Characters in Action: Playwriting the Easy Way

Rating:
Summary: A Lively and Useful Introduction
Review: Characters in Action
Marsh Cassady

This was the first book I read on the art of playwriting and I found it rather inspiring. Cassady stresses tapping into your unconscious for dialogue and plot-connection ideas, he considers all the basics from stage directions to proper script presentation, and gives a wide variety of interesting examples that show that he knows what he's talking about. He also uses the literary device of having made-up characters break into the text to dramatically illustrate his points. I could not find fault with this book as a primer for writing live drama. The book should also be of interest to fiction writers and screenwriters who to hone their art and expand their horizons. A lively and useful introduction.

Rating:
Summary: Sadly simplistic and juvenile
Review: The art of playwriting is lost here. In its place is boiled down stuff that seems, um, "borrowed" and condensed from the much better books. If the author is aiming at 8th grade kids, perhaps it works, but one thinks even they deserve more respect. For anyone else, disappointingly juvenile. From the way it is hyped I thought I could use it in a workshop, as well as for myself, but it won't serve. I selected another book (also on Amazon) for those purposes and we're all happy. Sorry, Mr. Cassady.

Rating:
Summary: insightful and informative but not inspirational
Review: This book is good for anyone who wants an introduction into the art of play writing... To that end, it is brilliant. However in terms of inspiring the reader to bring his or hers ideas to life, the book lacks something.