First of all, don't listen to anyone except yourself. You know if your work is any good, you don't need others to compliment you (but it does help).
lesson 1
Idea – the idea is the most important part of
writing my stories. To me they usually come out of the blue and very
quickly. I usually write a half page synopsis of every idea. If the
idea is any good it stays with me, I think about it night and day and let it
grow in my head.
Ideas I’ve never written are numerous. Some ideas stay with you
for years. One of my plays, GRASS took 5 years, until I could get all the
components to finish it. Sometimes it’s because I can’t think of the
end. I think sometimes as I get better at writing I’ll be able to do the
really mad ideas I have, I’m not good enough yet.
Ideas come from every where, friends, family, personal stories (Grass),
internet, newspapers, photographs, flyers (walk this way).
Lesson 2
Research - the world, the characters, the story. I
use the internet, the library and then I talk to people. This time can
take months, its writing but in your head mainly. At night before I go to
sleep I think about the problems in my story and I try to solve them.
Who are the characters, where do the characters live, work, their age,
etc? The answers to these questions shape your story and the lives of the
characters.
I write a graph for my characters like this. Every new play I
start writing notes about the story. The notebook and the graft is a
great source of information if I’m stuck.
I also write the story scene by scene where my hero is going - From Knife Edge
●
Brian turns up and sets up theatre
●
Brian gets annoyed by Alan, Brian invites Alan
on stage.
I don’t always stick to this, but it helps.
Lesson 3
Write – Before I write I need to know the end so I
know where I’m going. Think of it like a journey, get everyone in the car
and set off to your destination. Along the way you might meet some
interesting characters, your car might break down or there might be a massive
diversion, but you always know where you’re headed. I think how it is best to
start (usually slowly as an audience need time to settle) the middle part I
make up as I go along; it’s the organic stage that I love. If you’ve done
your research the middle should come easier. I like to get a first
draft finished quite quickly no matter how bad it may be. After
I’ve written something I usually leave it alone for a week or two then I come
back to edit.
What is it about? If a play were about love I would examine and
explore the depths and widths of love. Self love, young love, obsession,
loathing, lost love,
We write drama – what is drama? It is conflict, things rubbing
against each other. One says yes, the other says no. So my love story
wouldn’t be boy meets girl they live happily ever after – that’s
boring.
Lesson 4
Edit – when I edit I start with first draft and rip
it to bits. Never be scared to take things out, if it doesn’t work cut
it.
○
Find
out what the plays about?
○
More
in-depth Research, is the world and characters plausible? I want an
audience ideally to believe me and be carried away with the story and my
characters.
○
Smooth
out the scenes, most of my first drafts are disjointed, I might repeat myself.
Re write. I have never finished writing a
play yet. Even as the play is being performed I’ll still be thinking,
tinkering.
Lesson 5
Structure - You need tension and excitement as well as climaxes.
and finally...
Rehearsed reading – if you’re planning to get the play on, try and get people to help you
listen to it. Plays are to be played by actors and actors are great at
finding all the holes for you. When a play is cast the actor will
concentrate all the attention on their part, they will underline or highlight
only their words or their actions, that’s what they’re (we’re trained to do).
If an actor comes up with something better steal it, the play will always
have your name on it. Knife Edge was read in front of an audience of
actors, writers, producers and directors – it was very nerve wracking, but a
good way to pick their brains.
My story would be like Romeo and Juliet – two lovers who can’t be
together because of their families.
