There is no specific way of writing a play. Plays tend to adopt creative aspects and not necessarily industry set norms. That said, a play’s format should be familiar even if some elements may be different. When anyone else picks the script, they should be able to tell that it presents a play. Some great features are included in this article that will help anyone create a play that is both engaging and entertaining.

One of the single most important aspects of any play is its plot. A well-designed plot not only helps in creating a great play but it also saves you time. Coming up with the plot allows you space to create characters that will match the storyline. The plot is basically the foundation and should not be neglected at any cost. Without a clear plot, the play will lose its meaning. The storyline should be easily understood by an audience. The start and the end should be well defined.

Creating fascinating characters is the next important step. Characters with striking habits or features will elevate the plot. Give your characters fitting body language to enhance their dialogue. The audience should be able to relate to the characters. If they lose interest, they stop paying attention and they get lost somewhere in the middle. You want to hold your audience’s attention to the end. Consider characters that may interest you or who already interest you in real life. What makes them stand out? Why do you remember them? Work along this line of reasoning when building characters.

Next, consider your audience. Who does the play appeal to and what does this particular audience like? What gender, culture or age group are you targeting? Pay attention to the little things as they may make or break your play. Consider narrowing down to specific audiences (maybe not too specific). The broader the intended audience is, the more difficult it will be to create a play that will suit everyone. Maintaining a specific audience in mind will help you design the play around it and spice it up to suit this particular group.

Think of having a tight budget as a good thing. Yes, it limits you with regard to the number of characters you can include, the variety of scenes, the number of locations and other similar features. Still, it helps you become more creative and focus mostly on the plot. With a good story, a great setting and interesting characters, other secondary elements become unnecessary to the play. A tight budget also restricts you that you only include that which is important to the play and the storyline. Any subplots that only extend the play’s time and do little to the advancement of the play are cut out, making the plot succinct and enjoyable.

Like many other forms of writing, playwriting’s fundamental basics largely revolve around the story’s ability to appeal. Playwriting offers much more authority to the writer in their ability to shape the story and the characters’ reactions to suit the audience. Creativity is crucial and so is the ability to capture and hold the audience’s attention.