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• About the Author
• Dedication
• Author’s Acknowledgments
• Table of Contents
• Introduction
• About This Book
• Conventions Used in This Book
• What You’re Not to Read
• Foolish Assumptions
• How This Book Is Organized
• Icons Used in This Book
• Where to Go from Here
• Part I: Catching the Playwriting Bug
• Chapter 1: Introducing the Art and Craft of Playwriting
• Understanding the Nature of the Beast
• Glimpsing the Life of a Playwright
• It Ain’t Over ’Til It’s On Its Feet
• Chapter 2: Living the Life of a Playwright
• Discovering What Makes a Playwright
• Learning from Other Playwrights
• Working Like a Playwright
• Exploring the Tools of the Trade
• Making Money the Playwright Way
• Using Playwriting Skills Outside of Theatre
• Chapter 3: What Makes a Play
• Shining a Light on the Magic and Simplicity of a Play
• Understanding Playwriting Lingo
• Following the Formula for Engaging and Compelling Plays
• Looking at How Scenes Work
• Discovering that It Takes a Village to Bring a Play to Life
• Chapter 4: Starting with an Idea
• Where Winning Story Ideas Come From: Observing Life
• Giving Up the Fear of Self-Revelation
• Avoiding Stories from the Wrong Sources
• Never Trust Your Memory: Preserving Your Ideas
• Chapter 5: Finding Your Play’s Theme
• Deciding on a Theme
• Conveying Your Theme without Losing Your Audience
• Surveying Themes in Three Classic Plays
• Part II: Creating a Blueprint for Your Play
• Chapter 6: Putting Your Story in Focus
• Asking Yourself the Five Ws (and an H)
• Keeping the Stakes High
• Choosing between Comedy and Drama
• Picking the Right Form for Your Story
• Chapter 7: Creating Full and Rich Characters
• Creating Lifelike People
• Weighing Storytelling versus the Privacy of Friends and Family
• Setting Up Your Characters to Drive the Play
• Chapter 8: Dialogue: The Most Important Tool in Your Toolbox
• Writing Purposeful Dialogue
• Using Dialogue to Its Full Potential
• Making It Sound Real
• Following Key Do’s and Don’ts of Dialogue
• Writing Monologues, Soliloquies, and Asides
• Chapter 9: Practical Considerations: Staging, Cast, and Audience
• Writing Plays with Staging in Mind
• Recognizing the Human Factor
• Part III: The Nuts and Bolts of Putting Your Story Together
• Chapter 10: The Beginning: Finding a Starting Point for Your Play
• Laying the Foundation Before Pen Hits Paper
• Deciding Where to Start Your Play: The Point of Attack
• Firing the Starting Gun: The Inciting Incident
• Bringing the Audience Up to Speed: Exposition
• Looking at Beginnings in Classic Plays
• Chapter 11: The Middle: Developing Your Story Line
• Finding Meaning in the Middle
• Conflicts Make the Play Go ’Round
• Using Suspense, Setbacks, and Other Storytelling Tools
• Varying the Mood
• Making the End of Act I a Nail-Biter
• Surveying Middles in Three Plays
• Chapter 12: The Climax: Bringing the Conflict to a Head
• Acknowledging Where Your Story Stands
• Crafting the Play’s Climax
• Finding the Ending to Your Story
• Avoiding the Problematic Deus ex Machina Ending
• Satisfying the Audience
• Surveying Climaxes in Three Plays
• Chapter 13: The Resolution: Wrapping It All Up
• Picking Up the Pieces
• Resolving Three Classic Plays
• Chapter 14: Giving the Musical Special Consideration
• Taking a Look at the Medium of Musicals
• Writing the Libretto
• Partnering in the Creative Team
• Part IV: The Show Must Go On
• Chapter 15: Getting Your Play Read and Making Revisions
• Readying Your Play for the World
• Getting Feedback on the Early Draft
• Tackling the Grisly Task of Rewriting
• Going Another Round with Your Advanced Draft
• Chapter 16: Rehearsals and Premieres: Nail Biting 101
• Getting Acquainted: Who’s Who in Your Production
• Conducting Auditions
• Attending Rehearsals
• Seeing Your Play Performed — Finally
• Surviving Opening Night
• Chapter 17: Promoting Your Play and Getting a Production
• Considering the Producer’s Perspective
• Taking the First Steps toward a Production
• Championing Your Play (And Getting Others to Join You)
• Keeping Pace with the Theatre World
• Part V: The Part of Tens
• Chapter 18: Ten Things Every Playwright Should Know
• Why People Do the Things They Do
• Plays Should Show, Not Tell
• Writing Is Rewriting
• Plays Aren’t for Preaching
• Characters Shouldn’t Be Interchangeable
• Problems Won’t Be Solved in Production
• Money Talks
• You Have Strengths and Weaknesses
• Patience Is a Virtue
• When to Take a Vacation
• Chapter 19: Ten Hallmarks of a Great Play
• Characters the Audience Can Care About
• A Story Line that Keeps ’Em Guessing
• A Timely and Relevant Subject
• A Time and Place that Transport Audiences
• Dialogue Expressing Inspiring Sentiments
• Honesty and Openness
• Specificity that Can Be Universal
• Simplicity and Clarity in Storytelling
• A Surprising, Yet Inevitable, Ending
• Themes Illustrating the Human Condition
• Chapter 20: Ten Playwrights You Should Know and Emulate
• Sophocles
• William Shakespeare
• Anton Chekhov
• Lillian Hellman
• Tennessee Williams
• Arthur Miller
• Samuel Beckett
• Edward Albee
• August Wilson
• Neil Simon
• Appendix: Formatting a Script
• Index