The Art of Dramatic Writing, Lajos Egri
The Art of Dramatic Writing, Lajos Egri
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The Art of Dramatic Writing

Author: Lajos Egri

Narrator: Troy W. Hudson

Unabridged: 8 hr 19 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: HN Publishing

Published: 10/10/2019

Synopsis

Among the many "how-to" playwriting books that have appeared over the years, there have been few that attempt to analyze the mysteries of play construction. Lajos Egri's classic, The Art of Dramatic Writing, does just that, with instruction that can be applied equally well to a short story, novel, or screenplay. Examining a play from the inside out, Egri starts with the heart of any drama: its characters. All good dramatic writing hinges on people and their relationships, which serve to move the story forward and give it life, as well as an understanding of human motives -- why people act the way that they do. Using examples from everything from William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet to Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House, Egri shows how it is essential for the author to have a basic premise -- a thesis, demonstrated in terms of human behavior -- and to develop the dramatic conflict on the basis of that behavior. Using Egri's ABCs of premise, character, and conflict, The Art of Dramatic Writing is a direct, jargon-free approach to the problem of achieving truth in writing.

About Lajos Egri

Lajos Egri (1888-1967) was born in Hungary and founded the Egri School of Writing in New York City in the 1930s. He was the author of The Art of Dramatic Writing, which is widely regarded as one of the best works on the subject of playwriting. He also authored The Art of Creative Writing, which expounds on the concepts in his first book. Born in Hungary, Egri emigrated to the United States with his wife. In America he became a journalist and wrote, directed, and produced plays and screenplays. The Art of Dramatic Writing has been translated into seventeen languages and has been used as a textbook by many universities, including Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, and New York University.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Bret on September 19, 2014

I was introduced to this book by Paul Schrader (TAXI DRIVER) when I tried, unsuccessfully, to enroll in a screenwriting course he was teaching one quarter at UCLA Film School. About 50 students crammed into a room meant to accommodate ten, and the first thing he said was: "I'm not admitting any unde......more

Goodreads review by Abigail on April 02, 2011

After reading this incredibly insightful, incredibly lucid book, I really feel that it's a crime that (1) so few people have read this book, and (2) there are so many bad plays (novels, etc.) out there. And it's not even hard to understand! I didn't have to struggle to comprehend the advice or see w......more

Goodreads review by Sarah on November 02, 2011

If there is one book I cite more than Strunk and White's classic The Elements of Style, it is Lajos Egri's relatively obscure gem. I happened upon it thanks to a writer-friend of a writer-friend who took one of James Frey's (no, not that James Frey, may his plagiarizing soul fly to a million little......more

Goodreads review by Francisco on August 13, 2015

In some ways this is a very basic book. But sometimes it is good to be reminded of the simple principles that make book or a play interesting. Good writing may be complex in that it can be read again and again providing newer levels of meaning with each reading. But it need not be complicated. A gre......more

Goodreads review by Kunjila on June 28, 2019

This segment is for filmmakers or readers in general who would like to skip some reading. I am collecting books that are no fun to read and stating the essence of it here also telling you why you needn’t read it. This time the book is Lajos Egri’s The Art of Dramatic Writing: Its basis in the creati......more

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