 Please tweet in your questions about your work in your creative process and we're gonna be telling you where or what Okay, so if you want to tweet in questions as we're doing this comments concerns or if you want to Watch me live tweet. What's going on? It is the Twitter handle is watch me work SLP if you want to send in questions It's hashtag new play our hashtag watch me work. So I'll see you on there You're so cool Anyway, okay, okay no more fun Serious, I'm gonna put on my serious face I Have an actual timer Not my phone I bring prop. I mean I have like things but actually maybe I can find it Great, what did I say? This is the kind that doesn't distract. Okay This is all part of it actually Watch me get ready to work So we know why this show was started right it was started because a lot of people wonder what is it like To be a writer and I've learned a lot from writing by I learned a lot from other in other discipline by watching people work Like if you want to become a better tennis player you practice and you go and watch You know Serena play tennis for example, and so this is actually a proven thing I'm not just making it up and talking out of my ass, but and So I thought well we should do the same thing for writers instead of just experiencing our work Having work watch me watch what I've done recently Read my book or whatever To actually watch us do this and the other thing about this show is the me in the title is you That's the guy you ready you ready Brittany so ready like texting Okay, you should not drive it. Okay. Here we go ready He sleeps in his bed, I looked up I looked up on my thanks Lynn for them Yesterday's history tomorrow So that's the lesson for today. No, so who has questions about Their work and their creative process and the panel Look at me like oh my god And you have to remind me of them one more time that I'll remember Shamar Shamar is one of my students at NYU So what's your name Wow But Emily you have a question Yeah Okay, so Emily's asking a question we're just repeating the questions for the sound Emily's have a question about action identifying action and in my own writing Okay, great, what do I need to know about event before I can write first I need to know what you're talking about What do I need to know? No, no, it's okay, but it's not because you're asking it the wrong way I just I'm not familiar with the term when it's used that way. What do I need to know about event? Like what do I need to know about what's going on in the play? Like what's the story Like that kind of like so I'm guessing the Emily that you have some care like say you're writing a play So that your You have some characters maybe And they okay You know kind of where they're hanging out maybe And you're wondering, but what are they doing? Or what story are they telling? I'm guess I'm trying to get to what you were talking about But this is exactly all we're doing is wasting time. This is what we do. We get together And we waste time together This is what you know, you're right as my teacher used to say shake your head this way I just give in to it let allow gravity and your you know Resistance of gravity take over just your writer You are you're sitting here come this far your writer Okay, so a bit you mean by like you got some great characters. You're wondering what's the story? What's it about like that? So I I find event By Asking myself what are the characters want? What do they want more than anything else in the whole world? Does that make sense? Can you ask yourself that about your wonderful characters that you have created? Ask that about your characters Does that make sense? And can you see yourself answering that question if you haven't already been saved? Yeah, I mean it's because if I say like the characters isn't their parts What does she want more than anything else in the world? Oh my gosh, she wants to cross the room to get to Emily So what's the event of the play gonna be I struggle to cross the room to get to Emily. Yeah, you see how it kind of works That's how I do You know they want to get to Moscow Right, that's all You know, so we see them struggling trying to get to Moscow how successful they are, you know, they don't make it They make it whatever that's the story That is I hope that's what I asked why I base it in character instead of like theme like I want to talk about freedom I Never that would never help me or slavery You know what I mean? You know what I mean, but what is this person? What does this woman want more than anything else in the world? What is she doing to get it? Then you have a series of events and you can do that with every single character That's what I do Anybody else Alexis you've been here before yes It was your birthday on Monday Yay for your mom So Alexis, so what's your question right my favorite way to work with time In a story my favorite way to work with time in a story and Say, you know, I'm just I'm boring. I'm like I'm just telling the story. What's the story? Well, the characters want to go Pizza Hut And so they walk down the street. I mean it's boring. I tell you know, but it's very simple So I try to keep it simple and if yeah, right if suddenly they like Themselves in space time continuum where you know, they're rocking it through the universe. Okay, that's yeah, I don't know what you mean Maybe jump out of time like actually like jump time like they do in like jazz or blues like actual like That's not it that's still in time but Or do you mean like mix sort of time period like you mean mixed up like, okay, like see People in 1860 you start to speak in a way that doesn't sound like 1860 I just again, so I think I know what I do like I said with Emily and Emily Dickinson Tell all the truth but tell it slant success in circuit lies I really do so I just try to tell the story as simply as possible and sometimes the