Theatre Arts Archives - Page 2 of 9 - Trisha Sugarek, Author, Playwright & Poet

How to be Certain a Director will NOT choose your Play

Recently I was invited to read and review a new collection of three plays. There was so much WRONG with the formatting and the lack of knowledge by the playwright that I couldn’t review it without tearing it all down and asking the playwright to begin anew. But there evolved a constructive critique that might help other new writers.

Back cover should not be blank with a graphic design. Don’t waste this space.
1. Use this space as an opportunity to grab the buyer/director. List titles and short synopses of your plays. Count gender and following synopsis type this: 1m. 4f. (indicating one male and four females.
2. One line tags
3. A short bio of you

Pg1. First page: Title of play/s
Pg.2: Copyright notice
Pg 3: list of play titles and Pg # they start on.

In the first few pages you should have a Contents (list) with the tile of each play and the page number it begins. Make it as easy as you can for the director to find the play and the list of characters Because this dictates whether the director can use your play or not depending on age of character and gender. Always keep in mind that men are harder to cast.

On whatever page a new play starts it should begin with the title and the list of characters.

Be certain, you as the playwright, understand what constitutes a full length play. a One Act play, and a Ten Minute Play. If your plays are preachy and esoteric it will be a hard sell to a director.

The end of a play is indicated with one word, centered: CURTAIN

‘Black out‘ and ‘End of Scene‘ are no longer used. The director will understand when a new scene begins. The next page demonstrates to the reader that a new scene is beginning. ‘Act’ and ‘Scene’ should be centered.

CHARACTERS names and blocking should be centered on page; NO underline.

If you find yourself writing a soliloquy or a monologue in a scene, break it up by having other characters insert dialogue in your speech. It then becomes less preachy and more dynamic.

Be certain YOU know the difference between a Ten Minute Play, a Full Length play (with two acts) and a One Act Play. The first act in a full length play is longer than the second act. Full length plays are about 100 pages/minutes. And no one ever uses an Act III unless your plays is over two hours or closer to 3 hours long. Also, a no-no. Remember the rule of thumb is one minute per page. This varies based on how ‘busy’ the blocking is as that takes time too. It is permissible that a 10 minute play might go over but never more than 18 to 20 minutes.

The first few pages of the book should be simple and convey the correct information. Keep it simple. The title of your book should be on the 1st page of your book. The next page [on the left] should be your copyright page. On the right should be your table of contents (centered)
Title with page numbers. (justified left)

On the page number of the play, the title should be on the 1st page. (odd numbered page, right side) the next page (odd numbered) should be the list of characters. The blocking and description of how the play should be produced does not need to be too detailed. Remember this is the job of the director to interpret the playwright’s Play.

Examples:
Link, How to Format a play: https://www.writeratplay.com/2018/01/15/how-to-format-your-self-published-stage-play/

When the formatting is not industry-standard, I have seen more than one director throw the book/script into the ’round file’.
Look at other scripts on line for guidance.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My weekly BLOG features INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! November: Ella Quinn, December: Lauren Willig,
January: Madeline Hunter, February: Mike Lupica March: Lee Matthew Goldberg
To receive my weekly posts sign up for my

On the home page, enter your email address. Thanks!

How to Write A Stage Play: Exercise

In this exercise, featured in my Journal, “How To Write a Play’, I have started a play for you to continue writing. It can be a 10
minute play, a full one act play, or a full length play. I have left the story plot ‘threads’ dangling in order for you to choose where the plot goes.
Tip: If you choose to write a longer play you might want to consider writing something in front of these few lines to get more ‘back story’.
Remember the best plays begin, early on, with some tension.

Scene 1 ©

At Rise: A hallway in a high school.

(JASON and ROBIN stand next to some lockers away from the flow of students
hurrying to their classes.)

ROBIN (Hissing.)

You better not hurt my friend.

JASON

What are you talking about?

ROBIN

I know your rep….luv ‘em and leave ‘em.

JASON

Naw. Not me.

ROBIN

Yes, you. Just be careful. Do not start dating Sara, coming on strong like she’s the only girl in the world. Then dumping her.

JASON

I wouldn’t.

ROBIN

You would. I’m just sayin’, if you plan on doing something like that, you’ll have to go through me to get to Sara.

JASON (Smirked.)

What if I’m planning on going through Sara to get to you?

ROBIN

What? You’re crazy.

JASON

That doesn’t answer my question.

ROBIN

You don’t even like me.

(Now try continue writing this play. Make your own choices about where it goes and who does what.)
Want to read more about Playwriting?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My weekly BLOG features INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! October: George Scott, November: Ella Quinn, December: Lauren Willig, January: Madeline Hunter, February: Mike Lupica
To receive my weekly posts sign up for my

On the home page, enter your email address. Thanks!

New Journals ~~ New Instructional Sections

These two new journals are revised. The Creative Writer’s Journal looked a little stale to me (its author) so I added more pages, more quotes, and more writing tips. Over 300 lined, blank pages for your ideas, writing, and thoughts. I hope you enjoy !

www.amazon.com/Revised/2020

www.amazon.com/Journal/Boys/Men

A Slice of Time….How to Write a Ten Minute Play

I always see the script (for a 10 minute play) as a slice of time. ‘I Can’t Breathe’ was a slice of time before the event that prompted me writing the play. ‘Parkland Requiem’ was during the event, that is the massacre that happened at Parkland’s high school. We all know what happened immediately after the shooting and not much before the shooting other than it was a normal day of families getting ready for the day and hopeful young people hurrying off to school.

For me, the writer, it’s like walking into a room where people are having a conversation (without you) and you are plunged into the story from there.

None of the rules of writing change when writing a ten minute play, just because it’s short. You must still have a beginning, an arc, and an ending(of sorts). You have to introduce the characters through dialogue quickly and concisely. You must attract the empathy of the audience with record speed. Remember, you only have ten minutes.

How do I know when I have ten minutes? Here’s some tips: The typical rule is a page equals one minute. If a page is heavy with blocking, (movement) it will usually go longer than a minute. If you have a page that is solid with dialogue and movement you can rely on the 1 page = 1 minute. And leave lots of white space; an actor will need some space to write in blocking, from the director, and notes while in rehearsal.

Check out my many “Motivational Moments for Writers” in past posts.
Want to try your hand at writing a ten minute play? This journal is a great place to start.
Want to see more of my ten minute plays? Click here

Do you need help Formatting a Novel?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My weekly BLOG features INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! May: Joram Piatigorsky, June: Mike Maden writing for TOM CLANCY. July: Guest Blogger Desiree Villena, August: Carolyn Brown
To receive my posts sign up for my

On the home page, enter your email address. Thanks!

New Short Play, I Can’t Breathe, for Teens

AVAILABLE NOW!
I Can’t Breathe ©

I have just completed writing a new, ten minute play for the classroom and teens about the protests in our streets and the murder of George Floyd.

Synopsis: Jorge, a young black man is asked to teach a social studies class by his teacher. What it’s like to live the black experience. Only to become a victim, himself, later that same day. Driving home from school he is stopped by cops for a traffic infraction. It quickly turns deadly.

Sample:

At Rise: The interior of a car.

(JORGE is driving HIS small SUV down a neighborhood street, at a reasonable speed. Blue lights erupt in HIS rearview mirror.)

JORGE

Oh crap. (He talks to himself.) I wasn’t speeding….was I?

(JORGE pulls over and watches in HIS side mirror as a white COP walks from HIS squad car towards JORGE’s car. JORGE starts reciting everything his mom told him to do in case HE’s pulled over.)

JORGE

Be polite. ‘Yes, sir’, ‘No, sir’. Don’t argue, don’t resist. Be polite whatever happens.

(The COP arrives at the driver’s side window. HE taps on the closed window.)

JORGE (Rolling down the window.)

Good afternoon, Officer.

COP

Reason why you didn’t stop when I lit you up?

JORGE

I did….sorry, sir. No reason, sir.

COP
License, registration, proof of insurance. Who’s the vehicle belong to?

JORGE
(Scrambling to get the documents out of the glove box.)

My mom, sir.

COP

What are ya?⸺a wise ass⸺with all the ‘sirs’?

JORGE

No, s….no, officer. I’m not.

COP
(Grabbing the door handle. It is locked.)

Step outta the car.

JORGE
(Getting scared. Forgetting everything HIS mom ever told HIM.)

Why?

COP

Unlock the door and step out…NOW!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Available at Amazon.com and all other fine book stores. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My weekly BLOG features INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS!
To receive my posts sign up for my

On the home page, enter your email address. Thanks!

Self-Isolated. What Do You Do with All this Time?

First of all…how are you all doing? I’m thinking of my readers during this terrible, scary time. The safest thing for you all to do is self-isolate. That’s what I’m doing….I’ve been in my house for three weeks, seeing no one, going nowhere. My groceries are delivered…I spray them down before I touch them or put them away.

FACT: Refrigeration doesn’t kill the virus. Did you know the coronavirus can live in your freezer for two years?

What can you do with all of this time that you suddenly have? Maybe start to write that short play or story that you have rattling around in your head. Now you have the time and quiet to begin writing. Or perhaps you received a journal, as a gift, and never started writing in it.
Here are some fun (and helpful, I hope) tips on how to BEGIN.

How To Write A Short Play.
Picture walking into a room with three to five people. They are talking and you are walking into the middle of that conversation. That’s how you write a ten minute play or a short play. You should know these people, how they express themselves, what they’re passionate about.
Example:

GWEN (Whispers.) ©
Here she comes now.

SUE
Look at her…she’s so stuck up.

GWEN
Who does she think she is?

SUE (Sarcastic.)
Big shot on campus…just because she was first draft at the cheerleading try-outs. I heard she was on the competition team at her last school. Took state.

GWEN
That’s just a rumor. I personally don’t think she’s all that good.

(BRIDGETTE has gotten close enough to the girls to smile. HER smile dies when SHE realizes that THEY are talking about HER. SHE averts her head and walks on by. The GIRLS whisper just loud enough to be heard.)

SUE
Ice Queen!

GWEN
Like, so cold. The blond ice berg.

SUE
Look at her….she thinks she’s all that.

(Now. For this exercise, you, the writer, are Amanda. You walk into the middle of a conversation.)

AMANDA (Entering.)
Hi. What’re you talking about?

SUE
That new girl…Bridgette. She’s so stuck-up.

GWEN
So stuck up, I can’t believe it. She’s not even pretty.

AMANDA
Well, I wouldn’t say…

SUE (Cutting her off.)
You know, Debbie lost her spot on the team because of that (Aiming the word at Bridgette.) beee-ach!

GWEN (Slightly shocked)
Sue!

SUE
Well, she did. And Debbie’s my friend and I don’t appreciate someone nobody even knows, ruining Debbie’s chances to cheer this year.

(BRIDGETTE continues past, and at a
fast walk, exits. The GIRLS’ voices follow HER.)

GWEN
She’s got no friends.

SUE
Well, duh, she’s stuck up. Doesn’t talk to anyone.

AMANDA
I’ve talked to….

GWEN (Interrupting.)
Just ‘cause she’s tall and blond and skinny doesn’t give her the right to look down on all of us.

SUE
Yeah, who does she think she is anyway?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I can almost promise you that your characters and their dialogue will sweep you down the river of words. It happens to me all the time. Your ten minute play can go over (12-15 minutes) without much complaint from anyone. You must have an arch and a resolution even though it’s very short. If you find you cannot do this you can create a one act play. About 40 pages. This excerpt is from a best selling (ten minute) play of mine titled Mean Girls. The play is basically about a form of bullying. The arch occurs when the mean girls allow Bridgette a chance to join them. The resolution (and end) is they find that Bridgette is not stuck up at all but just very, very shy.

Tune in for more about writing short stories, journaling and being creative during this stressful time. Tuesday I’ll blog about writing a short story and Thursday I’ll write about journaling.
Note: I apologize. Word Press doesn’t always hold my formatting. I’m looking into it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MY BLOG features INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! December: Dervla McTiernan – January: David Poyer, March: Olivia Hawker, April: Dan Sofer
To receive my posts sign up for my

On the home page, enter your email address. Thanks!

Celebrating Black History Month!

A Tribute to Billie Holiday, in celebration of Black History Month. It’s always a joy to hear Billie’s music again.

“Scent of Magnolia” by Trisha Sugarek.……’tells the story of a young woman who rose above poverty, rape, bigotry, prostitution and imprisonment to become one of the most memorable and celebrated artists of the twentieth century. The one woman show portrays the life of a black jazz singer in America during the 30’s. The script does not dwell on the sensationalism of her addiction to alcohol and drugs but chooses, rather, to celebrate the whole woman and her music.

Billie tells not only her story, but our nation’s story. She interjects her tale with her most famous music as well as some of her more obscure songs. In her own words, she talks about her struggle to succeed in spite of the segregation of that time and the difficulties she experienced singing with the great bands, most of which were white musicians. Without self-pity , she talks about the

(Note: Original song written by Gary Swindell, for this stage play.) daily slings and arrows that are a part of bigotry. Billie takes complete responsibility for her life, her choices, and her actions. Her triumph was her music and her songs that will live on forever.’

Billie Holiday, jazz, stage play, one act play, — Latrelle Bright as Billie – 2004

…….Ben Rafuse as the ‘piano man’

We have much to celebrate this year with people of color serving our country in the military abroad, serving the community and nation in the political arena. The many musicians who gave ‘birth to the blues’.

The giants and philosophers, playwrights and politicians…..

It’s taken us over eighty years to evolve to this point, since Billie Holiday struggled as a black woman to survive in this country. …….we still have a way to go but we, as a nation, have much to be proud of. Did you miss the post about Savannah’s black orphan kids?

(Hank Aaron, Kamala Harris, Corey Booker,

Tennessee Williams, Walter Mosley,Martin Luther King, Jr., Spike Lee, James Baldwin, ) and thousands of others who fill our world and our history.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Start your month off right!! DON’T MISS UPCOMING BLOGS. “The Writer’s Corner” INTERVIEWS with other best-selling AUTHORS! March: Olivia Hawker, April: Dan Sofer

So come along with me; we shall sneak into these writers’ special places, be a fly on the wall and watch them create!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To receive my posts sign up for my Go to the home page; On the right side you’ll see a box where you can enter your email address. Click on “join my blog”. You need to confirm in an email from ‘Writer at Play’ . Thanks!

How To Write a Play~~Plot, Pro/Antagonist, Conflict

Whether you are a reader or a writer you love a little conflict and a few antagonists in any plot. So to the writers of stage plays.…

It is a challenge to write conflict with dialogue only. There is no description (like fiction) where you can tell the reader how angry and against something your antagonist is. Granted you have the characters right there to tell the story with their body language but….

I am going to use examples from my most recent play. A children’s play but the rules still apply and are not less challenging because it’s a kids’ play.

Sub-PLOT: The sooner the plot is revealed the better. If you haven’t engaged the audience in the first three minutes, you don’t have a very good plot. In Emma and the Aardvarks the plot begins on the first page of script. Two Aardvarks, sisters, tumble out of a Time Portal and into the fabled forest. In minutes the occupants of the forest discover them and the audience discovers the protagonists and antagonists.

Example: (Plot)

AGNES ©
(Gazing up into the trees, HER nose switching as fast as possible.)

I think we’re lost, dear sister. This doesn’t look anything like the pictures of Australia in our book.

ANNIE
(Frowning.)

Oh, dear, I’m quite afraid.

STARE (Owl)

Whooo?

                                                            ANNIE
                                                (ANNIE runs over to AGNES.)

Ekk. What was that?
                                                            STARE

Who?

AGNES

What?

ANNIE

That.
AGNES

Not certain. But keep a look out anyway.

ANNIE

I don’t like this place, Agnes.

AGNES

You’re such a scaredy-cat, Annie. It’s a simple forest, much like the jungles of home.

(DONALD, a fairie, enters.)

DONALD

Don’t go. I mean you no harm.

(With the dialogue, we’ve told the audience that the two sisters are in the forest by accident. That their destination had been Australia. They meet their first friend (protagonist).

ANTAGONISTS: We’ll return to the plot later but let’s go on…Enter the first antagonist. This character is very selfish and immediately is suspicious of the two newcomers.

Example: (Antagonist)

PATSY (Banana Spider)
(Knitting her web very fast.)

Eye–eee! Por favor, who are these ugly newcomers? Dios mío, ¿se comerán mis insectos? The bugs are for me and me alone!

