Tips to Write Characters So Real They Practically Pay Rent

Tips to Write Characters So Real They Practically Pay Rent

by | Sep 1, 2025 | Inspiration, Theater, Writing Tips

You’ve got a great premise. You’ve outlined a killer plot. But your characters? They’re… fine.

They’re saying all the right things, but somehow, it’s just not clicking. It’s like they’re reading cue cards instead of living inside the world of your play or musical.

And delivering over your message? Well … they sort of feel lost. (What message?)

Here’s the truth: characters aren’t just there to deliver information. The best characters change things. They drive the action forward. And when they speak? What they say shifts the story and holds your attention through the rest of the play.

Often writers tell me that they write “character-driven” plays. That’s great – but sometimes your characters can write themselves into a corner and leave you stuck figuring how to get them out.

Or characters can act erratically, even in character, but still not help you deliver over the message you need to give to the audience at the end.

So, how to write characters that embody your action and are able to deliver over the message at the end?

Start incorporating character development not as a one-time brainstorm—but as a daily habit.

Spend 10 minutes every day talking with one of your characters. Live with them. Make them real.

Are Your Characters Are Just Mouthpieces or Real People?

If your characters feel flat, check for these red flags:

  • Every character sounds the same

  • They speak (or worse yet, sing) in exposition—telling the audience what’s happening instead of showing us through their active choices

  • One’s dialogue could be swapped into another character’s dialogue – and no one would notice

  • They never make decisions that impact the course of the story or drive the action forward.

If that sounds familiar, don’t worry—it’s fixable. Definitely fixable!

Here’s where to start.

Daily Character Interrogation Prompts

Get into the habit of checking in with your characters daily. See what’s going on with them.

Ask them questions as if they’re real people—because in the world of your story, they are. And you have to know them intimately.

Try asking them one of these questions each day while you’re plotting out your play:

  • What are you most afraid of right now?

  • What’s your secret that nobody knows?

  • Who in this story do you love—and why haven’t you said it?

  • What do you want from this next scene?

  • What lie are you telling yourself?

You don’t need perfect answers. The goal is to listen—not force a response. Let them reveal themselves to you.

Exercises to Let Your Characters Surprise You

Sometimes we try to control our characters too tightly. Loosen your grip! Let them surprise you.

Try this:

  • Write a scene you would never include in the show—a dream sequence, an imaginary fight, a childhood memory. See what comes out.

  • Monologue from the antagonist’s POV. What do they think the story is about?

  • Put your character in a modern-day situation (e.g. at the DMV, on a dating app, stuck in traffic). How do they behave?

The goal isn’t formula — it’s discovery.

Use Dialogue as Action

In theatre, sometimes dialogue is the action. It should do more than express thoughts—it should create tension, reveal stakes, and push decisions.

Before you write a scene, ask yourself:

  • What does each character want in this moment? 

  • How are they using their words to get it?

  • What’s at risk if they don’t? In other words, what are the stakes?

If characters are truly pursuing goals that are important to them, their dialogue becomes active—even explosive. 

That’s what you want, because that’s what makes your play interesting.

(You can also read another blog post “Writing Active Dialogue” here.)

Tie Character Arcs to Plot Structure

A story isn’t just about what happens. It’s about who it happens to—and how it changes them, moment by moment. And how the audience follows the action.

As you build your plot beats moment to moment, track your character arcs alongside them:

  • What belief or behavior must your protagonist unlearn?

  • Where in the story does that belief get tested?

  • Where’s the point of no return when they make a choice they can’t take back, and must plow ahead no matter the cost?

When character transformation is tied to your structure, revealed moment by moment, scene by scene, the audience understands the character and the journey.

Final Thoughts

Characters shouldn’t just talk—they should take up space, demand things, break things, fix things, move the whole story forward. They should be interesting. And the more time you spend with them—not just writing them, but living with them and listening to them—the more alive they become, for the other characters and for your audience.

