Wednesday, November 4, 2009

No Mo Scene Change Sweats

I LOVE writing prose fiction!

I've suddenly realised how constrained I usually am when writing plays. Because I also wear a set designer's hat and a fundraiser's hat, I'm always aware of the practical stuff like, how will they do those scene changes so quickly? Can you really have six different locations in such quick succession? I'm always writing for limited characters because otherwise the thing never gets staged, because actor's salaries are the biggest expense. And because I'm usually staging the thing myself, I've learned to be darned careful about those casual ways in which the playwright makes the producer cry with stage directions like a daisy grows up from the ground, or blood starts pouring down the window panes or the city shuffles towards her, you know, that sort of thing.

Oh, I'm rolling in it now. Bring them on, need another character? Go for it! Short choppy scenes that move from city to bush to Yeoville toilet, in and out of time frames, periods and dizzying locations. I haven't done this in ages. I wonder what was stopping me?