Sunday Check-In #2: (Day 14 of NaPlWriMo) Sunday, November 14

Sometimes that's how it goes!

And I tend to overexplain things to my audiences, so I understand your problem as well. Too much or too little info is a bad thing, you know? It can ruin a perfectly good play. Moderation is the key!

But here I am.  THIRD concept change, but I have a new scene developed and it is action packed!  I'm in the process of fleshing it out, and then moving from there to make sure everything else holds together.  I'm notorious for not connecting my dots-for expecting the audience to make greater leaps than they're ready for, so I need to really work it through.  Still writing little bits by little bits!

One of my friends has a son who is autistic and he's the sweetest, most intelligent kids I have ever met. He's awkward, but I love being around him. His honesty about the world lets me see things in a completely new way. And he loves theatre, so that makes him tops in my book. It can be hard though--I've heard stories--but I am going to bet  a lot of it is just excitement over being 18 and almost through with high school.

I have often thought that 'this is it' as far as a play goes--this one I am working on is the one. ANd if it isn't, I am not sure what I have left. I thought Hauntings was that--that it was the be all and end all of my existence as a writer, and I was wrong. I still have lots to say.

I'm not saying what you are feeling isn't valid. I just hope you don't see yourself not writing anymore or anything like that after Brigid--I like your writing and I would hope I get to read more!

everyone gets that. I got that the other day when I was writing. I would do a couple lines, then check my email. A couple lines, then check facebook. ad naseum. Eventually I got through by just keeping on with the stalling and spurting. You'll do fine, just stick with it!

If you need to, write a scene or a monologue from another character's POV. that might help. Or try to do a series of what ifs from the part of the scene you are stuck. Or take a walk. that sometimes help unstick stuff.

Really. what matters is that you come to the table and write. So just write.

Nothing to report. Lots of chaos with my autistic son about to turn 18 in three months (thus being in control of his own educational choices) and causing ruckus at school -- senior itis I hope.

Brigid Kildare -- I will develop it until I get it right. I thought this in 2009 when I wrote the first act and I believe it now -- this is the big one. However far I go as a playwright, I think this is it. I don't know exactly what I'd have left in me if this is not it. So I hope it's it. It would help if I would write it though.

I began my play on Monday 11/8 (so I knew already I had a diminished chance of being able to win this thing), and now, due to a combination of exhaustion from my day job, great weather that made me not want to sit inside and write, a bad hangover, and the need/desire to write too many other things (blogs, personal diary), I have only five pages.  Plus a general idea of where it's going... I'm not stuck, just busy.

BUT! I am learning a lot about my writing habits, I know that I still WANT to write this play, and I'm going to keep checking in here for the next two weeks, even though my page count will probably be far below everyone else's.

This last week was stall and spurt. Looking forward to a long plane ride this week which will afford much time for writing.

I'm stuck on the same page. Argh, it's hard doing this as a busy college student but I'm not giving up! I will make more time for this this week!

I will not allow you to do it. You just have to keep writing. You can start out this behind and still make it. Just write what you can. There's still 16 days left.

Also, sleep when you're dead. :)

i like that. It would make a good title for something.

And really, aren't we always halfway to half? Just jump in, my friend. You can do it!

I have an extremely difficult time with time. I had a hard time learning to tell time when I was young. I don't have sense of it. Five minutes could be five hours or days. No idea.

Gosh, camplyobacter! That's NO GOOD. Are you doing better from it? I hope you feel better. It's never good to be sick like that. I hate it.

And 9 pages means you are still in the game. You can still make it. But really, your health should come first!

Our show here is open to previews, so Tech week is ostensibly over, though I still have a lot of set-painting to do. At 8-9 pages, I'm days behind where I need to be, but I should be able to put in the time to catch up this week - tonight, for example, is set aside for writing, so I hope to get heaps done.

If that doesn't happen this week, I confess I might get discouraged enough to throw in the towel. We'll see!

There's nice feeling about being in half. Something has gone and won't come back and something is still ahead, but hasn't reached yet. It's like living in present, between past and future. It sounds intimitating, it sounds inspiring. couraging. In fact to get courage i just have to sign in to naplwrimo, and i feel a lot more couraged to continue. this is what it is about halfs - it's always about continueing.

And don't pity me, but on papers i'm not in half way, i'm in just beginning. But i could still say, to encourage myself, i'm half way to half.

I set out this year to pretend I was in an American time zone as last year I was always posting first, and subsequently felt a little like a nerdy-swat (which I am, but I don't want to feel that way as it really reinforces the Editor).

This means I should be mid-morning Sunday, if I was where ever Toni it is that Toni lives (in the real world I am really at just after 3am Monday).

So anyway, I posting the weekly update early as I need to draw a line under the last two weeks. I've been ill for nearly all that time with campylobacter, which is probably the last excuse I'd recommend anyone persuing to delay writing.

I have 9 pages. And a busy 2 weeks ahead.