refers to ambiance or aura and is often created through a combination of several elements of drama and production areas working in harmony. The atmosphere of performances are closely linked with everyday feelings such as fear or desire.

The mood in drama can be created via sound , lighting , movement, props , setting, rhythm, contrast, conflict, and more. It is also possible to create a particular mood or atmosphere in just one moment or scene in a play. Therefore you can have more than one mood presented in a single performance.

13. Movement

Movement is the self-explanatory act of a performer moving in the drama according to the character’s objective, motivation, surrounding circumstances, and interaction with other characters. The physical action of movement often defines character relationships and situations. Certain types of movement can involve walking, running, sliding, falling, etc, stage space needs to be used, including upstage, downstage, stage left, stage right, etc.

14. Plot / Story

The plot is the action of the drama. Many plays have more than one plot, often consisting of the main plot and one or more (less important) plots known as subplots. Shakespeare’s dramas are classic examples of plays with multiple plots keeping the audience engaged at every turn.

The “story” of a drama is usually considered any action referred or implied to on stage, but not seen. This is often the backstory of various characters revealed in the drama’s exposition. The story differs from the plot of the drama in that the plot must be seen by the audience.

15. Posture

Posture is the position in which a character holds their body when standing or sitting. Posture can define a character’s attitude, social status, inner feelings, rank, and more. Posture is similar to a character’s pose or stance.

16. Relationships

Relationships are also sometimes considered one of the elements of drama. This refers to the interrelationships between characters in a play. Character connections affect the way the plot evolves. These relationships may be friendly, conflicting, romantic, of equal status, or otherwise. Some relationships in a drama may be fixed, while others may be variable and subject to change as the plot evolves.

Rhythm is more commonly a musical term. In drama, rhythm refers to timing and pace. It also means the beat or tempo of the whole performance. As a rule, rhythm should never be the same throughout the drama, regardless of its length. Rhythm can follow the emotional state of one or more characters or the atmosphere of the play at particular moments.

Rhythm is closely linked to movement. An everyday ritual presented on stage, such as getting ready for work in the morning, can involve repetitive and rhythmic actions and gestures. What is the rhythm of the long line of people in the unemployment queue? What is the rhythm of the classroom scene where students are misbehaving with the substitute teacher? How does the rhythm contrast in these two examples?

Rhythm can also have a place in the delivery of dialogue. The most obvious example is the text of Shakespearean dramas delivered using iambic pentameter. But all character dialogue, no matter how informal, should have a particular rhythm attached to it.

18. Role / Character

Role and character lie at the heart of all drama because, without these elements, the drama would not exist. Role and character are often used interchangeably to mean the same, while sometimes these terms are separated. The role is normally associated with role-playing in drama, which can occur at any level. Taking on a role often occurs as part of the process of drama and not always the product or performance. However, it is also entirely acceptable to ask an actor what his or her role is in the play.

Role-playing is popular in drama improvisation games and often involves quick transitions into roles with little or no preparation, sometimes involving a stimulus. While adopting a role is critical in understanding the essence of drama, it is often considered less complex than portraying a character. Characters often have sophisticated backstories and undergo changes during the development of the plot. Portraying a character involves the application of expressive and performance skills. In professional theatre, there are numerous acting methods for developing and sustaining character.

19. Setting / Place

Setting refers to the location of a scene, play, or musical. It is one of the fundamental elements of drama. Many dramas have more than one setting. Productions with physical sets normally have clearly defined settings, but smaller dramas and monodramas may have little or no sets or props to help identify locations. In these examples, the performer will use dialogue and other expressive skills in order to denote a setting, including any changes. This is known as an implied place or setting.

20. Situation

The situation in drama refers to the given circumstances of the dramatic action happening in the play. This is a straightforward concept. What is the setting of the play? What are the circumstances of the given scene, such as an argument, marriage proposal, a betrayal of friendship, medical emergency, school assembly, election campaign? Clearly conveying the situation in the play at any particular time makes the drama coherent for the audience.

21. Sound / Music

Contemporary theatre relies on sound and music in a number of ways. While theatre has traditionally used lighting to create an atmosphere in performance, sound and music is being increasingly manipulated to create mood . The use of sound can involve the implementation of technology, such as sound effects and soundscapes. Actors and their bodies can also construct effective sound in performance. Small props can create sound effects that can be used live during a show. Sound in drama can even involve the absence of sound!

Space is one of the critical elements of drama, referring to the effective use of available space in performance. Space can be both horizontal and vertical. Performers can be upstage or downstage, stage left or stage right. Different levels of space can also be utilised such as sitting, bending over, lying down, crawling, or physically using another level of a stage set.  In order to use space effectively, movement becomes an important factor.

Effective use of space also involves clearly communicating to the audience where the action is taking place. This may include any changes in location that occur in the performance, particularly if little or no sets or props are being used and there is a heavy reliance on the audience’s imagination – otherwise known as implied space in the drama. Sometimes theatre buildings or specific productions can be created using a particular space such as traverse staging, proscenium arch, thrust staging, or arena/in the round.

23. Spectacle

Historically, the spectacle was one of the obligatory elements of drama outlined by the Greek philosopher Aristotle in The Poetics . Aristotle referred to spectacle elements as costumes, scenery, actor gestures, and the sensory effects of the resonance of the performer’s voice, or sound.

In a contemporary context, spectacle refers to all the visual elements of a play – those incorporating theatre stagecraft and production areas. These can include stage sets, lighting, costumes, props, make-up, special effects, and multimedia. Spectacle in contemporary theatre is probably more important today than it was centuries ago due to the advent of technology and its integration into all levels of the theatre.

24. Structure

Structure, or dramatic structure, refers to the backbone of a drama. A typical structure of a play involves the exposition and initial action at the beginning, an inciting incident where the conflict and point of attack within the play are revealed, rising action involving conflict and one or more crises, and the ultimate crisis known as the climax, then the falling action towards the latter part of the drama leading to the conclusion, which is not always a happy resolution. The French word denouement is often used to define a play’s ending. Translated into English, denouement means the untying or unravelling of the knot, in other words, the untying of all the complexities of the plot into a suitable conclusion.

