The Playwright's Guidebook: An Insightful Primer on the Art of Dramatic Writing

Rating:
Summary: Take your writing to the next stage.
Review: ...but Spencer's just not that good at articulating them. The entire book flits frustratingly around ideas, not concretely examining them, and going into discussions of student experiences rather than any sort of in-depth analysis. And his examples are as dry as week-old toast: Spencer discusses conflict through someone wanting a glass of water. He quasi-mystifies the "impulse," which is described as an almost visual image that drives the play; these can be useful, but they're not terribly good for any prolonged writing. Personally, inspired stumbling over my own feet usually only gets me a couple of pages out, not a whole, useful play. Spencer's impulse method seems particularly destructive to me because he wants the basic level of creation to be nigh-undirected force, which has never much appealed to my sensibilities. A play has to have something behind it in that first draft just to give you a map, even though it'll change from any prewriting you may do.

Buried under Spencer's unfortunate lack of in-depth description is, in the beginning, a rather useful look at need (which he inexplicably calls action): how to nurture it, how to place it underneath the surface, how to oppose it, et cetera. His look at structure is depressingly Aristotelian, but reading books on the subject generally gets you that. Unfortunately, the book then degrades into the puff and twaddle about the impulse before returning to a decent analytical (but not constructive) commentary on character. Like most playwriting manuals, Spencer is doing analysis on plays - good plays - and showing what one result is instead of really showing how to craft character. The rest of the book is not really even up to par with that.

You can get something out of most any playwriting book. There will always be advice that helps you, and advice that hurts you. Spencer's book isn't so much hurtful as frustrating to extract those nuggets of good from; this is one to pick up in a big bookstore, read the section on "Tools" in the cafe until you get it, and then put back on the shelf.

Rating:
Summary: Don't get me wrong, it has some good ideas...
Review: ...but Spencer's just not that good at articulating them. The entire book flits frustratingly around ideas, not concretely examining them, and going into discussions of student experiences rather than any sort of in-depth analysis. And his examples are as dry as week-old toast: Spencer discusses conflict through someone wanting a glass of water. He quasi-mystifies the "impulse," which is described as an almost visual image that drives the play; these can be useful, but they're not terribly good for any prolonged writing. Personally, inspired stumbling over my own feet usually only gets me a couple of pages out, not a whole, useful play. Spencer's impulse method seems particularly destructive to me because he wants the basic level of creation to be nigh-undirected force, which has never much appealed to my sensibilities. A play has to have something behind it in that first draft just to give you a map, even though it'll change from any prewriting you may do.

Buried under Spencer's unfortunate lack of in-depth description is, in the beginning, a rather useful look at need (which he inexplicably calls action): how to nurture it, how to place it underneath the surface, how to oppose it, et cetera. His look at structure is depressingly Aristotelian, but reading books on the subject generally gets you that. Unfortunately, the book then degrades into the puff and twaddle about the impulse before returning to a decent analytical (but not constructive) commentary on character. Like most playwriting manuals, Spencer is doing analysis on plays - good plays - and showing what one result is instead of really showing how to craft character. The rest of the book is not really even up to par with that.

You can get something out of most any playwriting book. There will always be advice that helps you, and advice that hurts you. Spencer's book isn't so much hurtful as frustrating to extract those nuggets of good from; this is one to pick up in a big bookstore, read the section on "Tools" in the cafe until you get it, and then put back on the shelf.

Rating:
Summary: The most lively and engaging playwriting text ever!
Review: In preparation for a job teaching playwriting at a midwestern university, I read most of the playwriting books out there. Spencer's text covers the same topics as most playwriting books: creative inspiration, character development, and dramatic structure. However, unlike most texts, Spencer uses anecdotes and personal observations to illustrate his points. The result is an insightful and helpful manual for new writers that also succeeds in being INTERESTING (a very rare trait in writing texts).

While most of this book covers well trod ground, there are some unique aspects to Spencer's approach. His introductory essay on the differences in writing for fiction, film and theater should be a must read for every new student. I also appreciated his "Impulse" exercises. Too many texts delve into the process of writing without ever discussing how someone finds something to write about in the first place. The other exercises in the book are very good, but as a teacher I would have appreciated even more of them. Also, Spencer's discussion of how to build plots is a little thin. I'd recommend combining this book with some hard core instruction in dramatic structure.

In the world of playwriting texts, there are alot of useful books, but very few interesting ones. This one manages to be both. I highly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Take your writing to the next stage.
Review: Most people won't listen to advice until they're good and ready. I had "The Playwright's Guidebook" in my office for over a year. When I finally read it, either I was good and ready to hear what Mr. Spencer had to say or what he said made a lot of sense. (Basically it was both.)

I've read Syd Field and taken McKee's course on Story Structure, yet I found this book to be of greater value. Why? Because Mr. Spencer doesn't lay down directives (as is common with most how-to books). Instead, he offers suggestions. His observations are level-headed and his approach is open-minded. This is one instructional book that won't tell you that a plot point must land on page such-and-such.

