Well, it must have been too many days without working on Tinder.
New ideas are sprouting in a mushroom like fashion. Particularly while I'm sleeping (they must like the dark).
It's far too early to name them in public, they'll sink back into the rich mud and it will be hell to coax them up again, so I'm just quietly brewing and fomenting.
Back to QTC for workshops next week and then it will be rehearsals and then the reading.
And after the reading comes the judging.
And after the judging comes either euphoria or despair. No, scrap that. Euphoria or determination to find another home for this play. Which I will.
Strangely optimistic today!
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Long Silence
I haven't written a post here for a long time.
There've been a few reasons; the illness and then death of a much-loved family member; and also a feeling that I'm saying the same things over and over again.
I have been writing, but it's not that heady surge of writing, where you discover new things and feel euphoric as you get to know your characters. This is the painstaking, steady work of rewriting.
I have submitted my 'final' draft to QTC. I've put final in inverted commas because there will be more changes made. We have two weeks of rehearsals and I'm sure I will be tweaking and changing words as we go.
I knew I was ready to send it when I read through the play three times, once for each character. (Thank heavens I don't have more than three characters in my play!) I read the character I was looking at out loud and read the other characters in my head. This helped find repetition and words that didn't fit in people's mouths. It took me all day to do the three reads and, at the end of it, there were probably only ten lines I changed. This is where it starts getting silly and I worry about the placement of a comma.
There are still big changes I could be making. (I've written an alternate ending and sent that in as well - just because I have such troubles with the natural ending for this play. Why can't I write something happy and cheerful?)
I could start again and change everything. I think there are at least three different plays within the situation I've created. But I've reached the end for this version. The play is done. I think!
If you're reading this, I hope you can make it to the public readings on 1 August. Here's a link: https://www.qtix.com.au/show/QTC_tinder_08.aspx
There've been a few reasons; the illness and then death of a much-loved family member; and also a feeling that I'm saying the same things over and over again.
I have been writing, but it's not that heady surge of writing, where you discover new things and feel euphoric as you get to know your characters. This is the painstaking, steady work of rewriting.
I have submitted my 'final' draft to QTC. I've put final in inverted commas because there will be more changes made. We have two weeks of rehearsals and I'm sure I will be tweaking and changing words as we go.
I knew I was ready to send it when I read through the play three times, once for each character. (Thank heavens I don't have more than three characters in my play!) I read the character I was looking at out loud and read the other characters in my head. This helped find repetition and words that didn't fit in people's mouths. It took me all day to do the three reads and, at the end of it, there were probably only ten lines I changed. This is where it starts getting silly and I worry about the placement of a comma.
There are still big changes I could be making. (I've written an alternate ending and sent that in as well - just because I have such troubles with the natural ending for this play. Why can't I write something happy and cheerful?)
I could start again and change everything. I think there are at least three different plays within the situation I've created. But I've reached the end for this version. The play is done. I think!
If you're reading this, I hope you can make it to the public readings on 1 August. Here's a link: https://www.qtix.com.au/show/QTC_tinder_08.aspx
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Euphoria
What a wonderful day yesterday was. I'm still on a high after the reading... There's nothing like having brilliant actors lift your words from a page and make them dance and shine.
Chris Betts was my new John and he got so involved in the reading that he cried at one stage. I had shivers. And Barbara Lowing is perfect as Martha. She's just delicious in the part. Tim Dashwood is my Ned and he makes Ned so innocent and pure - I just want to protect him!
I am feeling so happy and giddy with the thrill of it.
I've decided that writing is a bit like suffering from a manic-depressive disorder. I get so high I feel invincible and then plunge to the depths where I doubt that the good day ever happened. I'm not like this in normal life.
I think it must be part and parcel of creating something and then fearing that your baby is actually hideous and everyone's just being polite telling you she's cute.
But today is a wonderful day. I'm convinced that my baby is beautiful and that she's going to grow into something splendid.
A big thank you to everyone at QTC for the constructive feedback and the pointers for the next draft. Can't wait to get into it. (This will actually be happening tomorrow as the next workshop is Saturday and I need to do a one-day rewrite.)
Yeehah!
Chris Betts was my new John and he got so involved in the reading that he cried at one stage. I had shivers. And Barbara Lowing is perfect as Martha. She's just delicious in the part. Tim Dashwood is my Ned and he makes Ned so innocent and pure - I just want to protect him!
I am feeling so happy and giddy with the thrill of it.
I've decided that writing is a bit like suffering from a manic-depressive disorder. I get so high I feel invincible and then plunge to the depths where I doubt that the good day ever happened. I'm not like this in normal life.
I think it must be part and parcel of creating something and then fearing that your baby is actually hideous and everyone's just being polite telling you she's cute.
But today is a wonderful day. I'm convinced that my baby is beautiful and that she's going to grow into something splendid.
A big thank you to everyone at QTC for the constructive feedback and the pointers for the next draft. Can't wait to get into it. (This will actually be happening tomorrow as the next workshop is Saturday and I need to do a one-day rewrite.)
Yeehah!
Monday, June 2, 2008
Back from Holidays
Well - so much for the grand plan!
I took my laptop and a print out of my play and didn't write a word of it. So, tomorrow I go into the next workshop/reading with the play as is and without a get out of jail free card (alternate draft).
I planned writing and suffered withdrawals from not writing, but the close confines of a campervan with two children were not conducive to creativity! Still, it was a wonderful holiday and I probably needed the break.
I still feel anxious and have mild heart palpitations when I think of tomorrow's reading, but that's too bad. It's just a matter now of waiting to see what happens and then fixing whatever's wrong.
I can do that.
I took my laptop and a print out of my play and didn't write a word of it. So, tomorrow I go into the next workshop/reading with the play as is and without a get out of jail free card (alternate draft).
I planned writing and suffered withdrawals from not writing, but the close confines of a campervan with two children were not conducive to creativity! Still, it was a wonderful holiday and I probably needed the break.
I still feel anxious and have mild heart palpitations when I think of tomorrow's reading, but that's too bad. It's just a matter now of waiting to see what happens and then fixing whatever's wrong.
I can do that.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Doubts and other misgivings
It's been a while since I've posted anything to this blog.
Mostly because I finished the next draft and sent it away to QTC and then started having major misgivings.
It felt alright when I finished it and it seemed to read quite well, but now I feel like vomiting just thinking about it. I'm having second thoughts. The sort of cold feet that petrify the rest of your body.
I'm in a state of stasis. Too scared to read the bloody thing again. Wasting my time imagining the worst instead.
What was I thinking sending it in when I did?
How could I think it was ready?
I hate being this pathetic.
I'm holding on to the fact that I'm about to head off for a 10-day holiday in New Zealand. Freezing cold temperatures and the four of us searching for snow. I plan to print out the play and take it with me. Hopefully altitude and distance will allow me to see it in perspective. I'll take my laptop with me too and I imagine that I will be going to the next workshop (3 days after I get back from NZ) with a new ending/new draft, written on holiday.
That's my last ditch plan anyway ...
Mostly because I finished the next draft and sent it away to QTC and then started having major misgivings.
It felt alright when I finished it and it seemed to read quite well, but now I feel like vomiting just thinking about it. I'm having second thoughts. The sort of cold feet that petrify the rest of your body.
I'm in a state of stasis. Too scared to read the bloody thing again. Wasting my time imagining the worst instead.
What was I thinking sending it in when I did?
How could I think it was ready?
I hate being this pathetic.
I'm holding on to the fact that I'm about to head off for a 10-day holiday in New Zealand. Freezing cold temperatures and the four of us searching for snow. I plan to print out the play and take it with me. Hopefully altitude and distance will allow me to see it in perspective. I'll take my laptop with me too and I imagine that I will be going to the next workshop (3 days after I get back from NZ) with a new ending/new draft, written on holiday.
That's my last ditch plan anyway ...
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Second Draft Reworked
This weekend has been the slow and painful process of going through the latest draft and fixing things. One of the big notes I'd had, and that I'd been unable to implement, was that John sounded like a girl. (Not a good thing.)
So, this weekend I enlisted my lovely husband and got him to read the play with me. We stopped at each line of John's that sounded strange and talked about what the line was there for and then Peter reworded it the way he thought he'd say it. It was laborious but worthwhile - John no longer sounds like a girl. He sounds like an Aussie bloke - ie: exactly like Peter!
I noticed, working on this with Peter, that I often felt defensive when he said I'd got things wrong.
'Hmmm,' says Pete, and pauses. then, 'how about this? Blah, blah, blah.'
'Just read what I've written first,' says me - through gritted teeth.
'But I reckon -'
'Read what's there!'
'But -'
'I can change it later - but try it as it is first.'
Then he'd read what was on the page and there'd be a moment's silence.
'Yeah. You're right. it sucks.' Finally I'd be listening.
So it's been an interesting weekend! Lucky that my marriage is strong and that Peter is endlessly patient.
John's lines aren't the only thing I've changed. I've also changed the ending and fiddled with little bits inbetween. I hope it makes the play stronger - at this stage I can't really tell.
I'll leave it for a week before reading it again. I need that time to see it clearly. otherwise I go into overwhelm and all I can see is the flaws.
So, this weekend I enlisted my lovely husband and got him to read the play with me. We stopped at each line of John's that sounded strange and talked about what the line was there for and then Peter reworded it the way he thought he'd say it. It was laborious but worthwhile - John no longer sounds like a girl. He sounds like an Aussie bloke - ie: exactly like Peter!
I noticed, working on this with Peter, that I often felt defensive when he said I'd got things wrong.
'Hmmm,' says Pete, and pauses. then, 'how about this? Blah, blah, blah.'
'Just read what I've written first,' says me - through gritted teeth.
'But I reckon -'
'Read what's there!'
'But -'
'I can change it later - but try it as it is first.'
Then he'd read what was on the page and there'd be a moment's silence.
'Yeah. You're right. it sucks.' Finally I'd be listening.
So it's been an interesting weekend! Lucky that my marriage is strong and that Peter is endlessly patient.
John's lines aren't the only thing I've changed. I've also changed the ending and fiddled with little bits inbetween. I hope it makes the play stronger - at this stage I can't really tell.
I'll leave it for a week before reading it again. I need that time to see it clearly. otherwise I go into overwhelm and all I can see is the flaws.
Friday, April 18, 2008
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.
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.
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