How Is Dramatic Writing Different

The familiar adage of English teachers everywhere is "Show, don't tell." In dramatic writing, this is especially important. Dialogue that seems to be "telling" the audience what happens usually reads as dry and unnatural. Furthermore, the dramatic author is creating the structure for a greater production, rather than working on a finished literary product. Dramatic writing is different from other creative writing genres because it focuses on the direction of stage elements rather than the narration of a story.

Dramatic writing builds a world rather than describing one

Although as a dramatic writer you can certainly offer a vivid image or description in order to help guide the director's vision of the work, the focus of the writing is more on the practical elements that the story requires rather than the emotional reactions of a narrator to a certain world (as is common in fiction or poetry). A short story might describe the wood tones, emotional significance or expensive nature of a cabinet. A drama is more likely to simply indicate where the cabinet should be placed for the purposes of a scene.

Dramatic writing creates a story through dialogue and action

The main components of dramatic writing are dialogue and action, as opposed to fiction or poetry which usually include some variety of narration. One of the hardest parts of dramatic writing is crafting dialogue that provides an audience with necessary information without sounding unnatural. Dramatic writers must often find creative ways to convey basic information so that characters never have to say awkward lines that are unbelievable.

Dramatic writing encompasses all elements of the theater or screen

As a dramatic writer, you must be concerned with the theatrical elements of your finished play or screenplay. Costuming, scenery, theatrical blocking and shot headings or camera angles (where applicable) are all elements that must be dealt with in dramatic writing. This offers the director of the work an idea of how the overall production will concretely come together.

If you've done your job well as a dramatic writer, you will create a structural blueprint for a finished play or movie, while at the same time providing a satisfying emotional journey for your characters through believable dialogue.