On July 3 of this year, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton landed on Disney+, allowing audiences around the world to enjoy the hit musical for the first time. There are many reasons why this production, based on the life of one of America’s often overlooked founding fathers, achieved such massive success. Though its easy to acknowledge the revolutionary (pun intended) music composition, don’t overlook the fact that Hamilton is a compelling and well-written story. Here are six tips writers can learn from the musical Hamilton.
Have Strong Characters With Strong Motivations
From the first number of Hamilton, we understand not only the backstory and essence of the titular character, we understand what he wants: Alexander Hamilton wants to make his mark on history. This point hammers home again and again especially in songs like “My Shot” and “Nonstop”.
Strong motivations permeate from every character of the production. Hamilton contains a large cast of vastly different characters, yet there is no point when we’re confused about what a character wants or how they intend to get it. Additionally, characters motivations are often add odds with each other, creating conflict. This last point leads into tip number two…
Don’t Clash Characters, Clash Ideals
Conflict is the lifeblood of story. Without conflict, a story is dead on arrival whether it’s a novel, screenplay, or Broadway musical. If step one in character development is to establish character goals, step two is to put those goals on a collision course with one another. Throughout the musical, Hamilton’s goal to make his mark on history puts him at odds with nearly every other character, most notably the production’s antagonist Aaron Burr.
NOTE: An antagonist is not always a villain
Hamilton’s ultimate showdown with Burr at the musical’s climax is compelling not because it’s a duel to the death but because the confrontation is so inevitable. Throughout the musical, Hamilton’s unstoppable energy and drive continually put him at odds with the cautious and analytical Burr. Note the contrast between the Hamilton-centered song “Nonstop” and Burr’s number “Wait For It”. These two ideals, aggression and caution, are so thoroughly opposed that we subconsciously accept confrontation as inevitable. If we witnessed the physical duel of Hamilton and Burr before the duel of ideals, the standoff would have little to no emotional impact.
Theme, Theme, Theme
Hamilton is a masterclass in consistent reinforcement of theme. Lin-Manuel so thoroughly weaves threads of story theme throughout the musical that some elements may only become apparent on third or fourth viewings. The themes of Hamilton could easily justify their own article, so here are just a few of the highlights:
- My Shot— Lin-Manuel, a master wordsmith, strikes gold by drawing a parallel between the phrase “my shot”, which indicates the chance to achieve a goal, and a literal shot from a pistol. Hamilton’s mantra “I’m not throwing away my shot” becomes a running theme throughout the musical and strikes home with devastating irony when Alexander literally “throws away his shot” in his duel with Burr.
- Time— Time, or more specifically the concept of time running out, is a poignant theme which runs through the whole of Hamilton. Lin-Manuel cleverly informs us in the very first number that Alexander will ultimately be shot. This adds a “ticking clock” element to the story that gives the musical an underlying tension. Throughout Hamilton, Alexander performs every action in a hurry as if he’s “running out of time”, which we as the audience know to be accurate. This theme is underscored by the songs themselves, almost all of which are sung in rapid hip-hop. Alexander must get his words out quickly because he’s running out of time.
- Who Tells Your Story— The characters in Hamilton recognize that since they are players on the stage of history, they are at the mercy of whomever tells their story. This theme is especially moving considering that before Manuel’s musical, many Americans were not familiar with the story of Alexander Hamilton. This theme first comes to bear when George Washington warns Alexander “history has its eyes on you”. Later, when dueling Burr, Alexander worries about what will become of his legacy. Will history remember him only as the founding father who “threw away his shot”?
The key to themes is to make them universal. We in the present may not understand what it’s like to fight in a revolution, attend cabinet meetings, or wear breeches, but we all understand what it’s like to pursue goals, race against time, and worry what people will think of us. The greatest themes are those that reach every individual at some level.
Synecdoche
Synecdoche is a seldom discussed writing topic, but it’s powerful when employed correctly. For those unfamiliar with the term, a synecdoche is a figure of speech in which a part represents the whole. In the expression “weary feet of the traveler”, the feet represent the weariness of the individual as a whole.
There are several striking synecdoche’s in Hamilton which lend resonance to the plot. In the song “The Room Where It Happens”, Burr uses the literal location of a meeting place as a synecdoche for political power. Later, when Hamilton endorses Jefferson over Burr in the presidential election, Burr claims “you kept me from the room where it happens”, by which he means Hamilton foiled his political ambitions.
Another synecdoche appears in the song “Washington On Your Side”. In this number, Hamilton’s adversaries grumble about his support from the president, stating “it must be nice to have Washington on your side.” In this example, George Washington is a synecdoche for strong political backing. This synecdoche is particularly clever since the term “Washington” is a present-day synecdoche for the American government. Note that if you substitute the location of Washington for President Washington, the song still makes perfect sense.
Don’t Be Afraid To Be Smart
Authors often “dumb down” their story to reach a wider demographic, trimming out the more complicated bits of their plot to keep the story from soaring over the heads of the audience. Sometimes this is a necessary editing tactic, especially if the story is weighed down with overly technical information that doesn’t advance the plot.
When writing The West Wing, creator Aaron Sorkin took a chance: he filled his scripts with fast moving dialogue packed with thick blocks of political jargon. Rather than alienating his audience, Sorkin pulled viewers in by trusting in their ability to follow the story.
Not surprisingly, Lin-Manuel Miranda is a professed aficionado of this groundbreaking political drama. In creating Hamilton, Miranda zeroed in on the key element that made Sorkin’s complex dialogue work: it wasn’t so much what the characters said, it was how they said it.
In the song “Cabinet Battle #1”, Hamilton and Jefferson go toe-to-toe on the issue of centralized finance. Except for some history or political majors sitting in the audience, it’s unlikely that most fully grasp the ramifications of this issue or its impact on fledgling America, yet this song still works on every level.
Why?
Because we understand the tension underlying the issue. Miranda cleverly uses the structure of a rap battle to set the stage for this showdown. We may not understand everything being said, but we recognize this format. Hamilton and Jefferson are in a battle of words.
When you entrust your audience to understand complicated issues and dialogue, you create a unique and invaluable connection. Just make sure that your concepts are accessible as well as intelligent.
Love What You Do…Then Do It Well
On paper, Hamilton should not be the success that it is. A hip-hop musical about one of the lesser-known founding fathers does not scream “multi-award winning production” at first glance. It shouldn’t work, but it does.
That’s why Hamilton should make you excited as a writer.
Writers should write what they love, what gets their heart racing and mind churning. But it’s not enough to write what you love.
You still must write it well.
It doesn’t matter if your passion lies in mysteries, romance, or if you’re Lin-Manuel Miranda, political/historical/hip-hop, if you write a compelling enough story, audiences will share your passion. Take every opportunity to invite your audience in with well thought out story structure, crackling dialogue, and most importantly, compelling characters with clear motivations. Take a lesson from Hamilton and find a unique way to tell an unforgettable story.
Don’t throw away your shot.