most basic way to tell a story is to You know do it like an Ornette Coleman jazz solo Because that's the story that you're trying to tell so I don't set out to be you know a person who's doing cool things with time But I'm just trying to tell the story as truthfully as possible and oftentimes that means So I would just say just stick to basic your basic story telling Included don't push it out and say that doesn't belong here included because it is probably part of the story Okay, just like the past as part of this moment and we're thinking about the future and all that's happening at once You know people like Virginia will know it's it's a practice. It's people have been doing this for many many of years In and out of time periods Alexis I'm talking about right You guys ask the best best question so Lynn is now acting in a play Which is giving you a lot of joy and yeah, and but because she's been working real hard in this other process actor Now it's time. She hasn't been doing as much writing as she usually does and now it's time She's like, okay, now I'm ready to start writing again. How do I begin again? That's such a great question because we're always beginning again I mean whether you write if you even if you write every day you're always or practice your instrument Whatever every day right you're always beginning again It's always the morning when you have to pick up the guitar or sit at the computer or take out your quill pen or whatever you write And start again, right? So how do you begin again? I would say Gently Start with something that you feel Happy to be working on you know, it's no good if you start on something Oh god, I hate working on this, you know, I was I have the same question about my work because I have some guitar Stuff stuff. I have to learn and I haven't had a lot of time and I have to get to it so maybe think of different ways to get back into it like Maybe just is it a play? Do you want to get started on again? Yeah, or whatever it is. It's a play novel movie. Whatever. Yeah, so maybe write a Very brief synopsis of the play down on an index card and carry it around in your bag and Maybe do you ride the subway? Maybe when you're sitting on the subway just read the card over and over You know, that's like a warm-up thing. Maybe when you walk it down the street Just tell yourself the story over and over and over this can also work Emily for What is the story? You can say what is the story? Well, the story is about Jane and she what does she want what she want you're walking down the street I mean, you don't have to talk with your to yourself with your mouth moving unless of course you want to put on your you have those Things and then you can pretend you're talking to someone which is great now. I talk to myself all the time But I'm talking to myself so you can do that you can walk down the street Okay, what's the story? What's the story right? We just repeat this is a story about this this this And then in the end this happens, you know, so you can do that. So that's gently right and then set yourself Get back into your writing my time. Yeah gently though 15 minutes Maybe and if you're excited, you know 15 minutes more than once a day But in the beginning maybe only 15 minutes a day it goes off. Yeah, I've done my bit. I can go and do whatever I want That makes sense. Yeah, so very gently so we find different ways to approach Get back in instead of just now. I'm gonna like five hours. I guess go Why do I hate this? Really, I mean this is what we say and we're all saying it I can hear your voices it all day guys of artists all over the world But that's why you know Yeah, thank you. That was a great great question. Thank you Yeah, who's on Twitter into her face or whatever it's called So And asked If you are stuck That's great Alicia Nash, does she say where she is where she's from? She's from somewhere wonderful. Thank you for it for you are. Oh, yeah, I see But that's a great question that Alicia Alicia Alicia is asking That when we're stuck What do we do when we're stuck and what are some strategies to getting unstuck and is it helpful to? She said look at the structure Similar to what you want your own stuff to be Yeah, and it's really Alicia. It's a feel thing so when you're stuck. I'm guessing we feel Well, how might we feel when we're stuck? Can you say constipated? That's exactly what I was thinking right and how does that feels anybody ever been constipated? Yes, you've been constipated right and I yeah, I mean it happens I mean, you know it happens it happens and it's like because I mean, but literally you're full of shit Right, you're from the shit and it's like oh man. You kind of can't you know, yeah, it's hard to move Right, so it's important to keep your Keep monitoring how you feel Because there are lots of ways to get unstuck, but we want to think of things that are gonna feel good for you So it's a great strategy to look at someone else's work, but sometimes you look at someone else's work And you feel Because look she did it and I can't and you feel worse so stop looking at somebody else's work. Okay, okay? So we've got to do things that make you feel I would say again write down a Description of your play on a little index card and carried around with you as you walk around town You live in New York City as you walk around town or ride the subway repeat your story to yourself Okay Also people talk about affirmation. So anybody ever heard of that, you know, so you write in your notebook. I Love my play and I'm having fun writing it. I know it's funny. I knew you would lie I knew you would laugh, but it's have you done it. Have you ever done it before you and this like this Right and this laughter you have it's like this tightness in you that that put that You know pushes against Do it try it you Try it try it try because what we want