One thing a writer should never do – is look back. In the past three months, I’ve found myself looking over old work. Work that has been finished; plays that have been written. This is very unproductive.
Unproductive for many reasons. The most important being that you’ll dig yourself into a trench of inactvity. As a writer, one must learn to ‘shelf’ his work. This is true of many art forms; taking a step backwards, inevitably causes you to dwell on that which you have written whether good or bad.
A number of months ago, I was in conversation with a producer from BBC Radio Scotland, who was very interested in seeing a play of mine transformed into a Radio Drama. As of yet, I still haven’t forwarded the script simply because I haven’t been happy with it. The script in question was a play entitled ‘Æ’, and was written over two years ago.
It’s odd how much you develop as a writer over such a short period as two years. You tend to hone your work. This said, perhaps it is good to read over past work and compare it with that which you are currently producing. It gives you a nice perspective of your progress. Just one word of advice. Read your past work as an ‘outsider’. Alienate yourself from the idea that you are there to edit. Unless of course, you really have to edit.
Having just read through an old script of mine to send to Oran Mor in Glasgow, for their ‘Play, Pie & a Pint’ features – I’ve had to discipline myself NOT to make any changes. It wasn’t easy.
As writers, our scripts; they are our babies. We toil and worry and care for them for so long – but eventually we have to let go. Let them stand alone.
TTFN,
x
