I’m Kayla Sox. I act for a living, and I audition a lot. I’ve spilled coffee on scripts, cried in Lyft rides, and done a slate in a windy alley. So yes, I use monologues for real work, not just for class. Some hit. Some flop. Today I’ll share what worked for me, what to avoid, and five original monologues I wrote and tested in rooms and on tape. Use them, tweak them, cut them. Make them yours.
Here’s the thing: the right monologue feels like a clean handshake. It shows who you are fast, then lands a neat little button (that last beat). No fluff. A little spark.
What I Tried (and How It Played)
I pulled pieces from a few places over the last year:
- Smith & Kraus “Best Women’s Monologues” (great range, easy cuts)
- Monologue Blogger (quick, modern voices)
- Backstage guides (good for type ideas)
- New Play Exchange (new writers—fresh, but ask about rights if needed)
- How Much Joy (quick writing prompts that cracked open new monologues for me)
Want a fuller breakdown of the monologues I actually keep in my back pocket? I lay out my personal roster (with cuts and performance notes) in this guide to pieces I genuinely use.
I also started writing my own for specific vibes—funny, warm, wry, grounded. Casting called out two of my originals for being “clean and live.” That told me something: it wasn’t about famous text. It was about fit, timing, and a clear point of view.
Sometimes I need raw, unfiltered language to nail a punchy monologue about modern swipe culture. One place I mine for real-world dialogue gold is the hookup scene showcased on Instabang’s landing page where the blunt bios, quirky taglines, and screenshot conversations drop ready-made lines you can spin into sharp comedic beats. For a silkier, aspirational twist—rich with playful negotiation—you can dive into the vibrant classifieds for sugar-dating in Ohio, like the curated profiles on One Night Affair’s Sugar Daddy Westerville page, which showcase polished bios and negotiation snippets perfect for shaping a monologue that balances desire, leverage, and humor.
You know what? Overused monologues can still work if they fit your face and your voice. But for me, fresh text kept me relaxed. I didn’t feel ghosted by the “right way” to say it.
Quick Wins That Helped Me
- Keep it 50 to 75 seconds. No small talk.
- Pick a simple, real want. Ask for something.
- Build one beat change (a tiny shift) and land a button.
- Aim above the reader’s head for your eyeline. Not at the floor.
- No props. A pen is fine. That’s it.
- If you cut lines, cut clean. No half sentences that die on air.
If you want to cross-check these quick wins against other seasoned voices, Theatre Bay Area offers 10 tips for choosing your audition monologue that mirror much of what I learned on my feet, and the Denver Center distills 5 tips for nailing your audition monologue that reinforce the power of clarity and specificity.
Alright—let’s get to the fun part.
Real Monologues You Can Try
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How These Landed in Real Rooms
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Little Things That Helped More Than I Thought
- Shoes matter. Wear the height you’ll use on set. It changes how you stand.
- Slate like a human at a door: name, piece, thank you. No speech about your “process.”
- Put the beat change at about 30–40 seconds. It keeps the shape clear.
- End with breath. Don’t rush your button. Let them see you settle.
- Feed your ears: I road-tested seven self-help podcasts for women and flagged what really moved the needle—my rankings live here.
Stuff I’d Skip Next Time
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Book vs. Web vs. Write-Your-Own
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Final Take
Monologues for women aren’t a box. They’re a little window. Keep it simple, honest, and alive. If one of mine fits your voice, take it. Trim it. Change “fern” to “orchid.” Wear your own shoes. And breathe.
If you find yourself craving a wider, candid look at how the whole feminist self-help scene operates, you can peek at my honest take on the Feminist Self-Help Society.
If you want, tell me what you need—type, age range, tone—and I’ll sketch a fresh one. I like making text that sits well in the mouth. Weird hobby, I know. But it books.
Break legs,
Kayla Sox