Non-typical structures involve cyclical plots that end where they began, evident in some absurdist plays. The simple fact that Shakespeare and his contemporaries always wrote plays in a five-act format is also an example of structure. In later years, a three-act format was common, further reduced to two acts. Today, short one-act plays consisting of numerous brief scenes are a common dramatic structure in contemporary theatre.

The symbol is one of the principal elements of drama. The use of symbols in dramatic performance can be one of the simplest and also most complicated of all techniques. Symbolism implies a greater meaning than the literal suggestion. Props are the easiest to work with because objects in everyday life often become symbols in society. Symbols can also be found in the use of colour. We often symbolise purple with royalty, red with anger or desire, black with evil and darkness, or white with purity and innocence.

Colour association can be worthwhile symbols with costumes, sets, and props. But the most sophisticated use of symbols occurs with the application of gesture and movement. A particular gesture performed by a character early in performance can be repeated in another context and have a very different meaning. Used only once, a gesture can also be a powerful symbol. All of these examples can be combined for an even better effect.

26. Tension

Tension is sometimes referred to as dramatic tension and usually lies with the development of suspense. As the audience anticipates certain outcomes in the plot, the tension builds. Tension differs from conflict in that it is usually a transient occurrence that may take place multiple times in a single play. An obvious example of rising tension occurs in a mystery play or whodunit. In these instances, the audience is left in a constant state of suspense trying to determine the real culprit. The development of tension therefore usually parallels the advancement of the plot, leading to a crisis or climax . Tension is closely linked with the element of timing.

Theme refers to what a play is about, often the central idea, while what specifically happens on stage is the plot. Through the dramatic action of the plot, the deeper meaning of the play is revealed. A single play can consist of multiple themes. Extracting a theme from a play involves viewing it with a wider lens and seeing the bigger picture. Is the play about a group of friends from different cultures really about racism? Examples of themes in plays are power, revenge, mateship, love, greed, nature, good versus evil, coming of age, family, isolation, redemption, injustice, etc.

The notion of time is one of the indispensable elements of drama in most performances. In period drama, time can be as broad as a particular era, such as the 1880s. Other dramas loosely convey a modern or contemporary portrayal of time. Some plays contain a specific time that must be conveyed to the audience. These may involve the season of the year, month, day, or even hour. More generic use of time involves the use of the future, although this can also be specific by stating the actual year.

Time can also refer to how long the drama takes to perform. This can be of particular importance in naturalistic dramas where the length of stage time in a play may equal real-time in the theatre. Flash forwards, flashbacks, and other disjointed time sequences in a drama can also refer to changes in time. Alternatively, plays can deliberately appear timeless within the world of the play. Some absurdist dramas deliberately follow this structure.

Timing in performance refers to the dramatic timing of movements and gestures. We often take our movements for granted in everyday life, but when performing, the use of our bodies must be carefully considered and controlled. Timing can be manipulated to demonstrate authentic, stylised, or non-realistic movements and gestures. The timing of movements of a tired old man will differ from those of an energetic young schoolboy. Similarly, the gestures of a tyrannical dictator will differ from the suppressed people living under his regime. Rhythm, pace, and movement are particularly affected by timing in drama.

As one of the elements of drama , voice is critical to most performances. A drama without the use of voice is considered a movement piece or a mime. While some would place the voice in the category of a performer’s expressive skills, it is nevertheless an element essential to nearly every drama. Vocal variety can be achieved via the use of projection, pitch, tone, rate, emphasis, diction, rhythm, pause, intonation,  tempo, subtext, and even silence.

I like dis so much thank you for your help

My teacher is having me write the definitions for each element of drama, so I came here to look for the definitions. There are 30 of them , and not one of them is what she gave me. I’ve also searched on multiple other sites and found only three of them. What do I do?😭

Post here in the comments the elements of drama you need definitions for, Bela, and I’ll see if I can help you out 🙂 – Justin

I love this so much you have just made my assignment so easy thank you so much

That’s great to hear, Kenny! Thanks for the feedback – Justin

i like it very much thank you for your help and God will grant your prayers

This is really helpful as I design my school’s drama curriculum from K-Gr 6. Thank you!

My pleasure, Alexandria! I’ll be popping up more K-6 Drama resources in the coming weeks and months, tagged “Primary Drama”. Thanks for your feedback – Justin

[…] the action of the play takes place in a single location over the time frame of a single day  […]

[…] movement grew out of the early twentieth century. A play was characterized by a lot of over-the-top theatrical elements and scenery. Tennessee Williams created his own unique style of theatre with this type of work, […]

So educative. I am a drama teacher and I learned a lot from this post. I’m in my second year of teaching drama. I’m self teaching. I didn’t have much training on the subject. Thank you so much, I learned a lot.

[…] http://www.thedramateacher.com/dramatic-elements/ […]

Justin, what a wonderful resource this is. Thank you for your passion, knowledge, clarity, and generous sharing. Much gratitude and praise from a NZ teacher

Colleen, thank you so much! That’s lovely feedback. Appreciate it. – Justin

the above content is so helpful

Thanks for the feedback, NDIKUBWIMANA Jacques!

Thank you so much Drama Teacher. You are so special, this is quality teaching.

[…] https://thedramateacher.com/dramatic-elements/ […]

I found it useful. I could learn something new.Thanks.

Hey do you know dramatic elements of festivals. Thanks

I wasn’t aware there was such a thing, Asoka. -Justin

this was a great help. a i used it for my drama assessment so it was good that i had a source that was quick and easy to understand! thanks 🙂 😛

DRAMA IS IN THE FILMS, BUT DOES DRAMA GET HELP FROM FILMS , ANYWAY , THE QUESTION IS BECAUSE DRAMA IS RELATIVELY TUFF………

This helped a lot and I am really grateful for someone doing this. I ended up getting an A and this really helped with that.

