An Introduction to Writing for Electronic Media

CHAPTER 9

Drama

Your mind starts working at night a little bit and then one day you pick up your computer and you start typing.

— Steve Martin, actor, writer, producer

I’m an observer, a writer –

I observe humanity and get the best of them and put them in my movies.

— Mel Brooks, writer, director, producer

A drama is a story told in prose or verse written to portray life, characters, or relationships involving emotions and conflicts through action and dialogue designed for distribution on the stage, in motion pictures, on radio, television, or via any digital medium.

Introduction

As with writing scripts for other genres, the dramatic writing process passes through several distinct stages, beginning with the research phase. Before you write a ...