Structure is Only Part Of All This Writing Business.

I was asked a few years ago about how important structure is to writing. Structure, taken by itself, is easy. It’s a basic roadmap that fits thousands of journeys. But each play being a unique entity, these journeys vary considerably. People talk about the three-act structure, the five-act structure. These are easy to look up and will help you plan your protagonist’s journey from crisis to either redemption or damnation. But they are only generic models; your masterpiece may likely deviate from the plan.

And, in many cases, deviation from the standard is inevitable. Experienced or adventurous writers will abandon the well-trodden footpath for unknown and unexplored boulevards of dramatic crisis. For me, I need to know why I’m deviating; what purpose will it serve the play? How will this particular avenue facilitate the storytelling and heighten the dramatic impact?

But knowing the secrets to good structure is not everything. It’s not a plug-and-play activity. Being able to diagram Hamlet may help you understand plotting better, but it will not stretch you as a writer. Only writing will do that.

Here’s the really tricky part: making the time to Sit and Write. Don’y worry if what plops out of your brain is perfect. Chances are it won’t be. That’s okay. But it’s a start. Words on the page are like chords and scales in the air. With very one you improve just a little. You are building something complex, and that takes time to produce, judge, tweak, rejudge, maybe re-tweak. A lot of writing is rewriting. More than you might expect. (For me, this is the best part of writing.) Rarely do entire works of sublime gold drop from your fingertips to the page. It takes me (for a full-length) on average over 18 months from first fumbly words on pages to “Here, look at this.” It took me over two years for Viking Suicides. Heck, I just took three weeks and seven versions to crank out a nine-page one-act. (And I might not be done, either. I’ll let you know when I hear it out loud.)

What else is important for my writing process? Have an easy access to note management. I use the Notes app on my iPhone. I have an idea, I make a note. I have one file with over a hundred-some-odd notes; some about a current project, others for other things. Always make notes. Magic is fleeting; trap the magic before it dissipates!

For character development, a good exercise is to write down ANYTHING you know about them, or think you may know about them. Appearance, habits, word choices, tics, ages, gender ID, geographic items, political stance—ANYTHING. You may never use half of it, but you will get to know your characters better. And maybe this will open up a new avenue on your play arc. Info is power, remember.

The critical thing to keep in mind is this: what does Character X want—in the play/in the scene/in the moment? If you get stuck there are almost always two reasons: you forgot what they want, or you have too few obstacles for them to surmount. Plays are literally one character’s obstacle course to success or failure.

As far as books to recommend, I would have to recommend mine. Not as a how-to-write book, but as a process book. I talk about things like basic structure, exercises for play development, etc. It’s a great second book on playwriting to have. (Workshopping the New Play: A Guide for Playwrights, Directors, and Dramaturgs)

First books I recommend:
The Art of Dramatic Writing – Lagos Egri
The Playwright’s Guidebook: An Insightful Primer on the Art of Dramatic Writing – Stuart Spencer
The Art and Craft of Playwriting – Jeffrey Hatcher

And for shorter works:
Perfect 10: Writing and Producing the 10-Minute Play – Gary Garrison.

Which to get? You just need to decide whose method suits you best. You already know much of this material (at least subconsciously) because you read plays and innately know how they work. All you need is practice—lots and lots of it. Expect rewrites, expect disappointments. Expect to finish, to workshop, and to be very pleased with your result.

Good luck. Regale me with your dramatic brilliance.

Image: Rearview Mirror, Mail Truck, Van Etten, NY. 2015