Jessica Swale is an Olivier Award-winning playwright, screenwriter and director. Plays include Nell Gwynn, Blue Stockings and Thomas Tallis. Films include Summerland and The Horrible Histories Movie, plus numerous novel adaptations, an original TV series and writing for radio.
Tips
So you have an idea for a play. You may have some characters. An event, or a theme. But the big…
Exercises
Take a blank sheet of paper. At the top of it, fill in the blanks of this statement:
(Your protagonist)…
Tips
If you think about plays you’ve enjoyed, that stay with you, and try and work out why they were memorable, the…
Exercises
A quick exercise to show the importance of writing high stakes for your characters when writing a play.
1.a…
A playwriting tip and exercise inspired by Frank McGuinness’ beautiful play, Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me.
We often…
Exercises
We often articulate our feelings with more honesty and passion in writing than we do in conversation. Perhaps it’s easier to…
Exercises
Think of the most memorable characters in your reading, and you can bet one thing… they are specifically drawn.
A great…
Tips
There are very few certainties with writing, few principles which must be followed. But in my experience, there is…
