A Crash Course in Writing Musicals
Your fast track from idea to stage essentials. This compact guide offers a quick, engaging overview of the core concepts—from outlining and song spotting to basic formatting and business steps. Perfect for writers with deadlines, collaborators needing a quick study, or anyone seeking a foundational understanding in just a few hours. (Pairs ideally with NMI’s online video course of the same name!)
"A Crash Course in Writing Musicals"
A compact introduction to the craft and business of writing musicals.
Whether you’re curious about writing musicals or need a refresher on the essentials, A Crash Course in Writing Musicals offers a fast-paced, engaging overview of the creative and practical sides of the industry. Designed to be read in just a couple of hours, this 47-page guide is packed with key concepts and actionable insights for writers at any stage.
Perfect for writers up against a deadline, producers evaluating material, or instructors introducing the field, this book distills the core lessons from New Musicals Inc.’s professional curriculum into a clear, readable format.
What’s Inside:
- The structure and process of developing a musical from idea to stage
- An overview of musical components: book, lyrics, and music
- Introduction to character, conflict, and scene structure
- Common song types and their dramatic functions
- Basics of the business: submissions, collaborations, and next steps
Also included: Checklists, tips, and links to further resources for deeper learning. Want a deeper dive with video instruction? This guide is designed to complement the comprehensive “Crash Course in Musical Theatre” online video course offered by New Musicals Inc. (NMI). Search for it online to learn more.
Whether you’re diving into your first draft or deciding whether musical theatre is for you, A Crash Course in Writing Musicals provides a solid foundation in the art and business of the form.
Other books and videos you might enjoy:
A Crash Course — on video!
A weekend-sized version of the Academy for New Musical Theatre’s prestigious two-year curriculum, covering the process of writing a musical — from blank page to the stage. The videos follow the textbook page-by-page.
The Craft of Writing Musical Theatre
Master bookwriting, music, lyrics. Explore theatre structure, lyric, song writing. Essential guide for musical storytellers of every level.
The Business of Musical Theatre
Essential insights on collaboration, copyrights, pitching, and crafting compelling musical ideas for writers.
Format Guidelines for Musical Theatre
Industry standards for formatting a musical. Includes a wealth of examples, as well as a sample script/score, with and without annotations.
About the author.
SCOTT GUY
Scott has been actively involved as a writer and producer in both theatre and television. He has six Emmy nominations, and over 100 produced television scripts for Warner Bros., FOX-TV, Disney, Discovery Channel, PBS, etc. Scott is the Executive Director of New Musicals Inc. where he supervises the development of musicals for live and digital platforms. He created the Lyric Lab over fifteen years ago and has supervised the development of hundreds of musicals. He has been Winner/Finalist for the Richard Rodgers Award, Eugene O’Neill Musical Theatre Award, four-time winner for Stages Musical Theatre Festival, and many other accolades. His theatre scripts, including The Fish Whisperer, The Maltese Falcon Musical Nightmare, Just-So Stories, Der Strunkenwhitenlieder, and Rootabaga Stories have had multiple productions throughout the United States.
THE ACADEMY FOR NEW MUSICAL THEATRE
ANMT was founded over 40 years ago. Under its parent organization, New Musicals Inc., The Academy continues to offer a comprehensive, multi-year musical theatre curriculum for bookwriters, lyricists and composers (the Core Curriculum), as well as an on-going writers’ workshop. ANMT develops several dozen musicals each year for producers and writers all around the country through table readings, workshops, concerts, and occasional productions.
Scott Guy