Mercy! Mercy! That Dang Nabed PERCY!

Taking a Deep Breath

Taking a Deep Breath

I have been a bad boy and neglected my blog the past two days. There has been a lot going on.

First off I have been catching up on my reading at WDC. Victor Hugo has a famous quote that likened writing to a water pitcher and a glass. He likened reading to keeping the pitcher full and drinking deep…i.e. reading a whole lot. He said words to the effect, “You must keep your mind constantly refreshed with new ideas lest you become stale and repetitive.”

Next I have been experimenting with some of the sensual prose I wrote earlier and trying to develop in it a greater sensess of context. Writing for the stage and writing for a reader require a different skill set and application of writing principles.

Finally I have been thinking about my class,The One Act Play, and being impressed by the progress each of the students made. I had five this semester and each moved from a beginning base line of talent and skills to far beyond my expectations.

In my reading I follow a number of contests and find that those that have a greater word limit ceiling tend to get better results. I used to write for one flash fiction contest and found it difficult to write both an interesting story, rich exposition and sensual prose in 600 words. Plus my abrasive personality tended to put off some of the other writers, and I moved on, focusing on my class and other things.

There are however, other contests that have higher word limits and I have been quite taken by some of the submissions. All writers think in their heart of hearts that what they write exceptionally well and I find no fault with that… however I am seeing more and more work, that I must admit, exceeds my own best efforts. When I see something of high caliber my first response is jealously and I have to overcome that petty reaction. Then I say “I bet if I look close I can find a misspelling, incorrect use of grammar or some other nitnoid observation the author needs correcting. This is almost as jerky as the jealously thing. Then I can always look at the composition from the structural perspective and find something out of alignment with the science model of good writing and story telling. Alas, ENOUGH! I tell myself. Just tell the writer “WOW!“ and pass on the recognition it deserves. Anyway, I've been doing some reviews that explain why I like some of the things I’m reading.

I think I 'll go now and post the last lesson. Then I’ll write my last “Hello Everyone” epistyle to my students. How they love to hang on my every word They all surged at the end of the class and I think I'll quit all the critiquing while I’m ahead.

For anyone interested I’ll be doing the One Act Play course again next semester and for those of you that are bold and audacious please consider signing up. Be advised that I can be something of a pain in the butt, and there will be more than a little strain as your skills as a writer bump up against my hard head as a dramaturge. But I guarantee you will learn something of the science of writing and what the story telling model is all about.

Hope to see you in the new year.