A few quotes from writers:

“The biggest thing that separates novice writers from professional writers is that professional writers have learned to forgo the illusion that they’re going to produce imperfect work.” — Larry Gross

“There are a million things that are distracting you and a million excuses and if you want an excuse not to write, you will find it.” — Henry Bean

“I think there’s nothing like a really good story, simply told.” — Andrea Arnold

As I look back at 2013 with the above quotes in mind, I realize the growth I made this year as a writer.

I began the year with re-writes of my play Circus which were put aside until later in the year when I discovered in February that my screenplay, Play Ball won 1^st Runner-Up in the Kairos Prize for Screenwriting.  The trip to Hollywood was an adventure and sitting through the awards ceremony at the Movieguide Awards was a nerve-ranking but great moment in my life.  This was certainly the highlight of the year, however, I have had other creative experiences that have given me encouragement for better things to come.

Play Ball continues to be shopped around to producers.  The hardest thing in this process is waiting for people to get back to you.  But you must be patient, appear eager, but not too eager and in the meantime, keep working at your craft.

When I got back from Hollywood, my script Twig was sent out to various folks for feedback and I finished the 3^rd re-write of my play Circus now called Animal.  Animal had a reading with actors in July and the process proved to me that the play needed more work.  After hearing the actors talk about the script I realized that the story is too big and convoluted.  As Andre Arnold says in the quote above, “there’s nothing like a really good story, simply told”.  I need to look at the play again and somehow simplify the telling of it.  There are too many events, and past history to get through and it becomes hard for an audience to hold the pieces of the story and characters together.

I had to put Animal aside after the summer reading as I was working on my next Christmas production called Heaven & Earth.  I wrote this play during the summer and began rehearsals in September.  My intention was not to act in it, but after circumstances lead one actor to withdraw from the project in October, I ended up taking a lead part in the production.  This was a lot on my plate, but I have to say the experience of acting on the stage again (it had been 2 years), was thoroughly enjoyable.  Heaven & Earth was probably one of the best seasonal productions I have done.

During rehearsals for Heaven & Earth, I got back to my re-write of Twig (I think it’s the 4^th draft).  I really liked the script but I knew that it needed a bit of an overhaul.  I was dreading digging back into it and as Henry Bean says in the quote above, “…if you want an excuse not to write, you will find it”.  So, I put my excuses aside and did the re-write of Twig.  The new draft is far superior to the previous.  Twig is now competing in a couple competitions and I await results.

In December, directly after wrapping up my play Heaven & Earth, I wrote a new screenplay called The Porch.  I entered The Porch in a competition called The Chronos Prize.   I wanted to start writing The Porch back in October and did some brainstorming notes, mapping out the plot and characters, but once I had to cast myself in Heaven & Earth, I had to put The Porch aside.

Now December had arrived and I had very little time to write and polish the script before the deadline.  I set out to write The Porch straight onto the computer.  There was no time to handwrite the script which is what I usually do.   As Larry Gross says in the quote above regarding professional writers, they have to “…forgo the illusion that they’re going to produce imperfect work.”  I did that.  I just kept producing page after page and after several days and many hours, the script was complete and it felt good.  So, I sent The Porch off to The Chronos Prize and we will see in the new year what will become of it.

My writing brings me back to my play Animal and the next draft.  I have begun to simplify the script these last few days.    And that brings me to today.  As I reflect back, I look forward to tomorrow.  Here’s hoping for another creative 2014.