Story structure Archives | MusicalWriters.com

How Writers and Directors Work Together on New Musicals: An Interview with Ilana Ransom Toeplitz

Director Ilana Ransom Toeplitz generously shares her thoughts and experience on the process of working with writers on new musicals.

How Musicals Make the Most of Time: Montage, Backstory, Memories, and Ticking Clocks

Today’s musicals journey through time with concentrated stories and employ devices like montages, backstory, and ticking clocks to keep audiences engaged.

How Musicals Make the Most of Time – A Conversation with Stephen Schwartz

Carol de Giere and Stephen Schwartz explore how musicals convey time through backstory, memories, and compressed action.

7 Steps to Get Feedback So Your Show is Ready to Submit

Getting feedback is essential to move your show forward. Here are a 7 practical and achievable steps to evaluate each progressive draft of your musical.

Feedback: What ACTORS Want You to Know

Magic happens when an ACTOR breathes life into a character. Welcoming their input will help you make giant strides in your show’s development. Here are some wise insights from veteran Broadway actors.

Institute for American Musical Theatre Offers Online Courses for Writers

New York City’s Institute for American Musical Theatre “Creators” program has announced a diverse array of online courses in musical theater writing for the 2020-21 season. (MEMBER PERK: Members of MusicalWriters Academy are eligible to receive a $50 discount on each course!)

Steve Cuden on Story Arcs, Character Development, and Keeping the Audience Engaged

In our live Academy Mentor Session, Steve Cuden answered questions from Academy members on story arcs, song spotting, character development, and how to keep an audience engaged.

Summer Reading Books for Musical Writers

Catch up on relevant musical writing books this summer, including ideas for public domain material, how-to books, and books on “the making of a musical.”

Clambake: Curtain Up Act Two

The audience has stretched their legs, endured the line to the loo, and checked their email and the likes on their selfie with the night’s Playbill. The lights dim, and it’s time for Curtain Up: Act Two.

La Vie Bohéme – Curtain, Act One

If the audience is allowed to push the pause button and re-enter the reality—and mental hijack—of crowds, bathroom lines, and social media updates, then the creative team better have a carefully devised plan on how to keep at least a little hook in an audience member’s brain during intermission.