There are many ways to develop characters for a play. They can be complete inventions, or taken from real life: inspired by a family member, or ripped from the headlines. Some leading playwrights discuss how they like to develop characters, and how they incorporate them into the fabric of their plays.

Building a plot

In this collection, leading playwrights explain some of the key elements of a well-written play, and discuss how they approach them in their own work. Simon Stephens, David Hare, Katori Hall, Matt Charman, Nell Leyshon, James Graham, Alia Bano, Richard Bean, Anders Lustgarten and Roy Williams talk about writing dialogue, creating characters, structuring a narrative and more. They also offer some top tips for first time writers, and talk about their own writing methods.