The musical theatre writer's survival guide / David Spencer ; foreword by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx.

Section 1. Establishing relationships. You're only as good as your partner-- and vice versa, or, Collaboration ; That other collaborator, or, The director ; The chards and the suits, or, Agents and producers -- Section 2. The basic components. Throwing the book at you, or, The plainly visible secrets of successful libretti ; Knowing the score, or, Music and lyrics -- Section 3. Practical application. The spirit of the thing, or, Adaptation ; The bogus condition, or, Writer's block ; It ain't kid stuff, or, Writing musicals for young audiences ; Speed kills, shift happens, and other homilies, or, Writing comedy ; Well, maybe thou shalt steal, or, Influences -- Section 4. You are what you submit, or, Presentation, format, and packaging ; Audio with pictures, or, The art of the reading ; Acceptable margins, or, Proper playscript formatting ; Sound advice, or, Demo recordings -- Section 5. Random thoughts, coda, and appendices. Afterword: Random thoughts ; Coda.