Playwriting is a craft that allows the writer great freedom as far as the scope of the play whether it be a ten minute, one act, full length three act or a musical.

In sitting down to write a play with a concept in mind, how do we put it to paper effectively?  How, when the last page is done, do we know if we have a viable piece of work?  Ultimately, this is subjective.  There are many ways to approach writing a play that will facilitate finding out whether or not you achieved your goal of writing a great play.  

First of all, as with all things, you must know your and recognize your medium.  If you constantly watch movies then this medium of the theatre may feel somewhat foreign to you.  Even the world’s largest stage cannot accommodate car chases, explosions and larger than life action and special effects sequences.  Most importantly if you are going to write a play, you should be familiar with the certain limitations that are inherent within the theatre.  The best advice is to read plays and to go out and see plays and live theatre to build your understanding of this medium.  To write truly effective theatre, you must immerse yourself in the medium.  Go to your local community theatre and volunteer to work backstage, or even just go to watch some rehearsals.  Learn the limitations of space and live action; there are many. Learn that less is often more in the theatre.  Learn that your main character cannot turn into an alien before the audience’s eyes during a play.  You must learn to give the character and make-up department an ample amount of time for this transformation.  Use the intermission, or write plenty of good scenes in between.  The more you know about theatre before you sit down to write your play, the better equipped you will be to begin a successful play.  

You will want to write in a smaller scope, as well.  Think in terms of a singular setting.  Consider some of the best plays of all time like Death of a Salesman that takes place in a single setting: one room, or one unchanging collection of rooms.  Keep in mind the unities of Time, Place and Action.  While theatrical aesthetics may change over time, you will find that people still love a play that begins at the beginning and proceeds in a linear fashion through to the end.  Writing multiple scene changes, 10-year gaps in time and action will confuse your audience; they want to get to know and care about your characters.  

Try and imagine hearing a friend's crisis when it happens, hearing only of the aftermath at a much later date.  You have been "left hanging", wondering whatever happened.  What was the resolution of the tragedy?  You move on and later find out the ending.  You would have missed primary developmental moments in your friend's life.  He/she would be a different person, and you might not feel comfortable with them or, at the least, it would take awhile to catch up on past events.  The same thing happens to theatre audiences.  You only have a couple of hours.  Don't waste them by alienating your audience with flashbacks, large time gaps, and other devices that are better suited to film or novels.  

Now you have to consider your characters, a setting, and a plausible idea for a plot.  Successful plays often start in the middle of something.  The audience has to be interested in what is happening to really hear what you want to say.  Get your audience into the action quickly and keep them there. 

Characterization is essential.  Always remember that motivation is the key to strong characterization.  Your characters should have a strong desire or need that will enable them to take risks to get what they desire.  Profile your characters with generating a back-story and exposition before writing, so that you know them intimately.  As a writer, you are in essence creating a life.  Just as you would with your own children, you must allow them to be themselves.  Always ask yourself, "Would my character really speak or behave that way?"  You must not interfere with your characters' pursuit of their goals.  

With your character notes and plot in mind you’re ready to start typing your play.  If you read a lot of plays, the format you see is not necessarily the correct one.  You usually see a lot of plays that are printed and published similar to the following: 

 TED. Where have you been?

 ANNE. (Enters.) I went out for a walk.  I needed to clear my head.

 TED. (Confused.) I’ve never known you to do that.

 ANNE. Well you’ve never known me when I’ve had a lot on my mind. 

The characters' names are aligned to the left (with perhaps a space or two indentation), and the dialogue begins afterward on the same line, with emotional and action cues inserted within.  All lines are single-spaced.  The fonts used are small.  More lines can be printed on each page, minimizing publishing costs.

What publishers, producers, directors, and editors prefer is a significantly different format when they read a play for consideration.  They are interested in the content.  The words on the page need to be clear and readable.  You should use a 12-point Courier font.  Character names are centered on the page in all caps.  The speech starts the next line down.  Emotional and action cues are on separate lines, indented, and italicized.  There is a double space before the next character's name.  

TED

Where have you been?

ANNE

(Enters.)

I went out for a walk.  I needed to clear my head.

TED

(Confused.)

I’ve never known you to do that.

ANNE

Well you’ve never known me when I’ve had a lot on my mind. 

In order to test your dialogue, get to know some actors and ask them to read your work aloud.  A good actor has a sense of character, and will tell you if what is on the page "feels right". You may not agree, however, the experience definitely will be useful.  A play needs to be read aloud to really be understood.  Hearing your words come to life will tell you whether or not you achieved what you had in mind.  

In order to develop a character with a mind and a distinctive sense of self, you must know all there is to know about her/him.  You must know where the character lives and why.  Consider age, religious beliefs, political leanings, and social behavior as all parts of a person.  These items may not be revealed in the final work, but a strong character study enables you to create a round and dimensional character.  Think of all the influences and experiences in your own life that brought you to where you are today.  Every one affected you, and affects you still.  This may require a great deal of research.  While significant pieces of us reside in every character we develop, we are not effective if we completely write ourselves.  

A good, strong play says something to humanity about humanity.  Family, love, and death: these are all things we all deal with and which we identify with.  The essential human desire to be touched and moved to catharsis is important to keep in mind.  An audience doesn’t necessarily need to leave the theatre happy to have enjoyed the performance.  

As you should know, writing is not easy.  It can be a painful and trying experience.  But if you have the desire to be heard and a need to convey your vision, you will be successful. Remember to know your medium.  Strive to write efficiently and from the heart.  If a director can visualize your story and an actor wants to play the role, you will have an excellent chance of getting your play produced.