So try this: Spend 10 minutes today talking to one of your characters. Ask them what they want. Then put something in their way. See what happens next.

Make them real enough to pay rent (in NYC).

That’s when the real fun begins.

 

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How Not to Lose Momentum in Writing Your Play

How Not to Lose Momentum in Writing Your Play

by | Aug 18, 2025 | Inspiration, Theater, Writing Tips

Staying productive between sparks of inspiration

If you’ve ever stared at your script and had absolutely no idea of what to write, you’re not alone. You’re only human.

Inspiration is powerful, but fleeting. If you only write when the muse shows up, your show might stall out halfway through Act One with no idea where to go. Or, your characters can write themselves into a corner, leaving both you and the story at a standstill.

But here’s the good news: momentum doesn’t depend on inspiration—it depends on action. Even bad action is better than no action, because bad action can get you someplace better. No action leaves you trapped. Stuck. Unsure of what to do.

Let’s bust the myth of the muse and explore how to keep your creative engine running, even when you’re not “feeling it.”

The Myth of Waiting for the Muse

Many writers hold onto the romantic idea that creativity strikes like lightning. But the best writers understand that waiting for inspiration can lead to long, unproductive stretches.

Professionals don’t wait—they build habits that keep the work moving forward regardless of mood.

Think of it like rehearsing a show. You don’t only rehearse on the days everyone feels inspired—you show up, warm up, and get to work. Writing is no different.

Techniques for Showing Up Anyway

Most of life depends on your just showing up. That’s the honest truth.

You don’t need a brilliant idea to get started.

Try these techniques that help you “show up” to your writing practice:

  • Freewriting: Set a timer for 15 minutes and write without stopping. It might be junk—but it might lead to something unexpectedly brilliant.
  • Morning Pages: Julia Cameron’s classic practice involves three longhand pages of stream-of-consciousness writing every morning. It clears out mental clutter and primes the creative pump. (I highly recommend Julia Cameron’s book The Artist’s Way and its companion book The Artist’s Way Morning Pages Journal.)
  • “Permission to Write Badly” Drafts: Give yourself a pass to write something terrible. You can always revise later—but only if you write something in the first place.

Revisit Earlier Drafts with Fresh Eyes

Sometimes the best way to move forward is to look back.

Pull out an earlier draft of your script or score. Reread it as if it were written by someone else. What works? What surprises you? What needs cutting?

Time and again I’ve seen my writers go back to something they’ve put away, and when they look at it with fresh eyes, they discover something totally different.

You might find a character’s voice you forgot you nailed—or a plot thread that needs untangling. Editing can be just as creatively energizing as drafting.

Alternately, if you are in a writing group you can present your new scene or new pages to the group to get their feedback. Or you can hire a dramaturg and get their insights on the work – which may be a smart move, especially if that dramaturg is connected with a regional theater or producing group.

Structure Your Non-Writing Days to Allow a Larger Vision of Your Show

Even when you’re not writing, you can still stay connected to your work:

  • Watch a show (live or recorded) with a playwright’s eye: What works in the structure? What would you change? What do you find especially appealing visually? What specific theatrical elements create the mood or deliver over the message? “Steal like an artist.”
  • Create a playlist for a character or a scene. Let music spark emotional connections as you move about your day. Inspiration comes from unusual places sometimes!
  • Read interviews with other writers to stay inspired and feel less alone.
  • Go on a “research walk”—literally walk around and observe like your character would. Extra credit for switching out your environments.

These actions keep your creative muscles warm, even if you’re not putting words on the page.

Playwright-Tested Inspiration Exercises

Here are a few other “go-to” practices from real writers that I’ve found worked well over the years:

  • Write a scene in a totally different genre—turn your serious drama into a sitcom episode and see what happens. Or a musical. Or a farce.
  • Interview your characters as if you’re a journalist. This can be powerful.
  • Use writing prompts like “What is my character most afraid to admit?” or “What does my antagonist believe is true and right?”
  • See your scene on stage, but with no sound. Can you still understand the dramatic action?

