Happy Place

Exciting stuff! I am making my plays available through Amazon.com. Most of them are available in print, and The Worst Play Ever  and  My Zombie Romeo are now also available for e-readers.

I've got a few projects right now. I've been working on two new short stories that I will be sharing soon. I've also started a new book, and I'm excited about it. It's been a while since I took on a big project. It's completely different from writing short plays or fiction.

Write, write, write. I'm in my happy place.

A New Script

This is a good time for me, creatively. I'm finishing up a new one-act. I started writing it for my middle schoolers, but it didn't seem like a good fit for them. So, I dusted off Don't Eat the Fish Sticks, and it is working very well for my students. It was a good decision, but I didn't want to abandon the other script. It's an idea I've been working on for a while, and I want to finish it.

The first draft is almost done. I spent a few hours working on it yesterday and added a little more today. I like it. It definitely needs some revision - and an ending (the hardest part), but I like where it's going. Once I have a complete first draft, I'll do my first revision, which always involves making sure that there is a comedic bit in every scene. Audiences love to laugh, and I make it my goal to entertain with each script.

Revisions don't take a lot of time. There is not a lot of depth or intrigue to my scripts. They're made to entertain middle schoolers and their families. Make it funny. Make it over the top. Those are my goals.

I really love writing plays. Realism is not my style. I like it when impossible things happen. Theater is a perfect match.

Forced Creativity Strikes Again

I love being a theater director for middle and high school students. I love watching the kids grow more confident with each performance. I like seeing them as excited about theater as I always have been, and I like knowing that the stage provides them with a safe space to try new things. The stage was always my favorite place growing up, and it's fun to watch a new generation discover it.

As I've mentioned before, it also helps me with my writing.

Yesterday was auditions for the middle school fall show. Normally I have about 12-15 kids show up, so I choose my scripts based on those numbers. I wasn't sure what I would get this year. I lost a few of my students to high school, and I'm never sure how many 5th graders I will get. It usually works out.

This one might not.

I had 4 kids show up for auditions, and they told me of two more that want to join. Six kids. For a show with 12 parts. Oh, boy...

One thing I enjoy about theater (and have gotten pretty good at) is making things work. This script is a challenge. I've tried to double up as many parts as possible, but even then I need three more kids - and did I mention that I currently have no boys? It's not impossible, but I started trying to come up with other solutions.

Remember when I wrote about forced creativity? This job requires me to write a certain amount each year, and some of my best work has stemmed from working with my students. Hopefully, this will be one of them.

I started thinking - what if I wrote a script for my six actors for the fall and saved the bigger show for the spring (when I won't be competing with soccer)? Once I came up with this solution, things started to fall into place.

I've been working on an idea for a one act play since the spring. By working on it I mean that I had a title and a very loose idea of what I wanted it to be about. I wasn't worried because I had all year to write it.

Well, my timetable has moved up a bit.

Yesterday after auditions I used my half hour before teaching a class to start the first draft of a script currently titled The Room of Peace. So far, I really like it, and I have a pretty good idea of where it is going. The limitations of the number of actors and an all female cast actually made it easier to figure out the plot. I'm still figuring a few things out, but I think it could be really funny.

I'm still not sure what show I'll be directing this fall. I'm going to wait and see if any more students show up tomorrow. If not, I'll be spending my weekend frantically writing and hoping to avoid writer's block. But, at least I have a backup plan.

Plays By Em

It's been a really long time since I posted anything here. I could make a lot of excuses, but I really just let other areas of my life take over for a while. I added a couple new jobs. My schedule gets busier the older the kids get. It can be hard to find the time to write.

I have managed to do some writing. I've got a couple new books started, and I've written a few more plays. The one act plays for my middle school students have really been going well. I'm lucky to have a job that pretty much requires me to write a play every year. It's nice to be able to stage them and figure out what needs to be fixed. The kids and audiences have liked them pretty well. I wrote a Christmas one that had a really great reception.

I'm having a back to school special on my scripts. They are all one acts, run under an hour, and are perfect for middle or high school actors. Perfect for one act festivals. For any teachers/directors, you can find the complete list of plays here: Plays By Em

So, I am back to blogging and back to focusing on my writing. It is still my goal to make a living doing the thing I love most, so I need to start dedicating more time to making it happen. I need to take more chances and believe in my abilities.

In addition to my writer ramblings, I'll be posting bits and pieces of my writing. I'd love some feedback. The scariest thing is letting other people see my work. What better place to do it than on a blog?