Amy Ewbank

Do you wanna write a play based on your own life experiences?

If so, follow these 5 guidelines to see you right, and ensure you don't forfeit your own processing of events over story or character development.

And FOLLOW me for more playwrighting tips, hacks and tools to help you finally get that play inside your WRITTEN in 2024!

The one thing that creates an exquisite hero?

Figure out what they want AND what they need.

Let’s take an example from arguably one of the most successful series of all recent years… Succession.

Consider Roman Roy, played by Kieran Culkin. Roman (alongside most of his siblings) WANTS to be the successor to his father’s empire. He may or may not get this (no spoilers here), but what he NEEDS is to be shown love by his father.

In effective writing, the The WANT is an outward ego desire, driven by what good ol' Freud would call your "ID".

The NEED is a subconscious thing which lies dormant behind the ego. We do not know we are chasing it but we are.

In my example, Roman doesn’t have the ability to ask for what he NEEDS (love), so he goes hard for what he WANTS (power). As a writer, you can play with when your characters are / are not aware of what they need to add nuance, light and shade in their development.

And if you’re struggling, start a page of freewriting from your character’s POV entitled “What I really want (but am too afraid to ask for)."

🎵 Why not wang on “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” by the Rolling Stones as you write. 🎵

Use this checklist to ensure you are writing fleshed out characters that jump off the page! And save for next time you are grappling with a character that you need to bring to life.

Follow for more scriptwriting tips and tricks!

It might seem obvious but the obstacles which stand in the way of your protagonist / hero should be monumental.

They need to push your hero to the darkest of places, make them do the biggest things and get them so very far from their comfort zone.

From these monumental obstacles we will see their true nature- how they interact with those obstacles will tell us who they are, and how they change throughout the story too.

Some sizzling examples of obstacles to consider when writing your story:
👉Unrequited love
👉Death
👉Armageddon
👉Sickness
👉War
👉Bankruptcy
👉Loneliness

Any great obstacles in your current scripts?

If so, share them in the comments and follow for more script writing advice!

When someone says “you NEED to follow XYZ story structure”, what does that even mean?

Throw the story structure rules out of the window and use these 4 prompts instead to get your story shape perfect for the story inside you just waiting to come out!

And SAVE this post for next time your brain (or someone else) tells you have to do write this way or that way. Nah mate... just get on with it and WRITE.

The Secret to STAGE DIRECTIONS for your play, revealed!

Stuck on stage directions? Check out the post to see the three key areas to focus when writing your stage directions, and what to avoid!

Save this post for the next time you work on your script and FOLLOW for more playwrighting hacks, tips and tricks.

Let's get real for a minute. Tickets to the theatre cost MONEY.

Sometimes a LOT of money.

BUT shhhhhh! There are ways to see LIVE theatre on the cheap, if you know how.

Follow these 5 secret tips to bag yourself a ticket bargain in the lean months of winter!

And SHARE this with a theatre-loving pal! 🎭🎭🎭

📔 5 Quickfire secret questions for writers, if your character just ain't workin' 📔

🖊️ Make a note of these bad boys for when you feel stuck on a character and answer these 5 questions about them to truly get under their skin and make them go from from 2D to 3D in a flash! 🗲🗲🗲

🤨 What do you think? Any other character questions we could add to the list?

👇👇👇 Share in the comments below

New Writers!

Do this ONE THING and your writing will get better (psssst, it doesn’t involve getting a swanky agent).

Don’t get me wrong! Agents are a wonderful “nice to have” but for most new writers, finding enough time to even write is enough of a struggle. Without also adding in the added pressure of researching and cold calling agents, and managing the emotional fallout of rejections.

Agents are fab for more experienced writers but if you are new ish to to writing game, focus elsewhere and follow my ONE PIECE OF ADVICE in the post, of what to focus on instead!

Follow me for more industry insights, writing cheerleading and character nuggets!

Use this SIMPLE CHECKLIST to see if you have helped everyone who needs guidance from your script, when they get into the rehearsal room

🎭 If you're just starting... Save for later when your script is finished! 🎭

These key production players should also be considered as you develop and edit your script ready for performance.

So who are they & how can you your writing help them do their job?

👉Director - brings out the best performance from the actors and tell the story of the play in a compelling way. WRITE FOR THE DIRECTOR BY making your writing arc clear and the characters well defined so they can support the actors.

👉Actors - use speech, movement and expression to bring characters to life. WRITE FOR THE ACTORS BY adding action… what are the characters seeking? Make it clear or they will flail in the rehearsal room.

👉Lighting Designer - works closely with director and set designer, in charge of all the artistic decisions for the lighting of a production. WRITE FOR THE LD by using stage directors which support creating the tone or atmosphere.

👉Set Designer - realises the visual world of the play in terms of the set and overall dressing. WRITE FOR THE SD by clearly defining the logic and world of the play in real terms, where is it set, what logistical consideration need to be thought about.

👉Sound Designer - works closely with the director to establish the sounds of the play, including music. WRITE FOR THE SD BY giving clear descriptions of the locations and any musical ambience you want, to help with their design.

👉Costume Designer- WRITE FOR THE CD by including dates or an era where relevant, to help them research fashion at that time. And by writing characters whose dialogue gives us a clear idea of how they might present themselves visually.

👉Audience - WRITE FOR THE AUDIENCE BY making your play the most compelling narrative you can, to reel in your audience and take them on a ride through the world of your play!

Make sure to save this post for later & follow for more playwriting insights and tips.

Ask yourself these 5 SIMPLE QUESTIONS to fix your problem scenes!

And save this post for the next time you come up against the frustration of "scene freeze"! 🎭🎭🎭