to get is a softening to go back to the stools Analogy because that's what they do give you. I heard you know, you see other commercial TV stools softening A softener a Relaxative a relaxative and a softener and because there is a tightness and a constriction in you Because you're stuck. Sometimes you got to tell you some things just take time. Okay, things just take time But while they're taking their time Do things that are loving and comforting to you to you So I would say if you want to know the people's work if that helps Maybe go to see other people's plays if it helps if it doesn't don't Say I'm gonna leave it alone for one whole day And then come back to it also in my notebook is what I do. I write down reasons why I love my play. I love my play because I Love my play because it talks about whatever characters that that I love. There's a Character in there that I adore things like that, right? Reasons why I can see myself writing my play and I'm having a lot of fun doing it the idea is to hypnotize yourself Into a mindset where you are free This works for life, too. You want to hit much any it works for anything pretty much you want to hit you want to Regroup your brain You're grooving your brain now. It is something that's causing you to be stuck What we want to do is help you regroup your brain so that the messages the recurring messages you're hearing from yourself are messages of encouragement and positive messages It's like a record Thank you, my student from NYU. Yes, ma'am. Yeah Yeah, right When it's when you're Shamar is asking, how do we know when we're done? We're writing a play or a novel or story whatever and you do you feel like you've gotten to the end or you're not feeling like it's the end? Right, okay Well, it's like dating, isn't it? Or marriage, you know or you know anything like the moment, you know, this is all I'm done. I'm done here. It's that feeling you get That has come to a close You know, I mean so with the character though again It helps if you identify just for the purposes of a particular project what this character wants more than anything And we're gonna watch her or him Move toward that goal. Okay, and that's that's one way of knowing when they've sort of crossed that finish line Then they've reached an ending Okay The thing is for something like a television show you want to create a goal line that they cross But we're still interested in them continuing and that's a different kind of different kind of issue But this is that does that help? I mean this character could go on and on but has she does she reach some kind of Conclusion she starts out wanting something she starts out having a dream of something I really want to again get to Moscow and then she like you don't think she gets what she's going for Okay They don't actually get the goal, but does she find something else instead of what she's looking for? Okay, then that's Then that's it and show her finding something other than what she's looking for and some kind of she's making some kind of peace with that and that is the end of this particular play story episode whatever That makes sense. So you can feel it reaching a kind of conclusion. It's a feel thing just like, you know day You know or anything but not to be like tragic about dating but like dating like you're on a date And it's like time to go home, you know, and you guys don't live together. It's like, right, okay? Time to go home. You know that kind of thing. So It's like that it just reaches a point a feel there's a feeling Okay It's also a technical thing You know you need to write a little bit more or show what you're not showing So just do that and I'll work on remembering your name There's a memory. There's a whole technique I read this summer the ice you know moonwalking with Einstein that book about the memory palace and how we're supposed to know So I'm using my memory palace to remember your name And I can't think of a way to do it yet because I got to break it down I won't do it. I won't take it Anybody Yeah, and then we'll take the Twitter. Yeah, hi You're Jill. Where are you from? You are you sound like you're from England. Hey, Jill Hi, you Griffith are awesome one of our awesome casting directors who I have known for ages and ages. Oh Okay, right right right right yes Jill that's a really good question Jill So Jill's writing some short stories and her question is do should one write sort of with the whole thing Kind of sort of all figured out Before one starts or should we let it grow organically and just kind of see where it goes and I'm more. I mean there are different, you know camps. I'm in the tribe of The middle I'm in the middle of trying so I'm in the I'm in the kind of sort of no and Kind of sort of really not But I do like to know sort of like I was saying this happens this happens this happens and then the end this happens and I might write that out on some index cards or whatever and have sort of Tent poles or if I'm hanging a sheet on a line I have clothes pens you can think of that but all the other little clothes pins the magic happens in between those big Clothes pens those big markers so I might know for example with top dog under dog I knew the end before I started writing to play but for me the magic was all The things in between that I did not plot out and figure out before I sat down to start writing So I knew boom their brothers One kills the other one and I knew which one killed which one but I didn't but all that other stuff I was just figuring out as I wrote it So I would say do both and just because you outline or whatever you call it want to call it outline Doesn't mean you can't still discover You don't have to outline every frickin beat You know, that's called, you know TV that not even you I'm writing for TV. Yo, I'm not outlining every beat I'm just going you know basics. I mean