In order to end up with a 2-min monologue, it’s important to get a rough idea of the length of your story as you create it. Take the parts that you’ve circled and read them slowly while keeping an eye on the clock. How much time do you have to play with? Have that in mind as you add…

You’ll want to introduce your character so we know who you are in relation to the student. Take a look at how some of last year’s students began their monologues. (Look at samples.)

If your story jumps from one topic (or time in your character’s life) to another, you’ll need to add transitions so your monologue doesn’t sound “choppy.” Can you find any transitions in the samples from last year?

During the interview, many of you asked about how your “character” sees race relations today (improved/gotten worse/stayed the same). This can be a natural ending. Look through your transcription and look for words/phrases that might work well at the end. Don’t just stop “mid-sentence.” You may need to add words. How did last year’s students end their monologues?

-Rearrange the order that parts appear in your transcription -Add words and phrases -Keep some of the “ums,” but not necessarily every single one -

-Cut parts of the transcription out -Create a beginning -Create an ending -Transition between topics

Create your monologue and type a fresh copy. Type it in manageable/easy-to-memorize chunks. (You’ll be grateful for this later.) Time yourself and get it down to 2 minutes (or less). Cut out parts if over 2 minutes. SAVE your transcription. Bring your typed monologue to class. You will read to a partner.