These little “a-ha moments” often lead to bigger ideas.

Final Thoughts

Inspiration will come and go. But momentum? That’s entirely up to you.

A writing routine and a writer’s inner life is something you can cultivate.

  • Show up.
  • Stay curious.
  • Keep your project in motion—even when you’re not feeling particularly brilliant.
  • Find inspiration in the mundane moments of your life.

The muse may be elusive, but your creative habits are reliable. And inspiration is literally everywhere.

And when the next wave of inspiration hits? You’ll be ready for it.

Comment below and let me know if you’ve found any of these helpful!

 

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Down Time

Down Time

by | Dec 16, 2024 | Inspiration, The Working Playwright, Theater, Writing Tips

 The Working Playwright 

by Melissa Bell

I know the deal.

You wake up. Maybe you hit the gym. Deal with hungry kids and needy pets. Work a full
day. Walk into work to find 85 email messages in your Inbox. Work a full day. Make dinner. Afterwards
maybe you find time to write a scene in your play.

Or maybe you’re working on a commission or making revisions after a read-through and preparing it for a staged reading. You’re going over every line, every stage direction – but you’re drawing a blank and your head feels blanker than the sheet in front of you.

When I took a Logic class in college, the professor gave us some advice: If you get stuck on a problem,
don’t try to solve it by trying harder. Get up. Take a walk. Move your body. Read a book. Then return
and try it again.

And dang, she was right. It worked every time.

 

It’s the same with playwriting.

Maybe you’re stuck. Or done for the day but there are still problems to
solve. Get up. Go to the gym. Or the grocery.

I was on the elliptical and got an idea for a new scene between a college bound teen and her father who
gambled away her college savings account. I was taking a walk when my feet started a rhythm that led
to a chant that became the song to lead a parade filled with puppets and stilt-walkers.

You may have heard the adage that humans only use 10% of their brains. But it’s not true. Our brains
are constantly, furiously working, regulating our bodies and solving problems while awake or asleep.
Like a security program that your computer runs in the background, part of your brain is always running,
looking for connections, fitting the pieces together. It just needs a little space and for the anxiety—the
true reason for block in the first place—to stand down and let the neurons flow.

There you’ll be, standing in the grocery aisle, reading the label of ingredients and bam — that ending
line you were searching for all day comes waltzing in over a can of pink beans. That button that sums up
the scene, untangles the knot and lets the words flow comes watching your kids shoot nerf darts at each
other in the park. You scramble to find a piece of paper, or run to the nearest exit, repeating the idea
over and over until you get home then feverishly add it to your script. (Don’t worry, you got it!)

This is why when characters have their Sherlock moment in a play or movie, we believe it. Because in
life, like art, we experience our own AHA! moments, and they come at unexpected times. Most of all,
they likely come when we are at ease, doing something else.

 

So don’t underestimate the value of down-time.

When the kids challenge you to a game of nerf darts, don’t demure or tell them you need to crack this scene. Get up. Put on those safety glasses. Play the game. You might hit a bull’s eye in more ways than one.

 

Melissa Bell’s work has been featured in The New York Times and been nominated for Best Adaptation &
Modernization by New York Shakespeare and awarded Finalist for Henley Rose Playwright Competition
for LADY CAPULET and awarded Honored Finalist for the Collaboration Award by the Women in Arts &
Media Coalition for COURAGE. Read her work on the New Play Exchange and on her website, themelissabell.com.

​

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Making Money as a Playwright Part 2

Making Money as a Playwright Part 2

by | Nov 19, 2024 | Inspiration, NPD, Theater

(Didn’t read Part 1? Start here)

How Do I Get Produced?

The best way to make money as a playwright (or musical theater creator) is to have many different scripts all available for productions. You’ll get paid per performance, so more plays can equal more productions.

It also helps if you have a MFA in Playwriting. The playwriting field is supersaturated with MFA degree holders. And there are just so many opportunities for new playwrights to get produced … but obviously this is not a requirement.

