What is Script Writing Prompts?

What is Script Writing?

There are different kinds of script writing. One type of script is a screenplay, in which a script is written for TV or film and contains character dialogue and screen directions for the director. Another type of script writing is a play script. A play script is a piece of paper written for the stage. A play script contains the action in the narrative split into different scenes, stage directions, and dialogue from the characters. A script is written to tell the director and the actors what to do, unlike a story, which is reported to paint a picture in the reader’s imagination.

Every year kids get to put on at least one play that can evoke emotions from excitement to confusion to outright horror. As such, learning how to understand, act in, design, structure, and write a play comes with the territory of being a kid. Children start by learning play scripts in Drama from Year 2 and begin learning how to use their bodies to interact with each other. Later in their education, students begin dabbling with creative writing. Script writing is one of the ways teachers can help their imaginations explode with color and flair.

It’s not always easy to develop divine ideas and enigmatic dialogue that would make Shakespeare’s ear twitch, so we’ve put together this handy guide full of creative script writing prompts for story, character, and discussion. So raise the curtain, folks; here are some significant script writing prompts and ideas to prime your kiddos into writing and performing a stage play.

Script Writing Prompts and Activities

There are lots of ways you can help children get their creative juices flowing when partaking in script writing and drama activities. They could use story starter sentences, visual photo prompts, character inspirations, or even dialogue aids. The world is their stage – or at least the classroom is for now.

We’ve developed these easy, and fun script-writing prompts to inspire children to write scintillating scripts. But, of course, these ideas can also get physical, and you can split the class into groups to act out these prompts in some epic improvisation lessons.

The magic of misunderstanding

Two characters are trapped in a broom cupboard; one character believes they are both in on a secret, and the other is entirely oblivious.

Two characters meet on the street; one sincerely believes they know the other, while the other insists they have never met.

One character is on the telephone trying to buy something; the other end insists they have the wrong number.

Hiding a secret

Three characters are sitting at a bus stop. Two characters know something and are trying to keep the third character from finding out.

Two characters have scheduled a top-secret meeting on a rooftop; one is a superhero and is about to reveal his true identity.

Emergency

Two strangers are stuck in an elevator. One is calm; the other believes the walls are closing in.

Two characters have accidentally ordered the wrong pizza at a restaurant; they have one minute to decide what to do.

Group Tasks

A group of actors is on stage, and everyone has forgotten their lines, along with the plot and even who they are.

A group of characters is waiting in a queue. The first character knows what they are waiting for, but the others do not and continually wonder out loud what it could be.

Here are more super simple idea prompts:

Imagine you are the master of the Universe.
You’re walking your dog in the park, and suddenly he runs away.
You are a dark wizard planning to rule the world.
Your aunt is coming to stay, and you’re trying to convince your family you are allergic to her.
You’re sitting in the classroom minding your own business when suddenly, everyone disappears.
There’s a knock at the door. You open it to see your childhood hero.
You’re an international spy trying to solve the mystery of the Emperor’s lost sock.
You arrive at school and realize you haven’t done any homework.
There’s a secret realm behind the blackboard, but only you know about it.
An alien has crash-landed in the playground.

Superstar Teacher Idea

Make your script writing prompts and story starters by making a creative game. Using four columns, write down a list of prompts on little paper or cards, as shown below. You’ll need a sentence starter, such as ‘Write a story about…’ or ‘Write a script about…’ along with a character, a description, and a situation.

Use this fantastic set of examples below, or add your original ideas. Then, of course, you can always keep adding more to the collection and laminate the cards to use again and again.

Write a script about	annoying	wizard	who loses the planet in a bet
Write a story about	hungry	fairy	who starts a wind farm
Write a script about	silly	Prince	who eats a spider
Write a story about	greedy	Princess	who writes a novel
Write a script about	playful	gargoyle	who conquers a King
Write a story about	handsome	horse	who disappears
Write a script about	gruesome	pumpkin	who sinks ships
Write a story about	laughing	pirate	who saves the town
Write a script about	hideous	scientist	who gets lost in space
Write a story about	giant	cat	who lives in a caravan
Write a script about	happy	aunt	who only eats cabbage
Write a story about	grumpy	sausage	who puts a curse on the town
Write a script about	terrible	plumber	saves a family of bears

Script Writing Character Prompts:

Coming up with interesting characters is tricky, so using character prompts is a great tool to get those neurons buzzing with ideas. As play scripts are mostly dialogue, it’s a great start to get children actively thinking and talking about what they could include in a script. This fun activity can be done physically or in writing. It’s a great way to encourage students to interact with each other and learn improvisational skills.

Task children to develop a scene between two characters using a script writing prompt. Using the same idea as before, write down each marker on a little piece of paper and make four piles. Children pick one from each bank and concoct the frame for their character. Here are some ideas to get started:

Victoria is a	curious person	with blue eyes	and a monkey sidekick
Evangeline is a	grumpy person	with red hair	and a love of dragons
Ruby is a	friendly person	with brown hair	and one leg
Dexter is a	serious person	with black eyes	and a cupboard full of money
Chihiro is a	giggly person	with pink hair	and a car full of skateboards

Script Writing Dialogue Prompts:

Dialogue in scripts for plays, TV, films, or any narrative should have a natural flow. It’s a great idea to get kids active in the classroom to practice their dialogue and think about it in terms of a story or a play. The physical element gets the juices flowing, and they can test the natural ways characters speak before writing them down in their script. They could start with any topic and any idea. Kids typically love to play pretend and have grown up playing and creating worlds from an early age. Creative students will love coming up with something fun and inventive to explore in this activity, but shyer children might prefer a prompt.

Dialogue Prompts: