Suzanne Bell is Literary Manager and Dramaturg at the Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse. She has worked on a number of award-winning productions of new writing. She has also led writer development workshops at the Royal Court Theatre, Soho Theatre, Live Theatre, Gate Theatre, Manchester Royal Exchange Theatre, various universities and for companies in Brazil, Turkey, Canada and USA.
What Works for You
I want to start this document by stating, categorically, that there is no right way or wrong way to re-drafting, there is only what works for you. Every writer’s process is different and the process of writing each play can be different. American playwright and director Moss Hart said that one never learns how to be a playwright, only how to write one particular play. The next play, no matter how “experienced” the playwright, is something about which he/she knows nothing. He/she cannot know how to write it, has no guidelines, because, before it is written, it has never existed.
Recognising, understanding and communicating your process can be difficult – identifying what helps you and what doesn’t can be hard to articulate, particularly when you are starting to discover your writing. But for people to support you in the development of your work, it is vital that you carefully consider and endeavour to communicate what is useful to you as an individual on your journey with this particular play.
The old adage “95% of writing is re-writing” can be daunting but it can also be exciting, satisfying, exercising, exorcising and surprising. It is interesting that the title “playwright” is not spelt “playwrite” – it derives from the verb “to wrought” – to craft and shape something. So this is your opportunity to craft and shape your work.
Each writer approaches a first draft and subsequent drafts differently. Some writers start writing and let the characters lead the way, taking the twists and turns and not knowing where this may lead them or how the play might end. Their first drafts may be 250 pages – a large block of marble from which they can begin to chip away and find the shape and carve out the play they want to write. Other writers might spend months thinking about their play, shaping it in their heads, asking themselves and their characters questions, focusing on the story and envisaging it on a stage before they even sit down to put pen to paper. Other writers might plan meticulously, creating charts and mood boards, outlining a structure, doing a scene breakdown or beat bullet points, writing back stories for their characters and drawing the audience’s perspective of the opening image so that when they come to write what may be termed the “first draft” really it is something which has already gone through a considered process of shaping and crafting.
So, you see, there is no right way or wrong way. There is only what works for you. What follows are suggestions and thoughts. They are hopefully useful food for thought. Some suggestions might work for you, others might not, but I hope they help to galvanise you into crafting the play that you want to create. Be rigorous, take your work seriously, craft it and strive for it to be the best that it can be. And listen to people and take advice. But, crucially, don’t lose sight of what you are striving to achieve in your work. Because at the end of the day, it is your name on the play, not anyone who may have read and offered their thoughts. You are the author of your work. With that power also comes a great deal of responsibility.
What is it that you are trying to write?
It is important for you to try and pin down why you are writing this play and what you want this play to be so that you can drive its development. If you aren’t clear about this or don’t communicate this, you risk just responding to everyone’s thoughts and notes and taking the play in conflicting directions and consequently ending up with a hybrid mess that will probably satisfy no one, least of all you. If you can be clear about what the aim of your play is, what you are striving to achieve through your play, the goal posts are clear and everyone can work together to help you achieve that goal, rather than taking you in a myriad of different directions. Subsequently any thoughts or comments you receive are aimed and focused on you achieving that goal rather than writing the play they want you to write – after all, the play has your name on it.
So, what is the play about for you? What is your goal in writing this play? What do you want the audience to experience in their journey through your play?
Try to address the following in a focused way that is no longer than one sentence –
• “To write a play one must passionately believe in something that one wants to communicate.” (Willy Russell) What is the play about for you? This is in terms of themes, ideas, what is driving you to write this play.
• “A play produces ideas, ideas do not produce a play.” (Sam Shepard) What is the central question that you are asking the audience, exploring with the audience? You don’t have to answer that question, you don’t have to have all the answers, after all your audience aren’t there for a lecture but to explore the questions of human existence together in a communal experience.
• “Theatre is a place where you come to hear stories that help you make sense of things.” (Philip Ridley) What is the story of your play? Arthur Miller started each play with “this is the story of a person who…” – finish that sentence and see if you know precisely the story you wish to tell your audience.
This can also be about finding what some people refer to as the “deep thread or groove” of your play – the DNA of your play, the very core of your play. It might take a few drafts before you can really visualise and articulate this deep thread but it can make re-drafting joyful and empowering.
Distance Yourself From It
There may come a point in your writing of this play when you feel “blinded” by your play – you can’t see the wood for the trees. You have been so immersed in it for so long, you don’t know whether it works or not and quite frankly you’re sick of the sight of it. Don’t panic! I think everyone goes through this at some point in the development of a script. So now is the time to ignore it. Give yourself time to think about other things in order to achieve more objectivity from your play. The play probably still exists in your mind, you can’t help but think about it as you go about other tasks (both mundane and absorbing) but don’t put pressure on yourself to immediately find and implement all the answers.
I know you’re saying there’s no right or wrong way, but after the rereading, notes, getting others’ perspectives and you start rewriting, are you suggesting rewriting from scratch using the notes and referring to the original? Or rewriting / editing over what you have already written?
Hello,
I think that choice depends on you as a writer – you need to work out which one of these approaches the play needs. Suzanne’s set of exercises should help you to decide what might need to happen to the play and whether you want to re-write as a result or edit and re-draft.
Thanks.