The Playwright's Bible?

alleycat

Still around
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 18, 2005
Messages
72,873
Reaction score
12,224
Location
Tennessee
I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "style guide". Here's a few recommendations that might have what you're looking for as part of the overall guide to writing a play:

The Art and Craft of Playwriting
, Hatcher

The Elements of Playwriting
, Catron

The Playwright's Guidebook, Spenser
 

Kosh

Will Write for Food
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
407
Reaction score
26
Location
New York, helluva town
Website
negrobrooding.blogspot.com
I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "style guide". Here's a few recommendations that might have what you're looking for as part of the overall guide to writing a play:

The Art and Craft of Playwriting
, Hatcher

The Elements of Playwriting
, Catron

The Playwright's Guidebook, Spenser

Thank you, I'll check them out.
 

Doug B

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 29, 2006
Messages
148
Reaction score
14
Location
Pacific Northwest
The Hatcher book is at the top of my list followed closely by The Dramatists Toolkit by Jeffrey Sweet.

Many of the playwrights I know prefer the Sweet book. They are very different in style and content. Sweet is more of a cookbook approach while Hatcher is more find you own way approach.

I save quotes from books that I want to revisit. Here is one from Marsha Norman ('night Mother)

“I’m convinced that there are absolutely unbreakable rules in the theatre, and that it doesn’t matter how good you are, you can’t break them . . . You must state the issue at the beginning of the play. The audience must know what is at stake; they must know when they will be able to go home: “This is a story about a little boy who lost his marbles.” They must know, when the little boy either gets his marbles back or finds something better than his marbles, or kills himself because he can’t live without his marbles, that the play will end and they can applaud and go home. He can’t NOT care about the marbles. He has to want them with such a passion that you are interested, that you connect to that passion. The theatre is all about wanting things that you can or can’t have or you do or do not get. Now the boy himself has to be likeable. It has to matter to you whether he gets his marbles or not.”

Doug
 

alleycat

Still around
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 18, 2005
Messages
72,873
Reaction score
12,224
Location
Tennessee
By the way, I have most of the "standard" works on the craft of playwriting. If you want me to look to see if any of them have certain things, just let me know. This assumes I can actually find the books . . . since my house looks a bit like a branch library.

I just sent off a play this morning to the National Ten-Minute Play Contest. After editing and re-editing for two weeks, there's a point where you've got to say, "enough is enough" and go ahead and stick it in the envelope and kiss it goodbye.
 

ComicBent

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 7, 2005
Messages
347
Reaction score
28
Location
Tennessee
Re: the Samuel French guide

The link that Odocoileus gave is to the Mollie Ann Meserve manual, which I have. It is a little dated, though you can still follow it. Although it says "Updated for computers," it is really rooted in the typewriter era. It is strictly about formatting, not the art of playwriting. The format is not in complete accord with what the Dramatists Guild of America currently promotes, but that does not matter. You have a lot of flexibility in stage plays, unlike the situation with screenplays.

I recommend the Hatcher book, already mentioned, just for giving an insight into what drama is all about in its many manifestations through the ages.
 

ComicBent

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 7, 2005
Messages
347
Reaction score
28
Location
Tennessee
Another book

I could not think of the author the other day when I was posting ... but an excellent book on the nuts and bolts of writing a play is the book by Louis E. Catron. I forget the exact title. Anyway, just Google the author.

Do not pay any heed to his advice about formatting; it is out of date; but his discussion of drama is excellent.

Oops! I see that alleycat has already mentioned it. Sorry. :(
 
Last edited: