 I'm not here and we'll do the same. I'm going to see people like earlier in the day and then, are you a writer? You're right, what's your name? No, I just, can I just make you, I mean... That's definitely... Have you been here before? Not watched me work, okay. But you've been in this building. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. So, this is watching work. So, does anybody not know what we're doing for watching work? There's a lot of people here. There must have chosen to be a reason. There's honey. And you all are delicious and coming to the honey pub. Does anybody need... And it's okay if you don't know what watching work is. It's fine. Maybe it will help if I explain it to you. Okay. Because it's kind of, I mean, it sounds like it's something, and it's maybe something else. Which makes it perfect for these times. I don't comment on the news. So, watch my work. So, we've been doing this for about ten years in the lobby of the Public Theater. And basically, it's a meta-theatrical writing workshop. I think I got that right. Where the first thing we do is work together. So we all do our work. It can be writing, and it can't be anything. But most of us do writing. And we do the action of the play together. And that's doing our work. And then after the timers, Audrey and I set timers. And after 20 minutes, we create the dialogue of the play together. Which is us talking about your work. So it's called Watch Me Work. But the me in the title is you. So basically what I'm here for is I'm here to talk to you about your creative process. So if you have any questions, issues, problems, concerns about your creative process, I'm here to talk to you about your creative process. So the thing is, we don't talk about my creative process necessarily. Only how it intersects directly with yours. As you ask a specific question. So yeah, so we're also live streamed up. Audrey and Audrey is going to come and tell us the folks who are watching on the... So there's several ways you can touch with us. If you are watching on HowRound.tv, there's actually a little chat next to the video that you can chat on. You can also tweet at us at appwatchingworkslp, hashtag HowRound, which is H-O-W-L-R-O-U-N-T. You can also look at the public via Instagram. You can ask questions there or the public via Facebook page. That was really fast. And hopefully you understood that. And all of you sitting here don't have to do any of those things because you're here. And you can just shout out your concerns, questions, issues. How are we doing? So this is a prop. This is a typewriter. And usually I write in a type. But today I have a lot of reading to do, this big book. So I'm just going to sit here and read. And we're going to set up timers and get to work. Do you see the camera? Do you see the camera? You can sit down. I think I can sit down. This is so fun. Um, what are we going to do? We're going to do this kind of thing. That's the action part of the thing. And now we're going to do the dialogue part, which is basically, I'm just going to ask people about your work. Go say it. If you had any tips about the revision process, because when I write, there'll be like bursts of like, it'll start one way and then formulate and grow into something. And the way it's shifted works to a certain point that looks good. The beginning kind of sucks. The like here is good. And I guess I'm just afraid to let go of certain things in order to grow my piece. I don't know. It's so great. Yeah, so she's talking about the revision process and she gets started and she keeps writing. And it grows and oftentimes she gets to something very beautiful and now it's time to rewrite it and she doesn't want to lose what he said. I don't want to, I'm afraid of changing it and losing it in order to grow. Because I've changed it before and then I was like, well now the whole thing's up. I know, you're afraid of changing in order to grow. That's kind of cool, actually. I would say keep what you like in the parts that you know. You know what I mean? You can allow the part that you love, the part that comes on page let's say 30, to form the whole product and whole piece. You see what I mean? So it's okay to cut and then grow from something else? Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's totally okay to do that. Yeah, it's totally okay. You don't have to start from the beginning and then make everything march along. You can circle the parts that you like and let them inform. For example, if you start in a character, the main character is a cat. And on page 30 you realize that the main character is actually a unicorn and you like the unicorn better than you like the cat. You can just make it all about the unicorn. That's really crude, but you know what I'm saying? Yeah. That's why they have those phrases. You don't throw the baby out of the bathwater. You don't have to throw the baby out if you want to throw the bathwater. Right? Yeah. You know? Like when you move apartments. You don't have to like throw away everything. Right. You just throw away that it should or don't fit in your new home. You know? So then making the other parts flow in and work like when I start on page 30 and then we create the little page about 22 that I kind of like to fill them back together. Yeah. Just go back and play with what works. Yeah. Keep what you like and leave the rest. Also popular