Download or read book The Art of Creative Writing written by Lajos Egri and published by Citadel Press. This book was released on 2020-12-29 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “One of the few truly helpful books on fiction writing.” —Chicago Tribune Go beyond Stephen King’s On Writing to master the fundamentals of great storytelling with this foundational guide that reveals the essential elements of what makes the best fiction. The Art of Creative Writing is a timeless testament to the power of dialogue and character development that is accessible for every level of writer from beginner to established author. As in the bestselling The Art of Dramatic Writing, still considered one of the most essential books on playwriting more than 75 years after publication, the author outlines in detail his highly acclaimed Egri Method of Creative Writing and shows how to apply it to all fiction formats—novels, short stories, and screenplays. Grounded in Egri’s assertion that “Every type of creative writing depends upon the credibility of a character,” here is concise, clear advice on the most important element of good writing: characterization. Step by step, Egri shows writers how to probe the secrets of human motivation to create flesh-and-blood characters who create suspense and conflict, and who grow emotionally under stress and strain. As practical as it is inspiring, The Art of Creative Writing remains a timeless, illuminating guide that teaches every writer, and aspiring writer, how to create works that are both compelling and enduring.
Download or read book Playwriting Seminars 2 0 written by Richard Toscan and published by Franz Press. This book was released on 2012-03-16 with total page 392 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Playwriting Seminars is "a treasure-trove of information, philosophy, and inspiration" (Theatre Journal), "an absolutely essential guide to all aspects of playwriting and a valuable whitewater raft trip down the rapids of Hollywood screenwriting" (Magellan), and "a terrific learning environment for writers" (WebCrawler Select). It was also a recommended resource for playwrights at New Dramatists (NYC). The Handbook's initial concepts came from the author's work with Lucasfilm and the BBC. It was originally developed for playwrights and screenwriters, but has since been used by writers of fiction and nonfiction books. This new edition covers all aspects of writing full-length plays with an expanded treatment of screenwriting for Hollywood and independent film as well as diagrams of key elements of dramatic structure. Playwriting techniques are explained with many examples from classic and contemporary plays performed today by America's regional theatres as well as on Broadway and Off-Broadway. The 392 page Handbook explains the interconnections between characters and plot and the importance of subtext to character development in the contemporary theatre (what characters don't tell us matters as much as what they say in dialogue). Key exercises are included for developing "voice" as a writer and for creating the essential dual plot structure that supports intriguing characters in today's theatre. Many professionals in theatre and film are quoted on key parts of the art and craft of playwriting and screenwriting to help explain effective techniques. Special sections of the Handbook focus on getting inspiration and avoiding writer's block, editing first drafts, professional script formats for theatre and film (including software), how to launch new scripts, putting together submission packages for theatres and competitions, how to write an effective script synopsis and writer's bio, working with directors, actors and agents, how to survive audience "talkbacks" following readings and workshop productions, methods to adjust your playwriting skills for screenwriting and television work, and options for making a living at the craft of dramatic writing.
Download or read book The Screenplay as Literature written by Douglas Garrett Winston and published by Rutherford [N.J.] : Fairleigh Dickinson University Press. This book was released on 1973 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Architecture of Story written by Will Dunne and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2016-04-08 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This new book from the author of The Dramatic Writer's Companion approaches some of the same issues as its predecessor but from a slightly different angle. It offers playwrights, screenwriters, and other dramatic writers in-depth analysis of the dramatic architecture of three award-winning contemporary American plays: Doubt: A Parable by John Patrick Shanley, Topdog/Underdog by Suzan-Lori Parks, and The Clean House by Sarah Ruhl. Each relatively brief chapter is devoted to a specific story element--from "Characters" and "Main Event" to "Emotional Environment" and "Back Story"--with subsections that break down this element in each of the plays. Readers can choose to read across the chapters to follow the analysis of each play, but the structure gives primary emphasis to the story elements, comparing and contrasting how different writers have successfully handled them. Each chapter ends with a set of questions to help readers analyze and develop that element in their own work.