The best answer to the question of how to get produced is this: you must convince theaters to produce your work. In other words, networking.

Usually this involves meeting people in person and online, networking, pitching your work, emailing theaters, submitting your work to many different opportunities, and getting your name out there and your play visible. A good way to do this is by producing your play in festivals and  conferences, where it can be seen by a large group of industry people from all over the country. Another is to introduce yourself to every theater within driving distance. Many theaters produce new work consistently, and are always looking for new plays and to meet new playwrights. Attend their productions and their galas, or volunteer to usher. Support them so they can support you.

Playwrights can get their work produced by sharing their play with theaters, production companies, producers, directors, and by working with actors. If you wish to be a produced playwright, I would encourage you to consistently be doing these things:

  • Submit your play: You can submit your play to theaters during calls for submissions, and to production companies, producers, or directors. You can also send it to literary departments or freelance dramaturgs, who could help you develop and/or advocate for your play.
  • Collaborate with actors, directors or dramaturgs: You can work with actors, directors and dramaturgs to workshop your play and get feedback for rewrites. You can also host table readings yourself to get feedback. Listen carefully when observers give you the same note more than once, and make plans to address it in future rewrites.
  • Get to know a theater: You can show that you are reliable and easy to work with by submitting drafts on time and taking notes. Go to their galas. Go to their shows. Talk to people on the staff. Volunteer there – and let them know you write plays. Later ask someone to read one.
  • Research theaters: You can research theaters that might be interested in the type of plays you write. Reach out and email them, introducing yourself and one of your plays that is similar to one recently produced by them.
  • Networking: Talk to people. Join theater companies like CreateTheater. Hang out with theatre folk. Always be pitching and talking about your show.
  • Marketing: Take the time to gather a database of theaters, contacts, producers, directors, etc. Develop an email list from theatre people you know. Keep adding to the list. Keep your email list updated on your progress.
  • Develop a base of raving fans on social media. Share your life and your work, to gather a fan base. Collect their emails to add them to your email list. Some theaters will even give preference to writers who have an active large social media following.

What About Getting Published?

Getting your play published is a tough. Perhaps up to 95% of plays that get produced, never get published. You see, a production is a one-off expense for a company that is committed to producing a number of shows each year anyway. They want good new material to produce, and they want their take of the box office. They do not usually want to go the extra mile of publishing your play.

Theatrical publishers usually form contracts with producing houses where they publish copies of all or most shows that the theater produces. Publication has distribution overheads and other costs which theatrical production doesn’t have. Most theater companies don’t have those kind of contracts, so if you want to your work published, you’ll have to have it produced first. No play will be published which hasn’t been produced first. If you can write a good play, you can probably get it produced. You probably can’t get it published, however, unless it gets picked up by a major theatre which is tied into a publishing deal.

You can of course self-publish and distribute it yourself, if you so choose. Kindle has the best self-publishing platform. Use your email lists and social media connections to give free copies to your friends to buy off Amazon and recommend.

The reason the publications are important is because the more publications you have, the more plays you are presenting to the public.  This means your name appears a lot more in their catalogue.  When your name appears multiple times in the catalogue, there’s a good chance people are reading the synopsis and you have a better chance that they are ordering a perusal copy that will hopefully lead to a production.  The more productions that are out there, the more press.  If you write one-act plays for high schools, you have to cross your fingers and hope that they are taking your script to a competition, where other schools from the state will see it, like it, and look up your other work.

Publishing does not really pay very well itself. It’s meant to serve the publisher, not the playwright. But the real reason to get published is to get your play into the hands of literary managers, college theatre directors, regional artistic directors, etc, so they will produce your play and you will make some money. Not much, but some money.

