Away from one, on to another
I’m stepping away from the play I was writing. I’ve known for a while that there are problems with it, but I was trying to fight through just to get to the end. Re-reading what I had written so far, I have come to realize that the problems I knew of were more serious than originally thought, and I have to do some real re-working of it before I can go any further, otherwise I may damage the entire thing irreparably. I know what the main problems are: I’ve focussed too much onthe idea and not enough on the characters. As a result, the characters are saying a lot, but they aren’t really saying anything. As well, one of the central characters lacks any arc at all.
Fortunately, since there’s no deadline for this piece, no harm is done by stopping and moving on to something else while I work out the problems.
The something else, is a different play, in a style I’ve always wanted to explore: the one actor play. This is something I have always wanted to explore, thanks to the works of Daniel MacIvor. Whereas in the past, when I have thought about writing a one-hander, I’ve always considered writing for myself, with this, I’ve decided to start differently and write for someone else. I’m still working out the themes and the specifics of the character arc, but I’ve already got something solid.
Side note: someone remind me to buy a lottery ticket for Friday. Yes, I know that the odds are stupidly against the chances of winning, but…hey. What if, right?
