Day 1: Monday, November 1

I am going to be on the road for most of the day, so I might need to wait until later to change this, but I will make you a forum under Young Playwrights. Please let me know what you want to call yourselves and I will change the title. Welcome again!

Hi! I'm the high school teacher who is wielding the iron fist of playwriting participation :) It would be great to have a forum. We're having a little bit of a slow start but we should pick up speed soon.

Thanks so much for all your help. Also, what a great site! I'm inspired.

Yup, dat's mah kitteh - Haushinka. She's my baby!

I snuck a little writing in at the office, but way to exhausted to tackle anything tonight. Thanks for all your support - I preciate it!

If you aren't a little frightened of the blank page,...I would worry!

Writing is one of the most personal, intimate activities...and playwriting is more so, because what you pull out of your innards cannot be born without others seeing and doing and speaking it. It's a means of shedding your clothes in public unlike any other experience.

so it's okay to be scared, and normal to be scared, and as you've also seen, it's EXCITING to be scared.

Know that it's like snorkeling - once you start looking around in the deep dark and seeing all the colours and shapes and life of your writing, you'll forget about breathing and big waves!

Jump in! Enjoy! And give the sharks a smooch!

Shelley

Welcome High School Rhinos!

Hey Stan! Yay! Good for you. I look forward to reading it.

Hey, Kendall! Good to see you.

I did that the first year I did NaPlWriMo. And I was writing a play that included a Greek Chorus that I wanted to be authentic. That took work and I still don't know if it worked out. And I ended up scrapping half of it and starting over in the middle of the month.

So yeah, been there, done that. See what flows. You do still have time. also, is that your cat? Looks like my Nibbler but with less hair, but the same expression when I hold her and kiss her face.

I didn't think I'd get much done today, but I had a good flow. I wrote past midnight so I guess I'm technically into day two. A lot more fun than I thought - partly because I picked some really fun characters. Woo hoo!

Starting to think that my concept was good, but only in theory. Think I might have to scrap this plan and come up with something different. It's cool. I got time.

is your whole class participating? I could create a forum just for you guys. I have another forum for a 5th grade class that is participating too. Let me know.

I am excited for you guys too! We never had cool electives like that when I was in high school. And I agree, writing a play is more fun, but I am biased!

I'm taking a Playwriting class as my English elective in high school, and today my teacher said to us, "Guess what? We're going to participate in National Playwriting Month!"
I'm thrilled.
I have a friend who tried to write a novel last year in a month, and he got pretty far. I'm thinking writing a play will be more fun.
Best of luck!

And that is how it goes--write when you have a moment. That might happen several times a day and the next thing you know you have a pile of pages and a half that add up to the whole play!

Preach on! You should see mine! But that's okay. The point is, write, write, write! It's hard to not let the Editor get a hold of you, but just keep going.

Good to see you! I can tell you, one word on a page is work more than 10 pages. Just start with one word and you will be off and running. :)

I don't know about you, but all the thinking I've been doing about this play in the last two weeks I've had since thinking of the idea, I've just been chomping at the bit to actually write. It felt good to write last night and I will continue a bit tomorrow as well. Good job with scene 1!

Hey, Matthew! Good to see you again this year! And it's GREAT that you're scared--fear is good. GO WITH THE FEAR! It will take you deep and wide. Deep down, we're all scared, so join us in the scaredy-boat.

I wrote a page and a half between the end of my work day and needing to go to an acting gig tonight.  I may use some time after I get home to wind down and get that other page written.  Away-ay-ay we go!

Just write!

These words have always been my inspiration. Which is a good thing, cuz flabby, incoherent, dreck is what I got. Seven pages of it, though...

DIVE IN you can tidy it up LATER!

Happy Rhino-day to everyone and even more happier playwriting month to ya all!

So what have i done so far? I had to ask for new password, since i had forgotten my old one. Now i will write here, try to catch up all the information. And i assure you all, that i will write already today. Unfortunately it can happen, that i won't make it until dialogue, not yet, but I think so far it's okay! One day i hope i can come here, on 1st day of november (perhaps next year) and tell: by the first day i have written 10 pages!

To have my heart relaxed, i promise i will write at least one page. and sometimes it can be worth more than 10 pages.

I just spent an hour writing, and I have 2.5 pages done, which is scene 1. I may come back to it a little later, but I have to get back to work now, so it may keep until tomorrow.

Still, I feel that its a good start.

Good on you for working through your fear. That's a huge thing. And that you managed to not only get yourself working, but you got excited too - Bonus. This is what I call "managing the psychology" and it's one of the biggest challenges we face as writers - navigating that inner landscape whatever its weather or terrain.

Sometimes it helps to give yourself a simple task (I keep a list) so that when you get bogged down, for whatever reason, you can look at your list and find something to get you moving.

p.s. I'm not sure our word of the day is helping either. I think I preferred lycanthrope.

Funny, eh? Last few days I've been really looking forward to it, and then today I could feel myself stalling. I was actually fearful - though of course I realised this was irrational.
I did manage to get past that though. No dialogue, but I have written out some questions, and put the outline in my head onto paper.
Suddenly it feels exciting again.

Sometimes getting as far as you have takes so much time and energy, and you've already done that. I find once all that is figured out and the characters let me know their names, it's a breeze from there. Until a tornado blows in. :) Remember, you only have to do 2.5 pages a day to meet the goal in 30 days. You can do it!

I now know who my characters are, but they don't have names yet. I'm pretty busy at work right now, and with a 3 hour round-trip commute, then pets to vet, I won't be home until late. At least I can use the commute time to think things out (unless there is bad weather or heavy traffic...then I have to pay attention to driving)

I'm pretty sure I know the setting, and the plot, and almost have the ending worked out in my head. As soon as I have named characters the real work begins

It's been a long day for me. I just wrote almost 4 pages and I am heading to bed. I hope everyone is enjoying the start to what I hope will be a wonderful fun filled month. Now I will see you on the flipside.