Thanks a lot , really helped for my research , very helpful ????

Glad to hear it, Hayden! – Justin

It helps me… but theres one thing that u dont answer the… spectacle…

This is a great resource for teaching /learning of drama.Thanks.

This is helping me with my exams, thank you!

Excellent! Thanks for your feedback, Liam.

ROLES AND RELATIONSHIPS?

NIfty bro. PRECISELY what i wanted!

This didn’t help…… I have some feedback list the definitions, terms and more about Role/character Relationship Situation Time Place

This doesn’t help. Were the technical elements and stuff?

I agree with you my sister

This is Chadrin Nseemani, thank you very much probably my examination will be nice!

This didn’t help meeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can I get some help with: props, costumes, stage direction etc.#helpneeded

Correct me if I’m wrong, please, but aren’t props, costumes, stage directions etc. elements of production?

Great post! Have nice day ! 🙂

Always come back to this website whenever doing a drama assignment. Thanks to you I got an A+!!!!

Awesome! Well done!

great job 🙂 🙂 🙂

wonderful piece of writing I have enjoyed it.

Thanks for your feedback, Medardo.

This has been very helpful to me especially as I’m a self- tutored high school teacher of literature-in-English

Great to hear, Ohemeng.

Very interesting and informative forum. As a drama enthusiast, it keeps me abreast of the global elements of drama. Congrats to all of you and keep up the great work.

Yes they are all dramatic elements

The elements of time and place aren’t on this.

I would love to see this page updated to reflect the new curriculum! Great website. 😀

Thanks Sarah. I’ve been meaning to update this page for some time. It was originally written well before the VCAA developed descriptors for the dramatic elements in the VCE Drama course (first there were 11, then 12, now 9 elements). But the stats tell me this page consistently has interest from across the globe. I think I’ll update it to reflect the various elements of drama studied in all of the states and territories of Australia. This will double the current list with additional terms. I’ll get on to it!

Thanks this helped me with my 2.2 drama devising standard.

Excellent, Hannah!

that helped a lot

Thanks that really help me pass my assignment Thanks

But I would love it if I could get more importance of language in Drama. Thanks

I found this to be useful to me as well.Thanks

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A Doll’s House Essay

A Doll’s House was written by Henrik Ibsen in 1879. A Doll’s House is not only one of Henrik Ibsen’s most famous plays, but it has also been seen as the starting point for realist drama. A Doll’s House, along with Brand and Peer Gynt, are often considered to be the first modern plays written in Europe. A Doll’s House is a play about power, money, guilt, duty, and family relationships.

A Doll’s House starts with Mrs. Nora Helmer who decides that her family should have an evening at home to celebrate Torvald’s birthday even though there are various outside activities planned earlier on that day. After getting all the children to bed Nora makes some coffee and brings some cake for herself and Torvald. She notices that the maid is not coming in to clear the table, despite several requests. As it turns out, Aune (the maid) is sick and unable to come to work. Nora remarks on Aune’s “poor condition”, saying she will take up Aune’s duties while Aune is ill.

Eventually, Nora forgets about Aune entirely as she becomes engrossed in her own thoughts of how their life together has become stifling; all play rather than essential sustenance of family life had ceased, with Torvald preferring to read newspapers alone in his study each evening rather than engaging with his wife or children. Nora decides she must break free from the chains that bind her. Aune, who turns up at one point is too sick to help with Nora’s children. Nora promises Aune that she will hire a nurse for Aune once Aune has recovered from her illness.

Aune leaves and Torvald enters. He asks about Aune, not believing that an important event would prevent Aune from attending work. The two converse until Nora suggests that they go out to visit Mrs. Linde (who had earlier announced temporary departure due to poor health). Torvald becomes irate over this suggestion as he does not have time to waste on “unimportant” people currently immersed in newspaper reading. He complains of the dinner being cold, further displaying his ignorance of his family and Aune’s conditions.

Nora sees past Torvald’s narrow-mindedness and decides to sit down and play the piano without his permission. He becomes even angrier because Nora has lost track of time while playing; instead of taking up Aune’s duties, she should be finishing the housework such as what Aune would typically do. Nora sees that her husband is quite ignorant in not understanding why Aune is unable to come into work, yet he will not allow Aune a few days’ leave when needed. She tells Torvald about Aune’s illness, but he does not believe it to be a serious affliction.

Not wanting to argue with him so late night, Nora decides to postpone Aune’s endeavor to find a nurse for Aune. The play moves to the following morning, as Nora narrates her daily routine (how she is to be “the perfect wife”). She is aware of Torvald’s explicit caresses every time he returns home from work, but his attentions are merely symbolic gestures signifying their financial arrangement. Aune enters, having recovered from her illness enough to return to work.

Aune relates that one of Mrs. Linde’s family friends has offered Aune a better-paid position in another town. Aune asks Nora whether she believes she is doing the right thing by leaving Nora in need of help with the children and housework. Aune also asks Nora if Torvald will speak to Aune about her departure. Aune requests that Nora not mention Aune’s leaving to Torvald, because Aune does not want him to feel obliged to give Aune a reference. Aune also discloses why she has taken the position, stating she is leaving for “personal reasons”.

Mrs. Linde enters, stating that an old friend of hers who works as a lawyer in Rome has offered her well-paid work caring for his motherless daughter. She requests permission from both Aune and Nora before accepting the job offer. The two are supportive; they will need help while Aune is gone. Mrs. Linde remarks on how overjoyed she is by the prospect of finding employment once again after such a long period of unemployment. Aune also shares her plans of finding a nurse for Aune, but Nora is reluctant to share the news, Aune, leaving with Torvald because he will be disappointed at Aune’s departure.

