Frequently Asked Questions 

ELL NIE Monologue

A staple of dramatic writing, a monologue is an opportunity to step into the role of a fictional character and tell their story directly and without interruption to an audience by finding their own unique voice and purpose.

A monologue is a convention that typically allows a character to speak intimately and candidly to an audience in a way they could not normally do in everyday situations. A monologue may expose a character’s innermost thoughts and desires. It may focus on critical incidents, events, or characters.

However, it could just as easily be presented as a speech, announcement, or even one side of a conversation. The choice is yours and the possibilities are boundless.

To be a participant, you need to write a monologue and perform it. To be sure, writing a monologue is both a creative and dramatic task, but it need not be a very complex and difficult one – especially when you consider that what we are asking you to write for this competition is meant to be short and to the point.

You do not need prior experience to participate. In fact, we expect most participants to be first time writers. By attending the planned online workshops, you will acquire all the necessary skills for writing your own monologue – hopefully with confidence. You will also get to meet other young people who are also trying to find their voice through playwriting. 

It is possible to work collaboratively to write your monologue. You could also write a monologue and have someone else perform it. Again, the choice is yours. Do what works best for you. 

As a participant, you are only required to write a bite-sized monologue between one minute to two minutes in length. Although it depends on your performance, a one-minute monologue is likely to be in the vicinity of 150 words on average, while a two-minute monologue will likely be 300 words.

Your monologue is meant to be a brief but vital snapshot of your character and their chief concerns. It is possible to quickly draft a monologue in one sitting.

Besides the length, there are no restrictions in regards subject matter. Write about characters and stories you care deeply about and want to urgently share with others via a live public performance.

If you feel more comfortable following a template, you could refer to the following as a basic guide:

Hook
  • Begin your monologue with a powerful statement.
  • This could come in the form of a rhetorical question, an intriguing observation or a challenging problem that immediately grabs the attention of the audience.
Body
  • Delve into the story you would tell through your character.
  • Reveal who your character is and what they wish to communicate most desperately while building on your hook.
  • As the monologue progresses, the language could grow more direct and personal as the character begins to open up emotionally.
Conclusion
  • End your monologue with a powerful statement designed to give closure and/or point to unresolved tensions in the life of the character.
  • Think of saying something in closing to help the audience remember the character by.

To write an effective monologue, you should follow the three basic steps outlined below.

Firstly, you need to imagine a character to write about. This character could be very similar to you and share your characteristics and concerns. They could also be vastly different to you and find themselves in situations that require the full force of your imagination to realise. The choice is up to you.

Secondly, you need to identify a serious and potentially life-altering or even life-threatening problem that the character is desperate to talk about and resolve in some way. When characters engage in monologue, they are free to speak their mind without fear of judgement because they are effectively stepping out of their world and into ours.

Thirdly, you need to find a suitable voice for your character. This means that the language of your character must reflect their identity: their personality, circumstances, and their language or language ability. How they tell their story must tell about about who your character is as much as the story they would tell us. Neither you nor the character you write about need not be a first language user of English. 

In this Zoom event, you will perform your monologue live and direct to the camera. While you are able incorporate some hand gestures into your performance, you will be telling your character’s story largely through the power of your voice and facial expressions. You could utilise props and costumes if appropriate, but keep in mind they are not a requirement. Only use them if you think they will help you perform better.

The key to the successful delivery of any monologue is the clarity of voice and purpose. Vary your pace, make use of pauses, and underscore key words and phrases to make your point. Tell a story that will engage an audience from beginning to end.