Mr. Spencer encourages you to freely follow your creative impulse and get your story on paper. Then he lets you decide whether your story is as effective as it can be. The book discusses sensible ways to get the most out of your play. It's often like a trouble-shooting guide. If you feel something's not working in your piece, chances are, this book will help you figure out exactly where the problem lies.

Mr. Spencer is not a drill instructor barking out the sure and only way to commercial bliss. He comes across as an experienced teacher (which he is) giving you the opportunity to find your own way to successful writing.

I'd like to add that this is an invaluable asset whether you're writing a play, a film or a novel. That's because "The Playwright's Guidebook" is a comprehensive study of drama, of why it works and why it often fails. No matter where you are in your writing career, you'll most likely benefit from reading this book. If you've been writing a long time, you'll be reacquainted with fundamentals you may have forgotten. You'll also pick up some fresh ways of looking at your craft. If you're a novice, you'll learn things that are essential to building an interesting story.

Take my advice: familiarize yourself with this book and then write the story that's in you.

Rating:
Summary: Take your writing to the next stage.
Review: Most people won't listen to advice until they're good and ready. I had "The Playwright's Guidebook" in my office for over a year. When I finally read it, either I was good and ready to hear what Mr. Spencer had to say or what he said made a lot of sense. (Basically it was both.)

I've read Syd Field and taken McKee's course on Story Structure, yet I found this book to be of greater value. Why? Because Mr. Spencer doesn't lay down directives (as is common with most how-to books). Instead, he offers suggestions. His observations are level-headed and his approach is open-minded. This is one instructional book that won't tell you that a plot point must land on page such-and-such.

Mr. Spencer encourages you to freely follow your creative impulse and get your story on paper. Then he lets you decide whether your story is as effective as it can be. The book discusses sensible ways to get the most out of your play. It's often like a trouble-shooting guide. If you feel something's not working in your piece, chances are, this book will help you figure out exactly where the problem lies.

Mr. Spencer is not a drill instructor barking out the sure and only way to commercial bliss. He comes across as an experienced teacher (which he is) giving you the opportunity to find your own way to successful writing.

I'd like to add that this is an invaluable asset whether you're writing a play, a film or a novel. That's because "The Playwright's Guidebook" is a comprehensive study of drama, of why it works and why it often fails. No matter where you are in your writing career, you'll most likely benefit from reading this book. If you've been writing a long time, you'll be reacquainted with fundamentals you may have forgotten. You'll also pick up some fresh ways of looking at your craft. If you're a novice, you'll learn things that are essential to building an interesting story.

Take my advice: familiarize yourself with this book and then write the story that's in you.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best writing books ever wrighted.
Review: Over the years, I've bought so many "how-to-write" books, that I also had to buy a special bookcase in which to stack them all. While reading all of these books has not yet transformed me into a famous literary genius, it has made me somewhat of an connoisseur of writing books. If you are looking to purchase one more writing book, I would recommend "The Playwright's Guidebook".

The main strength of this book is Spencer's ability to distill the concepts of story structure and character into workable and easy-to-grasp ideas. Spencer is able to say in a few chapters what Robert McKee needs 500+ pages to say. I have read a multitude of books explaining how stories are assembled, but it was this book that brought it all together for me.

Another strength to this book is the quality of the practical advice, which is all too rare in writing books. I rarely do the exercises in any book, but I found myself plugging through the exercises in this book.

This is not to say that the book is entirely infallible. When trying to discuss "what" to write rather than "how" to write, Spencer resorts to the touchy-feely concept of the writer's impulse, which is really not that helpful (but then, all writing books falter on this point. Apparently, you actually have to use your own imagination at some point. Bummer). Another quibble that I have is with Spencer's running example of a guy wanting a glass of water. The triviality of the example tends to undercut Spencer's authority. But these are minor points that really don't detract much from an otherwise outstanding book.

Not only has this book helped me become a better writer (I recently had my first story published using what I learned from this book), but it has increased my enjoyment of reading and watching other stories because now I better understand the innerworkings of fiction.

I got my money's worth from this book. What more can you ask for?

Rating:
Summary: Perfect for Aspiring Playwrights
Review: Spencer, a professor of playwrighting at Sarah Lawerence College, has written a wonderful handbook on the craft for amateur writers. He discusses in depth all aspects of the craft: from the simplest elements of structure to more complex elements of action, event and character, to problems such as rewriting and writer's block. He provides multiple examples for every topic ranging from simple references he creates, to personal experiences, to pointing out examples in well-known plays.

Spencer also provides excersises and prompts at the end of every chapter (along with many more at the end of the book), allowing the reader to experiment and build on the lessons he or she has just learned.

Reading this book is equivalent to taking a semester course or workshop with Spencer, and the lessons it provdies are invaluable. Recommended to anyone who wishes to delve into the realm of playwrighting, or to those who simply wish to improve their talents.