Well, I’d be lying to you if I said it wasn’t the single most important part of the application.
That being said, we’re not looking for a writing sample that proves you don’t need instruction. We’re looking for evidence that you can write well, write coherently, craft characters who are interesting, and that you have potential to become an even better writer after working with us. Remember, your writing samples remain a part of your permanent file so they are a kind of time capsule by which we can measure your progress after you’ve started the program.
We’re also curious to see if you’re able to be selective in what you send, which is why a lot of programs set limits rather than minimums on number of pages or items allowed to be submitted as part of the application. Quality is always better than quantity. Proof that you can knock out five pounds of pages won’t impress us more than proving you can write five interesting pages.
I get asked all the time whether I want only full-length plays or several one acts or do 10-minute plays qualify or can other kinds of writing work if there aren’t any plays the applicant feels comfortable submitting.
The most important thing we’re looking for is that the writing sample reflect who you are as a writer now, and demonstrates what it is you’re interested in writing about now. Sending your perfectly formatted full-length play from five years ago is not as good a sample as the first draft of the one act you wrote last week. Or even something that isn’t a play…yet. If that means sending a poem instead of a play, fine. But, tell us why you want to be a playwright and not a poet in your letter of interest.
Send the work you feel best introduces you as the writer you are and that will be perfect. Then, in your letter of intent, let me know about the writer you hope to become and I’ll have a better idea of how to help you get from here to there.
Playwriting M.F.A.