Category Archives: Writing

Making Musicals: The Melody

Posted on April 21, 2020 by boz

Melody is a more advanced building block than rhythm. It is the pitches you sing, the part you hum. If you’re new to music, one way to become more familiar with melody is to draw the contours of songs. Choose … Continue reading →

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Making Musicals: The Rhythm

Posted on April 20, 2020 by boz

As you begin to write music, keep two things in mind. First, the music helps us understand the feeling underneath the words. Is the character feeling happy and excited or anxious and afraid? The music will let us know. That … Continue reading →

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Making Musicals: Organizing Your Rhymes

Posted on April 17, 2020 by boz

Organizing your rhymes is like organizing your stanzas. The first rhyme you hear is “a,” the second is “b,” the third is “c,” and so on. If you repeat a stanza of music, you should use the same pattern of rhymes. … Continue reading →

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Making Musicals: The Rhymes

Posted on April 16, 2020 by boz

Rhyming is using similar sounds among words. A song doesn’t have to rhyme, but it will help people remember your music — and your message. One-syllable rhymes are called “masculine” rhymes, such as “glad / sad” and “today / sleigh.” … Continue reading →

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Making Musicals: Organizing Your Lyric

Posted on April 15, 2020 by boz

A song is a group of similar and contrasting sections (stanzas). The first section you hear is “A” (verse). The second is “B” (chorus or bridge). The third is “C,” and so on. If you repeat a section of music, … Continue reading →

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Making Musicals: The Lyrics

Posted on April 14, 2020 by boz

Before you write lyrics for your show, you should be aware of two distinctions. First, there is a difference between lyrics and poetry. Poems live on the page, lyrics live on the stage. We read poems at our own pace, … Continue reading →

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Making Musicals: The Song Moments

Posted on April 13, 2020 by boz

“Story” is what happens. It’s the narrative center. “Plot” is why it happens. It’s the emotional center. This should be familiar, if you read last week’s post on finding an idea. In Aspects of the Novel (1927), E.M. Forster put … Continue reading →

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Making Musicals: The Dialogue

Posted on April 10, 2020 by boz

Each scene is like a mini-musical, with its own beginning, middle, and end. Before you write any dialogue, decide how the scene begins. Playwright David Mamet asks three questions: “1. Who wants what from whom?, 2. What happens if they … Continue reading →

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Making Musicals: The Characters

Posted on April 9, 2020 by boz

There are four main types of characters in any story: the hero, the opponent, friends, and enemies. The most important character is the hero (or protagonist). They are the one we follow. There isn’t a story without the hero. Examples … Continue reading →

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Making Musicals: The Outline

Posted on April 8, 2020 by boz

There are infinite varieties of stories, but some writers believe there are only two basic ones. The first is “Someone goes on a journey,” also called the “intentional hero.” The second is “A stranger comes to town,” also called the … Continue reading →

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