Let’s recap this blog post and the previous one:

  • Playwrights get paid before writing a script by commissions and advances (with musicals this can be substantial).
  • After the script is written they get paid through a producer’s option agreement and royalties per performance,
  • After the play is produced a playwright can make money by selling the script to film or television adaptations or by licensing the show to touring companies and other theaters.
  • After a play is published it will go into the subsidiary markets, and the writer will receive subsidiary rights revenues, stock and amateur licensing revenues, and royalties at a flat fee per show. Musicals can also earn revenue through the cast album.

You Have To Write

Write many plays. It’s a numbers game that favors high volume – so have many plays available.

Do a ton of networking and marketing. Raise your profile through your website and social media channels.

Having a great number of plays also gives you a cushion when your other plays go out of fashion (which they will).

There is actually a simpler answer, though. Put in the time, do the hard work, and create your own luck.

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What Are Your Writing Goals?

What Are Your Writing Goals?

by | Oct 29, 2024 | Inspiration, NPD, Theater

Setting Goals: Who Do You Want To Be?

Goals are a means to an end, plain and simple. They are simply a tool to concentrate our focus and move us in a direction. The only reason we really pursue goals is to cause ourselves to expand and grow. Achieving goals by themselves will never make us happy in the long term; it’s who you become, as you overcome the obstacles necessary to achieve your goals, that can give you the deepest and most long-lasting sense of fulfillment.

So maybe the key question you and I need to ask is, “What kind of person will I have to become in order to achieve all that I want?” This may be the most important question that you can ask yourself.

What kind of a person do you want to become, professionally? Who do you want to be when you grow up? I have decided that in my life I want to create new work as a dramaturg, I want to envision the production text as a director, and I want to put stories on stage as a producer. To learn how to do this I have pursued an education (B.F.A. in Directing, M.F.A in Dramaturgy, CTI 14-week for producing), but even then it took a few years of actual practice dramaturging, directing and producing professionally before I internalized the “I AM” that made me believe in my identity as a professional theatremaker.

When you start doing the work, you’ll realize that you ARE the person that you wanted to be.

 

Write Down Your Goals

When setting your writing goals, you should plan on becoming a produced playwright.  Once you see your plays on stage, with real actors in a real theater, then you will indeed be a professional playwright.

What would being a produced playwright feel like to you? Our writers here at CreateTheater have said all of these:

  • Being produced would give validation to friends and family that I am a professional writer
  • The joy of seeing my work actually take shape onstage is what I love most
  • Having a show on Broadway or Off-Broadway would be a dream, but I’d love a regional production to invite my friends
  • Making revenue from writing for the subsidiary markets is my goal
  • A production onstage would finally make me feel that I belong in the professional theatre world

The good news is that becoming a produced playwright is doable. However, just like learning anything, there is a process to master.

Take Daily Actions to Achieve Your Goal 

The best thing about setting a goal is that it gives you actionable tasks to achieve along the way. Through hard work, you can make the decision to be a success and achieve it.

What things do you need to do to become a produced playwright?

  • Write daily. Create a routine where you write at a certain time every day. If you’re a writer, you write.
  • Write in a variety of formats. Write musical librettos, write one act plays. Write a play for high school or college, and adapt it for middle school audiences. Write ten minute plays.
  • Create a catalog of plays. Volume counts – the more good plays you write, the greater the chances of multiple productions
  • Create a NPX profile, and upload all of your plays there. Read and recommend other writers’ plays, so they will read and recommend yours. (It’s a community.)
  • Join CreateTheater and The Experts Theater Company. The more theater friends you have, the more you learn and the more you’ll feel like a pro.
  • Get a website. Keep it updated.
  • Get an email list. Keep your fans updated on what you’re doing.
  • Take pictures of your progress. Post on social media.
  • Plan on taking focused marketing time twice a year to reach out to regional theaters and their artistic directors. Compile a database for yourself.
  • Get to know your local theaters. Buy tickets to their work, and talk to people while you’re there. Go to their galas and meet them.
  • Submit, submit, submit. This is one of the best ways to create opportunities for yourself.

(Notice that none of the above requires an agent.)

