Every piece of writing or literature starts with one main idea that evolves into a complete and unique product. Kabuki is no exception here, for it too starts with one central theme around which the rest of the play is based. This theme is called the sekai. The sekai of a kabuki play can be original and created by the author, but usually it was derived from different legends, previously written plays, and various literary works. When an author chooses a sekai from an already existing work, they are bringing into their play previously established characters that the general public is already familiar with. Therefore, the plays become more understandable and engaging to the audience. With a certain technique called naimaze, multiple sekai can be selected. One author that used this method quite a bit was Tsuruya Namboku 4th, and the benefit of using it was that one play could incorporate a large variety of settings and characters, leading to a greater story development. The next step for a playwright is to create an outline around their sekai. As mentioned, characters have already been selected, but now the setting must be elaborated upon, the places in which the play occurs must be decided, and the relationships between the characters also must be established. In addition, the author has to decide now if they want the play to be a revenge story, or a love story, or even a war story. After the outline has been established, the author can finally use their originality and imagination to make the play something new. All of the specific details added at this stage are called shuko. Therefore, the process of writing a kabuki play can really be separated into two main parts. The first involving the selection of a theme and creation of an outline, and the second being the addition of original ideas that make the play unique.
Kakikae is a different method to creating a play. Kakikae works are called kakikae-kyogen and they are almost like a parody made from an already existing play. Think of it as a song. There are thousands of song parodies on the internet and some are very entertaining, but what makes these hilarious parodies so appealing? In theory, parodies are funny and interesting because they take something that is already very familiar to the general public and change it up a little. This is exactly what the kakikae method of play writing aims to do. It takes an already understood and adored work and tweaks it a creative way. When performed, these plays attract large audiences because there is no need for the viewers to study the characters and try to puzzle out their connections and the hidden details. Therefore, they can just sit back and enjoy the show, which is the whole point of going to the theater in the first place.