Aune warns Mrs. Linde that she must not mention Aune’s departure to Torvald either. Aune leaves and Mrs. Linde takes over Aune’s duties in the kitchen while Nora continues playing the piano. Torvald once again returns from work, ruining his routine when he finds no one in the sitting room waiting for him. He calls out “Nora”, and Nora responds by going into her bedroom where Torvald sits on a chair reading a newspaper. She tells him about Aune having left the house. Aune, Nora points out, will definitely provide a reference for Aune.

Torvald begins to worry about Aune leaving, citing that Aune’s work has been outstanding and she would be an exceptional nurse even to his children. He accuses Nora of not being considerate enough towards Aune in allowing Aune the choice of whether or not to stay. Torvald proceeds with his newspaper reading while Nora returns to playing the piano; he comments on how well-played the piece is and praises her talent at playing it so excellently together with such speed and agility. Torvald remarks that Nora never ceases to amaze him (“”Det star mig sa n? som for/Og det driver mig saa forf? rdeligt til vanvidd””).

Aune returns from the kitchen, where Aune has been packing her belongings. Aune asks Nora if she could have a few moments alone with Torvald to say goodbye. A few minutes later Aune asks Mrs. Linde to take a peek at Aune and Torvald to see whether they are finished talking yet because Aune cannot hear anything from Aune’s bedroom. Mrs. Linde enters first before calling for Aune; she tells Aune that it would be best for Aune not to come inside as it appears that there is trouble between them.

Aune stays anyway, deciding that enough time should have passed by now as Mrs. Linde re-enters Aune’s room. Aune enters the bedroom to see Torvald embracing Aune; they are back in love. Aune overhears that Torvald has no idea Aune is leaving until Aune hears Torvald describe how it feels like Aune has left him all alone with three children—he knows exactly how much Aune means to Nora (and vice versa); he wants Aune to stay, even though he can offer her very little except for his gratitude and admiration of Aune’s work.

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genre , a distinctive type or category of literary composition , such as the epic , tragedy , comedy , novel , and short story .

Despite critics’ attempts to systematize the art of literature , such categories must retain a degree of flexibility, for they can break down on closer scrutiny. For example, hybrid forms such as the tragicomedy and prose poem are possible. Newly created forms, such as Vikram Seth’s The Golden Gate (a novel written in rhyming verse form) and John Fuller’s Flying to Nowhere (a novel written in highly poetic prose), and numerous prose works of intermediate or very specific length (such as the novella and the short short) are a clear indication of the difficulty of too close a reliance on genre as a category.

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How to Write a Drama Essay

Essay writing only seems easy.  In fact, when a student sits down to work he or she understands how much needs to be done in order to write a persuasive and effective essay .  Academic papers are written for professors and admission boards to evaluate students’ knowledge on certain issues, as well as their writing skills.  Essay types and topics depend on students’ majors.  Technical students are assigned with engineering essays , while arts and literature students write literature and drama papers.   Writing of the drama paper can be quite difficult as a student has to penetrate in souls of literature and drama characters.

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Drama short story, drama article, write drama essay, drama essay paper, download free sample of a drama essay.

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Literature students read a lot of poems.  Naturally, they are asked to write their own reviews and commentaries to poetry. Thus, a poetry essay is quite a frequent and popular task among students who study literature.  Writing of a poetry essay is not just about writing of an introduction, body and conclusion.  Your essay must be a masterpiece in itself.  It should be a literary work which is interesting to read and even to quote.  Very often, when writing reviews on poetry, students show their own poetic power.  Creativity is the number one concern.  It is very important to show your own attitude towards the style and contents of a poem.  You have to explain use of different literature speech tools, or at least try to do so.

The subject of dramatic arts provides ample topics for composing an essay. It can be about art in general, about a specific form of art or a specific work. Drama essays can be composed in any form of essay writing. Say, for example as a narrative essay or an informative essay . Drama essays are an imperative in literary courses. Literature is termed the “Art of written works”. Dramas are put into writing first before they are performed in any other media. Due to the volume and variety of information available on the topic do not feel that it will be easy to compose one. In reality it may be tedious to sift through all that information. ProfEssays.com experts with intimate knowledge of the techniques of successful essay writing offer services that will help you in the construction and presentation of quality essays.

Drama essays can be written in many forms. The form should match the theme of the essay. Some forms that can be used are:

• Academic essays: Generally longer in composition and often discursive. The form is often used for literary reviews.
• Descriptive essays : As the name suggests the form can be to describe a work or an art form with emphasis on the characteristics of the work or art form.
• Compare and contrast essays . A form that can be used to discuss multiple subjects like two contemporary authors, their similarities and dissimilarities etc.

To the literarily inclined, writing about a specific work will be a gratifying exercise. Drama essays in the form of a review, helps the writer to project his personality and erudition on to paper. Care should be taken to be not too critical of famous authors or their work which may project a different picture to the readers. ProfEssays.com professionals have the requisite expertise to help you prepare an appropriate review of any work.

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Who hasn’t read Shakespeare in school? Who doesn’t know who Hamlet or Othello is? But students who study literature have to go further and analyze every event and personality of these classical tragedies.  Writing of a tragedy essay is a very popular task.  Tragedy essays are so much different from other essay types.  Although students have to possess analytical skills, they also have to feel characters.  This is something that can be achieved only after reading these dramas. A tragedy essay traditionally contains introduction, body and conclusion.  It is very important to stick to the topic.  If you’re asked to analyze Hamlet’s monologue you have to do so, but not just describe this drama’s plot.

Professors love drama short stories .  These essay types fall into two categories: own dramas and essays on dramas by prominent writers.  Imagine that you were asked to write a drama short story .  You have to invent your own plot and characters.  It doesn’t have to be a recognized masterpiece but you need to follow guidelines and recommendations to drama writing.  In case you’re asked to write a short story on drama you have read, you have to select topic and focus on it.  If this is description of a character you have to merge with him or her in order to understand why he and he said or did certain things.  You can also write a review where you express personal attitude towards plot, key characters writing style etc.

