Read on and you’ll see that our playwrights get started in a number of different ways. They may have a character with a story they are burning to tell. They may have a theme they know they want to explore. They might begin with music or an image of something they want to see on stage. Some writers start with broad brushstrokes; reading, researching, writing general notes and thoughts. Many writers start with a character with an urgent motivation or dilemma. …a character and an idea of what I want their dilemma to be. (Suzie Miller) A character who wants to do something outrageous and thrilling. Does he or she get it or not? (Michael Gow) From this point, they may go on to develop that dilemma further and explore how it affects the character’s actions. As Michael Gow points out: A play describes how (the characters) do or don’t get what they want. Another starting point is to look for the end. By knowing how your characters end up, or imagining the final image of your play, you can start to work out your structure, and determine how your story will be told. Louis Nowra begins with both: I cannot start a play without knowing the beginning and end, even though these aspects may change. Other writers may start from a central premise or idea that they want their play to explore. (“Does the end justify the means?” – sort of thing) But from here they will find ways to explore that premise and examine the possibilities for the direction of the play. I always have a ‘thematic’ premise but the real plays starts with my characters and they carry the play along. (Jane Harrison) Sometimes a particular image or scene will spring into my head and then I'll excavate the idea further to see what else is there. Generally I will start with a question, and seek to answer it with the play. (Caleb Lewis)  |  | This might mean simply thinking deeply about the piece, or allowing yourself to just freeform, writing around and about the theme, without getting caught up too much or too early in the actual business of writing the play. It can be very easy to lose heart early on in the writing process and even experienced writers need to find ways of dealing with their internal “ferocious editor”. I try to build up a lot of material before I start because I have terrible problems with confidence. I usually hate what I write and will abandon projects before I really get started on them. So now I trick myself: I write lots of notes without putting the pressure on myself to write the actual play. I fall in love with the story and the characters and eventually find I have big chunks of the play already written before I can judge myself harshly and murder the project. (Debra Oswald) | |  |
Noelle Janaczewska describes a “dreaming space” for her work, Catherine Ryan describes it as “swimming in the ocean of the work”. Lally Katz talks about using music to help get her into a writing “trance”. Playwrights often say that they don’t know where the play is going when they start to write, it’s something that is actually discovered through the act of writing. Usually I have something very urgent to say, but often I don’t know quite what that is until I am some way into the process. (Verity Laughton) | | I think writing to find an idea is a valid way to work. When I try to begin with a premise or conceit my writing is contrived. Sometimes I have to write many pages to find one good moment. Often I start with an image or a situation. (Tommy Murphy) I start with research and thinking and gathering ideas and metaphors and a story emerges from this. I only really know the story once I've written the first draft.
(Donna Abela) | | |
Working this way usually means you do a lot of writing that usually doesn’t make it into your play but does provide you with a solid foundation. Suzie Miller mentioned writing monologues earlier to get to know her characters better and this can also be a great way to kickstart your play!
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