Second Draft Printed

I finished the rewriting today. It made me late for a meeting with my writing group, but I was on a roll and couldn't stop.

Saying I've finished the rewriting is a bit misleading. Here's what's happening.

I had the workshops with the actors and the directors and the dramaturg and all the various feedback about 10 days ago. I came away from the workshops with 13 pages of notes - and feeling as if my brain was about to explode. I read all the notes and thought about them and then started rewriting. Today I finished this particular rewrite - ie I reached the end of the play.

My intention now is to let it sit for a couple of days and then read it again. And then read the 13 pages of notes again and see if there's anything important that I've missed. Then I'll go back and rewrite.

People sometimes think that rewriting is easy. You've got the words all in place and all you're doing is shuffling or editing. I wish it was so easy. What I find is that when I change something in scene one, it ripples throughout the play and by the time I reach scene six, the effects are seismic.

The next draft is due at QTC on 22 May so I have a few weeks to get it in order.

It's still feeling good and I'm still enjoying being with these characters and in this world. Which means that rewriting isn't a chore or a bore - it's a bit like undressing someone and finding surprises under the layers of clothes. The more that I work at the play, and the more that I write, the more is revealed.