Literature students sometimes watch theater performances, and after that they are asked to write drama articles .  A drama article is a short piece of writing that focuses on theater performances or drama in writing.  Often, students have complete freedom as to the topic.  At the same time, drama articles should comply with all those norms and requirements applicable to academic writing.  Thus, a drama article should have introduction, body and conclusion.  It goes without saying that you have to pick an interesting topic .  Some of the possible suggestions are analysis of key character’s personality, drama style etc.  You can also write on why a certain performance impressed you.

How do I write drama essay ?  This is a very popular question that literature students often ask themselves.  A drama essay is a special piece of writing that dwells on plot intrigues, performance style, characters’ personalities or own impressions on drama performances/texts.  For example, if you have just read Hamlet by Shakespeare, you might be asked to write drama essay .  As a rule you are given freedom to choose any topic that concerns Hamlet.  You can look for topic examples online or look for professional assistance.  We at Professays.com can suggest you a dozen of topics related to Hamlet.  Moreover, some of our writers specialize in drama essay and literature writing.

Traditionally, a drama essay paper is an extended essay which a student is asked to write after reading or watching drama performance.  Any drama essay paper should be written in a stylish language crammed with poetic words.  You are writing about arts, so you have to be creative in order to make your essay look persuasive.  At the same time, students are asked to meet requirements as to format, reference style and contents.  So, check of these before you are sitting down to work.

Looking for an exceptional company to do some custom writing for you? Look no further than ProfEssays.com! You simply place an order with the writing instructions you have been given, and before you know it, your essay or term paper, completely finished and unique, will be completed and sent back to you. At ProfEssays.com, we have over 500 highly educated, professional writers standing by waiting to help you with any writing needs you may have! We understand students have plenty on their plates, which is why we love to help them out. Let us do the work for you, so you have time to do what you want to do!

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Essay on Drama in English

A drama is a medium through which any kind of story is enacted through performance and dialogue. It has a plot, characters, conflict, music and dialogue. It tries to entertain an individual or a group of individuals. Generally, dramas are performed by the actors in a place called stage or theatre.

The actors in a drama are normally humans. But, broadly speaking, actors also are seen in the form of cartoons, puppets, or sometimes robots that perform with the help of human.

Generally, drama is divided into four categories. One is comedy, tragedy, Melodrama and tragicomedy.

Dramas are seen performing in many functions organized in the schools. They are generally based on any social cause like �Stop Cutting Trees�, �Save Water etc. It helps students to improve their knowledge of a particular subject. Likewise, drama has become an important part of human life.

In many schools, different drama clubs are formed. The aim is to allow students to think creatively. It helps students to be enough confident so to live a better life.

Questions on Drama

What is drama explain, what are drama and its forms.

A drama is a medium through which any kind of story is enacted through performance and dialogue. Drama is divided into four categories. One is comedy, tragedy, Melodrama and tragicomedy.

What are the characteristics of drama?

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Turning to essays, Edwidge Danticat makes shrewd use of the form

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We're Alone: Essays

By Edwidge Danticat Graywolf: 192 pages, $26 If you buy books linked on our site, The Times may earn a commission from Bookshop.org , whose fees support independent bookstores.

Essay collections appear infrequently on the lists of most popular nonfiction — memoirs and historical narratives dominate conversations about the genre. Those forms of nonfiction are wonderful in their own ways. They are also the versions that are closest to fiction. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it can exclude the unique offerings of the essay.

An essay collection presents a compressed reading experience, sometimes poetic, and often requiring the author to demonstrate the act of forming an opinion. In its most exalted form, the essay collection is about many things at once. Its goal is not to share information about a topic but to dramatize the formation of a perspective, the development of an informed point of view — a focus that makes the form much more dependent on the writer than the subject matter. “We’re Alone,” a collection of eight short essays by the celebrated Haitian American novelist and short story writer Edwidge Danticat, exemplifies that achievement.

Readers who have appreciated other voice-driven essay collections, such as Zadie Smith’s pandemic-inspired “Intimations,” Erica Caldwell’s “Wrong Is Not My Name,” Jordan Kisner’s “Thin Places,” Cathy Park Hong’s “Minor Feelings” or Elissa Gabbert’s “ The Unreality of Memory ,” will find something familiar with Danticat in “We’re Alone.” The thematic thread of this collection binds loosely around experiences of disconnection or isolation that are exacerbated by a sense of risk predicated on racial, political or social vulnerability. In the essay “A Rainbow in the Sky,” Danticat writes: “The less stable your house, the more terror you feel.” She has elegantly captured that those who face a storm with all foundations intact have a different relationship to the experience than those who were already struggling before it.

In the preface to the book, Danticat discloses that writing essays allows her to feel alone with herself and present with a reader. These pieces represent her outstretched hand, an invitation to spend shared time in reflection. Danticat took the book’s title from the French poem “Plage” by the Haitian writer Roland Chassagne, whose tragic history of imprisonment is also explored in the book. His poem envisions a night spent under palm trees, and the longing for the end of a deep disappointment. Here Danticat finds an early foothold into one of the book’s chief concerns: thresholds where someone’s feelings have been constricted for the sake of other people’s comfort. The title also invokes a plural self, a collective that shares in the writer’s experience of solitude and disaffection.

In the literary essay, a tradition that unites personal insight with anecdotes, evidence and reasoning, one of the most satisfying moments is finding where the writer’s logic breaks and she struggles to fully accommodate the proportions of her subject. Such moments make the inquiries appear vulnerable and honest, even when in reality they are simulations of sense-making. Not all essayists are invested in showing their struggle in understanding or are given the space to do so. But Danticat invites readers into the challenge of putting facts and feelings together. She excels at showing how hard it is to know what the right questions are to ask or how to answer them, and like many of us, she struggles to talk about difficult subjects, especially with her children.