DONALD

Patsy, where are your manners? Everyone is welcome in the fabled forest, as long as they come in peace.

PATSY

Dios mio, how do we know they come in peace, pequeño? Se ven como bandidos!

Another Protagonist enters:

EMMA

Please join us. (Turning to Donald.) Donald introduce us immediately.

DONALD

Miss Agnes, Miss Annie, this is my friend, Emma.

EMMA

Oh! You are so cute. It’s nice to meet new friends. And such pretty hats. May I? (EMMA reached up and adjusted the frothy thing atop AGNES’ head that had been knocked askew in the mad dash into the forest.) You’re the shy young lady, aren’t you? May I adjust your hat, Miss Annie? There! All fixed. May I ask? What species are you?

PLOT: After a few main characters are established, we return to the main Plot, (all told through dialogue) which is about global warming and endangered species.

Example (Plot):

EMMA

Miss Agnes, why were you going to Australia?

AGNES

Back home, in Africa, we are losing our habitat to humans, farms, and roads.

ANNIE

It’s terrible. There aren’t very many of us aardvarks left, you know.

CHEETS

What does that mean? ‘Not many of you left’?

AGNES

We’re being killed off.

EMMA

Oh no! But you’re so cute. And if you’re insectivores, you help keep the natural world balanced.

AGNES

One would think so. (Beat.) So when our habitat goes, we go. We are threatened.

DONALD

We must do something!

ANTAGONIST & Protagonists: The Plot thickens when you have more than one antagonist. And when you can, more than one protagonist.

Example (Antagonist and Protagonists.):

CHEETS

I don’t like them. Nope. Don’t like the look of them and they smell funny.

STARE

Who?

CHEETS

Those two⸺whad-ya-call-ems.

EMMA

Aardvarks.

CHEETS

Yeah⸺them.

EMMA

Cheets, that’s unkind. You know nothing of Annie and Agnes. They seem perfectly fine to me. In fact, I think they’re cute.

STARE

Who?

THOMAS

Quiet, Stare. Those two ladies are my friends from the Dark Continent. As for you, you⸺you scurvy young scallywag you keep yer opinions to yerself.

CHEETS

But what if they eat someone we know?

EMMA

Cheets, that’s silly. Do you know any ants? Beetles? Termites on a personal basis?

CHEETS

Noooo⸺but I might meet some.

EMMA

Yes, Cheets, you’re judging these newcomers and deciding you don’t like them based on⸺what? Nothing.

THOMAS

They’ve had a rough go. The place they lived is no more. The picaroons have burned it, then planted it. Some of their family and friends have been killed.

CHEETS

Don’t care. Still don’t like ‘em. Who ever heard of aardvarks, anyway?

CONFLICT: 5 Ways to Create Conflict in Your Story:
Give your characters clear goals.
Go big, go small.
Let your characters fail.
4. Make your characters opinionated.
Use exposition to your advantage.

The Time Portal is malfunctioning. Some of the occupants of the forest are welcoming, some are suspicious and angry.

Example: EMMA

He’s very excitable, Miss Agnes. Are you really from Africa?

ANNIE
(Cuddling close to EMMA’s side.)

Yes, Miss Emma, we were going on vacation and then this⸺happened.

EMMA

Oh, dear, I’m sorry.

AGNES

Yes, our travel agent, Time Portal for All Your Vacation Needs, was supposed to send us to Australia. We have distant relatives there. Something must have gone wrong. Someone at the agency pushed the wrong button.

ANNIE

Where are we, exactly?

CHEETS
(Poking HIS head out of the bushes.)

You’re in the Fabled Forest. Don’t you know anything?

AGNES

Who raised you? Dogs? (Beat.) No, not dogs, they are strict with their children. Hyenas, perhaps? Yes, hyenas, our arch enemies.

More CONFLICT:
Example:

EMMA
(Steps forward.)

Welcome to our forest. I am Emma and these are my friends. Where did you come from?

STARE

Who?

AGNES
(Sneering.)

Emma, you don’t want to be friends with them. After all they’re just dogs.

Resolution of CONFLICT: The royal engineer enters. Sent to repair the Time Portal so the Aardvarks can be on their way.

Example:

CHEETS
(Jumping up and down.)

The Queen! The Queen! The Queen Cometh!

