Ship Notes March 27, 2012

I’ve managed to flex my writing muscle in several ways on different projects, each beneficial in their own way. Twitter, whether you like it or not, features heavily in this flexing. It anchors me down to be as precise and clear cut about what I want to say due to the character restriction. Regardless of content it’s a great way to coerce yourself to be more aware of editing. Plus you can see how other people do it too. It’s not for everyone, but I love it. It’s a case of doing things together, en force.
 

This has hung in my dentist since I can remember. And I've been going to him as long as I can remember.

 

This also ties in neatly with Ship Notes. I approached a good friend and fellow creative, Neil Fox, about embarking on a collaboration. It was decided that we would do this. And then the project came about very organically. Myself and Neil have created a fictional relationship out of post-it notes left for one another on a fictional fridge. We’ve conversed in short pithy and poignant post-it notes for an entire year. The relationship we’ve crafted has had glorious moments of beauty and also shitty pockets of malaise through the text. And nothing has been planned. The only thing we were certain on was the fact each note was going to be written on a post-it note so therefore couldn’t be too long, and that we would do it for a year. No stress on how many we had to do, both Neil and myself are busy folks, just await the email in the inbox and respond when you can. The importance on what we wrote was significant. One moment one would be the crutch, the other the victim of selfishness. It really was quite powerful to experience. And when you read the thread back it kicks you around because they are glimmers of a relationship, part of a bigger picture. Things are mentioned that never resurface, recurring moments weedle their way when you least expect it. And all in all it’s a collage of a relationship that both myself and Neil have collectively and instinctively explored. And wow it’s been a real kick to the gut sometimes. The power of a few sentences or even a few words has really made me hone into the language I use in other areas. It’s made me boil down the essence of my long-winded conversations and made me pin it to the mast to act as someone else’s springboard.
 

Found this and various other cues glued into a book on the shelf in The Arcola.

 
It’s a project that has left me smarting at times and also completely enamoured. Many times I’ve opened the email to find myself breathless at the next chapter or laughing incredulously. It really has felt like a relationship that I’ve been on call for when the email pops up, an emotional rollercoaster in every way. And I cannot wait to show them off, but we’re not ready yet. We have two brilliant photographers, Laura Wood and Ben Woodall, who are embarking on a similar journey using our notes. But when we’re ready, you’ll be the first to know.

 

Collaboration March 19, 2012

I’ve been asked a lot over the last few months about how I can be so busy with different projects. My response is that I actively seek collaborative partners so I keep creatively stimulated. The other major influence for me wanting to delve into the collaborative process with projects like Ship Notes, Simone, Nascent Collage .etc. is because it makes me do work. By including other people you’re actively spurring them on to do work and therefore creating an environment where you too have to respond. In essence you’re not wanting to let anyone down. So you do the work. If only for that reason alone, it makes me work hard. Some people may not like that approach, but it works for me. It keeps it simple transaction.
 

“If you don’t do the work you will let someone down. So do the work.”

 
And voila! I do the work. It actively engages your brain with the notion that if I do A then B happens. It’s something we already know but it’s putting it in a different context. I apply it to all areas of my work. In my own theatre work I’ve gone out of my way to avoid doing what I need to do, we all do it. For me a lot of my work is off my own back which means there are no enforced deadlines or definite productions so I meander through the weeks and come up with excuses. But because I’m juggling different projects it makes me focus in on what I need to do. It crafts its own work schedule.
 

 
Binshit is not a word. But it’s part of the creative process of elimination…
 

“I’ve got to respond to so-and-so’s part of the project and then I want to do some brainstorming on my play, oh and by that time the other so-and-so might have got back to me with their next chunk of the project so I’ll look at that…”

