That title’s sure to get me hits.
The cure is calling up a friend and talking about it.
Last week I got feedback on my latest scene that was so superlative that I froze up. I mean… how can I top a scene that everyone seemed to love?
And I didn’t know how to end the play. I kind of- sort of- knew- but I had no idea how to get there. I realised that one major character was superfluous and I had to remove her from the play entirely. I knew that there were all these characters with all these problems but I didn’t know how to get them to work through them in a way that was both structurally cohesive and entertaining. Writing from the seat of my pants- without an outline in advance- had lead me to a very interesting place in my play- and a tonal shift that I never would have anticipated- but now left me with no idea where to go next.
So I called Megan, and we talked it through, and now I have a seven beat outline for my new, re-structured play.
For the big gaps in the outline, I’ll need to address what I’ve been ignoring so far-
One character lacks any major flaws.
The parents in my play are nearly indistinguishable, and need to have distinct personalities, goals and problems.
Once I figure that out… I’ll be ready to start the second draft.
I can do this.