Being a Playwright: A Career Guide for Writers - Softcover

Chris Foxon; George Turvey

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1848426917 ISBN 13: 9781848426917

Publisher: Nick Hern Books, 2018

Synopsis

The essential guide to a career in playwriting, from the team behind the multi-award-winning Papatango, one of the UK's leading new-writing companies.

Writing a good play is only the first step towards becoming a successful playwright; it is just as crucial to understand all the practical and business elements of building your career. Being a Playwright transparently and honestly sets out everything you need to know, including clear and constructive advice on:

• Starting out, including training options and gaining practical experience
• Finding a playwriting model that works for you
• Getting your script noticed and connecting with industry decision-makers
• Developing a production-ready draft through redrafting and R&D
• Pursuing programming, commissioning and funding opportunities
• Approaching and working with agents and publishers
• Securing the best possible deal with producers
• Working with collaborators throughout the rehearsal process and previews
• Capitalising on a production, assessing its success and planning new projects

Drawing on Papatango's superlative track record of discovering and launching new writers - including BAFTA, OffWestEnd, Royal National Theatre Foundation and Alfred Fagon Award winners, many of whom have premiered worldwide as well as in the West End - and featuring tips from a host of industry insiders, this encouraging and accessible guide explores the opportunities and pitfalls of life as a playwright.

Whether you're an aspiring writer wondering how to break into the industry or a working playwright looking to move up to the next level, this is your road map for navigating the world of professional theatre.

'This enlightening book, full of pragmatic information, is an excellent tool for playwrights navigating today's industry.' Indhu Rubasingham, Artistic Director of Kiln Theatre, London

'Chris Foxon and George Turvey - aka Papatango - are a phenomenon for playwriting good. Being a Playwright is packed with inside information that will kick-start your writing life. Written with insight and chock-full of useful advice, this will be a bible for playwrights.' Steve Waters, playwright and Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia

About this title

Review:

Accessible and informative...an essential tool kit to support the playwright at many stages of writing... The reason why the book works so well, and reads so well, is because Foxon and Turvey are in the thick of new writing, they are reading, producing, encouraging and doing it! This means that the books is steeped in common sense, things that we know to be true but often overlook because we take them for granted... What marks this book out from other writing guides is that it is derived from LIVED experience, and is very much a book that reflects play writing and theatre as it is NOW... This is an excellent guide to beginning, developing and sustaining a career as a playwright - highly recommended. --BritishTheatre.com

An effective guide that could make a real difference in someone's life... if you've ever wanted to be a playwright this book will give you the tools and hope you need. --Broadway World

Thorough is an understatement... there is much to learn about and ponder in this extremely well written and laid out volume... Whether the problem lies in writers' block, the difficulty of finding an agent or producer willing to talk to you or making ends meet, not to mention anyone of a hundred other potential stumbling blocks, this is the book for you. --British Theatre Guide

About this edition

• Publisher: Nick Hern Books
• Publication date: 2018
• ISBN 10: 1848426917
• ISBN 13: 9781848426917
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 224