for me to write it to present it to producers Yeah, they want to know because it's a lot of Okay, you know, you got to say yeah here. We're gonna have the horse race and we're gonna have the buggies and the carriages They want to know up front but But you know every little beat we still discover, you know for myself I Just want to know sure what happened where we open where we close kind of what happens in the middle and then the joy of it is And that's just the plot and then we get to the dialogue which is a whole another joy So a little bone so I would say if you're not an outliner kind of person go ahead and outline Try it. I mean that doesn't have to be Roman numerals unless you're Roman You know unless you like the Pope right the Pope probably Shout out to the pope who my son calls the hope the whole I'm like money. It's a pope. It's like the whole But I would say You know just you can number your scenes I think that's helpful number your moments in your short story First this happens to then this happens. Do we see her whatever? I think it's important to try to have an end even if it's not the right ending It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. Just put something there Like we're in a car. We're going to California. At least we know that we're not going, you know, you know, we're going west That way Question Crystal is that crystal from New Jersey? Yeah, that's our crystal crystal. She comes here. So Crystal what Are possibly exercises that you used kind of like delt deeper. Yeah, what's the heavy lifting character was? You can talk to your character I'm just saying to develop your character. I mean people some people say you can Crystal's like how do we develop our characters? How do you find out about our characters? You can Talk to them or interview them. Some people do long live by like SA form biography, I find that's interesting and useful but because you're not because the character's a living thing a living person It's helpful to have a conversation with them. So because then you're actually Imagining them talking which is helpful instead of imagine them flat on a page or just in your mind So crystal I would say try interviewing them talk to them like invite They know take them out to coffee at Starbucks go to Starbucks You have a Starbucks in New Jersey and go to Starbucks and take your character out. I know This is a little crystal con. We'll bust on her together. We'll make fun of her because that's what we do So crystal take your character out to Starbucks, and if you only have a little bit of time take like one You know choose only one to talk to Coffee session and just talk to them and then write down what they say of course and Then you'll find out about them Like you're interviewing that really works. It's fun and you get them talking Which is what you want if it's gonna be a play you want to get them talking You want to catch them talking? And once they start talking then you can just listen and they can write down what they say and then you have your play Tell us like what and she's on the case anybody else and I have a question our cameraman Do you have it Yeah, ha great question Matt. Oh boy, and you're your camera you're a film guy. I'm guessing because you've got cameras So yeah Is that like Okay Do you play an instrument also Okay, so you are do you do like our tree or do you have some kind of still like Do you do fencing also What's your sport Yes Are you serious? I would suggest editing and when you're when you reach the end Okay, so there are two kinds of courage one is the courage I mean when you're an artist I think one is the courage of the writing part your writer writing and the other is the courage of rewriting Okay, so get the writing get that draft done get to the end and then Then edit then cut then whatever get all the way to the end even if the end isn't the right Just like I got some shit down right okay good cross the finish line and then you have an entire piece and You can Are rewriting while you're writing is really tricky because you could spend your whole career Yeah, I know I know a lot of people do that Yeah, a lot of people. Yeah, do I ever use random prompts to get me writing or to get my students writing my I have a random prompt Have a random problem, but we do this is great because when there are distractions, it's an opportunity to focus So I do have a random problem It's the best one. I've ever I only use one and I use it all the time And it consists of getting a timer It's sitting my toco's down in the chair and That's the best because other stuff is just like random I know maybe yeah a brilliant story is gonna come out of a random prompt when I'm told to write about one But I Enjoy just doing You know, so it's doesn't It's not Dream Not yeah, I know I'm not sure I'm not sure I would still say sit down Like I Think the best thing is down the journal right, you know Get the character talking on the road out of your dreams Do you have a question we're in the question How do I make a character Talk You can sit here And I forgot your name. You were here lesson garland like How do I make a character talk good question garland so That's I we were just talking about interviewing the character and how that's really helpful And some people like to do a character bio On paper like she was born in 1812 and then she went to the fight You know, okay, but I feel like talking to the character just like we're talking now Is a really effective way because then you get them talking and you activate that part of your Exactly I Move your hand You know, that's what I yeah, but it's already it's already there And it comes to us because it wants to channel Mike one of my favorite Is You know But he's also the transcriber of Yeah, so he's a writer so this big hefty elephant dude is a writer Okay How much of it like this is