Shock of the New

Like I've mentioned, we did a reading of my new play last weekend at a reading marathon for Playwrights Union last Saturday. I had to sit through 55 pages of me trying to work out what my play is.

Then I heard what my play was and what it was really about.

Then on Monday I figured out the framework for the next draft.

I started on Tuesday by writing about 17 pages.

On Wednesday, I wrote about 10 more.

On Thursday, I probably wrote about 12 more.

Then on Friday morning I started out with about 1 1/2 pages. I thought: "This is it. I've been productive. I have written about 41 pages in four days. That should be fine. That should be enough. I won't write any more." I had blown off my goal of getting the draft done before I left for Portland.

Well, lo and behold, I wrote 28 more pages that night. And I finished a full draft of the play. At 2 AM.

I've written drafts of TV scripts in that amount of time. But never plays. It is quite the accomplishment. And I'm totally floored by it. I haven't gone back and read it yet. I need a little distance. I'm going to read it on the plane to Portland.

Then I'm going to rewrite the script again while I'm in Portland. I'm dying to tighten it even more. I'm very excited by that. I'm excited by this new play too.