Play On Words

Or words on a play.
There was some confusion about the topic for this week, if, indeed, there was one.
It seems to be a “Free” week and three of the five of us that post here have new books out; two of us don’t…the latter number would include me.

That isn’t to say that I don’t have anything out there. I have a four page article in the current issue of a national, (glossy), magazine. But that hardly has the oomph of a book.

I have poetry published as well as other articles. I have written short stories and a play. Anyone else written a play? I’d love to hear of your experience, or any play-writing stories that you can relate. I have a story I wanted to tell that is about an evening I spent with my niece when we attended a book signing and the strange encounter we had afterward. I tweaked the ending a bit, and one earlier scene, but until that point, I did not have to add anything, in fact, I omitted parts of the conversations.

It was easy; it just flowed, but I found that, much like my experience in songwriting, it is very hard to get anyone to look at the work. It is extremely difficult to get any unagented plays considered or even read. Some will take the first part of the first scene but that hardly does a play justice. I never even bothered showing it to those people. We have a good venue for getting plays looked at through a college here, with readings and a competition for it to be produced, but they by far prefer young people in the roles, which is quite understandable. My play involves basically three people, one woman in her fifties, one in her late thirties and a man a few years older.
The story became a play because I could not decide on the Point of View to tell it but now, well, it looks like I need to find the right POV to turn it back and into a printable story.
It’s strange that a play should be easier than a story…or a book, to me. I ‘m considering addingl material, but that is another thing holding me back. I love the way the evening unfolded just in the conversations and actions. I am of two minds about it.

My first thought was that I wished I could grab someone with a camera, take my niece, get a man to play the male part,(no, I could not use the man who was part of the evening), and even if we did it with just we three,( I made it a three-person play), it would make a great short film. Easier said than done and more expensive than you would believe, that idea got shelved pretty quickly.

I keep squeaking out time here and there to get a novel written. I have neglected my cooking/entertaining blog and put off the children’s stories that keep trying to get themselves out of my head and into words…I find myself with a few set-backs , time-wise, but I will not give up. This blog, and my fellow writers, keep me thinking ‘writing’ and will not let me slack-off very much.

So I salute those making it by being published and I salute those of us who are writing in our hearts and heads, but whose hands are busy with the business of life and family. As much as I love stories, books and writing, life is the best story of all.

How is your life going? It’s always Family First with me, which is why I am moving slowly, (although housework be hanged!)

And let us know, have you ever had an experience, a time or an occurrence, that you thought would make a good story? I think everyone has. I tell stories all the time but not all would be art-worthy material. Do you think one of yours could be a story, a play or a movie?
Would you share it with us here, in the comments below?