The Blank Page
Hi again! It’s Livia, back with another blog!
Recently we have had another workshop, this time with the amazing playwright Douglas Maxwell! In Douglas’s workshop, he talked us through his process of working on plays, from the development of an idea to writing, editing and drafting. I thought this was really interesting to see an overall view of how someone develops their work. Douglas had some really interesting techniques, like using a separate notebook for each of his play ideas, so that he can note down anything that comes to him, and has a record of the development of all his ideas. He stressed that a lot of the ideas never go anywhere, and that’s okay. It’s important just to play around with things, and try stuff out, without the pressure that every idea has to turn into a fully-fledged play.
Each of the playwrights we have had workshops with has had their own unique methods for writing plays, but there are some common themes. Everyone has talked about how thinking, daydreaming and imagining things, are as much a part of the writing process as actually putting words on paper. I think the more I hear this advice, or variations on it, the more I can actually learn to accept it. Writing is a creative process after all, and I think it can often be hard for us to accept that the part of that where we are quietly thinking, even if it outwardly looks like we aren’t doing anything productive, is an essential part of this process. I have been learning to accept this in myself, and trying to value this time as vital and productive to my own creative process. You can do a lot of work on something, before the pen ever goes on paper. I often find that I rush to open a word document, and then get intimidated by the blank page, and stressed out, but I’m trying to slow down and give myself time to mull things over, so I already have had lots of thoughts before I am faced with the blank page. One of the best ways I find to go about this is by going for a walk. I think physically taking myself away into a new environment helps to avoid the temptation to get things on paper, and gives me a chance to get some headspace.
This has really helped me in the project that we are currently working on – developing our monologues, with a reader from Napier University. I’ve really enjoyed this process, as it has taught me a lot about how to develop something from a pretty good draft into something really special and exciting. Taking the time to let my brain mull over everything before rushing into completing exercises or editing my draft has been useful here. Working one-on-one with my mentor is very exciting because I get the chance to focus in on my own work and how I can level it up and improve it. It has also made me feel a lot more confident in myself as a writer, because I get to fully explore the strengths of my work, and the things that could be improved upon. I’m learning important skills in ensuring my character has a journey across the monologue, and working on developing the subtext. I am sure this will help me in the future, as I will be more able to apply these skills on my own when working on other projects.
I hope all the other Young Playwrights are enjoying the process as much as I am!
Livia Nicholson
Comments
Post a Comment