{"id":4670,"date":"2017-09-20T17:36:43","date_gmt":"2017-09-20T17:36:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/?p=4670"},"modified":"2017-09-26T19:43:10","modified_gmt":"2017-09-26T19:43:10","slug":"7-tips-for-beginning-playwrights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/7-tips-for-beginning-playwrights\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Tips for Beginning Playwrights"},"content":{"rendered":"

7 Tips for Beginning Playwrights<\/h3>\n \"\"<\/a><\/span>

Written by\u00a0Ashleigh Gardner<\/p>\n

September 18, 2017<\/p>\n<\/font>

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So you want to be a playwright. But you\u2019ve got one problem \u00a0\u2014 \u00a0where do you begin? Beginnings are always the hardest to write, so it\u2019s no wonder starting a new project or career endeavor is just as difficult. If you\u2019re searching for some advice on how to get started with playwriting, take a look at these seven basic tips for penning your first play.<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Read plays by playwrights who inspire you.<\/h4>\n
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The first step to being a <\/span>good writer <\/span><\/i>is to read <\/span>good writing<\/span><\/i>. Pick out a few plays from your school, university, or local library by playwrights whose writing style and genre you like. Are you a fan of absurdism? Try Sam Shepard. Like tense drama? Look at <\/span>Dominique Morisseau. Like comedy? Give Christopher Durang or Tina Howe a try. What about dark comedy? Look up Annie Baker or Tracy Letts. And if you\u2019re not sure what genre you like, choose one from each category by a few different playwrights. Even if you don\u2019t particularly like the play, you\u2019ll be able to know <\/span>after reading <\/span><\/i>what you <\/span>don\u2019t <\/span><\/i>want in your own play. Take notes: What do you like? What don\u2019t you like?\u00a0How does the playwright introduce characters? What kind of characters do you most like seeing? How does the playwright orchestrate the rising action, the climax, and the falling action? <\/span><\/p>\n

Not sure where to start with reading plays? Check out the links at the bottom of this article for other articles about other playwrights and their plays. Pictured above are playwrights Caridad Svich<\/strong><\/span><\/a>, David Henry Hwang<\/strong><\/span><\/a>, Lynn Nottage<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span>, and Paula Vogel<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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2. Read Aristotle\u2019s Poetics<\/i>.<\/h4>\n
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I can\u2019t stress this enough. Aristotle\u2019s <\/span>Poetics <\/span><\/i>is a great resource\/tool\/jumping off point for understanding the basic elements of a play. Though it deals specifically with how a successful <\/span>tragedy<\/span><\/i> is structured, it gives playwrights a starting point from which to proceed into other genres. <\/span>Poetics <\/span><\/i>goes in depth to describe the form (inclusion of cathartic moments, character development rules, rules of plot, obstacles, and thought expressed through characters\u2019 words and actions) and content (rhythm, characters, character reasoning or \u201cthought\u201d, lines, plot, spectacle) that every successful tragedy\/play must have.<\/span><\/p>\n

Click here<\/strong><\/span><\/a> for the free online version. Click here<\/strong><\/span><\/a> for the Penguin edition on Amazon. (Don’t worry. Neither of them are in Greek or Latin.)<\/p>\n

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3. Write every single day<\/i>.<\/h4>\n
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Even if it\u2019s only a page, you should set aside time \u00a0\u2014 \u00a0first thing in the morning, at lunch time, before or after dinner, or right before bed \u00a0\u2014 \u00a0to write. It could be on the computer or\u00a0<\/em>in a notebook.\u00a0You don\u2019t even have to work on the play you\u2019ve been working on. If you have a bit of writer\u2019s block, or you\u2019re suddenly struck by a new idea, start a new project! But remember…<\/span><\/p>\n

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4. Finish what you start.<\/h4>\n
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There\u2019s nothing worse than a script that hasn\u2019t reached completion. There\u2019s a sad thing called \u201cwasted potential\u201d that makes artists cringe: you see a thing that is <\/span>so great<\/span><\/i>, but it\u2019s not finished, or it\u2019s not workshopped fully, and it just…sits there. Alone. In an unopened Word document. Forgotten to the sands of time. Don\u2019t abandon your script children! Finish the script (even though you think it may be \u201cbad\u201d), and work on it later. The story may even change, and that isn\u2019t a bad thing.<\/span><\/p>\n

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5. Start with a 10-minute play first.<\/i><\/h4>\n
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When you think about writing a play, do you stop yourself because you\u2019re thinking of writing a full-length? Does it scare the crap out of you? That\u2019s okay. Full-length plays are a big undertaking, so start with a ten-minute play. Popularity for ten-minute plays is <\/span>high <\/span><\/i>as of the publishing date of this article, too, so try your hand at one. (A few starting tips: one setting, no more than 2-3 characters, 3 obstacles they encounter while they work toward resolution, and how you want the scene to end. Pages 1-2 should be exposition, pages 3-7 rising action, page 8 climax of the plot, pages 9-10 falling action and resolution. Figure out your setting <\/span>first<\/span><\/i>, characters and their personalities <\/span>second<\/span><\/i>,<\/span> their conflict and resolution <\/span>third<\/span><\/i>, and their obstacles <\/span>fourth<\/span><\/i>. Their dialogue is easier to fill in once you establish these basic elements.)<\/span><\/p>\n

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6. Trust your characters.<\/h4>\n
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It may sound silly to trust a person who isn\u2019t a tangible <\/span>person <\/span><\/i>in real life, but every kind of character is based on a real person OR a combination of people you know OR a combination of different types of people you remember coming into contact with. Each of these people have different motivations, yes? That being said, trust the motivations your character has. Have a character who\u2019s an irresponsible teen but wants to reconcile with her family? Trust that. Have a character who just NEEDS to say the thing that\u2019s on their mind? Do they say it or do they keep it hidden? What seems more likely for them to do <\/span>at that moment <\/span><\/i>with the company they\u2019re in? Trust your characters, and don\u2019t discount your instincts. Your characters come from <\/span>you <\/span><\/i>after all.<\/span><\/p>\n

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7. Write what you\u2019re familiar with first; explore later.<\/h4>\n
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What are the stories and issues you know best? The ones you experience every day, of course. The old adage \u201cwrite what you know\u201d is usually applied across the board, but it isn\u2019t necessary to stick to that rule when you\u2019ve had a few scripts in your rep. Start out with subjects and topics you\u2019re familiar with, and then — in the future when you\u2019re more confident — play around with setting, time period, subject matter, and writing style. It never hurts to experiment. You may even consider taking a playwriting course<\/strong><\/span><\/a> to help you hone (or expand) your skills. <\/span><\/p>\n
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Interested in playwriting? Check out our other features below!<\/h3>\n