For example, in “By the Time You Read This…,” Danticat debates how much and when to tell her children about how police violence affects the way Black people and immigrants think about safety. She writes, “Each time a young Black person is killed by a police officer or by a vigilante civilian, I ask myself if the time had come for me to write to my daughters a letter about Abner Louima and the long list of nonsurvivors who have come after him.” There is dignity in her doubt, which makes way for the kind of compassion that characterizes these essays.

Danticat’s insights are informed by accounts of the trials of friends and family: Her beloved mother wanders off in an airport; an uncle suffers from an irresolvable, progressive disorientation; Louima, a family friend, is attacked and raped by police; and two mentors, Toni Morrison and Paule Marshall, live through their final months. These experiences emphasize the possibility of loss and disconnection, reflecting a kind of hypervigilance that can be an inheritance of trauma. She approaches these accounts with the courage of an intentional witness, maintaining that perspective even when she looks beyond her own circle. In “Chronicles of a Death Foretold,” Danticat tells the story of a self-proclaimed prophetess who predicted the 2021 assassination of the Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, and the collection’s penultimate essay, “Wozo, Not Mawozo,” examines the weeks following the kidnapping of Christian missionaries in Haiti in 2021.

These are clearly the essays of an accomplished novelist. They move swiftly through detailed anecdotes and varied landscapes, even when the principal action the speaker engages in is “thinking.” There is room in an essay for dramatic action, for the expression of the body as it relates to thought, which was somewhat lacking here. At times, I struggled to see the author as a figure in the dramatic action she cited. Even so, it’s a testament to Danticat’s skill that these brief, intense works about serious matters do not feel heavy. She brings us close enough to the trouble at hand that we cannot mistake what we have seen.

But we are not alone in trying to make sense of feelings that come from becoming a witness to this world. No one is.

Wendy S. Walters is the author of the prose collection “Multiply/Divide” and an associate professor of nonfiction at Columbia University.

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The Drama Around Princess Märtha Louise of Norway’s Wedding, Explained

While the lion’s share of global tabloid coverage is usually dedicated to various scandals of the British royal family , recently, a new name has been popping up on the homepage of the Daily Mail : Princess Märtha Louise of Norway. On August 31, she will marry a shaman named Durek Verrett in the village of Geiranger—and the wedding is already causing controversy.

To be fair, when Princess Märtha got engaged, no one expected a run-of-the-mill royal wedding. The daughter of King Harald Queen Sonja and fourth-in-line to the Norwegian throne has always lived an unconventional lifestyle: a self-proclaimed clairvoyant and alternative therapist, she once opened an “angel school” that taught healing techniques as well as how to contact celestial beings. After much criticism, in 2019, the royal court confirmed she would no longer use her title of princess during her business activities. In 2022, she stopped undertaking royal duties altogether. Verrett, meanwhile, has battled accusations of promoting pseudoscience and has a long history of legal troubles. (During the pandemic, Verrett also came under fire for selling a medallion that he alleged could ward off COVID-19.) Yet, even with all this considered, the lead-up to the nuptials is causing another, more unexpected stir.

Throughout the relationship, the two have had a contentious relationship with the Norwegian press. At first, it was just commentary on the couple’s, well, odd behavior. For instance, Verrett told outlets that, although the couple was introduced by mutual friends, they’d actually met in a past life: “I have memories of us in Egypt, and she was my queen and I was a pharaoh,” he told People . Yet, soon papers began accusing the shaman of spreading misinformation: “He has been talking about removing bad spirits from children,” Ingeborg Senneset, a journalist for the Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten told The Times of London. “In 2021 he left me a series of voicemails and tried to convince me of the existence of the Illuminati. It’s kind of important people know just how far out he actually is.” Meanwhile, the couple said that much of the hatred targeted at Shaman Durek was the result of racism. “Before I met him,” Märtha told Vanity Fair in 2020, “I never thought that there was racism in Norway.”

Normally, the press office of a royal family will share images of a wedding to multiple news outlets at no cost, due to public interest as well as respect to the free press. However, the couple has instead decided to only give one publication an exclusive on their wedding photos: Hello . Furthermore, The Times reports that they sold their photos to the outlet. And while Märtha is no longer a working royal, such an arrangement is almost unheard of for a family that is connected to a taxpayer-funded institution.

This has caused an uproar within the Norwegian press, which has long covered the nuptials of the royal family: “Here a key member of the Norwegian royal family is breaking what has been a long and good tradition,” Reidun Kjelling Nybø of the Norwegian Editors’ Association told NRK, the Norwegian state broadcasting company. “Major events have been documented via Norwegian broad media, such as NTB and NRK, on ​​behalf of the entire press, which has passed the images on to the people and to other newsrooms that want them, including foreign ones.”

To avoid conflict, the Royal House of Norway’s head of communications, Guri Varpe, has said the rest of the Norwegian royal family will refrain from taking any exclusive wedding photos.

Yet as their wedding date fast approaches, it seems the fractures between the couple and the media may only continue to widen. Whether they even care is another thing: if the Daily Mail is to be believed , they’ve asked guests to abide by a “cool and sexy” dress code for their welcome party at a local hotel and plan for a boat ride along the Geiranger Fjord.

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Anna Delvey Waltzes Out of Prison and Into Dancing With The Stars : Report

Since her move from prison to house arrest in 2022, convicted Manhattan con artist Anna Delvey has announced a number of new hustles: an art show, a docuseries deal , and a triumphant return to social media , among other new responsibilities. A new report suggests that she's branching out beyond the Manhattan/art/Instagram personal brand communicated by the Netflix drama about her exploits , and will head to Los Angeles to participate in reality competition show Dancing With The Stars .

Delvey, as you likely know, was sentenced to “at least four” years in prison in 2019, after a jury declared her guilty of attempted grand larceny, three grand larceny counts and four misdemeanor charges of theft of service. This came after she defrauded people and businesses out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, while claiming to be an heiress with a plan to build a highbrow Manhattan social club for the arts. Former Vanity Fair staffer Rachel Williams is one of the numerous people who say they were bilked by Delvey, detailing an elaborate scheme of cross-transfers and social engineering that eventually collapsed. (Williams was also depicted in the Netflix adaptation of the case, Inventing Anna , and sued the streamer over her characterization.)

