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Playwriting Books

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The Art of Dramatic Writing: Its Basis in the Creative Interpretation of Human Motives The Art of Dramatic Writing: Its Basis in the Creative Interpretation of Human Motives (Paperback)
by (shelved 6 times as playwriting)
avg rating 4.19 — 3,415 ratings — published 1942
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The Playwright's Guidebook: An Insightful Primer on the Art of Dramatic Writing The Playwright's Guidebook: An Insightful Primer on the Art of Dramatic Writing (Paperback)
by (shelved 6 times as playwriting)
avg rating 4.18 — 380 ratings — published 2002
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The Art and Craft of Playwriting The Art and Craft of Playwriting (Paperback)
by (shelved 6 times as playwriting)
avg rating 3.80 — 222 ratings — published 1996
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Backwards and Forwards: A Technical Manual for Reading Plays Backwards and Forwards: A Technical Manual for Reading Plays (Paperback)
by (shelved 5 times as playwriting)
avg rating 4.10 — 1,975 ratings — published 1983
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Playwriting For Dummies Playwriting For Dummies (Paperback)
by (shelved 5 times as playwriting)
avg rating 3.75 — 61 ratings — published 2011
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Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts One and Two (Harry Potter, #8) Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts One and Two (Harry Potter, #8)
by (shelved 5 times as playwriting)
avg rating 3.47 — 1,176,613 ratings — published 2016
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Playwriting: Structure, Character, How and What to Write Playwriting: Structure, Character, How and What to Write (Paperback)
by (shelved 4 times as playwriting)
avg rating 4.58 — 234 ratings — published
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The Elements of Playwriting The Elements of Playwriting (Paperback)
by (shelved 3 times as playwriting)
avg rating 3.77 — 82 ratings — published 1994
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راهنمای عملی نمایشنامه‌نویسی راهنمای عملی نمایشنامه‌نویسی (Paperback)
by (shelved 3 times as playwriting)
avg rating 3.72 — 78 ratings — published 2004
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Playwrights Teach Playwriting Playwrights Teach Playwriting (Paperback)
by (shelved 3 times as playwriting)
avg rating 4.18 — 17 ratings — published 2006
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Three Uses of the Knife: On the Nature and Purpose of Drama Three Uses of the Knife: On the Nature and Purpose of Drama (Paperback)
by (shelved 3 times as playwriting)
avg rating 3.82 — 2,038 ratings — published 1998
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Playwriting In Process: Thinking and Working Theatrically Playwriting In Process: Thinking and Working Theatrically (Paperback)
by (shelved 3 times as playwriting)
avg rating 4.24 — 25 ratings — published 1997
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Playwriting, Brief and Brilliant (Career Development Series) Playwriting, Brief and Brilliant (Career Development Series)
by (shelved 2 times as playwriting)
avg rating 3.92 — 100 ratings — published 2007
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Breaking into Acting for Dummies Breaking into Acting for Dummies (Paperback)
by (shelved 2 times as playwriting)
avg rating 3.86 — 70 ratings — published 2002
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Playwriting: A Writers' and Artists' Companion Playwriting: A Writers' and Artists' Companion (Paperback)
by (shelved 2 times as playwriting)
avg rating 4.12 — 16 ratings — published 2015
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Theory and Technique of Playwriting, Theory and Technique of Playwriting, (Paperback)
by (shelved 2 times as playwriting)
avg rating 4.10 — 10 ratings — published
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The Blunt Playwright: An Introduction to Playwriting The Blunt Playwright: An Introduction to Playwriting (Paperback)
by (shelved 2 times as playwriting)
avg rating 4.20 — 41 ratings — published 2007
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Playwriting: Writing Producing and Selling Your Play Playwriting: Writing Producing and Selling Your Play (Paperback)
by (shelved 2 times as playwriting)
avg rating 3.50 — 18 ratings — published 1990
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Save the Cat: The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need Save the Cat: The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need (Paperback)
by (shelved 2 times as playwriting)
avg rating 4.01 — 23,012 ratings — published 2005
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Playwrights on Playwriting: The Meaning and Making of Modern Drama from Ibsen to Ionesco Playwrights on Playwriting: The Meaning and Making of Modern Drama from Ibsen to Ionesco (Paperback)
by (shelved 2 times as playwriting)
avg rating 4.03 — 35 ratings — published 1960
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Much Ado About Nothing Much Ado About Nothing (Paperback)
by (shelved 2 times as playwriting)
avg rating 4.06 — 264,184 ratings — published 1598
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Into the Blue Into the Blue (Hardcover)
by (shelved 1 time as playwriting)
avg rating 3.97 — 139,558 ratings — published 2026
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The Nuts and Bolts of Writing The Nuts and Bolts of Writing (Paperback)
by (shelved 1 time as playwriting)
avg rating 4.50 — 6 ratings — published 1989
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Essential English for Journalists, Editors and Writers Essential English for Journalists, Editors and Writers (Paperback)
by (shelved 1 time as playwriting)
avg rating 4.12 — 153 ratings — published 1972
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Theatre Criticism (Theatre Concepts) Theatre Criticism (Theatre Concepts)
by (shelved 1 time as playwriting)
avg rating 4.25 — 12 ratings — published 1992
