Will Dunne Dramatic Writing Workshops

FOR PLAYWRIGHTS AND SCREENWRITERS SINCE 1988

FOR PLAYWRIGHTS AND SCREENWRITERS SINCE 1988

OVER THREE DECADES OF NEW PLAY DEVELOPMENT!

Will Dunne Dramatic Writing WorkshopsFounded in 1988, Will Dunne Dramatic Writing Workshops offers a wealth of proven support for playwrights and screenwriters, including complementary reference guides for script development and analysis, private script consultations for dramatic writers worldwide, in-person workshops for dramatic writers in the San Francisco Bay Area, and online workshops for dramatic writers anywhere.

Enroll Now in the Workshop or Your Choice
2024 Workshop Schedule At-A-Glance

USE THESE RESOURCES TO DEVELOP YOUR NEXT SCRIPT

Through the University of Chicago Press, Will Dunne now offers three unique nonlinear references guides that you can use to develop scripts at your own pace and in your own way:

The Dramatic Writer’s Companion The Dramatic Writer’s Companion The Dramatic Writer’s Companion (2009) features more than 60 workshop-tested tools that you can adapt to your individual needs as you write and revise. This best seller has already reached thousands of playwrights and screenwriters and is now available in a Second Edition (2017) which offers cross-references to related tools in the sequel Character, Scene, and Story.

Character, Scene, and StoryCharacter, Scene, and Story (2017) complements The Dramatic Writer’s Companion with over 40 additional script development tools that can be used, as needed, in any order any time of times. Each is cross-referenced to related tools in The Dramatic Writer’s Companion. The two guides are each self-contained, but together they put over 100 script development tools in your hands.

The Architecture of StoryThe Architecture of Story (2016), helps you master the building blocks of dramatic storytelling by analyzing three award-winning contemporary American plays — Doubt: a Parable by John Patrick Shanley, Topdog/Underdog by Suzan-Lori Parks, and The Clean House by Sarah Ruhl – and offering hundreds of questions to help you analyze your own work.

GET A PROFESSIONAL CRITIQUE OF YOUR PLAY OR SCREENPLAY

Regardless of your location, you can schedule private consultations with Will Dunne to obtain script evaluations or one-on-one writing advice conducted electronically, by telephone, by mail, or in person.

JOIN A WORKSHOP — ONLINE!

During the Coronavirus pandemic, all workshops are ONLINE on Zoom, a free and easy-to-use video conferencing service. Regardless of where you live, you can join a dramatic writing workshop that offers in-depth script development exercises, professional actor readings of your scene work, and group feedback and support. Check the workshop schedule for dates and fees of upcoming workshops, including the new online Writer’s Workout meeting on Sunday mornings!

WILL DUNNE: AN AWARD-WINNING PLAYWRIGHT

Will DunneWill Dunne is an O’Neill playwright and dramaturg who has taught more than 2,000 dramatic writing workshops since 1988. His plays have received an array of awards and honors, and have been presented in Europe, Russia, and Australia as well as the U.S.

For an interview with Will on the play development process, check out “You Wrote a Play, But Now What?” which focuses on some of what happens between the first draft of a play and the first production. The interview was conducted by Carol Saller, copy editor of The Dramatic Writer’s Companion and author of The Subversive Copy Editor (both published by the University of Chicago Press).

FIVE PLAY RECOMMENDATIONS

Will Dunne and his book THE DRAMATIC WRITER’S COMPANION are now featured on shepherd.com, a book discovery website that helps readers uncover books in new and creative ways. The writeup includes five of Will’s book recommendations: “Plays With Characters Who Leap Off the Page.”

Plays With Characters Who Leap Off the Page
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