The Art of Dramatic Writing

Its Basis in the Creative Interpretation of Human Motives

By: Lajos Egri

Narrated by: Troy W. Hudson

"The Art of Dramatic Writing" by Lajos Egri, a groundbreaking work first published in 1946, stands as a timeless guide for playwrights, screenwriters, and storytellers. At its core is Egri's concept of the "premise," emphasizing the need for a central idea that shapes the entire narrative. This premise serves as the foundation, offering writers a clear direction and audiences a cohesive experience.

Egri's focus on character development is a highlight. He argues that characters must possess well-defined motivations rooted in their psychological makeup. By delving into these psychological aspects, Egri teaches writers how to craft characters with depth, authenticity, and a genuine sense of purpose within the story.

The book explores various storytelling elements, including plot, conflict, and dialogue. Egri's insights into conflict are particularly noteworthy, emphasizing its role as the driving force in a narrative. He guides writers on building and escalating tension to captivate and engage audiences.

Practical and instructive, Egri provides a framework for writers to analyze and enhance their work. Numerous examples from classical and contemporary literature illustrate his principles, making the book a theoretical guide and hands-on manual for improving storytelling skills.

"The Art of Dramatic Writing" has left a lasting impact, influencing generations of writers and remaining a staple in creative writing programs. Its enduring relevance lies in its timeless principles, applicable across genres and mediums. Whether crafting a play, screenplay, or novel, Egri's teachings inspire writers to create impactful and emotionally resonant stories.

©2023 Eternal Classics (P)2023 Eternal Classics

Brilliant and essential for understanding literature.

This book is imperative for any writer, professional, student, or teacher. Understanding the difference between the narrative art’s premise and theme are essential to story grammar, and script analysis on any level.

A little lengthy

the chapters on premise and character are pretty good. I struggled to finish the book because it was kind of wordy, I think the author could have got his point across with a lot fewer words. there's a lot of references and sections of famous play that I wasn't very familiar with. the narrator has a nice voice and did a good job.

The only book every writer needs!

A substantive and comprehensive breakdown without the expositional, over-indulgence of the success of those who have come before us.

Just Tell Your Story and Nothing More

No. You don't need a laundry list of obsessive detail for each character. You only need "just enough" to tell a story. There is a concept in running and other endurance cardio called empty miles. When you program a schedule for you to, improve time, or increase endurance, or strengthen hill climbs, etc. that the athlete will over do it by scheduling additional runs that same week. These are the empty miles that take away from your effort for the intentional miles you are meant to run, and weaken you for future runs. That's why so many athletes have slower times when they do a stupid trend like running everyday for 30 days. Stop filling your story with empty miles and have your characters run the miles they are meant to. Anton Chekov's shotgun, you fools.

Too Far Off the Path of Being Relevant

It was exceptionally difficult to stay engaged because the book is supposedly about The ART of Dramatic Wrighting. This book goes on for hours about the details of plays themselves, with excessive quotes of lines in plays that are, well, not dramatic or interesting. While the Audible release date is 2023, this book was written back in 1942, and it shows!