Does this sound like a lot of work? It is. One of our produced playwrights at ETC, Kim Ruyle, says that he remembers a quote someone once told him: “The playwright you envy works a lot harder than you do.”

Be Persistent

“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” So said Thomas Edison, who knew this through experience. However, persistence can be very hard to put into practice when nothing seems to be happening for you.

The best advice that every produced playwright can give you is to:

  1. Write everyday as a matter of routine.
  2. Submit as often as you can.
  3. Take focused time to create marketing databases and email twice a year.
  4. Network regularly. Follow up. Keep in touch.
  5. See lots of theater. Strike up conversations while you’re there. Go to galas.
  6. Network and hang out with theatre people as often as you can, both online and in person.

Be persistent. Don’t give up.

Embrace the risks and do the work — and drive the outcome you deserve.

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October Spotlight: ETC Member Kim Ruyle

October Spotlight: ETC Member Kim Ruyle

by | Oct 21, 2024 | Getting Produced, Inspiration, NPD, Theater

From Broadway Student to Produced Playwright

Kim Ruyle, a playwright who has written nine plays—with six already produced and another in the works—has built his career on a blend of passion, preparation, and strategic relationship-building. His journey reflects a deep commitment to the art of theater and a disciplined approach to networking and honing his unique voice.

For over 20 years, Kim has traveled to New York at least three times a year, immersing himself in Broadway shows. “I’d see four or five plays in a weekend,” he says, always attending as a student of the craft. He watched closely to learn: How does a play start? What humor lands with the audience? How do the dramatic elements come together for a satisfying end? This habit of absorbing theater, combined with seeing about 50 shows annually, has been key to his growth as a playwright.

But Kim’s success goes beyond just studying the craft. He brings a three-pronged approach, borrowed from his influence coaching background, into his writing career: credibility, relationships, and a unique voice.

Credibility, for Kim, is built through preparation and continual learning. Relationships are forged through smart, subtle networking. “When I go, I pay attention to who’s directing, who’s the artistic director, and which actors stand out – I say, man, they did a great job and I would like to work with them someday. I often send them a friend request on Facebook afterward or compliment them after the show, which helps me build relationships over time,” he explains, noting that being a known face in local theaters has helped him make key connections that can open the door to productions.

Finding his unique voice has also been central to his success. “If you don’t have something original to say, why should anyone listen? Developing your own brand, your own voice is key. It takes time and effort to discover and hone that voice.”

He continues, “I write plays for mature actors that have an edgy quality to them. I tend to write ‘dramedies’ — stories with a mix of drama and comedy. Even in my most dramatic pieces, you’ll find comedic moments; I believe plays need to entertain and engage the audience. Not to say that I don’t have thought-provoking content in my plays – but they don’t promote a social agenda. I focus on telling a compelling story, one that makes people think, laugh, or cry.”

“I’ll add one more thing,” he says. “Early in my playwriting career I was on a drama skill webcast, and I heard playwright Phil Olson say something that stuck with me: ‘When you finish a play, don’t start your next one until you get the first one produced.’ That really resonated with me, and I try to do that now. Out of the nine full-length plays I’ve written, six have been produced, and I think another is about to be. So, it’s not just about writing—you have to focus on getting your work produced as well.

 

Discipline and Persistence

Kim’s disciplined approach to both writing and networking has led to tangible results. He writes daily, and also makes time to attend theater weekly, dedicates two months each year to marketing his work, and conducts in-depth research to develop stories for new plays. “My current project is set in the 1880s Old West, and I’m deep into research. I think it’s a unique setting for the stage, and I plan to bring in my signature blend of drama and comedy, I hope.”

As Kim’s career shows, success in playwriting requires both craft and hustle—balancing creativity with strategic relationship-building, and always staying a student of the art. He’s an inspiration to me and to all of our ETC members in CreateTheater!

Find out more about Kim’s work at kimruyle.com and read his plays on the NPX.

CreateTheater is an artistic home for new plays and musicals. Thinking of joining? Click here for more information.

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