Download or read book The Dramatic Writer s Companion written by Will Dunne and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2017-10-04 with total page 357 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Spark your creativity, hone your writing, and improve your scripts with the self-contained character, scene, and story exercises found in this classic guide. Having spent decades working with dramatists to refine and expand their existing plays and screenplays, Dunne effortlessly blends condensed dramatic theory with specific action steps—over sixty workshop-tested exercises that can be adapted to virtually any individual writing process and dramatic script. Dunne’s in-depth method is both instinctual and intellectual, allowing writers to discover new actions for their characters and new directions for their stories. The exercises can be used by those just starting the writing process and by those who have scripts already in development. With each exercise rooted in real-life issues from Dunne’s workshops, readers of this companion will find the combined experiences of more than fifteen hundred workshops in a single guide. This second edition is fully aligned with a brand-new companion book, Character, Scene, and Story, which offers forty-two additional activities to help writers more fully develop their scripts. The two books include cross-references between related exercises, though each volume can also stand alone. No ordinary guide to plotting, this handbook centers on the principle that character is key. “The character is not something added to the scene or to the story,” writes Dunne. “Rather, the character is the scene. The character is the story.” With this new edition, Dunne’s remarkable creative method will continue to be the go-to source for anyone hoping to take their story to the stage. “Dunne mixes an artist’s imagination and intuition with a teacher’s knowledge of the craft of dramatic writing.” —May-Brit Akerholt, award-winning dramaturg
Download or read book The Art and Craft of Playwriting written by Jeffery Hatcher and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2000-03-01 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jeffrey Hatcher knows the nuts and bolts of writing for the theater. Here, he shares his views on it all--from building tension and plotting a scene, right down to moving a character from one side of the stage to the other. From crafting an intriguing beginning to delivering a satisfying ending. In Hatcher's one-on-one discussions with acclaimed American playwrights Lee Blessing, Marsha Norman and Jose Rivera, you'll find a wealth of practical advice, tricks of the trade and insight that will help you in your own creative efforts.
Download or read book How Not to Write a Play written by Walter Kerr and published by Dramatic Publishing. This book was released on 1996 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Most young playwrights nowadays want to learn 'how to' write a play. This seems to me to be a mistake." Thus begins the first chapter of Walter Kerr's fascinating book on the art of playwriting. Taking an about-face look at the creative process, with chapters such as "How to Spoil a Good Story," Mr. Kerr leads us through the exciting and daring adventure of successfully bringing a play to fulfillment. "There is no point in pretending that this is not going to be an argumentative book or that overemphasis isn't going to crop up pretty frequently in the chapters that follow. The face of our theater is so familiar to us that we shall never see its features without blowing them up a bit, one by one. And it does seem to me that we had better do some arguing - quick." Walter Kerr, drama critic, playwright, teacher, director, and winner of a Pulitzer Prize for Drama Criticism, served as drama critic for the New York Herald Tribune and was chief critic for the Sunday New York Times until his retirement. -- from back cover
Download or read book Young Playwrights 101 written by Jonathan Charles Dorf and published by Young Playwrights 101. This book was released on 2005 with total page 153 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS 101 is a complete playwriting course that uses easy-to-follow lessons and practical exercises to guide playwrights from idea through submission. While it was originally written with young playwrights and their teachers in mind, you dont have to be a student or drama teacher to benefit from YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS 101: no matter what your age or experience, if youre looking for detailed, no-nonsense advice about the craft and business of playwriting-and to write plays that will actually be produced-this is the resource for you. Here are just a few examples of topics youll find inside: Creating Characters Conflict Play Structure Choosing the Right Setting The "Question" of the Play How to Use an Outline Handling Exposition Using Punctuation to Write Better Dialogue Opening and Ending Your Play The Writing Process Dealing with Writer's Block Choosing the Best Title Recentering Your Play Rewriting Using the Expanded Writer's Web and Troubleshooter's Checklist How to Have a Useful Play Reading The Playwright's Bill of Rights and much, much more Whether youre writing your first play, want to brush up on your skills or are looking for that missing something in your writing, YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS 101 is the jumpstart you need to write plays that make it to the stage.
