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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Why You’re Not Writing Every Day – And How to Start

Why You’re Not Writing Every Day – And How to Start

by | Jul 21, 2025 | Community, Theater, Writing Tips

 

For Playwrights and Musical Theatre Writers Who Want to Keep the Momentum Going

Let’s be real: you want to write every day.

You’ve got this show in your head that deserves to be on its feet—living, breathing, moving people. Your characters show up in your dreams, talking to you, begging you to make them come alive.

But when you sit down to write, you look at the blank screen, your mind races, you have a zillion other things to do and suddenly it’s 10:30 PM, you’re exhausted, and Netflix wins once more.

You’re not alone.

Writing daily is one of the most common struggles among playwrights and musical theatre writers. The pressure to be brilliant, the emotional vulnerability of putting words on a page, and the sheer time-suck of everyday life—it all adds up.

But here’s the thing: writing every day isn’t about discipline or punishment. It’s about building momentum, one actionable moment at a time. And getting produced is somewhat of a numbers game – the more great shows you have, the greater your chances of getting seen.

Let’s break down why it’s so hard to write everyday —and how to flip that script.

1. You Think You Need a Lot of Time

Many writers believe they need a full, uninterrupted hour (or three) to do some real writing.

But face it, long sessions are rare and unsustainable. Most of our lives are crazy busy these days. How do you find those undistracted moments to focus on your play even once a week, much less every day?

Here’s the thing to remember: You don’t need to write the entire Act I today—you just need to get something down.

What to try:

  • Set a 15-minute timer. That’s it. One focused sprint. You’ll be amazed at how much clarity can come from a short burst.

  • Keep a “daily scene” document: one page, one moment per day. No pressure to connect everything yet.

  • Make a promise to yourself to write badly. Take the pressure off yourself to be brilliant. Just write every day. Watch what happens when you just show up.

 

2. You’re Waiting to Feel Inspired

Ha! If you’re waiting to feel “inspired,” you may wait a long time.

But here’s the truth. There’s power in just showing up. If you only write when the muse strikes, you’ll end up unfocused, depressed, and thinking you should just give up.

Inspiration is not the starting point—it’s the result of showing up consistently.

What to try:

  • Create a ritual before you write: light a candle, put on a specific playlist, or make tea. Cue your brain that it’s time to enter the world of your show. Make the ritual repeatable at the same time every day (or most days).

  • Keep a running list of scene or song prompts (e.g., “Write a confrontation,” “Write a song of longing,” “Write the moment before they kiss”).

  • Before you sit to write, get into the next moment in your show visually first, in your head. I find this mental transition (while doing other things before your writing time) helps “prime the pump” of inspiration.

 

3. You’re Afraid It Won’t Be Good

Perfectionism kills momentum. First drafts are supposed to be messy. If you’re judging your work before it exists, it will never exist.

One thing I always tell my writers: Writing and editing are two separate processes. Don’t combine them.

What to try:

  • Write in a “sketch draft” mindset—you’re not writing the final script, you’re just sketching what might happen.

  • Automatic writing for 15 minutes. Use a pen and notebook to trick your brain into being less formal. No one ever has to see this version. Some people call this the “vomit” draft. Just get it on the page.

  • As to worrying about being good, that’s part of the process. Allow yourself to write badly. Writing is just re-writing, always refining the work. It will keep getting better and better if you persist.

 

4. You Don’t Know What Will Happen Next

Feeling stuck in your story is a legit momentum killer. But you don’t need to have it everything all figured out right now to keep going.

Just stick to your 15 minute writing routine and get something on the page. You’ll figure it out as you go along.

What to try:

  • Jump ahead. Write a later scene you do know.

  • Write a character monologue about what they’re feeling right now. Clues about your next scene often live inside your characters.

  • Know where you’re going. What is this play or musical about? What message are you trying to give over to the audience at the end?

 

5. You’re Going It Alone

Writing is solitary, but theater is collaborative.

If you’re trying to do this all by yourself, it’s easy to lose energy. Find someone to share your progress with.

What to try:

  • Join (or start) a small writers group with weekly check-ins. It’s remarkable what holding yourself accountable to a writers’ group will do for your process. CreateTheater has many to choose from.

  • Share short pieces with a trusted friend or fellow theatremaker to create momentum and accountability.

  • Hire a dramaturg to review your work and offer suggestions to move it forward.

