Finding some time and forgetting to live in the moment
Douglas Maxwell's workshop was fabulous! I had such a fun time, and I found his way of thinking and ideas on getting started interesting. Since the workshop, anytime I have been in a shop, I gravitate towards the notebooks. Douglas shared something which he does as part of his playwriting process. Anytime he has an idea for a potential play etc he takes a notebook and writes it down on the first page. After that, anytime he does anything to do with that original idea, it goes in the notebook, even by the time the play is finished, he will use it in a rehearsal or a read through. This way he can go back through the notebook and remind himself of the ideas he had, he can put them throughout his work allowing the piece to flow. I love this and will be trying it out. I found the activities we did in the workshop interesting, Douglas showed us photographs and asked us a selection of questions about each. We then had to write a stage direction for each of them. I think I enjoyed this because not only were the photographs beautiful but also it gave my mind a spark, something to start me off. After I have an idea in writing I often make Pinterest boards as I develop it, about characters, setting etc. but I have never really started with a photograph, so this activity has inspired me to try this again in the future. I have been put in touch with Rachel O’Regan, who is a Playwright and content creator based in Edinburgh, she is my reader whilst I am in the process of developing my monologue. She has read both my first and second drafts and the feedback she gave was very helpful, I did agree with everything she said. She gave me some amazing advice on stage directions and the setting of my piece which will allow me to develop my monologue further. I loved chatting with her and hearing about her writing, she is very inspiring, and I am excited to continue working with her.
Someone else who is completely and utterly fabulous is Rosanna Hall who is the Programme Leader for Bunbury Banter. I am loving getting to know her and I think she is so much fun. I feel very comfortable in her company, which is always good. She has a warmth that makes me want to share things and I can’t wait to continue on this journey with her support. Lately, some plays I have been reading are An Inspector Calls by J. B. Priestly and Machinal by Sophie Treadwell. Both of which I thoroughly enjoyed. I had seen the film adaptation of An Inspector Calls, so I sort of knew what I was in for when I started reading it. I knew the story, but it was still so entertaining, I was completely emerged in it and found myself not wanting to put I down, despite knowing what was going to happen. I think the language and structure of this play were the reasons for my enjoyment. It is a story with dark connotations but it’s still very light-hearted and witty, I would often laugh to myself when reading it. It kept you interested, and I loved it for that reason. Machinal impacted me differently, I loved the story and the way it was written. The themes and specific scenes made me feel very uncomfortable, but I suppose that is the point. As a woman, reading the scene in this which is after the wedding in the hotel room, brought me to tears, it made me so upset and uncomfortable. I think this is because I believed it, it just felt so real.
Like I said before, I’ve just not been feeling myself recently. I think part of the reason for this is because I’ve been thinking a lot about the past. I’ve been thinking about the good and bad things that have happened, I’ve been over-analysing them in my head so much that I’ve forgotten to live in the moment, so it seems like things have sped up, but maybe it’s because I’ve slowed down. So, my resolution for the eighteenth year I will be on this planet is, to stop worrying and live in the moment.
Naomi Watson
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