So you finished the first draft, now what?
Today I share some thoughts about where to begin for Draft 2. Because if we jump in and start editing out the weird bits before we sit with what is so uncomfortable about them, and why are we so desperate to tidy them up, we’re going to lose that deeper insight. We won’t discover the gift of understanding the more shadowy depths of this play that could be explored through a second draft process.
I speak about:
The difference between a genuine artistic impulse and our inner editor.
Setting aside the impulse to jump in and start ‘fixing’ things.
Consider what the messy parts of your draft might reveal about the ideas underneath your idea.
Discovering the shadowy parts of your draft that are hiding in the corner or under the bed.
Letting the strangeness feel welcome in your story, even if you’re not totally comfortable with it being there.
How scary it can feel when more and more of our ideas become known to us, and we discover parts of it that make us squirm.
If your first draft isn’t messy, then perhaps you’re hiding your mess from yourself?
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If you’re interested in working with me as your dramaturg then send me an email at emily@emilysheehan.info.
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