thing. You know? And see if that works. And also that creates a rewriting process that's not as scary. You know? And we're not going to avoid the rewriting process because we think just because now we're rewriting we have to throw away everything that we and we love like 20 pages of it. We don't like 20 other pages. You don't have to throw away everything. You just keep the parts that are working for you. That's what I do. You know? Please come back because now I know you're a writer. So I'm going to be nagging you and how do you do it? It's a good question, Stephanie. Anybody else? Yeah, man. What's your name? Saul. Saul? Yes. Okay, Saul. So what's your question? My question is as I'm in the varying parts of the process. I have a very clear concept and it's also very personal. Okay. So do you have any advice for someone who is trying to really deliver a clear cut, a straight delivery of this concept while still helping that freedom that comes along with just writing? Does that make sense? It does. But Saul has a very clear concept and he wants to, he wants to write a draft. Yeah, and I'm afraid that I'll feel constricted ideas that I've already created. Right. Right. Right. So yeah, yeah, but it's an interesting problem because you have it, you're very excited about your concept or idea, right? And at the same time you don't want to feel constricted by the thing you're excited about. So it's tricky. I would say just let go of the feeling that, oh no, my idea is going to kind of tie me to things I don't like. And remind yourself that your idea and your concept as you call it is going to tie you to things that you will love. Just switch it around in your head, you know what I'm saying? Oh gee, I decided again. I decided to write about a unicorn. Oh no, now I got to write about unicorns? No, it's about unicorns, okay. Just remind yourself that you love your concept. You love your idea or you call it a concept, you know? And just keep telling yourself this is going to be great. Just kind of give yourself a mind for like, my concept is going to give you a really wonderful story. And so, oh my concept is going to limit me and make it impossible for me to write something I really love. You know what I'm saying? So, a lot of times we have to just like only groove our mind to encourage ourselves to keep going. So, help, and come back. Are you welcome to deliver on me? Yeah, I do. Okay, why don't you come and listen to us again? Because we can, you know, we can keep track of you. Now, who can, you know, keep encouraging? It's a great question, thank you. Anybody else? So, what's your name? Nina. Nina, Nina. It inspires you to write for things. But then... So, Nina, so what if something important and sad happens to you? And you want to write about it, but it's hard to write about because it's important and sad. Yes. Right. Yeah. So, and it also becomes what happens to you. So, it's something that is impacting you very greatly, right? It's big and it's kind of like a little heavy. And how do you write about something that's big and heavy and personal? Yeah. Too big? You could. You could wait. Or you could just effort, you know, low expectations. You know what I'm saying? Because if you get, the tricky thing is if you could, you could wait. Sure. That's an option. So, option number one, wait. Good. Option number two, best effort. Right? Best effort is, again, you do your best, low expectations. You just want to try. Option number three, which is connected option number one, to come back and revisit it again. So, don't think that this is your only chance to write about this thing. This might be the core of so many things you write about through your writing life. No? I would try it. I mean, you're here. You're asking me the question, you know? I'm like, maybe you ought to give it a whirl. You know? Keep your expectations lower the bar. That's what I say a lot. Just lower the bar. Maybe what you want to do is just like, get a rough draft down, you know? And get to the end. You know what I mean? You know, write. Do you think it's going to be a long story? Is it a story or a play? Is it a play? So just, you know, maybe get like right now a 30-page version of it, or a 20-page version of it. You see, if that feels, you know, let me take a look at it. Be kind to yourself. That often helps. You know, instead of like, ah, ah, ah, you know what I mean? Be kind to yourself. I would take you to try. Because what do you have to lose? What's going to happen? What's like the worst thing that's going to happen if it doesn't come out like perfectly and beautifully? That's the worst thing. It's okay. Try again. I mean, you have the right to, you have the right to write about things that are personal and important and kind of sad. And you have the right to write about them in a less than perfect and excellent way. Give yourself that right. You have that right. It's okay. We all do. We'll get to our step leaders and we'll be in revision round. You know, we'll be working on a second draft, third draft, whatever, you know, or chop things like that, and we can improve it. Okay? And come back, right? You have the local dealer, right? So if you come back, I mean, we will encourage slash, slash nag you appropriately. You must continue. Okay, nice. Good question, Dina. Thank you. Yes? I'm a couple drafts into this thing. And a couple drafts into this