Anna Delvey was released from prison in 2021, but was sent to an immigration detention facility for the next 18 months for allegedly overstaying her visa. She was released on bail in 2022, and has been held under house arrest as her deportation proceedings wind their way through the courts. According to CNN , she's now seeking asylum in the US, as “There is evidence that demonstrates she would be deported from Germany to Russia and be persecuted,” attorney John Sandweg says.

Reports suggest that those house arrest rules have relaxed in recent months, with Delvey making trips around town. According to Page Six , she's now allowed to travel as far as 70 miles from home—and has recently “been given special permission to travel to LA” to appear as a contestant on DWTS . In fact, “We hear she’s already headed to LA to prepare to compete," the publication claims.

Between the legal bills for her deportation battle, the $199,000 in restitution and fine of $24,000 she was ordered to pay at her sentencing, and the everyday costs of living in New York, it's likely Delvey is eager to find new revenue streams—after all, its unclear if she'll be be allowed to profit from Inventing Anna 's success. Variety reports that another notorious figure, former Donald Trump spokesperson Sean Spicer made at least $125,000 during his spin there in 2019, with contestants who make it past the third week capping out at $295,000. A drop in the bucket compared to the $22 million Delvey allegedly tried to score around that same time , but it's certainly a start.

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Apple TV+ debuts trailer for new French-language fashion saga and family drama “La Maison”

Today, Apple TV+ unveiled the trailer for “La Maison,” the upcoming French-language family drama set within an iconic Paris-based high-fashion atelier. A behind-the-scenes look at the contemporary, ever-evolving world of fashion and aspirational French elegance and luxury, “La Maison” follows two illustrious, dysfunctional and powerful rival families as they vie for dominance in the cutthroat world of high fashion. The 10-episode original series will make its global debut with the first two episodes on Friday, September 20, 2024 on Apple TV+, followed by one episode weekly on Fridays through November 15, 2024.

High fashion meets high stakes in this behind-the-curtain look at how an iconic fashion house is thrown into scandal and reinvention by a viral video featuring star designer Vincent Ledu (Lambert Wilson), leaving his family’s iconic and legendary haute couture house, LEDU, hanging by a thread. Perle Foster (Amira Casar), Vincent's former muse who is still in his shadow, teams up with visionary next-generation designer Paloma Castel (Zita Hanrot) to save, evolve and renew the century-old Maison LEDU. Taking advantage of Vincent’s demise, Diane Rovel (Carole Bouquet), the ruthless CEO of the powerful Rovel luxury group, launches an offensive to acquire what she sees as her most important prize: Maison LEDU. To achieve her goal, anything is fair game, as this is more than acquiring just another brand — it’s about revenge.

“La Maison” stars seven-time César Award nominee Wilson (“De Gaulle”), César Award nominee Casar (“Call Me by Your Name”), Best Actress César Award winner Bouquet (“En thérapie”), Most Promising Actress César Award winner Hanrot (“Fatima”), Most Promising Actor César Award winner Pierre Deladonchamps (“Stranger by the Lake”), Best Actor in a Supporting Role César Award winner Antoine Reinartz (“Anatomy of a Fall”), four-time César Award nominee Anne Consigny (“Elle”), César Award nominee Florence Loiret Caille (“The Bureau”), rising star Ji-Min Park (“Return to Seoul”) and Most Promising Actor César Award nominee Corentin Fila (“Being 17”).

Based on an original idea by Alex Berger, who serves as executive producer, the series is created by showrunners José Caltagirone and Valentine Milville and directed by award-winning directors Fabrice Gobert (“The Returned”) and Daniel Grou (“Lupin”). Emmanuelle Bouilhaguet also serves as executive producer. “La Maison” is a TOA - The Originals of America production in conjunction with multi-award-winning studio TOP - The Originals Productions (“The Bureau” / “Le Bureau des Légendes”).

Apple TV+ offers premium, compelling drama and comedy series, feature films, groundbreaking documentaries, and kids and family entertainment, and is available to watch across all of a user’s favorite screens. After its launch on November 1, 2019, Apple TV+ became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service in its debut. To date, Apple Original films, documentaries and series have earned 501 wins and 2,307 award nominations and counting, including multi-Emmy Award-winning comedy “Ted Lasso” and historic Oscar Best Picture winner “CODA.”

About Apple TV+

Apple TV+ is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Vision Pro, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com , for $9.99 per month with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac or iPod touch can enjoy three months of Apple TV+ for free.*

For more information, visit  apple.com/tvpr  and see the full list of   supported devices .

Article Assets

Starring Lambert Wilson, Amira Casar, Carole Bouquet, Zita Hanrot, Pierre Deladonchamps, Antoine Reinartz, Anne Consigny, Florence Loiret Caille and Ji-Min Park, “La Maison” makes its global debut on September 20, 2024 on Apple TV+

*Special offer is good for three months after the first activation of the eligible device. One offer per Family Sharing group. Plans automatically renew until cancelled. Other restrictions and terms apply; visit apple.com/promo for more information.

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Hallmark+ Orders New Drama TV Series 'Ripple'!

Hallmark+ is adding new content to its roster!

The Hallmark Channel streaming service has given a straight-to-series order to the new one-hour drama series Ripple from Lionsgate TV, created by Michele Giannusa , via Deadline .

Ripple “explores how unexpectedly connected we are as human beings. Set in New York City, Nate, Kris, Walter and Aria have crossed paths hundreds of times, yet they’ve never met. Because of the seemingly minuscule decisions these core four make in the pilot, we’ll witness the ripple effect of how these strangers, all dealing with life’s challenges in their own way, are led to one another.”

