Part One - Writing for the Stage

Stage fright does not only happen to actors. A writer, especially someone writing their first play, can be as equally terrified about what will, won’t or might happen on stage. Should the lead character shift upstage, downstage, left or right? And how will this movement affect the other characters? What is the job of the writer regarding stage directions and other interactive information? What constitutes too much information [TMI?] and how does the director, the actors, a potential publisher view TMI?

As you sit and contemplate [what you thought was] your completed script, let’s discuss how much is too much, regarding stage directions.

How Much Wood Would [Should] a Woodchuck Chuck…?

Probably the best piece of advice regarding writing stage directions into your script is to follow the KISS method – Keep It Simple Shakespeare!

First, if you want a character to move to a specific spot and you indicate this in your script, make sure there is a reason for him to move. Never have a character reach a spot and do nothing. Make it purposeful, otherwise it is distracting and the audience will be focusing on this actor [what is he going to do now?] rather than the one delivering the dialogue. Be careful that you do not offer realms of suggestions for movement. Be specific. For instance, Rosemarie crosses to pick up the telephone. That’s specific. Rosemarie crosses stage right, picks up telephone, dials and makes a surprised face when someone other than the person she was calling answers. TMI. This is too much information. The surprised face and body language is up to the director and the actor. The ensuing dialogue that you create should make this situation real to the audience – remember the old show, don’t tell, wisdom? You don’t need to offer particulars about location in your script. These details are evident in the set layout, which you have hopefully already established from the beginning.

Be aware of offering all kinds of upstage and downstage pointers. If it is essential for the director to know the actor must move stage left, then indicate so; otherwise leave movement and blocking alone. Let the director decide. Your concern as the writer is to show and tell the actor where he should be at a particular time only as it pertains to the relevancy and the flow of the story. A writer’s attempts at blocking are frequently viewed with annoyance by a director. As far as the director is concerned, the only time a writer need offer specific stage movement cues, is when they are necessary to advance the story. Too much information can be more than aggravating and may irritate the director or a potential publisher previewing a script sufficiently, to toss yours and pick up the next one in the pile.

Writing with Passion

Writing for me is a passion. I would love to be able to write full time and without restraint but because the incoming cheques from freelancing are not as frequent as the incoming bills, I have to offset my chosen profession by working at a job which promises a routine income. Thank the Lord, though, the job that I do each day is also one that I love. I often count my blessings when I think of how I am able to do the two things I love - writing and teaching.

Some days I am so busy with my students or lesson plans or meetings that I feel a little sad that I cannot work on something wholly writing related.

I was talking to someone lately - a beginning writer, in fact, about what he should be writing about and where he could start. My initial response was that I couldn't really answer that in a cut and dry manner.

When we talk about writing, we talk about passion and fervour and excitement and zeal and sometimes even obsession. I asked him what he was interested in and what he knew; what excited him and what did he read? Those are the things that God is laying on his heart. This new writer needed to find his niche and pursue it with relentless anticipation.

I remember when I first started writing for magazines. I had been writing a weekly slice of life, humour/inspirational column in our paper for a number of years, but then I wanted to branch out and write something else. I bungled headlong into what I thought was something I might do. In fact a writer friend told me to approach this regional magazine and ask for an assignment. To my absolute surprise, I got one.

A local drama professor was staging a one man play at a university. I was a little intimidated by the caliber of this man but I also knew a little about drama and I loved what this fellow was performing. My editor, in turn, loved my work and paid [well] on acceptance - the whole nine yards. But I was devastated to get a call a week later saying they had to bump my story because of advertising and since I was the lowest on the pole...but my editor gave me another assignment. I was to interview Miss Canada 1988. [My husband volunteered for the job but I reminded him I was the writer and then I pinched him!]

I chugged up in my old Buick and parked far away from Miss Canada's shiny baby-blue Mercedes. Miss Canada, a tall, blonde beauty complete with glittery glossed lips and perfectly manicured hands, welcomed me to her high tech office. This time it was total intimidation. I interviewed her in her posh office and it was all a little surreal.

I spilled my glass of water. My batteries died in my mini tape recorder. I felt like a frump and I ran as fast as I could once I got the interview. I prepared my story and sent it off. This time my editor didn't love me as much. She prefaced our conversation with something like 'you didn't like this assignment very much, did you?" I mumbled and stuttered my way through the telephone call but in the end she told me I had to set up and re-interview Miss Canada again. As if once wasn't enough! So I did and this time my article was published. It was a real lesson to me about writing with passion. But it still took another two by four to convince me completely.

My next assignment with this magazine was with a local fashion designer. I wore a splashy orange bargain store special and felt once again like second hand rose interviewing this professional fashion fellow. My story was published and life went on but there was something not quite right about what I was doing. It was all interesting stuff but my passion was hardly ignited.

Then I started to remember the One who had blessed me with a love for and a gift of writing. I realized I was a mom, a nurse a teacher with lots of passion and excitement for and about children. In a nutshell I started writing for children. I also wrote devotionals and articles for ministry magazines. I still occasionally do the odd 'different' article but I always make sure I am excited about and interested in what I write.

My point with all this rambling? Find your passion. Pursue it with fury. Discover the magazines that publish the kind of writing you want to do and then go to the library, bookstores, go online, visit thrift stores, yard sales, etc and study, read, study and read some more and then write without ceasing [and praying without ceasing is probably a good piece of advice to adhere to, too!]

No one can teach someone to have passion. It comes from within. So if you are serious about writing, don't worry, it will come. It will become something you 'just have to do!' Start thinking about what you know [or want to know] and then start looking for ways to fuel your passion and hone your skills - study to show thyself worthy of the gifts bestowed upon you! And most of all, have fun!