I’ve just finished the first draft of the first, full-length play I’ve written without collaboration in about 4-5 years. The title of the play is “The Secrets of the Magic Pool.” It’s an allegorical tale of good and evil – somewhat inspired by Sondheim’s “Into the Woods.” Well, for the sake of clarity, I was watching “Into the Woods” in the cinema when the idea for a play came upon me. The story is not in anyway related to “Into the Woods,” but stylistically and setting, the story would feel somewhat at home in the Sondheim landscape – minus the music – mine is a stage play. (Though I think it would be fun to turn it into a musical.)

Anyways, the first draft is finished. My overall feeling toward this play is at the moment somewhat underwhelming. It has potential, but has not remotely reached it yet. Honestly, the ending is rushed and uneven at this point. I pushed myself hard yesterday just to get a completed draft, knowing that it would have large gaping holes in it. But for me, getting the story completely fleshed out is important. It gives me the overall structure which will enable me to work on the nuts and bolts.

Here’s how I plan to attack it:

First, do a complete read-through from A-Z and fix glaring mistakes in plot and character.

Second, once that is complete, I going to do a second read-through, looking specifically at language, vocabulary, and word-flow.

Third, I will read-through again, re-evaluating plot and character issues, and doing any major re-writes which need to happen. I also will make sure all scenes are necessary and that the pace of the play meets the demands of the purpose of the play. Dullness not allowed.

Once I reach this point, I will start to polish, further smoothing the dialogue until it really flows. I’ll read it out loud to make sure it sounds good, and that I can imagine the movement on the stage. Will it be interesting and engaging?

Finally, I’ll get some feedback from people I trust to give me unbiased advice about the manuscript.

Then, final edit, formatting, and (if I’m happy with it) publication.

I want this all complete by December so I can order copies for auditions and production starting in January 2016.

Almost there!