✨ Try This: The “Daily Show Builder” Ritual

     (5 Steps, 20 Minutes Max)

 

Step 1 (2 minutes): Review what you wrote yesterday (no editing—just read).

Step 2 (1 minute): Write down today’s scene or moment goal.

Step 3 (15 minutes): Write. No deleting, no second-guessing.

Step 4 (1 minute): Jot down tomorrow’s “next scene idea.”

Step 5 (1 minute): Celebrate. Out loud. Yes, even just “I wrote today!”

Final Thought: Small Progress Is Still Progress

 

Living a creative life is all about the process.

Some days you’ll write three pages. Some days, just a single line of dialogue. It all counts.

Progress in theater isn’t linear—it’s built in scenes, in stumbles, in sticky-note revelations.

So don’t wait for the perfect moment.

Don’t wait to feel ready.

Just write the next beat.

Your characters (and audiences) are waiting.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Want a free downloadable version of the Daily Show Builder Ritual of your own?

Let me know and I’ll send it your way.

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Creating Theater in 2023

Creating Theater in 2023

by | Jan 2, 2023 | Dramaturgy, NPD, Producing, Theater

A Watershed Moment

COVID-19 will prove to be the watershed moment in defining the history of the 21st century. Apart from our communal human experience of the virus and its reverberations across the human spectrum, the arts and in particular theater must learn to surf the waves of change.

Remember body surfing the waves when you were a kid? The key lesson was to learn to relax and float on the surface of the water when the wave hit. Resistance and rigidity would result in dragging you down into the undertow – not a pleasant experience.

As theatremakers, how do we relax and float in the face of the tsunami of change hitting our industry? Let me tell you what won’t work: resistance and rigidity, holding tight to the model of what was instead of facing the challenge of what is.

Facing the Wave

The way I see it, the waves of change encompass the economics of theater, audience demographics, and the need for inclusive storytelling models.

First, economically, theater’s been devastated.  I’ll leave it to others to provide charts and graphs on the precise numbers, but as a broad perspective we’re facing an industry where many of our brightest and talented workers have left theater (and left NYC) because they needed to survive. Those who stayed are now faced with rising costs on everything, fewer opportunities to work and even fewer opportunities to work on projects they like. Producers and artistic directors are also facing rising costs of everything, including the realization that we must pay our artists a dignified living wage. At the top of this theater food chain, where will this funding come from? Historically artists have been funded by the government, the Church or by wealthy patrons. How’s that working out in the current climate? We must look for a broader economic baseline, much like video and film has had to do earlier. In the meantime, major non-profit arts companies like the Roundabout are making major programming cuts.

Secondly, our audiences are literally dying off. We must change our offerings to suit younger audiences (like the Met’s decision to concentrate more on contemporary work). How do we plug into current culture? By being open to younger artists and taking their creative expression seriously, and being open to embrace the change that’s already here. If art reflects the culture that creates it, we marginalize any artist at our own risk. Remember when Off-Broadway used to be a place for experimentation and risk-taking? Where is that place now (other than TikTok)?

Finally, as times change the way we tell stories must also change. We know that the use of technology has changed the way we process events and tell them. The dramatic imagination is more cinematic and visual than ever before, and it intrinsically changes our storytelling structure. As an industry we must make way for more inclusive storytelling models, not just in terms of whose story we’re telling (although we definitely need more non-western, non-Anglo-centric perspectives) but how we’re presenting these stories. We must allow ourselves space to think outside the proscenium. People today crave experiences where they are immersed in an environment where they retain agency, much along the lines of the interactive video games they grew up with. I’m not saying that we should all follow the Sleep No More model, but marketers around the world have become aware that designing and staging experiences heightens economic value and customer satisfaction.  If we want audiences to crave theatre, we have to provide those theatrical experiences in innovative and compelling ways.

Keep Your Eye on the Current

Just as you would never body surf without checking the weather beforehand (at least, not as an adult), so should you understand the cultural and economic currents of the moment. I’m concentrating on smaller cast sizes, deepening audience’ engagement and clarifying the emotional journey. No matter what the story, I’m remembering that essentially theatrical experiences are about the audience’s encounter with the story.

Above all, remember that this moment too will pass. Enjoy the ride and let your audiences do the same.

Breaking Up With Aristotle: Alternate Plot Structures

Breaking Up With Aristotle: Alternate Plot Structures

by | Oct 7, 2019 | Dramaturgy, Writing Tips

To Aristotle With Love: We’re Done

 

So many contemporary playwrights claim to have “broken up” with Aristotle.

