The Playwright's Guidebook: An Insightful Primer on the Art of Dramatic Writing [Paperback]

Stuart Spencer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 29, 2002

An accessible, contemporary guide to the art of dramatic writing

During the ten years that Stuart Spencer has taught playwriting, he has struggled to find an effective playwriting handbook for his courses. Although most of the currently popular handbooks have good ideas in them, they all suffer from the same problems: they're poorly organized; are composed mostly of quirky, idiosyncratic advice on how specific playwrights have gone about writing their own work; and are full of abstract theorizing on the nature of art. As a result, they fail to offer any concrete information on how to construct a well-written play or any useful guidelines and exercises. Moreover, few of these books are actually written by working playwrights. Out of frustration, Spencer wrote his own book. The result, The Playwright's Guidebook, is a clear, concise, and engaging handbook. Spencer addresses the important principles of structure, includes insightful writing exercises that build upon one another, explores the creative process, and troubleshoots recurrent problems that playwrights actually face.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A practical compendium based on author Stuart Spencer's experience crafting plays (Resident Alien; The Rothko Room; etc.) and teaching at Sarah Lawrence College, The Playwright's Guidebook offers counsel on issues like structure, conflict, character and problem-solving. This contemporary guide fills the gaps left open by many books, supplying organized and realistic advice for would-be playwrights. As Spencer says, "A play is more wrought than written. A playwright constructs a play as a wheelwright once constructed a wheel: a general shape is laid out, and then hammered, bent, nailed, reshaped, hammered again and again, until finally a functionaly and artful product has emerged."

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Spencer has written many plays (Resident Alien is his most recent) and has taught playwriting at Sarah Lawrence College for the last ten years. Frustrated by not being able to find a playwriting handbook that addressed key issues and also included useful exercises, he decided to better his craft by writing his own how-to. The result is this succinct but insightful manual. In Part 1, Spencer lays out the "rules" of playwriting with the caveat that they are not written in stone but still need to be studied and understood, especially by new writers. Part 2 covers the creative process, describing how to define an idea and use gut instincts to write what you need to say. Part 3 deals with problems and tips on how and when to rewrite (e.g., how to create "cut lines" files). Finally, Part 4 is loaded with advice on what to read and how to write cover letters and contact literary agents. Well structured and easy to read and use, this book will be helpful to aspiring playwrights. Public and academic libraries should consider adding it to their collections. Lisa J. Cihlar, Monroe P.L., WI
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Faber & Faber; 1st edition (March 29, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0571199917
• ISBN-13: 978-0571199914
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #162,710 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best writing books ever wrighted., February 14, 2005

By 

Brian Day (Springfield, Illinois United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Playwright's Guidebook: An Insightful Primer on the Art of Dramatic Writing (Paperback)

Over the years, I've bought so many "how-to-write" books, that I also had to buy a special bookcase in which to stack them all. While reading all of these books has not yet transformed me into a famous literary genius, it has made me somewhat of an connoisseur of writing books. If you are looking to purchase one more writing book, I would recommend "The Playwright's Guidebook".

The main strength of this book is Spencer's ability to distill the concepts of story structure and character into workable and easy-to-grasp ideas. Spencer is able to say in a few chapters what Robert McKee needs 500+ pages to say. I have read a multitude of books explaining how stories are assembled, but it was this book that brought it all together for me.

Another strength to this book is the quality of the practical advice, which is all too rare in writing books. I rarely do the exercises in any book, but I found myself plugging through the exercises in this book.

This is not to say that the book is entirely infallible. When trying to discuss "what" to write rather than "how" to write, Spencer resorts to the touchy-feely concept of the writer's impulse, which is really not that helpful (but then, all writing books falter on this point. Apparently, you actually have to use your own imagination at some point. Bummer). Another quibble that I have is with Spencer's running example of a guy wanting a glass of water. The triviality of the example tends to undercut Spencer's authority. But these are minor points that really don't detract much from an otherwise outstanding book.

Not only has this book helped me become a better writer (I recently had my first story published using what I learned from this book), but it has increased my enjoyment of reading and watching other stories because now I better understand the innerworkings of fiction.

I got my money's worth from this book. What more can you ask for?

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Take your writing to the next stage., August 4, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Playwright's Guidebook: An Insightful Primer on the Art of Dramatic Writing (Paperback)

Most people won't listen to advice until they're good and ready. I had "The Playwright's Guidebook" in my office for over a year. When I finally read it, either I was good and ready to hear what Mr. Spencer had to say or what he said made a lot of sense. (Basically it was both.)

I've read Syd Field and taken McKee's course on Story Structure, yet I found this book to be of greater value. Why? Because Mr. Spencer doesn't lay down directives (as is common with most how-to books). Instead, he offers suggestions. His observations are level-headed and his approach is open-minded. This is one instructional book that won't tell you that a plot point must land on page such-and-such.

Mr. Spencer encourages you to freely follow your creative impulse and get your story on paper. Then he lets you decide whether your story is as effective as it can be. The book discusses sensible ways to get the most out of your play. It's often like a trouble-shooting guide. If you feel something's not working in your piece, chances are, this book will help you figure out exactly where the problem lies.

Mr. Spencer is not a drill instructor barking out the sure and only way to commercial bliss. He comes across as an experienced teacher (which he is) giving you the opportunity to find your own way to successful writing.

I'd like to add that this is an invaluable asset whether you're writing a play, a film or a novel. That's because "The Playwright's Guidebook" is a comprehensive study of drama, of why it works and why it often fails. No matter where you are in your writing career, you'll most likely benefit from reading this book. If you've been writing a long time, you'll be reacquainted with fundamentals you may have forgotten. You'll also pick up some fresh ways of looking at your craft. If you're a novice, you'll learn things that are essential to building an interesting story.

Take my advice: familiarize yourself with this book and then write the story that's in you.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The most lively and engaging playwriting text ever!, January 3, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Playwright's Guidebook: An Insightful Primer on the Art of Dramatic Writing (Paperback)

In preparation for a job teaching playwriting at a midwestern university, I read most of the playwriting books out there. Spencer's text covers the same topics as most playwriting books: creative inspiration, character development, and dramatic structure. However, unlike most texts, Spencer uses anecdotes and personal observations to illustrate his points. The result is an insightful and helpful manual for new writers that also succeeds in being INTERESTING (a very rare trait in writing texts).

While most of this book covers well trod ground, there are some unique aspects to Spencer's approach. His introductory essay on the differences in writing for fiction, film and theater should be a must read for every new student. I also appreciated his "Impulse" exercises. Too many texts delve into the process of writing without ever discussing how someone finds something to write about in the first place. The other exercises in the book are very good, but as a teacher I would have appreciated even more of them. Also, Spencer's discussion of how to build plots is a little thin. I'd recommend combining this book with some hard core instruction in dramatic structure.

In the world of playwriting texts, there are alot of useful books, but very few interesting ones. This one manages to be both. I highly recommend it.