thing. I won't tell you how many. Okay, a hundred? Ten. Okay, ten. Yeah. Yeah. I've been working on it for about three years. Okay. And there's a character who like didn't exist, who now exists and is now a focal point of the story. Okay. But now I can't figure out the end of the play to write it. Okay. And like that is paralyzing me with fear to the point that like I can get to the first, the end of the first act, but like I don't want to start the second act. Because, and it's not a one act play, I'm guessing. That's right. Amara. Okay. Okay. Okay. You don't know, what's your name? Amara. Amara, you've been here. Yeah, like once before. Yeah, I recognize you're about to see me around. Amara. Amara. Okay. So, in previous drafts, have you had an ending? Yeah. Okay. But those endings, because of this new character, for example, those endings are no longer working. Yeah. So can you do like, here's a fun exercise and it's kind of easy. Maybe you'll find it hard. But what I like to do is I like to think of ten, ten. That's the first part. So far so good. Really stupid. They must be really stupid. Okay. Really stupid endings for your play. Ten really stupid endings for your play. Yeah, just think of them like, oh shit, you know. And then like, they're all spaghetti. I don't know. So just write them down. And if you're enjoying yourself, you can do like five or ten more. So at the end of this exercise, which can take about, you know, five minutes, it shouldn't be too heavy. You don't be thinking too tough, right? This is just like, all the top of your head, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. Right? Think of ten, fifteen, twenty, stupid. They must be stupid. They can't be good. They have to be like, pretty good. Right? Okay. And then you look at the list and you go, oh shit. I don't know. Maybe you like one of them. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. And then you go with that one. Because that's going to be good enough to get you through act two. That's going to be good enough to get you through act two. I promise. Because all you need to do is just, the spirit is saying, come on. Mara, come on. What you got? What are you made of? If you're going, I can't, I just can't. You know what I'm saying? Yes. Just again, just take a chance. Take a chance. What's the worst thing that can happen? Hey, you write the wrong ending. Oh gee. You have a white noise story that I won't tell myself. You write the wrong ending. Oh gee. You know, I think you could change it. It's art. It's theater. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. Right? Okay, it's okay. Because we all do that. Yeah. Okay? Don't worry about getting it, right? Just worry about getting it. See? Have fun. Art is fun. Art is fun. Well, because we all get together and laugh and we go home and we all cry. That's all right. I do too. I'm like, ooh. Come on. Come on here. No. What do you do? I have a question. I never write poetry. No. Pistole. Okay, go ahead. Oh. Someone on Instagram wants to know, what do you do when happen these strengths? After. Life. You start to feel indifferent? Like this. I walk around like this and then I start to think, oh, I hate my work or my head. So what do we do? Anybody? Anybody? Have any? Come on. Somebody, you know? I make people read it. You make people read it, and they tell you that they like it, and it bolsters your confidence just a little, and that little bit is enough to move me forward, just so you can write one more day. That's really good. Anybody else have any? Yeah? I watch art, right? I leave my art and I watch other people. Oh, that's a great idea. That's a great idea. You can watch other people's art. You know you have to go to a play or a movie? You can go to a museum, and then they are hanging on the wall, so be able to think of some sculpture, or you can go into nature. You can go into nature, you know, nature. You know what that is, right? And you can go for a walk, right? Anybody else? No, I'm sorry. You take a break? You take a break? Like what? Like what? And do what? Or just like chill? Take a break and work on something else. Take a break and work on something else? That's pretty helpful. I don't come back and read it. Come back and read it and see how I feel about it. That's a good idea. Carol, what do you do? Carol is a ninja. She helps and encourages someone else. And how does that help? How does that help you? She has articulated the subtext of watching her. Oh, sure, I'll have a class every day. I'll just come help people. Yeah, because when you see other people, when you look around, you go, oh gee, I'm not alone in this. There are other people who are doing this too. You know what I mean? So suddenly you feel like, yeah, okay, it's possible to write for one more day. Anybody else? What doesn't work? Well, you feel like, man, my work sucks. I made my life. What doesn't work? Anything? Your head against the wall doesn't work. Negative self-talk. You're right. Negative self-talk. It might feel good in a really kind of weird way. But you might tell yourself, well, I'm just telling myself the truth. Yeah, I haven't gotten published, so I'm just going to remind myself that I haven't gotten published. And I'm just telling myself the truth, but that's when the truth will not set you free. Because that's not the truth, actually. The truth is that you're working on it. And we