Lajos Egri’s The Art of Dramatic Writing, published in 17 languages, is widely regarded as one of the best works on the subject of playwriting, and 75 years after its initial publication, still sells hundreds of copies each month.

Repackaged and reissued on the 55th anniversary of its original release, The Art of Creative Writing expands the concepts first presented by Lajos Egri in The Art of Dramatic Writing, the classic treatise from 1965 that has become widely revered as one of the best works on the subject of playwriting.

The Art of Creative Writing applies Egri’s writing techniques to all formats of fictio—novels, short stories, scripts and screenplays—teaching readers how to develop realistic dramatic conflict based on human psychology and behavior.

In his books, Egri argues the importance of well-rounded characters and a central premise to drive plot in dramatic works.

Used for years by writers, aspiring writers, and college writing classes, The Art of Creative Writing is a classic writing reference alongside The Elements of Style and Dorothea Brande’s Becoming a Writer.

In this classic book, Egri presents simply, clearly, and concisely the fundamentals of all good writing, offering a step-by-step guide for the development of fiction, plays, and television scripts. He discusses originality, emotion, characterization, improvisation, inspiration, and human nature. He teaches readers how to develop effective stories and shows them how to probe the secrets of human motivation to define flesh-and-blood characters who create suspense and conflict and who grow emotionally under stress and strain.

Lajos Egri (1888‑1967) was born in Hungary and founded the Egri School of Writing in New York City in the 1930s. He was the author of The Art of Dramatic Writing, which is widely regarded as one of the best works on the subject of playwriting.  He is also the author of The Art of Creative Writing, which expounds on the concepts in his first book. Born in Hungary, Egri emigrated to the United states with his wife.  In America he became a journalist and wrote, directed and produced plays and screenplays.  The Art of Dramatic Writing has been translated into seventeen languages and has been used as a textbook by many universities, including Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, and New York University.

Author Residence: N/A

Praise for Lajos Egri

“One of the few truly helpful books on fiction writing.”—Chicago Tribune

“I still think The Art of Dramatic Writing is the most stimulating and best book on the subject ever written, and I have them all.”—Woody Allen s

“For the original master of defining a strong, dramatic premise, we look to Lajos Egri’s The Art of Dramatic Writing.”—Michael Tabb, Writer’s Digest

“Egri is a persistent coach.”—Kurkus Reviews

“It is difficult to catalogue this book in a sentence, just as it must have been difficult to say in a handful of words what, when they first came from the press, Veblen’s Theory of the Leisure Class was to sociology, what Parrington’s Main Currents in American Thought was to American literature…Once you read Mr. Egri’s book you will know why any novel, any movie, any play, any short story was boring, or, more important, why it was exciting.”—Gilbert Miller, from the introduction to The Art of Dramatic Writing

“The Art of Dramatic Writing is far more interesting than any stuffy old book about writing plays has any right to be…Egri’s method creates a sense of intrigue and fascination with the art of storytelling and a sense of being actively involved in the writing of a story, rather than just being told how to write one.”—West Springfield Writing Center Blog