11 Essential Steps to Write a Play and Become a Pro Playwright

So, you are here to boost your skill of playwriting.

Right? Wanna be a pro?

That’s great! Nothing is possible.

There is just a need to polish the skills to become your good version.

A Canadian survey in the 2013-2014 season showed that 63% of plays were written by men, 22% by women and 15% by mixed-gender teams.

It is not associated that a specific gender can write best. It’s all about the creativity and skills of writing.

You just need to adapt some effective strategies to become a pro playwright.

In this article, I'll share with you some essential steps to write a play. These will definitely help to write best as a pro.

Keep reading to know more!

11 essential steps to become pro playwright

Following are steps that are best to become a pro playwright.

1. Find your perspective

Every writer has a unique perspective, you have to find yours.

Explore your passions, writing points of view, experiences, and the stories you like most.

What makes you laugh, cry, and think?

You can choose from many types of playwriting like:

• Comedy plays
• Tragedy story writing
• Historical plays
• Musical theater 
• Writing romantic stories

Start with only one genre, and diversify your work into different genres after becoming a professional.

For example:

Shakespeare has done thriller story writing, comedy, tragedy, and history plays but is most famous for his work in tragic genres like Hamlet, Romeo & Juliet, and King Lear.

2. Read plays that match your passion

Find writers with relevant perspectives and passions.

Follow them and read their work. Analyze their styles, structures, and character arcs.

For example: 

We talked about William Shakespeare in the previous section, he is the most famous writer of the tragedy and history genre, Aristophanes is known as the father of comedy, and George Gershwin is the most famous musical theatre playwright.

Pay attention to how these writers use dialogue, stage directions, and subtext to create captivating narratives.

3. Write every day

As Arthur Miller, the renowned playwright, once said,

“The only real requirement for a writer is that he should write.”

Be consistent with your writing practice. Dedicate a specific time each day to write, even if it's just for 15 minutes. The more you write, the stronger your skills will become.

Ink every idea, thought, and perception you get.

Observe people around you to get diverse character ideas. Use them in your stories.

Do not wait to get a full script idea, write whatever you have on the spot.

Then combine them and create a whole script.

You can also get help from a story maker application in the beginning to get ideas or to get your ideas written properly.

4. Join a writing group

A supportive community can be invaluable in your creative journey.

Connect with other aspiring and established playwrights to share your work, receive feedback, and get inspiration.

Look for a group where participants share their work for others to read.

This way you can read others' work and improve your writing skills.

Share your plays too, so your fellows can review them.

For example: 

In the writing industry, there is a thing called “Table reading”, it is a pre-production procedure. People sit around a table and read the whole script as it will be performed on the stage.

This is a great way to fill gaps and find inconsistencies in the script. If you can arrange that with your group of fellows, it will benefit all of you.

5. Take a playwriting course

You can also attend special playwriting classes to learn from the experts.

Many institutes offer online and physical courses in playwriting.

Formal training can provide you with essential tools and techniques.

Mentors will guide you to improve your playwriting structure and point out your flaws. 

Start with free short courses on YouTube, and then you can move forward to a paid online course like Udemy or Coursera.

After that, if you are still sure to pursue this career, enroll in a practical training course.

6. Embrace humor in your writing

Comedy is a great way to engage an audience. Incorporate comedic elements into your plays to engage your audience and create memorable characters.

Find humor in unexpected situations, witty dialogue, and physical comedy.

For example:

Charlie Chaplin and Mr. Bean, our childhood comic heroes, used no dialogue. They just created humor with their physical performance.

These characters used to do something unexpected which was appreciated by the audience. Try to learn from them to write similar to their work.

7. Create characters that can relate to the audience

Audiences connect with characters they can relate to. Develop characters with flaws, desires, and dreams that mirror the human experience.

A character that describes an aspect of somebody’s life like a failure, a love angle, or an unfulfilled ambition will be remembered for a long time.

For example: 

Most of us have read “The Gift of the Magi”. Jim and Della both sold their beloved things for each other but were still unhappy in the end.

The audience recalls the beloved things they lost once which propels them to read the whole novel.

8. Explore different genres

Don't limit yourself to one genre. Experiment with comedy, drama, tragedy, or even a mix of styles.

This will help you discover your strengths and expand your creative horizons.

Start with only one niche that resonates with your interests, but try to explore others too with time.

It will help you think out of the box and do something unique.

For example: 

Horror and comedy were different categories but in the early 2000s, we saw a new play script format, horror comedy. This genre is appreciated much nowadays.

We would not have found this niche if a comic writer had not tried writing horror.

9. Use strong visuals

Visuals are key story elements as theater is a visual medium.

Paint vivid pictures with your words. Describe settings, costumes, and props in detail to enhance the audience's imagination.

You should not be narrating the scenes through dialogues or anything. Your visuals should hint at your idea.

For example: 

If a scene is based in the Arab peninsula, use costumes that are popular in the Arab. The accents of the actors, background visuals, background music, and the script should be according to the scene.

10. Explore the fantasies

Playwriting is a world of endless possibilities. Don't be afraid to think outside the box.

Explore fantastical worlds, experiment with unconventional storytelling, and let your creativity soar.

For example: 

Some writers like to start with the ending of the story. The audience already knows what will happen at the end of the story, but they keep watching to know how the story gets to that point.

This creative way of storytelling keeps the audience guessing the possible ways the story unfolds.

11. Revise and edit

Every play goes through multiple drafts. Be open to feedback and willing to revise your work.

Editing is an essential part of the playwriting process.

Most of the time, a scene feels good in your thoughts, but not so much on the paper.

Some look good on the paper but sound lame when actually performed.

So it is very important to revise your work every time you feel that it is not okay.

Similarly, you may think an idea is not good, but it may look good when a specific actor does it.

So, keep writing each idea that pops out of your mind and try it. It may be good or you may be able to make it better if not.

For example: 

Do you think it is a good idea to create a scene in which a man dries lettuce using his socks to make a sandwich, it's not funny, it's gross. But we all laughed when Mr. Bean did that.

So, do not underestimate your ideas, just find a way to make them engaging.

Summing up

The art of playwriting can be a daunting task for many aspiring writers.

With the complexities of character development, dialogue, and plot structure, it can take time to know where to begin.

That's why we've compiled this comprehensive guide to help you with playwriting and add more fun and creativity to your storytelling.

The first thing is to start inking every idea you have in your mind, then start improving those ideas by reading plays in the same niche.

Then get feedback from friends, family, and mentors. Try to get your fellows to read it like a performance on stage.

It will give you more ideas to start a plot.

If you found my article useful, discuss and share it with your friends so they can learn too.

Then create a group with them to try all these.

Frequently asked questions

How to become a professional playwright?

Many writers begin writing without any formal training and learn through experience. There is no need of any specific degree to become a professional playwright.

How does a playwright write a play?

Playwrights write the words that the characters say. They also write stage directions, which suggest the physical movements and gestures of the characters.

What is playwriting format?

There are seven basic formatting elements that make up the text pages of a properly formatted playscript. These are Page Numbering, Act/Scene designations, the Setting description, Blackout/Curtain/End designations, Character Names, Dialogue and Stage Directions.