Corrymeela

Just a heads up - I started a blog to post about everything happening in regards to my trip to Northern Ireland. I'm volunteering at the Corrymeela Community in May and June this year. And if you would like to donate any money, I am fundraising for the trip. Every little bit will make a difference.

a solution

It would seem that sophomore year has served me well.

Since I've been quite stuck on this play business and trying to find a way to fix some of the holes in the narrative, I decided to stick to the advice that John Wilder gave me three years ago: step outline.

A step outline is where you break down your story scene by scene, moment by moment, so that way when you go to write the story will flow freely and orderly. I did not do this the first time around with this script, which is probably why the holes exist. So I spent about an hour writing the step outline for the play. Having a summarized whole in front of me helped me see what needed filling. I then spent another hour making notes and writing outlines for scenes that could be added and giving more complications to the story. I think I fixed it. I think it will work. Now I just need to add some more fantastical scenes and it will be spectacular.

This is one messed up love triangle like none I've ever witnessed before.

I've been considering writing a post dedicated to the dreaded holiday coming up on Saturday. We'll see if I'm in an emotional enough mood between now and then to really do what I've been thinking. I work 4pm to midnight that day, so I guess I have an excuse to say that I have plans. Bleh.

Love Me Dead

Right, so, Elizabeth sent me her critique of my play back. And she had some good things to say and there are some serious holes that I need to deal with.

One of these is the love story. She said that they jump from not in love to in love too quickly and adding in a scene or two would be helpful.

The only problem is that I've been in love a few times. No one has ever loved me back. I don't even know where to start on finding that kind of scene. What happens between knowing you love someone and then knowing the other person loves you too? How do I write something that I've never known before? Jane Austen did it several times, but she left it up to the audience's imagination to decide what was said or not said. And it works because it's a novel, but this is a play.

Yeah, I'm lost.

cafe au lait

Zak - I feel like your blog has reminded me why blogs are fun. I feel a bit more inspired. So I might end up writing on here more.

So, topic for today: my play (insert evil maniacal laugh here)

I'm writing this play for Tyler's senior project. I know Tyler has seen this blog, but I don't think he often comes here, which gives me leave to write about how super STOKED I am about this play.I have no idea if he'll even want to use it because he has so many other good ideas, bit that won't matter because I'll just give it to one of my grad school friends to produce in a couple of years or something.

Let me just say, first off, it feels sooooo good to write fiction again. I don't think I've really attempted it for over two years now, maybe three. It's something I've missed a great deal. I've discovered that my most creative stuff comes out on pen and paper and not through typing even though I can type faster than I write.

Basic premise: Romeo and Juliet meets expressionism meets String Theory.

Which sounds completely insane. Though I probably am insane. In order to brush up on my string theory, I'm reading The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene. It's a fantastic book thus far and a lot easier to read than some of that stuff Telford shoved down our throats. Who would've thought that after college I would have become interested in quantum mechanics. Life long learner indeed.

Where we lay our scene: a coffeeshop. Where Romeo's mournful love is a coffeeshop folk singer and his Juliet is a string theorist. What is exciting for me is that these people have normal, semi-shy interactions with each other, but the actions of the play Romeo and Juliet come forth through an expression of his own inner psychological experience. Shakespeare's play always felt a little too rush for my taste. Who actually does fall in love at first sight and get married a day later? C'mon Wills! I'm also playing with the moon vs sun imagery, which I hope any Shakespeare fan will be able to pick up on.

Now the part that gets even more interesting is when the expressionist scenes get too mixed up with reality. We don't know what's real. And string theory, the idea that the whole universe has multiple dimensions that are all folded up on each other within these tiny little strings. Well, this play will fold up on itself and maybe a double suicide isn't the only ending worth considering.

Yay theatre!