How to Write a Radio Serial Drama for Social Development- PDF

118 Chapter Eight: Scene Development
Topics in This Chapter
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Episode and scene divisions: The early episodes
Episode treatments
The plot chart
Guidelines for development and use of scenes
Weaving the elements of a scene together
Episode and Scene Divisions: The Early Episodes
Many writers—particularly those who are new at Enter-Educate work—find
it quite challenging to divide an episode into scenes that depict several plots
simultaneously. It is easier for both the writer and the audience if each of the
plots is introduced separately in the early episodes of a serial. For a serial
broadcast weekly for six months or more, the following scheme would be an
appropriate way to divide the episodes and to introduce the main plot and
three sub-plots.
• Episodes 1 and 2: All scenes relate to the main plot.
• Episodes 3 and 4: Scene 1 = main plot
Scene 2 = sub-plot A
Scene 3 = main plot
Scene 4 = sub-plot A
• Episodes 5 and 6: Scene 1 = main plot
Scene 2 = sub-plot B
Scene 3 = sub-plot A
Scene 4 = sub-plot B
• Episodes 7 and 8: Scene 1 = main plot
Scene 2 = sub-plot C
Scene 3 = sub plot B
Scene 4 = sub-plot C
From this point on, the plots can be mixed in any sequence, depending
on the progress of the story. All four plots need not appear in every episode.
Sometimes two plots can be used alternately to create four scenes.
Even when the writer feels confident in working with more than one plot
from the outset, it is easier for the audience to understand the story if the
various plots are introduced slowly, with two or, at most, three plots starting
up in the same episode. It is also important, particularly in the early episodes,
to link scenes together clearly so that the audience is not confused about
what is happening. Even as the story moves from plot to sub-plot to subplot,
the dialogue should give some indication of how each plot links with
the others. (Information on linking scenes is contained later in this chapter.)