Writing for young audiences is a unique and rewarding challenge—one that requires creativity, authenticity, and a deep understanding of how young people engage with stories. But where do you start? What makes a great TYA play? And how can young writers find their voice in this dynamic field?
To help answer these questions, we sat down with a few of PNA's new playwrights and asked them to share their best advice for aspiring writers. Whether you're just beginning your journey or looking to refine your craft, their insights will guide and inspire you as you bring your stories to life on stage.
What advice would you give to young writers?
J.S. Puller
My advice is mostly not to take any advice. There’s no one, prescribed way to write. You need to find a method and a system that works for yourself. If something a famous author does isn’t working for you, ditch it. Try something new. Create your own path.
Craig Holland
If you want to write a musical, you must write the play, or “book” first. Why? The songs should be placed in the musical where the story demands it. You don’t know where those spots are until you understand the whole story. It is way too tempting to start writing songs when you haven’t finished the story first. This will cause a lot of re-writing, and it may even cause you to throw out some songs.
Here’s a tip for writing a song. Write a song that you enjoy listening to. Over and over again. I listen to my songs 40 or 50 times before I am finished with them. And if I get tired of listening to a song repeatedly, I scrap it and cut it out of the musical. If you enjoy listening to a song over and over, then chances are your audience will too.
Jeff Jenkins
Make time to write, if not every day, then several times a week. Read plays, read new plays and go to the theatre to see plays. These activities help you understand how the playwright structures the play, what choices they make, and how they solve problems in their writing. Take a playwrighting class to hone and develop your craft. Yes, playwrighting is a craft that needs to be developed. Enter a playwright competition. For example, The American Alliance for Theatre and Education (AATE) sponsors the Playwrights for Change program. Young writers at the middle and high school level from around the country have an opportunity to become a national contest winner and have their work showcased.
Prentiss Matthews III
To the theatre kid out there: If you can’t find a play that speaks to you—write it. I did, and it changed my life. Your voice matters. Your story matters. Please share it with us.
What do you hope for the future of theatre for young people?
J.S. Puller
Those of us who spell the word “theatre” in the correct way have a tendency to quote Stanislavski liberally. His name is sacred, said in a hushed whisper that others would reserve for prayer. While my feelings on method acting borderline on blasphemy, I have to give credit where it’s due; Stanislavski got one thing right when, in a possibly apocryphal anecdote, he commented to one of his actors, “We act for children the same way we act for adults—only better.” So this is the part where I say it loud and I say it proud: I am a practitioner of children’s theatre. I believe that children deserve the best of the best, in order to benefit. And I have the audacity to rewrite Stanislovski, making it “We write for children the same way we write for adults—only better.”
So what’s better? I think the body of TYA deserves more in the way of original stories, stories that speak to the lives of kids today. My hope for the future of theatre for young people is that the body of work available continues to expand, to incorporate more stories, especially stories they don’t already know. Stories that challenge and excite them. Stories that let their imaginations run wild, filled with possibilities for both fantasy and reality.
Craig Holland
I think the future is bright. I not only write for young audiences, but also I see a lot of shows performed for young audiences. I think more and more writers and composers are creating high quality work for young people.
Jeff Jenkins
Theatre for young audiences connects all of us on many levels. When it is engaging, we are experiencing a day in the lives of the characters. We are witnessing their triumphs, struggles, their experience. TYA has the ability to enlighten, sparking new thoughts and ideas. As we leave the performance, we carry these sparks with us and discuss what we have experienced. TYA promotes the growth of empathy and understanding, a value we need to foster and develop. Finally, TYA can instill hope. Hope is especially powerful in uncertain times giving us courage to move forward and grow. I see young people continuing to experience live theatre and exploring new plays. I see them becoming the authors of new work and continuing to share their stories.
Prentiss Matthews III
I hope for a future where every child can find a story in which they feel represented, seen, and deeply connected. I know what it’s like to fall in love with a story but not see yourself reflected in it. My hope is that more writers continue to tell stories where kids from all backgrounds can see themselves—not just as side characters, but as the heroes. Every child deserves that.