Book Review: "The Art of Dramatic Writing" by Lajos Egri

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 9562915867

The complete title of this book is "The Art of Dramatic Writing - Its Basis in the Creative Interpretation of Human Motives" and there is a reason for the lengthy subtitle: this text by Lajos Egri not only touches on the mechanics of screenwriting, it also delves into the development of characters into plausible, three-dimensional persona. Though originally written for playwriting, this book is a great reference for writers of any type, and would be especially useful for short story or fiction writers.

Egri uses several well-known plays ("Tartuffe" by Moliere, "Ghosts" by Ibsen, among others) as examples in the evolution of a good play. Like any good text, Egri outlines in his work what he considers the best way to write a play, which includes premise, character and conflict. He meticulously dissects each play example, paying much attention to the characters, analyzing each one as if he were a stern psychiatrist, and pointing out why each one is believable. Then Egri moves on to the mechanics of conflict, discussing the origin of the action, the movement of the conflict, the eventual crisis, and the resolution of the problem.

His rule analysis of plays is compelling and makes perfect sense. Starting with the synopsis of the work, whether it is a play or fiction, Egri moves on to analysis of the play. His key points include the premise, the pivotal character, the supporting characters, orchestration, point of attack, conflict, transition, growth and resolution. Using his approach would be a good idea for all writers to incorporate into their routine either before they start writing or during the early stages of development.

"The Art of Dramatic Writing" is first and foremost a reference book, and there are parts of it that aren't easy to read. In fact, parts of it are downright dry and tedious. However, there are plenty of passages in the book filled with easy-to-understand anecdotal examples, and they are written as if Egri were speaking in a small college or seminar setting. There is an interesting question and answer section, where Egri talks frankly about his opinions on art and perfection. At the end of the book, there is also a brief section on marketing your play.

For those who find reading reference books a laborious task, I would recommend reading "The Art of Dramatic Writing" at least twice. It is one of those texts where you may uncover a gem of inspiration on second or third read. For those who write for fun or profit, I would encourage keeping "The Art of Dramatic Writing" close by. It is an important manual for any writer.