At least my Muse will help in a pinch...
I know better - I really do - but sometimes my mouth says "yes" when my brain keeps insisting it just keep shut entirely.
The little performing group I belong to (and am musical director and accompanist for) puts on a yearly Christmas program the last weekend before Christmas. This year, we decided we'd do a one-act play and then, after an intermission, a few musical numbers.
Of course, my mouth got me in trouble when I volunteered to write a Christmas melodrama. We even sat around the table (we being me, the director and the head of the crew) and spun out ideas for something called "Frozen Laundry - or An Ice-Blu Christmas" that included character suggestions and possible plot devices. I had the notes transcribed onto my laptop, and I had two weeks to come up with something.
Would my Muse help me with a melodrama? Of course not! My Muse is anything except cooperative!
No, I came up (all on my lonesome) with another idea. I got a title (which I've been warned could be problematic): "The Santa Clause - or Yo-Ho... Huh?" - and that it would address the commercialism that seems to infest Christmas nowadays. Once that was set, my Muse waved her little fingers at me and said, "See 'ya later!"
A few days later, during my weekly gab-fest with engarian, more of the plot came to me. A toy company would try for a hostile take-over of Santa's North Pole enterprises. I sat down one evening and got maybe 200-300 words of actual dialog down... And once more, the Muse took an extended hike.
Fast-forward to yesterday (Saturday). I have until 2PM Sunday to actually produce something that looks like even just part of a play. I sat down in the afternoon, thoroughly determined to work on it... And nothing came. I went to my trusty-dusty jigsaw game, the one I use to clear my mind when writing... And nothing came. I was really getting worried.
9PM rolled around, and once more I opened my document to stare at the pitiful amount of dialogue. Suddenly, I could hear the voices, and I was typing my little heart out. Between 9 and 11:30, I managed nearly 1000 words of dialogue; and when I quit (because my eyes were having trouble staying open) I knew where things were going to go. I got up this morning and, at 9AM, once more opened the document to find the voices had just put themselves on pause in order to wait for me.
I typed "The End" at 11:58.
I'm so proud of myself - and I'm also reminded that I did most of my best work in college under the pressure of time constraints. I really don't like the nervous wreck I turn into while fighting that clock, but it really does feel kinda good to know I still have it.
What makes it even better is that, at the Players' meeting today, those who attended decided that it was my play that would be produced this year!!! I'm feeling on top of the world!!
Yay me!!
The little performing group I belong to (and am musical director and accompanist for) puts on a yearly Christmas program the last weekend before Christmas. This year, we decided we'd do a one-act play and then, after an intermission, a few musical numbers.
Of course, my mouth got me in trouble when I volunteered to write a Christmas melodrama. We even sat around the table (we being me, the director and the head of the crew) and spun out ideas for something called "Frozen Laundry - or An Ice-Blu Christmas" that included character suggestions and possible plot devices. I had the notes transcribed onto my laptop, and I had two weeks to come up with something.
Would my Muse help me with a melodrama? Of course not! My Muse is anything except cooperative!
No, I came up (all on my lonesome) with another idea. I got a title (which I've been warned could be problematic): "The Santa Clause - or Yo-Ho... Huh?" - and that it would address the commercialism that seems to infest Christmas nowadays. Once that was set, my Muse waved her little fingers at me and said, "See 'ya later!"
A few days later, during my weekly gab-fest with engarian, more of the plot came to me. A toy company would try for a hostile take-over of Santa's North Pole enterprises. I sat down one evening and got maybe 200-300 words of actual dialog down... And once more, the Muse took an extended hike.
Fast-forward to yesterday (Saturday). I have until 2PM Sunday to actually produce something that looks like even just part of a play. I sat down in the afternoon, thoroughly determined to work on it... And nothing came. I went to my trusty-dusty jigsaw game, the one I use to clear my mind when writing... And nothing came. I was really getting worried.
9PM rolled around, and once more I opened my document to stare at the pitiful amount of dialogue. Suddenly, I could hear the voices, and I was typing my little heart out. Between 9 and 11:30, I managed nearly 1000 words of dialogue; and when I quit (because my eyes were having trouble staying open) I knew where things were going to go. I got up this morning and, at 9AM, once more opened the document to find the voices had just put themselves on pause in order to wait for me.
I typed "The End" at 11:58.
I'm so proud of myself - and I'm also reminded that I did most of my best work in college under the pressure of time constraints. I really don't like the nervous wreck I turn into while fighting that clock, but it really does feel kinda good to know I still have it.
What makes it even better is that, at the Players' meeting today, those who attended decided that it was my play that would be produced this year!!! I'm feeling on top of the world!!
Yay me!!