The Stars All Seem to Weep
Greetings All!
Sorry for the delay in posting, but there just isn't another way to access the internet except through the library computer, which of course is only open in the day during festival hours. I'll do what I can....
Okay, June 18, Friday.
I am the first person at the regisration desk. Not excited at all, am I? I meet Dawson Moore, the conference coordinator who I'd been corresponding with for months, and hug him just because. He and the staff are wonderful, call you by name, and truly make you feel welcome. So I get my conference materials (NICE BAG! Large, roomy, and can hold lots of stuff like... the books they sell of the featured playwrights, etc.) I walk through the lobby and notice a photo collage of past conferences. I wasn't even paying attention really, just glancing over the photos, and there is Rita, smiling at me. They have a photo of Rita from the last day's cruise in the collage, and I look at it for a moment and then loose it right there in the lobby. I felt her here but I had so not expected to see her. I found Dawson and asked about the photo, and he put me in touch with the conference photographer. They have given me an 8 x 10 copy of that photo, which I'm sending to Rita's mother, along with a copy of the conference program, which has a little memorial section to Rita and another playwright from last year who passed away. Seeing her smile was a nice little affirmation for me, like a "yeah gurl! Live it!"
Pre-Conference Writer's Workshop
Okay, tech stuff now. GREAT exercises in the workshop. I don't usually do writing exercises like these because I don't normally force myself to abide by the rules when I'm alone. But with someone breathing down your neck saying, "okay, now write!" well it's amazing what you can come up with. Example:
1. Write a monologe that starts with the following sentence: "One thing I really can't stand is..." 5 minutes; START.
2. Next; write a monologue in response to the first one. It can be a counter argument, it can agree, whatever. 5 minutes; START.
3. Combine the 2 monologues into a dialog. Read the first sentence from the first, and then the first sentence from the second; then the second sentences back to back, then the third sentences, etc. And see where it takes you. Very interesting and effective.
The other exercise was the one that really floored me. That took longer but we ended up writing short plays. I'll have to put that in the next post because it's a worthwhile exercise and what came from it I will definitely develop further.
Not sure if the library is open tomorrow, and my half an hour is almost up. I'll see what I can do; there are computers at Prince William Sound College from what I hear, but it's a pain to get there; everything is walkable but that's still on the far end of town. Tonight starts the Fringe Festival/Open Mike parties, which will be every night after the receptions. There will be play readings, poetry and some live music, too. I've got my cigars ready... all I need is a martini and I'll be ready!!! :)
Next post will be about my play reading and the other writing exercise.
Ciao Darlings!
Sorry for the delay in posting, but there just isn't another way to access the internet except through the library computer, which of course is only open in the day during festival hours. I'll do what I can....
Okay, June 18, Friday.
I am the first person at the regisration desk. Not excited at all, am I? I meet Dawson Moore, the conference coordinator who I'd been corresponding with for months, and hug him just because. He and the staff are wonderful, call you by name, and truly make you feel welcome. So I get my conference materials (NICE BAG! Large, roomy, and can hold lots of stuff like... the books they sell of the featured playwrights, etc.) I walk through the lobby and notice a photo collage of past conferences. I wasn't even paying attention really, just glancing over the photos, and there is Rita, smiling at me. They have a photo of Rita from the last day's cruise in the collage, and I look at it for a moment and then loose it right there in the lobby. I felt her here but I had so not expected to see her. I found Dawson and asked about the photo, and he put me in touch with the conference photographer. They have given me an 8 x 10 copy of that photo, which I'm sending to Rita's mother, along with a copy of the conference program, which has a little memorial section to Rita and another playwright from last year who passed away. Seeing her smile was a nice little affirmation for me, like a "yeah gurl! Live it!"
Pre-Conference Writer's Workshop
Okay, tech stuff now. GREAT exercises in the workshop. I don't usually do writing exercises like these because I don't normally force myself to abide by the rules when I'm alone. But with someone breathing down your neck saying, "okay, now write!" well it's amazing what you can come up with. Example:
1. Write a monologe that starts with the following sentence: "One thing I really can't stand is..." 5 minutes; START.
2. Next; write a monologue in response to the first one. It can be a counter argument, it can agree, whatever. 5 minutes; START.
3. Combine the 2 monologues into a dialog. Read the first sentence from the first, and then the first sentence from the second; then the second sentences back to back, then the third sentences, etc. And see where it takes you. Very interesting and effective.
The other exercise was the one that really floored me. That took longer but we ended up writing short plays. I'll have to put that in the next post because it's a worthwhile exercise and what came from it I will definitely develop further.
Not sure if the library is open tomorrow, and my half an hour is almost up. I'll see what I can do; there are computers at Prince William Sound College from what I hear, but it's a pain to get there; everything is walkable but that's still on the far end of town. Tonight starts the Fringe Festival/Open Mike parties, which will be every night after the receptions. There will be play readings, poetry and some live music, too. I've got my cigars ready... all I need is a martini and I'll be ready!!! :)
Next post will be about my play reading and the other writing exercise.
Ciao Darlings!
1 Comments:
Yikes, those exercises remind me of when I had a job interview (many years ago) and, to see how well we could write on the spot, the interviewer said to us - write a creative story about how the first umbrella was created. You have fifteen minutes. GO! It's amazing what you can come up with when you're under the gun!
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