Writing monologues for playwriting, screenwriting, fiction, or any genre is an art that deepens character and story. Whether funny, emotional, or intense, a compelling monologue engages audiences and readers. One Bold Voice teaches you to shape a monologue as an arc with an ending that lingers. At its core, this book guides you through twelve elements in crafting voices that reveal desire, truth, and connection.

The blank page can be scary when you’re writing a monologue, but Charlene Donaghy’s One Bold Voice: Writing Compelling Monologues dissolves fear with practicality, structure, and clarity. Whether you’re new to dramatic writing or have spent a lifetime in the business, Charlene Donaghy will get you thinking in useful new ways about monologues for playwriting, screenwriting, fiction, and more: how they work, and how to craft them.

Jef Hall-Flavin,
Director, MFA Supervisor
Royal Central School of Speech & Drama,
University of London