If you struggle with your monologue assignment or want to improve the quality of your papers of this type, then this article is definitely for you. We have gathered the best tips and pieces of advice for students who have to write a monologue.

What Is a Monologue?

First, let’s find out the basics of this type of paper. What is a monologue? A monologue is a solo speech of a character that is performed on a particular event, experience, etc. It allows us to get a better understanding of a character’s feelings and thoughts. In literature, dramatic monologues are spoken out loud or are represented in the form of the inner monologue of a character to himself.

The Key Features of a Monologue

The majority of the character monologues share key characteristics. For example:

• A monologue can be written in rhyme or without it as it can be used both in poetry and in prose.
• A monologue is a speech of one character only.
• A monologue can be represented in the form of a speech to an audience or an inner speech as a representation of a character’s thoughts.
• A monologue is used to represent the opinion or experience of the character.
• A monologue is written in the first person from the perspective of the character.
• A monologue has to combine past and present actions and reveal the correlation between them.

These are the basics that you need to consider when writing a monologue. Make sure to fill the monologue with emotions as it is the most important part of the good monologue.

Writing a Monologue

Many students get confused when they are assigned to write a monologue and try to find the answer to the question “How to write a monologue essay?” Sometimes such an assignment can be given when studying a particular piece of literature in order to get a better understanding of the character and his or her motives, aspirations, etc.

If it is the case, students are given a situation when a character has to perform a monologue. In other cases, students are free to choose the character and the circumstances that accompany the monologue.

Monologue writing always helps to develop good writing skills and perform a deeper analysis of the literature work. If you would like to improve your writing skills, you might be interested in our article that contains some tips for you.

Step 1. The Character Choice

If you got an assignment to write a monologue, start with thinking about what your topic will be. If your teacher gave you specific guidelines on the character that you need to speak for or a particular scene that you need to incorporate your monologue in, then you have a half of the task done. If not, think of the character who faces a difficult emotional situation. For example, Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice or the eponymous hero of the novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.

Write down the notes about the events that precede the monologue and form the emotional state that your character is in. For example, if your character witnessed the murder or was participating in a crime, etc. This will help you to understand what you should write about and how your character should feel at the moment. This will also help you not to forget to mention these events if needed.

Step 2. Writing an Outline

As any other writing assignment, a monologue requires an outline. By thinking through the structure of your future piece, you improve the readability and the logical flow of it.

The majority of monologues share the same structure that consists of the beginning, the middle and the ending parts. Each of these parts has transitioning sentences that help to blend everything together into the story with a natural, logical flow and idea evaluation.

It’s great if your monologue has its climax – the point of the most intense emotion or a decisive action that is framed into the story. You might put the climax of your monologue in any part of it:

• It might be placed at the beginning of your monologue as the catchy paragraphs that draws attention and helps to set the tone of the monologue.
• In the middle – with the emotional intensity that grows from the beginning, reaches the climax and then goes down at the end of the monologue.
• At the end of the monologue – as the intriguing closure.

So, make an outline that would organize the ideas which you want to evaluate and consider the part of your monologue that is the most suitable for the climax of your story.

Step 3. Drafting

After your outline is ready, you can start working on your draft. Keep in mind that you need to follow the character’s manner of speaking and make a monologue close to the individuality of the speaker.

Focus your monologue on a particular point of view and build a monologue starting with the notes that you have prepared that go straight to the point and the main idea of your monologue. Later, you can add details and move the parts of your monologue if needed.

A tip:

If you struggle with a monologue concept, try the following exercise. Speak for one minute straight without pause. Just say what comes to your mind. Try it for one more minute but this time try to tell a story instead of random sentences. Incorporate emotions and thoughts on any subject. Here you go, you have just performed a monologue that might help you to get a few monologue story ideas.

Add twist and turns to your monologue to make it more alive and compelling to keep the readers’ attention through the whole piece. If you want to add elements of surprise, it’s better to place them at the beginning of the new paragraph.

Step 4. Editing

Once your draft is ready, proofread the whole piece and try to analyze if your monologue fits the character and the scene or circumstances in which it takes place. You can add quotes that might fit the monologue or refer to the particular events if they are significant for the character at a specific moment.