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Waterhouse on Newspaper Style Waterhouse on Newspaper Style (Paperback)
by (shelved 1 time as playwriting)
avg rating 3.86 — 56 ratings — published 1989
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Screenwriting 101: Mastering the Art of Story Screenwriting 101: Mastering the Art of Story (Audible Audio)
by (shelved 1 time as playwriting)
avg rating 4.14 — 241 ratings — published 2018
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A Swim in a Pond in the Rain A Swim in a Pond in the Rain (Kindle Edition)
by (shelved 1 time as playwriting)
avg rating 4.53 — 27,774 ratings — published 2021
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The Bear The Bear (Paperback)
by (shelved 1 time as playwriting)
avg rating 3.62 — 1,812 ratings — published 1888
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Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom by Jennifer Haley (April 13,2009) Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom by Jennifer Haley (April 13,2009)
by (shelved 1 time as playwriting)
avg rating 0.0 — 0 ratings — published
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Three Plays: Gruesome Playground Injuries / Animals Out of Paper / Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo Three Plays: Gruesome Playground Injuries / Animals Out of Paper / Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo (Paperback)
by (shelved 1 time as playwriting)
avg rating 4.22 — 695 ratings — published 2010
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WRITE SCREENPLAYS THAT SELL WRITE SCREENPLAYS THAT SELL (Paperback)
by (shelved 1 time as playwriting)
avg rating 3.89 — 90 ratings — published 2003
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Decentered Playwriting Decentered Playwriting (Hardcover)
by (shelved 1 time as playwriting)
avg rating 4.75 — 4 ratings — published
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How I Learned to Drive How I Learned to Drive (Paperback)
by (shelved 1 time as playwriting)
avg rating 3.94 — 9,780 ratings — published 1997
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Embodied Playwriting: Improv and Acting Exercises for Writing and Devising Embodied Playwriting: Improv and Acting Exercises for Writing and Devising (Kindle Edition)
by (shelved 1 time as playwriting)
avg rating 0.0 — 0 ratings — published
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Endymion: John Lyly (The Revels Plays) Endymion: John Lyly (The Revels Plays)
by (shelved 1 time as playwriting)
avg rating 3.35 — 179 ratings — published 1979
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Every Brilliant Thing Every Brilliant Thing (Paperback)
by (shelved 1 time as playwriting)
avg rating 4.57 — 1,547 ratings — published 2015
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This Property is Condemned This Property is Condemned (Paperback)
by (shelved 1 time as playwriting)
avg rating 3.97 — 181 ratings — published 1946
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Writing, Producing and Selling Your Play Writing, Producing and Selling Your Play (Paperback)
by (shelved 1 time as playwriting)
avg rating 3.00 — 3 ratings — published
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Primary Trust Primary Trust (Paperback)
by (shelved 1 time as playwriting)
avg rating 4.16 — 454 ratings — published
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Purpose Purpose (Paperback)
by (shelved 1 time as playwriting)
avg rating 4.41 — 17 ratings — published
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Our Town Our Town (Paperback)
by (shelved 1 time as playwriting)
avg rating 3.75 — 60,955 ratings — published 1938
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The Crackwalker The Crackwalker (Paperback)
by (shelved 1 time as playwriting)
avg rating 3.38 — 164 ratings — published 2002
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The James Plays The James Plays (Paperback)
by (shelved 1 time as playwriting)
avg rating 4.28 — 105 ratings — published 2014
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Into the Woods: A Five Act Journey Into Story Into the Woods: A Five Act Journey Into Story (Paperback)
by (shelved 1 time as playwriting)
avg rating 4.18 — 4,719 ratings — published 2013
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By Any Other Name By Any Other Name (Kindle Edition)
by (shelved 1 time as playwriting)
avg rating 4.10 — 138,890 ratings — published 2024
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The Literary Enneagram: Characters from the Inside Out The Literary Enneagram: Characters from the Inside Out (Paperback)
by (shelved 1 time as playwriting)
avg rating 4.15 — 52 ratings — published 2001
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Incendies Incendies (Paperback)
by (shelved 1 time as playwriting)
avg rating 4.41 — 16,174 ratings — published 2003
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Tom Stoppard
“If you want to change something by Tuesday, theater is no good. Journalism is what does that.

But, if you want to just alter the chemistry of the moral matrix, then theater has a longer half-life.”
― Tom Stoppard

Ludvig Holberg
“Ingen kand dømme om et Skuespill, uden den der haver udstuderet et Theatrum, og af Erfarenhed mærket, hvad Virkning en Comoedie giør paa Skue-Pladsen: Og, naar saa er, kand man ikke meget reflectere paa deres Domme, der sidde hiemme og criticere udi deres Skriver-Stuer, uden at have seet et Skuespills Forestilning; thi de samme kand ikke dømme uden om Stilen, om Moralske Sententzer, og et Stykkes Regularitet, da Erfarenhed lærer, at en Comoedie, som efter alle Academiske Regler er indretted, dog ingen Comoedie er. Thi mangt et Skuespill, som ved Læsning synes at være af ingen Betydelse, haver den fortreffeligste Virkning paa Skue-Pladsen. Et Skuespils Vægt og Gyldighed grunder sig derfor ikke paa lærde Journalisters Critiqver, men paa Tilskuernes Applausu: naar jeg siger Tilskuerne, meener jeg alleene saadanne, som have en naturlig og ufordærved Smag.”
― Ludvig Holberg

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