ÿþ<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN"> <HTML> <HEAD> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html;CHARSET=iso-8859-1"> <META NAME="description" CONTENT="Style guidelines for submitting texts of plays, pantomimes, skits and sketches to on-line publisher Lazy Bee Scripts."> <META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="Scripts,Script,Plays,Play,Pantomimes,Pantomime,Panto,publish,publishing,publisher,publishers,published,style,text,texts"> <META http-equiv="PICS-Label" content='(PICS 1.0 "http://www.classify.org/safesurf/" l r (SS~~000 1))'> <META NAME="GENERATOR" Content="Visual Page 2.0 for Windows"> <TITLE>Style guidelines for submitting plays and pantomimes to Lazy Bee Scripts</TITLE> </HEAD> <BODY> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="100%"> <TR> <TD WIDTH="130"><IMG SRC="../Graphics/lazybee.gif" WIDTH="130" HEIGHT="102" ALIGN="BOTTOM" BORDER="0"></TD> <TD> <P ALIGN="CENTER"><B><I><FONT SIZE="7" COLOR="#990000">Lazy Bee Scripts</FONT></I></B><FONT SIZE="7">&nbsp;<BR> </FONT><B><FONT SIZE="5">The Lazy Bee Scripts House Style</FONT></B> &nbsp;</TD> <TD WIDTH="130"><IMG SRC="../Graphics/rightbee130.gif" WIDTH="130" HEIGHT="102" ALIGN="BOTTOM" BORDER="0"></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD WIDTH="130">&nbsp;</TD> <TD>&nbsp;</TD> <TD WIDTH="130">&nbsp;</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD COLSPAN="3"> <P ALIGN="CENTER">&quot;<I>Style is the dress of thought; a modest dress.&nbsp; Neat, but not gaudy, will true critics please,</I>&quot; <BR> - Reverend Samuel Wesley<br /> &nbsp; </TD> </TR> </TABLE> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="100%"> <TR> <TD WIDTH="100%"><B>This page gives some basic information about the way we lay out play scripts, much of it in the form of links to other pages.&nbsp; Following this information will help us publish your script (<em>IF</em> we accept it for publication!)</B><br /> If you are writing a script, you may find this helpful.&nbsp; If you've already finished the writing, then, before you start reformatting your script to meet the technical guidelines, first ask yourself whether or not we want it (see the main <A HREF="Index.htm">Guide to Getting Your Script Published</A>) then ask us the same question!&nbsp; <br /> <br /> If we accept your script for publication, we will reformat it according to our House Style.&nbsp; When we do this, there is a risk that we will lose some of the subtleties in your text.&nbsp; The following guidelines will help you prepare the script for publication, and will minimise the risk of our editors doing damage to it!</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD WIDTH="100%">&nbsp;</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD WIDTH="100%"> <B><FONT SIZE="4">Do all publishers format scripts in the same way?</FONT></B></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD WIDTH="100%"> <ul> <li>No.&nbsp; </li> <li>We each have our own quirks. </li> <li>There is a US format, based on (a) Screenwriting and (b) the Typewriter which is radically different from our format.&nbsp; (We have noticed the existence of the word processor, and we believe in making scripts as easy as possible for actors to read at sight.)</li> </ul> </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD WIDTH="100%">&nbsp;</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD WIDTH="100%"> <B><FONT SIZE="4">General Guidance:&nbsp; Keep it simple</FONT></B></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD WIDTH="100%"> If possible, keep your formatting to a minimum, and observe the following guidelines.&nbsp; (If you stick to these guidelines then we can apply our house style relatively easily.)<br /> <ul> <li>Put a title, by-line and character list on the first page.&nbsp; See <a href="Frontispiece.htm"> First Page</a></li> <li>Use the minimum number of <a href="Headings.htm">heading styles</a> (in principle, a maximum of three - title, act and scene)</li> <li>Observe our guidelines for <a href="Directions.htm">stage directions</a>.&nbsp; (Start by putting all directions into brackets)</li> <li><a href="Speeches.htm">Format your speeches</a> simply (a character name in Title Case, a colon, a tab and then the speech).&nbsp; If you want the actor to stress a word, put it in italics.&nbsp; If you want the actor to shout then either put in a stage direction - (shouting) - or put the shouted words in capital letters.</li> <li>Supply appropriate <a href="Afterthought.htm">Production Notes</a> at the end of your script</li> <li>Avoid all the pitfalls of trying to use your <a href="WordProcessing.htm">Word Processor</a> as a typewriter</li> </ul> </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD WIDTH="100%" style="height: 19px">&nbsp;</TD> </TR> </TABLE> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="100%"> <TR> <TD WIDTH="50" >&nbsp;</TD> <TD WIDTH="98%" > <H2>Example of Formatting</H2> </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD WIDTH="50" style="height: 19px">&nbsp;</TD> <TD WIDTH="98%" style="height: 19px"> <strong><span style="font-size: 16pt">Act 1</span></strong></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD WIDTH="50" style="height: 11px">&nbsp;</TD> <TD WIDTH="98%"> <span style="font-size: 14pt"><em><strong>Scene 1 </strong></em></span> </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD WIDTH="50" style="height: 19px">&nbsp;</TD> <TD WIDTH="98%" style="height: 19px"><B><FONT SIZE="2">(The stage is dark except for a small area around a gate, guarded by two sentries. In the darkness, a match strikes, flares and goes out.)</FONT></B></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD WIDTH="50">&nbsp;</TD> <TD WIDTH="98%"><B><FONT SIZE="2">Sentry 1:</FONT></B><FONT SIZE="2">&nbsp; Halt! Who goes there? </FONT><B><FONT SIZE="2">(He swings his rifle in the direction of the match.)</FONT></B><FONT SIZE="2"> Friend or foe? </FONT><B><FONT SIZE="2">(Pause)</FONT></B><FONT SIZE="2"> I </FONT><I><FONT SIZE="2">said</FONT></I><FONT SIZE="2"> who goes there.</FONT></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD WIDTH="50">&nbsp;</TD> <TD WIDTH="98%"><B><FONT SIZE="2">Sentry 2:</FONT></B><FONT SIZE="2">&nbsp; What is it?</FONT></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD WIDTH="50">&nbsp;</TD> <TD WIDTH="98%"><B><FONT SIZE="2">Sentry 1:</FONT></B><FONT SIZE="2">&nbsp; Over there, come on.</FONT></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD WIDTH="50">&nbsp;</TD> <TD WIDTH="98%"><B><FONT SIZE="2">(The two sentries advance into the darkness.)</FONT></B></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD COLSPAN="2">&nbsp;</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD COLSPAN="2" style="height: 19px">&nbsp;</TD> </TR> </TABLE> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="100%"> <TR> <TD WIDTH="100%" style="height: 19px"> See also our &nbsp;<a href="Formatting.htm">Formatting Guide</a>, which gives you some basics.</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD WIDTH="100%">&nbsp;</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD WIDTH="100%">Got all that? Good. The <A HREF="Index.htm">Guide to Getting Your Script Published</A> will explain the submission process.</TD> </TR> </TABLE> </BODY> </HTML>