conversation with your characters and all of us how much of it is sort of conscious Thought and then how much of it do you kind of like sink into your subcontracts or like how much does it come? Like is it like a dream state when you're hearing your characters? I know that's kind of like a really way to put it But do you know what I mean? Like yeah, I spent so much time thinking about their writing and sort of like reflecting on it Right That's a really Yeah, I Different writers do different things so different writers, you know are very conscious and I I don't know what They have a lot of ideas But I think that's up here and my writing is I feel like it's more back I don't think too much It's not that kind of thought I was I was talking to a writer a couple days ago. I was in Somewhere Pennsylvania and Franklin Marshall College and I was talking to a writer there and asking her where her eyes went What actually were her eyes doing I said were they are they like Scanning the horizon thinking like this. I mean you can try like look across the room You don't look at me You can look like beyond me at the wall over here over there just try focus there, right there now focus more Soft focus where your sort of eyes are like kind of looking up Can't do you brain feel like it's doing different things? Okay, so when I write my eyes are more turned up Right instead of that kind of thinking When I'm stuck maybe I'm doing this But I know that one of the ways to get unstuck to answer Is actually change what your eyes are doing So instead of staring straight ahead trying to find it You can sort of allow your eyes to relax a little bit and You hear what they call the third eye You can hear your small still voice You don't want to do too much like make your eyes get stuck up there Yeah, they did You'll start actually writing with your eyes are gonna be more turned upwards You're not really looking at what you're writing. You're more sort of reading it Renaissance Anybody else? Yeah Well, how do I feel about drama Turks and drama troops? We love drama. I mean anybody if they're good If they're cool, you know, I mean if they're not cool, you know They're like anybody Right if they're cool if they're like if you're doing a Shakespeare and they're really helpful and try to work with the director of the team And see, you know, how the team accomplish its goals Yeah, yeah We didn't have we didn't have but the piece before that I've worked with John Diaz. He's a great drama He's also an artistic At New Jersey. It's awesome. And I love working with him. He was the drama turk on top dog underdog So, I mean this place for me, it's just a smart person in the room. You can hang out with I love drama turks. They're great Any way shape or form, you know in this mental brain space, but also Every different shape and color, you know, they kind of puff up their chest and feel as though this is not the case It's always kind of the conversation amongst drama turks of how we can change that perception I mean I mean the thing about being a playwright in my experiences I'm all alone in the room. I mean they're all doing the thing the actors and the directors got her fabulous assistant The stage manager and she's busy, you know, I made her assistant. He's busy So I love having drunken because you're like, so you know when I change that word does that work for you? You know, this is it's like a friend It's like it's great I know you love drama jerks, too As long as you don't secretly want to like be a playwright to invite your play that's kind of where it gets in here So as long as there's separation And that goes for everybody in the room though, right? I mean as long as the as long as a playwright doesn't secretly want to be an actor and act in the play You know as long as the director doesn't secretly want to be a playwright And you know as long as some people are not being secretly secretive Right how do you take feedback you'd like I mean I And if it makes sense to what you're doing Great exactly exactly exactly Are we like totally garbally good with the sound Okay I'm sorry. I'm sorry, but garland is just talking about feedback and how important it is to he takes feedback Well, when he's got a good trust thing going on with the person who's getting feedback when he's When his feedback kind of makes sense to what he's doing And what happens when it's feedback that doesn't make sense Yeah nowadays he says it's strong enough to just say talk to the hand And in the past sure it makes him I mean, I mean, I really believe in I was on the phone with some TV people today You know, they were like, oh you're getting a little defensive and I call I said in my neighborhood it's called pushback and yes We are doing pushback right now because what am I supposed to do? You're hired me to Bring it. I'm bringing it and it should be a conversation not just Me taking your notes and through the pushback actually Came the best idea, you know, so a lot of times you get feedback and the assumption is Just take the note, you know, it would be so much better if they just did the note But the people who are smart the producers and dramatists are smart And directors are giving to me that hoping for that pushback And out of that pushback will come Something better than what you had and what they're suggesting I mean, yeah And that's something that dramatists are really to tell the playwright that it's a suggestion designed to encourage Maybe another way of looking at what you're doing, you know, just tell it because a lot of playwrights just don't know Playwrights just don't know Oh, oh, I got I got a good meeting about kindergarten We'll see you not next week, but uh the weekend. I'm sorry Is it or is it next it is next? Thank you, man. October 5th. We'll see you next week at five o'clock. Thank you guys for coming. You guys are great. Thank you