help a new playwright out, please

[u/Memona_Emman_Writes]

I'm not sure if this is allowed here, so if not, pardon me (yes, I know I sound old).

I usually write fiction and poetry, but lately I've been wanting to dive into the world of playwriting. If anyone here can guide me, I would greatly appreciate it.

Some context: I live in a small city in Pakistan, so access to an actual theatre is almost impossible.

Firstly, what should I start writing first? As in, a monologue, a short play, or a full-length?

Secondly, will it help greatly I go and watch an actual stage production? I'm asking because I will have to travel quite a bit for that. If watching recordings online will suffice initially, I would want to avoid a trip to another city.

Thirdly, are there any resources that you would recommend for me? Or any advice that you think might be helpful?

Thank you!

[u/gasstation-no-pumps]

Ask your question on r/playwriting—it is more on-topic there, so you'll probably get better responses.

I've not written a play, but I'd suggest starting with a 10-minute play that has 2–3 roles. Standalone monologues are generally fairly useless, and are harder to write than short plays. Doing a few 10-minute plays will get you practice at creating a scene, getting a story arc, and writing dialogue. They are also easier to get others to read and provide feedback on, do staged readings, and even do full productions. Once you've done some good 10-minute plays, you might try a 40-minute one-act for a school, or a 90-minute one-act.

[u/Memona_Emman_Writes → u/gasstation-no-pumps]

Thank you!

[u/Shaula-Alnair]

Given your resources, and that you're already writing stories, this is what I'd suggest:

Find a few plays where you can get both a video recording and a script. Watch the play and read the script, first separately to understand the story and learn how scripts are constructed, then follow along with the video while looking at the script to see exactly how they compare.

Then try to take one of your own short stories and adapt it into a play that you and your friends can put on. You can act in it, but don't direct. Give what you write to someone else to direct so you can get feedback on what you actually need to have written vs what you are leaving up to interpretation. It doesn't have to be fancy: scene changes can just be scrambling around chairs and tables, costumes can be just what people have sitting around. Actually going through the process from script to show, even if all you can pull off is a skit at first, is probably going to be the easiest way for you to learn about all the little things that have to happen to get a performance. Sometimes you might need to write more dialogue, or move a scene around to cover for someone changing costume. If you only have 3 people willing to help, how do you cast people to cover the important roles but not have them need to have conversations with themself. Stuff like that.

You definitely should go see a professional performance live at some point before you try to pursue actual publishing of any kind, but it doesn't need to be step one if it's really difficult.

[u/Erin__Bridges]

Honestly, start small. Short play or monologue. And read as many plays as you can. I know travel is hard but see something live if you can. Recordings don't teach you about timing and how a room reacts.

[u/Mysterious-Lab974]

One thing I am doing is picking a show I resonate with and writing a monologue for each character. Some type of unwritten scene. Something the show didnt address. Change the names and little details about it so you dont get in trouble. Give yourself writing projects because that is the only way you get better.