Working

THE PLAYWRITING SEMINARS > WORKING >

'. . . the work is a good deal more than just consecrating so many hours of the day to sitting at a desk writing words -- it is living in the midst of the artificial world one is creating, and letting no detail of everyday life enter sufficiently into one's mind to become more real than or take precedence over what one is inventing.'

-- Paul Bowles

Creative writing is not what you do after the dishes, walking the dog, feeding the fish, washing the car, and vacuuming the rug for the tenth time. Writing is hard work, so don't fall into the trap of getting all the unimportant things out of the way first so you can concentrate on writing.

Make writing the most important thing you do. And let it come first. The dishes can wait.

Most professional writers treat putting words on paper like a job. They usually set aside at least four prime hours every day and do it. You can take the weekends off, like real people. It's no different from playing tennis or basketball or any other physical skill: the more you do it, the better you get.

Primary Areas of The Working Unit

Advice: What to do with it
Editing: Rebuilding your first draft
Outlining: Pros & mostly cons
Writer's Block & Inspiration: Avoiding one, getting the other
What's Here: A Detailed Guide to This Unit

If you can't find a good local bookstore with a large selection of film and theatre titles, you can order recommended plays, screenplays, videos, and books through the Web without having to do title searches. Look for linked book covers [as above left] or the amazon.com logo throughout The Playwriting Seminars. And the world's leading Internet bookstore can get them to you in a few days.

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