FERGUS
(Looking around.)

No. I don’t think so. It’s just me and my toolbox.

EMMA

Why have you been sent to us, Mr. Fergus?

FERGUS

It’s just Fergus, Miss. Or in more formal settings, Sir Fergus.

DONALD

And you’re here because⸺?

FERGUS

To repair your portal⸺time machine⸺of course. It is broken, isn’t it?

DONALD

Our portal?

CHEETS
(Whispers in awe.)

We have a portal?

EMMA

And the Queen knew ours is broken?

CHEETS

What’s a portal?

FERGUS

Yes. Yes. Indubitably. If you’ll just show me the way, I’ll begin my work.

EMMA
I’m afraid we have no idea where it might be in the forest. Until the sisters arrived we didn’t know anything about a portal. They arrived from Africa.

More CONFLICT: More animals arrive through the Portal. This results in more conflict.

Example:

EMMA
(Steps forward.)

Welcome to our forest. I am Emma and these are my friends. Where did you come from?

STARE

Who?

AGNES

Emma, you don’t want to be friends with them. After all they’re just dogs.

FERGUS

Blimey. Someone’s coming.

(Out of the entrance to the Portal tumble dog-like CREATURES. The five PUPPIES yip and howl as they tumble to the forest floor.)

MIC
(Howling.)

Moommmyy! What’s happening?

SERENGETI
(Howling louder.)

Moommmyy! I’m a-scarrr-eeddd.

STARE
(Trying to join the howling.)

Whooooooooooooo?

(Two adult DOGS enter from the Portal mouth.)

MRS. MOSEYALONG
Tentatively wagging HER tail.)

It’s all right, children. We’re safe.

JAX

Stop being such a baby, Serengeti.

SERENGETI
(Cowering near HER mother’s legs.)

I’m not.
JAX

Are too.

MR. MOSEYALONG

Quiet now, children.

SERENGETI

Yes, Papa.

MIC

Where are we, Papa?

MR. MOSEYALONG

I’m not certain just yet⸺but I intend to find out! Yip, Yip, yowwww.

MRS. MOSEYALONG

Goodness, who might you all be?

ROGER
(Whining.)

Mama, who are they? Will they hurt us?

ZEKE
(Yipping and howling.)

I want to go home.

CHEETS
(Pointing at the dogs.)

Look! Our forest is turning into a jungle of expired animals!

Remember, dialog is simply conversation between your characters. In your story, imagine what your characters would say to each other in a conversation. The more conflict you create in your story, the richer the story will be. Be aware of ‘loose ends’ when you solve the conflict.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MY BLOG features INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! December: Dervla McTiernan
To receive my posts sign up for my

On the home page, enter your email address. Thanks!

A NEW Children’s Play~~Book Give-a-Way

CLIMATE CHANGE. ENDANGERED SPECIES have all come to the Fabled forest. In this sixth script in the series, Emma, Donald, Thomas, Cheets and Stare all return (to the story) to meet their visitors and try to help them.

~~THE FIRST THREE DIRECTORS/TEACHERS THAT CONTACT ME WILL RECEIVE A FREE COPY OF THE NEW SCRIPT.

Synopsis:

This is a fable about climate change and endangered creatures. Two sisters Aardvarks arrive in the Fabled Forest by accident. Their travel agent, Time Portals to Your Next Adventure, malfunctions and instead of Australia, they are plopped down in Cheets’ clearing in the forest. Here they meet Donald, the fairie, Cheets, the elf, Emma, the farm-girl and all the creatures that inhabit the fabled, mystical forest. Agnes and Annie are so ugly they’re cute. With their jaunty hats atop their weird heads, with their rabbit-like ears and short elephant type snouts, Emma and Donald are entranced. They set about helping the two aardvarks to complete their trip to Australia while helping other endangered species.

