Contest entries need to be posted in the contest section. A reminder:
PLEASE DO NOT RESOND TO THE ENTRIES OF OTHER MEMBERS. JUST POST YOUR ONE-PAGE PLAY ONLY. POST WHAT YOU'VE WRITTEN UNDER A "NEW TOPIC" SO EACH PERSON HAS THEIR OWN THREAD.
Edd
Thank-yous to Edd and the forum and Paddy for this new wonderful website. For the links posted which brought me to the Playwright Binge and for Edd adding to his e-mails What did you write today? Which would make me sheepishly think ... hmmm....not much.
I have been away and when home - working four jobs - stopping in for five minutes and then running. I hooted at the interviews (September Challenge) and was intrigued by the October one. And I thought ... funny ... acerbic ... how to cleverly tie all those words in and then I sat down and this is what came out. Did you ever have a scene write itself? It doesn't make it bad or good or special but it is an out-of-body experience, when you sit and say, "that's not what I intended to write." And so it happened. Thanks to the challenge.
I only read your personal prologue since I do not read the actual contest entry till Paddy, mac and I get together and read them at the end of the month.
I thank you for your generous words. I enjoy monderating this forum more than most anything. It gives me a great deal of pleasure along with a sense of being worth something to somebody.
Your question is one I must respond to, "have you ever had a scene write itself?" That question goes to the heart of my philosophy. Everything I write writes itself. I go back and read something weeks, months and years later and I wonder where it came from. Generally I start with a title that sounds like it might catch ones attention. Then I ask myself, "okay, what could this be about?" When I decide what it might be about, I begin to lay fingers to keyboard. The first couple lines are very difficult because I have to completilng rely on me. Suddenly, at some point, usually on the first page, the character take over. Truly. I let them have their way no matter how stupid, silly or lame the dialogue seems. Soon an interesting thread begins to form and I follow it. The journey towards "END OF PLAY" becomes an adventure. Surprises and twists happen of their own accord. The character are always a step ahead of me since I do not know where it is going. This adds an element of fun and mystery for the audience as well. Who wants to watch what they figure out is where the play is going? Being housebound, it is a joy to let me go and to fly with the speed of my typing. When finished, I do go back to the first word and carefully make it work word by word and sentence by sentence, usually more a matter of cutting as close to the bones as I can, eliminating the extraneous. While doing so I usually think, "Where on Earth did this come from?" This is the honest to God truth. Somewhere in my carreer I gave up thinking and began to listen to the characters and went along for the ride. I then thank what some may call God, or The Muse, a spirit having channeled or the subconscious Self. In any case I am grateful.
Yes, I have had entire full-length plays write themselves.
Yes, Paddy - utter simplicity in the end works better. It always does. This sort of poured out of me as I recalled an anecdote from a cousin - as soon as I saw the Edd's challenge words. I haven't edited or foigured out if I would even do anything with it. It wasn't even the "challenge" although they are such fun - but the joys of an exercise. Now, if I can also motivate myself to do some physical exercise ... ohh .. it's snowing. Never mind.