Download or read book The Art of Theater written by James R. Hamilton and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2008-04-15 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Art of Theater argues for the recognition of theatrical performance as an art form independent of dramatic writing. Identifies the elements that make a performance a work of art Looks at the competing views of the text-performance relationships An important and original contribution to the aesthetics and philosophy of theater
Download or read book Playwriting For Dummies written by Angelo Parra and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2011-08-02 with total page 404 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The easy way to craft, polish, and get your play on stage Getting a play written and produced is a daunting process. From crystallizing story ideas, formatting the script, understanding the roles of the director stagecraft people, to marketing and financing your project, and incorporating professional insights on writing, there are plenty of ins and outs that every aspiring playwright needs to know. But where can you turn for guidance? Playwriting For Dummies helps any writer at any stage of the process hone their craft and create the most dramatic and effective pieces. Guides you through every process of playwriting?from soliloquies, church skits, and one act plays to big Broadway musicals Advice on moving your script to the public stage Guidance on navigating loopholes If you're an aspiring playwright looking to begin the process, or have already penned a masterpiece and need trusted advice to bring it into the spotlight, Playwriting For Dummies has you covered.
Download or read book Playwriting written by Sam Smiley and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2005-01-01 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The incidence of melanoma has increased by 2000% since 1930 and one person dies each hour from the disease. This cutting edge guide provides scientifically accurate information which patients and their families need, to understand melanoma and its treatment and to receive necessary reassurance. It is also a vitally important resource for those who want information about preventing the disease or finding it early when it is most curable. Catherine M. Poole, a melanoma survivor and melanoma patient advocate for many organisations, and Dr. DuPont Guerry, an internationally renowned melanoma expert, have collaborated to provide current, correct and easily understood information on the disease. The authors have had first-hand contact with a multitude of patients with melanoma, and they understand exactly how to empower patients to gain control of their situations and obtain the best treatment.
Download or read book Writing the Character Centered Screenplay Updated and Expanded edition written by Andrew Horton and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2000-02-23 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "We need good screenwriters who understand character." Everywhere Andrew Horton traveled in researching this book—from Hollywood to Hungary—he heard the same refrain. Yet most of the standard how-to books on screenwriting follow the film industry's earlier lead in focusing almost exclusively on plot and formulaic structures. With this book, Horton, a film scholar and successful screenwriter, provides the definitive work on the character-based screenplay. Exceptionally wide-ranging—covering American, international, mainstream, and "off-Hollywood" films, as well as television—the book offers creative strategies and essential practical information. Horton begins by placing screenwriting in the context of the storytelling tradition, arguing through literary and cultural analysis that all great stories revolve around a strong central character. He then suggests specific techniques and concepts to help any writer—whether new or experienced—build more vivid characters and screenplays. Centering his discussion around four film examples—including Thelma & Louise and The Silence of the Lambs—and the television series, Northern Exposure, he takes the reader step-by-step through the screenwriting process, starting with the development of multi-dimensional characters and continuing through to rewrite. Finally, he includes a wealth of information about contests, fellowships, and film festivals. Espousing a new, character-based approach to screenwriting, this engaging, insightful work will prove an essential guide to all of those involved in the writing and development of film scripts.
Download or read book Making a Good Script Great written by Linda Seger and published by Samuel French , Incorporated. This book was released on 1994 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Making a good script great is not just a matter of having a good idea. Nor is it a matter of just putting that good idea down on paper. In scriptwriting, it's not just the writing but also the rewriting that counts. [This book] focuses on the rewriting process and offers specific methods to help you craft tighter, stronger, and more workable scripts. While retaining all the valuable insights that have made the first edition one of the all-time most popular screenwriting books, this expanded, second edition adds new chapters that take you through the complete screenwriting process, from the first draft through the shooting draft. If you're writing your first script, this book will help develop your skills for telling a compelling and dramatic story. If you're a veteran screenwriter, this book will articulate the skills you know intuitively. And if you're currently stuck on a rewrite, this book will help you analyze and solve the problems and get your script back on track."--Back cover.
Download or read book So You Want to be a Playwright written by Tim Fountain and published by Nick Hern Books. This book was released on 2007 with total page 145 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A manual for would-be playwrights--how to develop your play from conception to opening night.