“The message of this show is: just wait for the rainbow. Some of the best things in life can’t happen without the storm. Ripple amplifies a message of hope and reassurance that no matter what challenges come your way, we are never alone,” Hallmark+ adds.

Joni Lefkowitz is the showrunner.

Production is set to begin in September in Toronto, and casting is currently underway.

“ Michele and Joni have crafted a beautiful story that celebrates how interconnected we all are and reminds us that the most extraordinary things can blossom from ordinary moments and hardships. The way this show weaves moments of sadness, joy, and everything in between is a journey that’s synonymous with our goals for Hallmark+ content – to bring a deep, enriching viewing journey that keeps our viewers invested episode to episode,” said Lisa Hamilton Daly , Executive Vice President, Programming, Hallmark Media, in a statement.

The new streaming service and membership program Hallmark+ is set to launch on Tuesday, September 10. Find out what’s coming to the service!

See which Hallmark series is considered the best.

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Penn State's Long 2024 Road Brings No Shortage of Drama

Ben jones | aug 28, 2024.

• Penn State Nittany Lions

The good news is that college football's offseason is over. It feels like ages since Michigan held off Washington for a national title, even longer since Penn State fell to Ole Miss deep in downtown Atlanta.

Nearly eight months of waiting, change, media rights, debate, expansion and speculation. It’s emblematic of how much change has occurred in college football when both teams that made the title game — an achievement requiring so much fine-tuning and precision —- have seen such massive overhauls. Both Michigan and Washington begin the 2024-25 season with new head coaches, quarterbacks and dreams.

Meanwhile, Penn State heads into its latest campaign under head coach James Franklin with the benefit of relatively predictable stability. Whatever shortcomings Franklin might have, both real and perceived, there is little question about what you’ll get from the Nittany Lions annually.

That consistency should turn Penn State into a regular participant of an expanded playoff field, which will keep the program relevant no matter how the sport changes. All the same, the Nittany Lions have had transfers in, transfers out, started the largest infrastructure project in the history of the athletic department and hired an entirely new platoon of coordinators.

The bad news is that the conversations and debates have only just begun. The games might be back, but the long road ahead is paved with no shortage of drama for Penn State.

RELATED: Scouting Penn State's chances to make the College Football Playoff

The development of quarterback Drew Allar, the resurgence of running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen, the position change by defensive end Abdul Carter, the uncertainty of the wide receiver room. All of this is foreground to a larger tapestry of what Penn State has — and hasn’t — yet done under Franklin. A tenure which has stretched more than a decade with one conference title and a lot of “what if?”

Like always, things out of Franklin’s control could derail Penn State’s chances of making its first playoff appearance. Teams are always one injury from disaster. That aside, there are few reasons to pick against the Nittany Lions in any given week this season. The defense should continue to be great under new coordinator Tom Allen, and the offense has too many potential stars for none to rise for new coordinator Andy Kotelnicki. If nothing else, the Kotelnicki's touch should be a breath of fresh air for an offense that often felt stale in the season’s biggest moments.

Penn State finds itself on the precipice of a new chapter in its storied history, facing as much pressure to perform as any team the program has fielded in recent memory. It may not have the same obvious national title aspirations of the 2017 squad, but everywhere you look there is pressure:

• Can Drew Allar turn into the quarterback fans are hoping to see?
• Can James Franklin not only get Penn State into the expanded field but also win a game or two?
• Where will Penn State land in the hierarchy of the new Big Ten? Washington, UCLA and USC may lack bite in 2024, but the Nittany Lions are not guaranteed to avoid adding them (or Oregon) to their list of Big Ten programs to chase down.

All of that starts this week with a visit to better-than-you-think West Virginia that would love to hijack Penn State’s season right out of the gate. It emphasizes Franklin’s occasionally cliched "1-0" approach because, while it may come across as predictable coach-speak, it also has resulted in Penn State rarely losing games it shouldn’t. Whatever qualms you might have about the Nittany Lions’ results in the biggest moments of the year, you only get to the big games by taking care of business in the smaller ones.

But there’s nothing small about this week.

“I know there are also reasons people schedule lower level, out-of-conference games, because there are going to be some things that show up in this game that probably won't show up in game two or three,” Franklin said on Monday. “So that's where I'm losing my hair and sleep, trying to do everything we possibly can to eliminate those things that you know can typically show up on a game one, and doing everything we can to try to eliminate or deter those things from happening.”

RELATED: How James Franklin is preparing for a "challenging" trip to West Virginia

And with nearly 150 days between Penn State’s opening-week clash and the national-title game, it’s hard to argue that college football is becoming more of a marathon than a sprint. A world where losing might not derail your dreams and a world where nothing will get any easier as the pressure to perform ramps up.

How that marathon unfolds for Penn State could set the tone for the remainder of Franklin’s tenure. A postseason appearance, and perhaps even a win in the playoffs, could confirm Penn State’s status as one of the biggest benefactors of the new format. Miss the playoffs as a healthy and capable team, and the questions will only mount. Make the playoffs and put up a poor effort against a fellow elite, and the question might be raised whether losing early in an expanded playoff is much different than losing to Michigan or Ohio State.

So sure, the games are back. But, for better or worse, the debate isn’t going anywhere.

Ben Jones has been covering Penn State athletics for 13 years, having been to countless home and road games for Nittany Lion sporting events spanning the Rose Bowl to the NCAA Tournament. He's also the author of the book Happy Valley Hockey. You can read his work at  https://benjonesonpennstate.substack.com and follow him on X (Twitter) at Ben_Jones88

More Penn State Football

18 things to know about the Nittany Lions this season

Penn State 2024 preview: Addressing the Nittany Lions assets and issues

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Ben Jones has been covering Penn State athletics for 13 years, having been to countless home and road games for Nittany Lion sporting events spanning from the Rose Bowl to the NCAA Tournament. He's also the author of the book Happy Valley Hockey. You can read his work at https://benjonesonpennstate.substack.com and follow him on X (Twitter) at Ben_Jones88

Follow Ben_Jones88