So there I was on June 30, 6pm, at the Fringe Club behind Honest Ed’s in downtown Toronto waiting to begin a contest that the Toronto Fringe Festival was running.  The task:  write a play in 24 hours (no longer then 45 minutes) which must include 4 concepts given by the Fringe.  The play had to be handed in by July 1 6pm sharp – no exceptions.

The following were the 4 concepts:
–  T.S. Eliot’s lesser known brother
–  You’re cruisin’ for a bruisin’
–  Jungle Red Lipstick
–  A drunken embalmer

Once the concepts were given, all the writers scattered to their own homes and began writing.  On the subway ride home, my mind was working overtime trying to figure out exactly how I would bring the 4 concepts into one coherent play.  My two biggest worries however were:  Would I be able to stay up?  Would I be able to write straight onto the computer? (given that I write first drafts long hand)

 Once I got home, I did some research, began feverishly writing down a setting and characters and incorporating the 4 concepts.  There is no second guessing.  You just go.  I wrote out in long hand a couple pages of notes and by 10pm I began writing.  Well, I am happy to report that not only did I not fall asleep, I wrote the entire script and finished a rough draft on the computer by 5am in the morning.   I then crashed for a little under 3 hours, and by 8am, I was wide awake and back on the computer. 

 I spent the rest of the day re-working the script and refining the concepts.  I wanted to make sure that the way I incorporated the concepts didn’t feel forced.  By 4:45pm I had the finished script in my hand and I was on my way out the door.  I still felt I wasn’t quite done until the actual play was delivered and out of my hands.  The minute I dropped the script off, this incredible weight literally lifted off my shoulders. 

 I will tell you more about the play once the results of the contest are revealed which will probably happen within the week.  The winner’s script will get a live reading on the last day of the Fringe Festival, July 11.   

 Here’s what I learned during this short but intensely fulfilling journey:

 There is no substitute for adrenaline.  I thought I would not be able to stay up, but I was so intensely focused that sleep was the furthest thought from my mind.  At around 3:30am, I got stuck on a section of the script and for about half an hour, I feared my body would betray me.  But once I was able to get passed this rough patch, I could see the finish line and my focus became even more intense.

 Challenge yourself.   Get out of your comfort zone.  Given how meticulous I am with first drafts, I did not think I would be able to write an entire script on the computer and skip the long hand.  

 Focus.  For me personally, I need to find a way to shut out distractions when I write.  This contest forced me to focus.  Discipline is a key to success.  I know this of course, it’s common sense, but it became crystallized for me after I handed in the script.

 Win or lose – it doesn’t matter.  This was well worth the time spent.  And on top of that, I like the play.  Stay tuned for results…