Download or read book Stein On Writing written by Sol Stein and published by St. Martin's Press. This book was released on 2014-02-11 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Your future as a writer is in your hands. Whether you are a newcomer or an accomplished professional, a novelist, story writer, or a writer of nonfiction, you will find this book a wealth of immediately useful guidance not available anywhere else. As Sol Stein, renowned editor, author, and instructor, explains, "This is not a book of theory. It is a book of useable solutions-- how to fix writing that is flawed, how to improve writing that is good, how to create interesting writing in the first place." You will find one of the great unspoken secrets of craftsmanship in Chapter 5, called "Markers: The Key to Swift Characterization." In Chapter 7, Stein reveals for he first time in print the wonderful system for creating instant conflict developed in the Playwrights Group of the Actors Studio, of which he was a founder. In "Secrets of Good Dialogue," the premier teacher of dialogue gives you the instantly useable techniques that not only make verbal exchanges exciting but that move the story forward immediately. You won't need to struggle with flashbacks or background material after you've read Chapter 14, which shows you how to bring background into the foreground. Writers of both fiction and nonfiction will relish the amphetamines for speeding up pace, and the many ways to liposuction flab, as well as how to tap originality and recognize what successful titles have in common. You'll discover literary values that enhance writing, providing depth and resonance. You'll bless the day you read Chapters 32 and 33 and discover why revising by starting at page one can be a serious mistake, and how to revise without growing cold on your manuscript. In the pages of this book, nonfiction writers will find a passport to the new revolution in journalism and a guide to using the techniques of fiction to enhance nonfiction. Fresh, useful, informative, and fun to read and reread, Stein on Writing is a book you will mark up, dog-ear, and cherish.
Download or read book The Playwright s Guidebook written by Stuart Spencer and published by Macmillan + ORM. This book was released on 2002-03-29 with total page 394 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Crucible for Creativity: Unleashing the Playwright Within This engaging and concise handbook is a beacon for both budding and seasoned playwrights alike, illuminating the path to creating compelling, well-structured plays. The Playwright’s Guidebook is more than just theoretical musing; it encapsulates practical advice based on the experience of a seasoned playwright, making it the ideal companion for those embarking on the thrilling odyssey of playwriting. From crucial aspects like act structure, character development, and plot construction to the art of creating conflict and building drama, every nuance of playwriting is laid bare, empowering writers to unleash their own unique storytelling prowess. The guidebook shines light on the lesser-explored aspects of playwriting like handling exposition, tackling writer's block, and understanding cover letters and literary agents. Offering insightful writing exercises and guidelines, it facilitates an invigorating exploration into the creative process. It doesn't stop at simply instructing how to write; it also troubleshoots recurrent problems, preparing playwrights to face and overcome the challenges they might encounter along the way. Tap into the reservoir of creativity within you, pick up the tools of the playwright's trade, and weave dramatic narratives with The Playwright's Guidebook as your indispensable mentor.
Download or read book A Masterclass in Dramatic Writing written by Janet Neipris and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Masterclass in Dramatic Writing addresses all three genres of dramatic writing - for theatre, film and TV - in a comprehensive, one-semester, 14-week masterclass for the dramatic writer. Including new material alongside revised, extended selections from Janet Neipris' original and much loved book To Be A Playwright, this volume takes the writer up to a first draft and rewrite of a dramatic work. The fourteen chapters, organized like a semester, guide the writer week-by-week and step-by-step to the completion of a first draft and a rewrite. There are Weekly Exercises and progressive Assignments. Chapters include Beginnings, Creating Complex Characters, Dialogue, Escalating Conflicts, Endings, Checkpoints, Comedy, and Adaptation. For professional writers, teachers, and students, as well as anyone who want to complete their first piece. An award winning playwright and Professor of Dramatic Writing at NYU, Janet Neipris has written for Screen and Television. She has also taught dramatic writers at UCLA and in China, Australia, Indonesia, South Africa, Italy, and in the UK at Oxford, CSSD, University of Birmingham, and the University of East Anglia. Previous publications include To Be A Playwright (Routledge 2006). Janet Neipris's plays and letters are in the Theatre Collection of Harvard University's Houghton Library.
