The Best Playwriting Books of All Time

For over two decades, Stephen Jeffreys’ remarkable series of workshops attracted writers from all over the world and shaped the ideas of many of today’s leading playwrights and theater-makers. Now, with this inspiring, highly practical book, you too can learn from these acclaimed masterclasses. Playwriting reveals the various invisible frameworks and mechanisms that are at the heart of each and every successful play. Drawing on a huge range of sources, it deconstructs playwriting into its constituent parts, and offers illuminating insights into:.

Structure—an in-depth exploration of the fundamental elements of drama, enabling you to choose instinctively the most effective structure for your playCharacter—advice on how to generate and write credible characters by exploring their three essential dimensions: story, breadth, and depthHow to Write—techniques for writing great dialogue, dynamic scenes, and compelling subtext, including how to improve your writing by approaching it from unfamiliar directionsWhat to Write—how to adopt different approaches to finding your material and an exploration of the fundamental “Nine Stories,” plus how to evaluate the potential of your ideasWritten by a true master of the craft, this authoritative guide will provide playwrights at every level of experience with a rich array of tools to apply to their own work.

Linda Walsh Jenkins developed the ideas and guidance in this practical book by teaching playwriting as well as working with playwrights, directors and productions of new plays for several decades.

Through 90 daily lessons and hundreds of writing exercises, illustrated with examples from dramatic literature, she helps you:~* Explore the richness of your dramatic world and its themes* Discover multiple facets of your dramatic characters* Create and sustain an active throughline* Find a balance between planning ahead and writing freely* Learn techniques for composing your unique play* Become confident with your own voice and style* Rewrite and develop your play for production~“I have taken one writing class in my life. It was from Linda Jenkins when I was a student at Northwestern. She was an invaluable support and mentor as I wrote my very first play.”John Logan (Academy Award nominated writer for Gladiator and Tony Award-Winning Playwright for Red)~“The first play I ever wrote was during ninety days of intense work in Linda Jenkins' fabulous class. Her encouragement and humor kept me going then, and they buoy me even today. If not for her belief in me, I don’t know that I would have pursued a career as a writer.”Nancy Rawles (award-winning author of Miz Sparks Is On Fire and This Ain’t No Drill)~“There is no one I know whose knowledge of the development of dramatic art rivals that of Linda Jenkins. She knows how a play works inside and out, and knows how to teach that elusive and ephemeral craft to others. Linda has been both my teacher and my colleague and I treasure her input on all my work. Quite simply, if you want someone to teach you playwriting, she is the best.”Sally Nemeth (TV writer for Law & Order, author of The Heights, the Depths and Everything in Between)~ “I am forever grateful to Linda Jenkins for her ability to be compassionate and firm at the same time, trusting me to follow my instincts and guiding me in principles of storytelling and character. She taught me to trust my voice. Her expert understanding of form, story, dialogue and character has been the basis for my understanding of the art (and craft) of playwriting.”Bruce Ward (playwright of Lazarus Syndrome and Decade: Life in the 80’s)~“As a young playwright, I was helped by Linda Jenkins to place myself in each specific moment of my character’s physical life, to genuinely discover the action that set my play in motion. Today, as a teacher, I work daily to create that same environment of curiosity and trust with my own students, as they explore their own playwright’s voice. So much of what they learn from me, I learned from Linda. I am proud to extend the reach of her personal, practical approach to the craft of playwriting.”Jeff Hall (Founding Director of The Young People’s Theatre Project)~ Linda Jenkins’ playwriting class is the only class I have ever needed. Linda’s sense of dramatic arc and insightful character exploration techniques have been the foundation of my playwriting career. It is difficult to tread the line between art and what is commercially viable, but Linda’s ability to communicate the basic tenets of form and structure helped me create a playwriting process which has served me successfully, writing straight plays and musicals, in regional and Off-Broadway productions. Linda will teach you what you need to know.”Lisa Diana Shapiro (playwright of Labor Pains, A Comedy in Nine Months, and Princess Phooey)~“Linda gave me my start as a playwright, nurturing a 21 year-old college student with astute advice and observations as well as great compassion for someone just finding their way as a writer. I’ll never forget her suggestion that playwrights always keep a secret ‘lizard in their pocket' that they only threaten to show the audience until the end.”Tom Jacobson (Playwright of Ouroboros, House of the Rising Son, and The Twentieth-Century Way, winner of the 2011 PEN Award for Drama).

Offers advice for creating characters, advancing the plot, building suspense, and incorporating stage directions for theatrical productions.