Unofficial Submission Spree

I have found myself in the midst of an unofficial submission spree. In the last month, I've submitted to about 15 different theatres and competitions, and 11 of those have been in the last few days. I don't know why I thought this was so hard before. You just do what the theatre asks for and hope for the best.

It's amazing how your mind can trick you into thinking something is so hard to do. I just had to figure out a way to outsmart it.

In other news, I am gearing up for NaPlWriMo and doing some research on the play itself ('In the Bunker'). I am going to need to spend November working on the play itself, not doing research, like I did last time. So in addition to working on submissions, I am also doing research, and school, work, the cats, Bill, and crocheting are all in there somewhere too. Busy little bee, that's me!

The recent arrest of Roman Polanski brings to mind an argument I had with a dear friend, Randy, about his win of the Oscar for 'The Pianist'. Randy (and I am paraphrasing) was of the mind that Polanski didn't deserve the award because he should have been in jail. I will give that yes, Polanski should have been in jail, but the work and the man are separate. And I've been thinking about that recently as well. I still believe the work and the man are separate, but what of the artwork of Hitler? Because of 'In the Bunker' I've had Hitler on the brain. It's a hard topic to talk about, because no one wants to say Hitler was a good artist (and he was mediocre at best--he couldn't draw people from what I know of his days of being an artist), because of who he was. But what if he had painted 'Water Lilies'? Or 'The Mona Lisa'? Then what?

I don't have an answer for anyone but myself, but I would have to separate the man from the art, as despicable as the man was. My dear friend, Dorothy, posted a really sweet article about the girl that Roman Polanski is accused of raping, http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=logo#/note.php?note_id=287132570166&id=41993989526&ref=mf and it was very interesting. If you have any opinion on the whole Polanski thing, be sure to read this. It will give you an interesting perspective you might not have had before. And you will definitely think this woman is the bravest woman ever, with a good heart.

National Playwriting Month

www.naplwrimo.org

This November marks the second year I will participate in National Playwriting Month. I am planning on working on 'In the Bunker' and that I might be working on naplwrimo in other ways as well as being a participant. I will know more tomorrow night. Suffice to say, I am excited, and I hope that I can do more than just participate, although participation is a great thing on its own.

To dedicate yourself to writing an entire play, or novel, or whatever else you might decide the month of November should be of writing is a great thing. A humbling thing. And a personal thing. It's humbling because you have to do more than just talk the talk. You have to write the writing. And every day, you come to the group and tell them what you've been doing and how far you've gotten. And it's a personal thing because you dedicate yourself to actually working on something for yourself. Not for your family or your job (unless you're lucky enough to have a job in the theatre already). Something just for you.

And it's hard. I won't lie--it's no picnic. There's going to be times where you want to quit. I got to the point where I had to just sit down and barf out as much as I could in one sitting, near the end of the month. But I did it. It turned out terribly (and this is not just self-depricating humor--the play is uneditable and unreadable--I'm not sure it ever saw the light of day--which is good in the end). But coming through to the end--making it through to the end--seeing it through, solidified even more that playwriting is what I need to be doing and will be doing.

So, if you are reading this, and that sounds like something you need or want, please hit up the link above. You might just change your life.

motivation

It's funny how my motivation has recently taken a turn for the stronger and better. I have a HUGE list of theatres and contests and such that I've collected over the years, and I never really did anything with it. I've been spending the last couple of months going back through all of them and finding places to send my work I have ready to go. And it's really helped SO MUCH in so many ways that I can't even really adequately express...it's funny how I don't usually end up being at a loss for words, but I can't even explain this. It's just funny and awesome.

I've been stuck on 'Squall Lines' for months. It's been a mess, but a doable beautiful mess. And there were two theatres that it looked like it would fit in with really well. And one of them has a program going on where you can submit mostly completed drafts. So I dug the play out again and really started to rip it apart. And it's definitely being pulled apart: characters being revealed, scenes being ripped from where they were and cobbled in where they belong, subtext is getting its due and things are starting to make more sense, the less reality I put into the play. It's funny, because it seems like the outside world always intrudes in these plays and makes the world I've created make no sense and makes me want to scrap the project all together. I can't let that happen though. There are rules in the worlds I am creating, and as long as I adequately explain the rules and have them all be obeyed, things are going to be okay in the end.

I'm just happen 'Squall Lines' is starting to come together better. It makes me happy.

Now if 'Sand and Water' would come along, but seriously, I should just be happy that this is happening. Baby steps, people, baby steps.

I had a dream last night

Two lines of dialogue. Love it.

A: "Why did you take the wrap for me?"
B: "Because it was between my best friend and my favorite singer. One was already dead. How else was I supposed to save you?"

Saving that for something blooming in my brain.

Bloom, baby, bloom!