What happens when you combine the high-stakes adventure of Dungeons & Dragons with the emotional power of Broadway? You get The Reality Shaper, a groundbreaking musical podcast. In this episode of In the Writer’s Chair, host Lana McAra sits down with New York City-based musical theater writer and performer Sair Kaufman to discuss the "different beast" of writing for the ear rather than the stage.

Sair reveals the six-year journey of transforming a novel into an 11-episode audio drama, featuring over 40 original songs. Whether you're a TTRPG fan, a theater nerd, or a writer looking to pivot between mediums, Sair’s insights on collaboration, "perfect rhymes," and creative marketing are pure gold.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The Musical Pivot: How Sair transitioned from theater performance to writing music, lyrics, and "books" for musicals.
• Podcast vs. Stage: The unique challenges of creating an episodic arc where the protagonist must change every 30–50 minutes.
• The "Musical Truth" Rule: Why characters in musicals are trusted implicitly and why it’s harder to write a "lying" character in song than in a play.
• Comprehension & Rhyme: Why theater writers stick to "perfect rhymes" to ensure the audience understands the story on the first listen.
• Roll for Promo: Sair’s viral TikTok marketing strategy using D&D dice to decide daily tasks—including a high-stakes roll for a tattoo!

About Our Guest:

Sair Kaufman is an award-winning musical theater writer and the creator of The Reality Shaper. Based in New York City, Sair is an alum of the prestigious BMI Musical Theater Writers Workshop and the founder of Theater Writers Digest.

Connect with Sair Kaufman:

• Website: therealityshaper.com — Get tickets for live NYC/Manhattan concert events on June 8th and August 24th!
• Theater Writers Digest: theaterwritersdigest.com — A monthly resource for grants, residencies, and mentorship opportunities.
• Social Media: Follow @SairKaufman on Instagram and TikTok.

About the Show: In the Writer's Chair features candid conversations about the writing life, hosted by novelist Lana McAra and brought to you by Vandella Publishing.

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