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How To Assess Your Writing - Page 2

© Dave Brandl

I also take note whether it was easy for them to read, and whether any passages were awkward to speak. This is why I invite non-performers to participate, too. My market is community theater, and therefore, many people who may ultimately perform in scripts of mine may have little professional training. If the non-performers have trouble, the community actors will probably have the same trouble. Conversely, if the non-performers read it easily, it should make for easier rehearsals when in production at some small theater I'll never visit. This read-through, informal though it may be, gives me places to begin rewriting. I have one or two of these readings for every script, before even thinking about sending it out or presenting it for production or publication.

Small Group Discussions

Many writers and organizations use this technique. I haven't; not because of an aversion to it, but because I never had the opportunity. It's been only in the past year that I began to work with other writers, but as yet, I have not attended such a small group.

The basic scenario is that a small group of writers meet. Each reads aloud the section to be assessed and then a discussion follows, with the other writers offering suggestions and comments. The process repeats for each writer present. Sometimes a group will take a specific play for one evening, such as at the Playwrights Cafe.

References

Books. Remember books? They're like online texts, except they require no power and never crash, unless aimed at a small pestering insect.

A lot of books detail standards, formats, and generally good advice for putting together a play and being able to tell if it works. Here are a few of my favorite books on various aspects of playwriting and writing in general. (Some of the older books may be out of print. Check used book stores.)

Archer, William. 1912. Play-Making. Boston, MA: Small, Maynard and Company.

Boswell, John. 1986. The Awful Truth About Publishing (reprinted as The Insider's Guide to Getting Published). New York City, NY: Warner Books.

Bosworth, Halliam. 1928. Technique in Dramatic Art. New York City, NY: The Macmillan Company.

Buchman, Dian Dincin & Seli Groves. 1987. The Writer's Digest Guide to Manuscript Formats. Cincinnati, OH: Writer's Digest Books.

Catron, Louis E. 1984. Writing, Producing, and Selling Your Play. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Catron, Louis E. 1993. The Elements of Playwriting. New York City, NY: Macmillan Publishing Company.

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