 

As in, “Ari, we love you and all, but you’re so old school. We’re done.”

 

The energy of the “action plot,” where a protagonist has a goal and takes action to obtain that goal, is the plot of Aristotelian tragedy, and the most common organizing principal used when plotting.

 

Whether structured as an episodic early point of attack plot or crafted as a climactic late point of attack plot, it’s still following an active protagonist through his idealized “want” to achieve (or not to achieve) his ultimate high stakes goal. We identify with the protagonist on some level as our “hero,” and experience his journey vicariously through that emotional identification.

 

This is the plot of The Hero’s Journey. It’s the most common plot structure taught in grad school, film school and found in myth and novel from contemporary times to the days of the Greeks.  But it’s far from the only way to construct a plot.

 

Alternative Plot Structures

 

Searching for other structures, I came across film theorist Charles Ramirez Berg’s article A Taxonomy of Alternative Plots in Recent Films: Classifying the “Tarantino Effect.” 1

Berg noticed a trend of an increasing number of modern films that didn’t fall under the dominant energeic plot paradigm. He decided to classify films by these different plot types, and has come up with twelve categories, suggesting that this is just the beginning and not an all-inclusive list.

In theater we know that many types of plots exist, and though character goals can be a part of these plots, it’s not the only way in which to plot a story. But I found Berg’s attempts to categorize them fascinating, and great food for thought.

According to Charles Ramìrez Berg, films can thus be divided into 12 categories, arranged into three main groups based on the ways they deviate from the Hollywood paradigm:

  • plots based on the number of protagonists
  • plots with nonlinear temporality
  • plots that violate classical rules of subjectivity, foregrounded narration, and the narratives of goal-orientation, causality, and exposition.

 

PLOT BASED ON THE NUMBER OF PROTAGONISTS

1) The Polyphonic or Ensemble Plot – multiple protagonists, single location

2) The Parallel Plot – multiple protagonists in different times and/or spaces

3) The Multiple Personality (Branched) Plot

4) The Daisy Chain Plot – no central protagonist, one character or prop leads to the next

PLOT BASED ON RE-ORDERING OF TIME; NONLINEAR PLOTS

5) The Backwards Plot

6) The Repeated Action Plot – one character repeats action

7) The Repeated Event Plot – one action seen from multiple characters’ perspectives

8) The Hub and Spoke Plot – multiple characters’ story lines intersect decisively at one time and place

9) The Jumbled Plot – scrambled sequence of event motivated artistically, by filmmaker’s prerogative

PLOTS THAT DEVIATE FROM CLASSICAL RULES OF SUBJECTIVITY, CAUSALITY AND SELF-REFERENTIAL NARRATION

10) The Subjective Plot – a character’s internal (or “filtered”) perspective

11) The Existential Plot – minimal goal, causality, and exposition

12) The Metanarrative Plot – narration about the problem of movie narration

Different Plots, Same Dramatic Needs

 

Instead of a particular plot structure, let’s talk about serving the dramatic exigencies demanded by plot:

  • a dramatic arc that grounds the audience in a particular world (the beginning),
  • gradually builds in emotional intensity (the middle)
  • to a climax where certain “truths” are revealed and understood by an audience, and in that understanding, the dramatic action is resolved (the end).
  • It’s about the journey that you take the audience on, and how you make them feel on the way.

 

It’s how you make them feel.

 

I’ve seen circular plots revisit an action three times, each time ramping up the emotional intensity for the audience with new information; it works. I’ve read plays that were more character studies than plays, but the structure worked because the character was approached from different perspectives, each one more intense than the one before. It was very interesting. (Admittedly, this works better for plays than musicals, which need clearer plots and subplots to be successful.)

 

An audience goes to the theater to experience something different from their own life. As long as a play takes the audience on an interesting journey, holds their interest and engages their emotions or their intellect in an enjoyable (not confusing) way, plot structures can and should be as inventive and creative as possible. There’s more than one hero’s journey.

 

So – have I encouraged you yet to play around with structure? Take Berg’s 12 categories and start brainstorming.

 

What structures would YOU like to experiment with? Post your thoughts in the comments below.

1A Taxonomy of Alternative Plots in Recent Films: Classifying the “Tarantino Effect.” Charles Ramírez Berg, Film Criticism, Fall 2006; 31, 1/2; ProQuest Direct Complete pg. 5

 

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