 
Overall it makes me aware I’m generating work for myself. And that’s how it should be. It makes me feel like I’m doing something and keeps me busy. And when I say busy I don’t mean it just in the literal sense, but I mean creatively busy. I’ve been lucky in that so far two collaborative projects have worked so well that the end fruition will be displayed to the public. But that should never be the end goal essentially – if you embark on something only because of the end result you’ve got your perspective all wrong. Fair enough you may have a project you want to release into the world, but the thought has to be put into it otherwise it’s a hollow shell of what it could be. And that ‘thought’ translates as work. It should be an area of your life devoted to keeping yourself creatively fresh and bouncing off ideas with people, helping someone else out of a creative funk and being a support but through your work. The idea should always be, “let’s create an environment where we can fail and it doesn’t matter”. Nothing should be sacred, nothing should be too polished otherwise you’re not really listening to each other. It should be one big experiment, nothing is concrete. Not only will it allow you to explore areas that you might not have pondered on before, but it will also heighten your awareness of working with other people either in the same medium or a different one.
 

I’m not saying that everyone reading this should instantly fire off an email to a whole bunch of people demanding they work on a collaborative project. But I do suggest mulling over if there’s someone you know in a different creative field who might be open to the suggestion of ping-ponging some ideas. You never know where it will lead, but I bet you anything you’ll learn something from it. Whether it’s never to do it again or not is another thing. The absolute worst that could happen is that it doesn’t work for you. It’s just an idea. 

Shifting March 13, 2012

The last couple years I’ve been doing lots of small things, lots of things that have amounted to more things and things that I have been proud of. Things. Yeah, them things. But for the last year I’ve been aching to concentrate on my full length plays because that’s what I’m in this to do, right? Right. I haven’t had time because each year seems to get busier with my career and choices. That’s why I’ve been quiet because I’ve been busy.
 

 

So. I’ve been mulling on this idea since I asked my dad, “if I wrote a play about lorry drivers, would you come to the theatre?” He promptly laughed and said “yeah, I suppose so“. Two years later and I’ve finally got a finished version of the script that I’m happy to send out and for people to read. A former (unfinished and horribly clunky) version of the script, which is called Shifting, has been sent around and got great responses:

  

“This script immediately brings us into a marginal roadside world seldom portrayed on stage and screen. Vivid empathic characters and character-driven dialogue support the script’s ability to mine the drama from seemingly mundane relationships… Overall, I enjoyed this script and the fresh world it portrays.”
Hannah Rodger
New Writing Co-ordinator
BBC Writersroom

  

“A fascinating world drawn with real compassion and wit and humanity.”
Simon Stephens

  

“Interesting ensemble piece exploring the lives of long distance truck drivers and their families. The writer captures wonderfully the colloquial comic and brash language of this world creating a setting populated with interesting and original characters.”
Royal Court
Literary Department

  

“… Here at the National, we don’t normally give formal feedback, but I did want to pass on some thoughts from our readers. We felt Shifting was the most successful, and we enjoyed its sweetness, truthfulness and intimacy…”
Clare Slater
Assistant Literary Manager
National Theatre

 
 
It also placed well in the Verity Bargate Award (4th round) and I can safely say it’s the most epic story I’ve taken on in terms of staging, amount of characters and narrative. But I’m proud of it. I’m tempted to say it’s the best thing I’ve written, but I think every writer says that about the current thing they’re working on. Who cares, I’m chuffed I’ve finished it. And thank you to those who read it and gave feedback, they know who they are.

 

 

Alongside finishing this and starting the turbulent process of sending it out to people, I’ve made a strong mental decision to stick at home and spend less money and more time on writing all the ideas I have. This means not going into London unless I absolutely have to. Which does make me a little sad, but I kind of have no choice. There are books I’ve wanted to read since I can remember, films I’ve not opened for even longer and scripts I want to rework. I’m a funny fucker when it comes to time, mostly because it scares the crap out of me. But also because I always say I’ll do something tomorrow and I never do. And I mean I NEVER do and I hate that. I’ve now made the difficult decision and in the longterm I’m happy, it feels good. This was a different script for me. Each script is challenging me at every turn. If I compare each script I’ve written in the long form they differ drastically and this excites me. I’m constantly challenging myself and letting the story have its way with me and not mangling it to please anyone else. This script I’ve just finished reminded me of why I want to do this. Now I’ve just got to get people to read it.