Write a short description of what the character performing the monologue wants, suggest instructors at Sunny Hills Drama. This drives the words the character chooses in the monologue. For example, if your character wants to confess a dark secret, you can slowly build his monologue toward the big revelation.
Describe the location where the character finds himself. Actors often deliver monologues in places that trigger pleasant or dark memories within the character. For example, a cold room may invoke recollections of a horrible childhood filled with hunger and misery.
State the conflict that prevents the character from achieving his goal. The conflict can be internal or external. For example, a person who wants to confess may be so plagued by guilt that the confession becomes a lie. Or he may fear the reaction of the person to whom he is making the confession.
Describe the intended audience, advises Michael D. Sepesy of The Intentional Theatre. Audience, in this sense, means the person or people within the play or film to whom the character is addressing the monologue. Though the audience is often not visible during a monologue, the listener has a profound effect on the writing and delivery of the monologue. If the character is speaking to someone he hates, his words will be different than if the audience is someone he loves and doesn't want to hurt.
Craft a memorable closing, advises Richard Toscan of Virginia Commonwealth University. This can be a climax or "curtain line" that leaves something unresolved and makes the audience eager to learn what happens next, Toscan says. A monologue should build to a conclusion that either smoothly transitions to the next scene or closes the act.