Lajos Egri (1888–1967)

A classic which I have come to late (both for it and for me). Of course, reading in the 21st century, you have to make some allowances for a text that was first published in the 1940s - I found the mock Q & As with an anonymous earnest playwright a little reminiscent of government-sponsored information films of the 40s and 50s, and nostalgically amusing for that - and you have to ignore the ingrained sexism which is also of its time, and the general tone of top-down pedantry; but it is a show more mark of how good this book is that it is possible to swerve around all of these historic relics and still find a good route map to effective playwriting.

I found the chapters on Premise and Character especially useful - refreshing rather than illuminating for someone who has read other guides to writing drama, but worthwhile for all that, and very practical if a mite prescriptive. The case studies too are generally well done, not least Ibsen's 'The Doll's House', a particular favourite of Egri's which he returns to frequently to illustrate points of character development and stagecraft. It's such a good example that I am now re-reading the play to study it further and enjoy it again.

The subtitle of 'The Art of Dramatic Writing': Its Basis In The Creative Interpretation Of Human Motives summarises Egri's basic thesis very well - the 1940s fascination with psychology post-Freud is evident - and it more or less stands the test of time.

Don't make this the only book you read if you are serious about writing plays, but by no means neglect it. show less

Having studied playwriting dialectics in college years ago, I found this "classic guide" to be a wonderful reminder of the basic tenets of storytelling. Many popular books on the subject written today tend to focus on screenwriting, and have an unfortunate tendency to speculate about what will and will not please industry insiders. Contrary to such books, Lajos Egri offers substantial bits of timeless advice (e.g., believe what you write and don't for a minute concern yourself about what show more industry insiders might think). The main through-line of the book, however, is a deeply held belief that premise and character fuel conflict and are indispensable to good writing. On these and other points, Egri is astonishingly clear and precise; which is a welcome departure from the airy ambiguities that degrade most discussions on the mechanics of art. This is a guide that works. show less

Too character-based to give it the title "The Art of Creative Writing", but considering the stuff I write is heavily character based, this is an invaluable book for making said characters real.

Egri describes premise, character, and conflict as the essential elements - and the heart - of any play. He espouses an approach to play-writing “based on the natural law of dialectics” rather than instinct.

Using several examples, Egri analyzes what makes plays “good” or “bad.” There’s a lot of good material here toward writing a truthful, character-driven play that’s honest to its characters, actors, and the audience.