The Aardvarks and the Painted Wild Dogs are endangered species and it is a dangerous lifestyle. In this fable children learn more about climate change wiping out habitat and about other endangered species and how we humans can protect them.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Emma ~~ A young earthling girl
Stare ~~ A rhetorical owl
Donald ~~ A young fairie

Cheets ~~ a rambunctious elf
Patsy ~~ A large banana spider
Agnes & Annie ~~ the sister Aardvarks

Thomas ~~ the sea-faring sea turtle
Bertie, the bookworm ~~ the resident reading teacher

Fergus ~~ The royal engineer

Mr. Moseyalong ~~ Papa of the Painted Dogs
Mrs. Moseyalong ~~ Mama
Mic, Jax, Roger, Zeke and Serengeti ~~ the Puppies

No child need be turned away, there can be non-speaking roles as forest creatures and fairies.

TS. “We created a book cover representing the future time when our planet dies and everything is black and white. With a spot of color called hope.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MY BLOG features INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! December: Dervla McTiernan – January: David Poyer
To receive my posts sign up for my

On the home page, enter your email address. Thanks!

Interview with Author, Kristina McMorris

TS. Kristina was inspired to write by the newspaper photo shown below. I was inspired by the beautiful cover of Sold on a Monday to buy the book and subsequently interview her. Kristina McMorris is an acclaimed author of two novellas and five historical novels, including Sold on a Monday, which is now celebrating five months on the New York Times and USA Today bestsellers lists. Initially inspired by her grandparents’ WWII courtship letters, her works of fiction have garnered more than twenty national literary awards. Prior to her writing career, she owned a wedding- and event-planning company until she had far surpassed her limit of YMCA- and chicken dances. She lives in Oregon with her husband and their two sons, ages thirteen and fifteen going on forty.

Q. Where do you write? Do you have a special room, shed, barn, special space for your writing? Or tell us about your ‘dream’ work space.

KM. Something that’s probably unique about my writing space is that, although it’s always located somewhere in my house, the specific spot changes with every book I write. By the time I spend a year or more working on a manuscript, I’m so tired of sitting in the same place day after day (my rocking chair, office desk, kitchen table, living room couch, etc) that I have to switch it up for the next book. I often joke that after a few more books, we’ll have to move to a new house because I’ll have run out of fresh spots for writing!

Q. Do you have any special rituals or quirks when you sit down to write? (a neat work space, sharpened #2 pencils, legal pad, cup of tea, glass of brandy, favorite pajamas, etc.)

KM. As a recovering event planner, I still absolutely have to have a clean work space. A large tumbler of decaf tea is a must (admittedly with an embarrassing amount of vanilla creamer) and fuzzy socks are the norm.

Q. Could you tell us something about yourself that we might not already know?

KM. I was fortunate enough to spend an entire college year living in Florence, Italy, an incredible experience that taught me an enormous amount about pasta and wine and, best of all, tiramisu. Ha. Seriously, though, I learned so many important life lessons there, and now even enjoy weaving Italian characters into my stories.

Q. Do you have a set time each day (or night) to write?

KM. That’s an easy one to answer: school hours. The clock starts when the kids get on the bus and stops when they come charging back through the door full of stories from their day!

Q. What’s your best advice to other writers for overcoming procrastination?

KM. Unplug from the Internet. (It’s hard, I know!) Take a walk, think about where the story is going, write the next scene by hand if needed (in other words, change things up), and sit down in the chair and just write.

Q. Where/when do you first discover your characters?

KM. A nugget of a premise always comes to me first, then I start to imagine who landed in that situation. I figure out how they got there by backtracking and digging deeper into their lives until I finally understand who the characters are at their core.

Q. What first inspired you to write?

KM. About a dozen years ago, I was creating a homemade cookbook featuring my grandmother’s recipes, meant as a Christmas gift for the grandkids. When I interviewed her for the biographical section, she shared that she and my late grandfather had dated only twice during WWII, fell in love through an ongoing letter exchange, and were married for fifty years until he passed away. Then she said, “Would you like to see the letters?” After spending an afternoon poring over those beautiful wrinkled pages, I envisioned a Cyrano de Bergerac-type story set during WWII, which ultimately became my debut novel, Letters from Home—and the course of my career at that point completely changed.

Q. Do you ‘get lost’ in your writing?

Review of Sold on a Monday

Don’t miss Part II of this Interview next week.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MY BLOG features INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! July — Catherine Ryan Hyde. August: My interview with Susan Wiggs September: Alan Foster (sci-fi) and October: Kristina McMorris

To receive my posts sign up for my

On the home page, enter your email address. Thanks!

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: