Playwriting (3) Simon Stephens

Who’s in this play, what do they want, what’s stopping them from getting what they want, and what do they do in order to get it, where are they, what are they [rf. The Core Algorithm]? These are as political as cuts to the welfare budget.

Over the next few weeks, I capture episodes of the National Theatre: Playwriting series.  These are instrumental lessons, as I work at my play "The Room."  The above are my notes.
 

Playwriting (2) How to create characters

It isn’t just a matter of reflecting back what actual people say, but also it’s about making things up and taking things to new places.

Over the next few weeks, I capture episodes of the National Theatre: Playwriting series.  These are instrumental lessons, as I work at my play "The Room."  The above are my notes.
 

Playwriting (1) Polly Stenham

Just keep writing to get rid of the awkwardness of it. Get to the end, then start again. Don’t be afraid of the process. It’s like painting, as there’s a mess and a joy to it. Good writers are ruthless, so they don’t get vain. Inspiration, as a backwards explosion (i.e. things get sucked back into it).

Over the next few weeks, I capture episodes of the National Theatre: Playwriting series.  These are instrumental lessons, as I work at my play "The Room."  The above are my notes.
 

"The Pretty One" is a Pretty Romance

I just ran into the tail end of this 2014 film on TV, and while romantic comedy doesn't grab me in general, The Pretty One did.  I didn't even know the title, but I Googled the director Jenée LaMarque and lead actress Zoe Kazan, and easily found it. The final scene with Kazan and Jake Johnson was tender in an unforced, non-melodramatic way.  Still, it was the soundtrack in that scene, plus during the credits that actually grabbed me:

Time, I've been passing, time watching trains go by
All of my life lying on the sand, watching seabirds fly
Wishing there would be someone waiting home for me
Something's telling me it might be you
It's telling me it might be you all of my life

Looking back as lovers go walking past all of my life
Wondering how they met and what makes it last
If I found the place, would I recognize the face?
Something's telling me it might be you
Yeah, it's telling me it might be you

So many quiet walks to take
So many dreams to wake
And we've so much love to make
Oh, I think we've gonna need some time
Maybe all we need is time

And it's telling me it might be you all of my life

I've been saving love songs and lullabies
And there're so much more no one's ever heard before
Something's telling me it might be you
Yeah, it's telling me it must be you
And I'm feeling it'll just be you all of my life

May be it's you
(It's you)
Maybe it's you
(It's you)
I've been waiting for all of my life