Why Me?
Two experiences of the past month have given me pause for thought in what it take to craft a script that hits home. The first was a rejection.
“We noticed a number of recurrent content and themes, which led to a lot of applications that covered similar ideas. We prioritised shows that were able to clearly identify the unique angle from which they were telling a story that may appear to be treading familiar ground.”
Mostly, I have learned to brush rejections aside and press on; they are part and parcel of being a writer. However, there was something in their non-personalised general feedback that stuck with me longer than most. Perhaps in part, because I had not long been staring down the other end of the barrel.
Responding to a call out, in mid-April, me and eight other local theatre people assisted in the programming of SEASONS, Nottingham Playhouse’s new quarterly showcase for Midlands artists.
Sat with Artist Development Producer Beccy D’Souza and eight fellow helpers, there were three questions that formed the foundation of what we were looking for:
WHY NOW?
WHY HERE?
WHY YOU?
As writers, I believe we can become too fixated on the first two of these, whilst avoiding number three. Terrifying, horrible three.
In focusing on “now” and “here”, there are times when I have almost fooled myself into believing I can game the system; that attempting the zeitgeist is enough to make my writing vital, and thus programmable, a winner.
What about you? Have you found yourself with a big, juicy, urgent theme, or an exciting angle on genre, but found Yourself missing from the finished script?
Because regardless of anything else, You, are always really the subject of your script.
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