have to see that truth underneath the apparent reality. We have to see what's really going on, which is I'm doing the work, I'm showing up. I'm giving it my best effort, right? I'm being brave. I'm doing this for my community, whatever, you know? Okay? That's a good question. Who is that? Their handle is not a dog walker. That's great. Not a dog walker. Thanks for asking that question. Future dog walker. Future dog walker. Anybody else have a? I'm Jason. Jason, hey, Jason. So, when I see a really good play, it feels so clear. Like, I watch it and I go like, oh, I can pick out all these problems that I tackle. One of the problems I have when I write is that I want to throw everything at my character. Like, I get so distracted by new ideas. I get so distracted by new ideas that I kind of like don't make any progress on the problem that I've already given my characters. I'm just hoping to maybe talk to that. Maybe how to filter the hardware, some issues or like some conflicts that you want to put your characters through. I mean, maybe this stems from impatience. Like, I just want to initiate. I just want to get the work done. And maybe that's part of the first, like, draft process. The second draft is to just really make it really long. And then, I was just hoping, I was hoping that some people could talk to that. So, as Jason's writing along, he gets distracted. Kind of like, oh, look, there's something that can be written in the play. Right? Oh, look, there's something. Oh, like that. So, I know, I start a play. It's a beautiful, you know, right? Okay, do you have a notebook? I see a notebook in your hand. Could you make note of those things? Yeah, it could, but it does not work. Making note of, like, as you're writing along, you can say, oh, look, there's a butterfly, butterfly. Oh, look, there's a toad, a toad. Can you just make note of them? And instead of jumping off the path, you go and follow them. You see the difference? Yes, yeah. It's like meditation. We meditate. Some of us do. Maybe all of us do. Alright, come on, we're all, when we meditate, I'm just going to say it like that. When we meditate, the thoughts come into your mind. And instead of, like, following after them, right? Or say you're in a relationship and you're walking down the street. And you see a wonderful looking someone walking by. You're not going to fall. You might just say, wonderful looking someone. You want to be that kind of person, right? So that's who you want to be for your, you want to be your rock standing for your project that you're working on. You can take note of those things, but you don't have to chase them. So you're going to take note of them in your notebook. What the notebook is for. And you're going to stay on the path with the work. And yeah, maybe you are a patient to finish. Or maybe you're scared of finishing. Not sure. I'm not sure. Okay. Can that make sense? Are you local? Yes. Of course. If you want, you know, come back because we can continue to encourage you. Just to our presence of whatever. Anybody else? Anybody else? So I've been writing many half novels for about 10 years. I just finished one about 20 months ago. Thank you, thank you. 20 years ago. And the funny thing is that like I, over that time, I got so invested in enjoying just the process of writing. That now I kind of am not sure what to do with it because I know I'm enjoying the process of writing. And then I haven't sent it out. I haven't worked out too much. I've worked out a few weeks. I'm not pretty sure whether I want to do anything with it in a way, but I'm also not sure if that's going to scare the changes. And whether that's, I shouldn't send that into either an agent's work or not. I'm not sure. Does that make sense? That's a great question. Everybody's heard what you're saying. Do you have a clue and inkling about why your other novels were unfinished? I hope they were just two years into this novel. Right, right, right. Sure, sure, sure. Well, no, it's a lot of focus actually. You have a huge amount of focus to write anything, to do anything. You have to have focus, you know. And you've got to keep a lot of words and things in your head. So you have a lot of focus. So we're going to need to tell our son about the truth, right? But my guess is that you also have a lot of fear, which is fine. We all have fear. That's why we're here. Well, because it just rhymes, but actually it's true. It's like, oh, shit, now that I've finished the writing part that you've actually done after seven years of trying, which is great. Now I don't want to cross the finish line. I don't know. Because it's risky to cross the finish line and suddenly people have opinions about what you're doing. And sometimes you want to say thank you, so there's no tape up here. Sometimes they have great opinions, sometimes great opinions are stupid. And you're opening yourself up to the world. And that's hard. And it's scary. And you must do it. Do it. You know, you see in the workshop, you have a writer's group? I have a big part, so... Okay. Could you take your novel to your...to your notes, folks? Okay, okay. So you could take it to your guest so far and I feel like you could show it to some reps or something? I mean, I think it's kind of a bit... Okay, okay. I just don't want to enter... Like, when people praise me, I think it's something that I'm not really happy about. Right, right, right. So I'm worried that it's going to cause me a lot. And he had a place where I appeared to process the notes. Because... Does that make sense to you? Yeah, it does. You just put it aside and write another one, huh? That's what I do, honestly. Well, then you could do that. You could do that. You put it aside and write another one. And don't worry about sending it out there yet. Don't even worry about it. And I think your flowering and your career will have its own unique path. I'm not too worried about it. And then when you finish the next one, you can talk about it. It's okay. You know what I mean? But that's great. It's crazy. It's really great. So that's the hardest part of it. Congratulations. It's really good. Okay. Thank you. Yeah. Hi. Thank you so much. My name is Jimario. I was... I've been here for about three years now, from Mississippi. I just tried to get out of Mississippi as one thing. Right. And once I finally got here, I was like, okay, you know, I was always talking about Broadway and musical theater. Like, that's what I was creating to do. That's what I'm going to do once I get there. Right. So I got here and the concrete jungle that is what it really is, like, it really, you know, beat me up. And I just had to grow up. Right. And so I had this amazing opportunity to start the study at Strasburg. And I started last January. I just felt like, damn, I always felt like I was, you know, an actor and a singing actor. But there's come about a great lack of direction, just in personal experiences, sort of, but not in just finding myself in low places. You know, we've all been depressed and back up and back down. And so at this point, this part's just trying to figure out, trying to finish this program at Strasburg and just figure it out with my place in our world, our world of the arts. He is, and I'm taking playwriting a long term with Larry Alton at the Institute. And I just don't know because storytelling is something that's important as an artist's period. And I guess my question is, where do I go from here? Do I just stick to what's true and tell my truth and tell my stories and find myself in these characters, a little bit of myself in characters that I'm trying to potentially write? Or do I continue to beat myself up and just try to do the whole audition, audition, audition thing or just feel like, I don't know, I just feel like I'm drifting away from that whole I'm an actor and I'm going out there on these auditions. I just don't think that's working for me anymore. I feel like a storytelling gemario. Gemario, the storyteller is what's trying to make his way out. And I know that makes sense. And I just wanted some, thank you, I just wanted to be there. I believe in the universe. I'm doing the same top dog, underdog and I was like, she's waiting, she's going to be waiting. And so honestly, I was like, I know this is fun. I need to be here and I need to help with these questions that I'm wrapping with and so you can just share. Thank you so much. That's a big question, but I think you have the answer. If the auditions things and actors are so great because they go out there and they stand in front and they can give us their heart and their soul but we all do that and whatever aspect of the arts we're all going out there like that and it feels like you're beating yourself up because maybe right now it's not the right thing for you to be doing right now and maybe, yeah, Gemario, the storyteller you know what you should be doing, why not? You know, why not? It's exciting, right? It's exciting and it feels good then I say, go for it. It feels good and you're not hurting anybody it's just probably the right thing, right? So I go for it and you have your wonderful class that you're taking now and you can come here and you can just be a writer in New York like that. Yeah, that'll be fun, right? Yeah, okay. Okay, thank you, great question I know, there are lots of questions because we sit at home, I sit at home a lot and I'm like, ah, what the fuck? And then it's nice to come around other people like, yeah, yeah, okay we can have conversations about these things but sometimes it's like hard and embarrassing to feel like, gee, I have a question and I don't know who to talk to but you have a whole community and look at all these people and look, I just got to say a shout out for like look at the different kinds of people we've got today look at all these beautiful people I mean, it's exciting and we're all like in this go-to moment and it's going to the happy place we have four minutes so who's who's who's who's who's who I have another question Yeah, sure I'm not going to go into the other case but I want to know if you don't have a clear concept but you have a better idea of the things you're interested in where do you start Right, oh so their issue is different from yours you guys have a clear concept Charles, you know what I mean? So, Charles got a clear concept and Oceana doesn't have a clear concept right? I would just say if you know the where you're going who is who said that was it Thoreau or Emerson I know if I go in there I have to go someone said that so just start just start moving in my experience the spirit is going to meet you halfway things will start to magnetize in your direction walk out of the house and you end up here talking to you talking to you yeah, so okay, so see things to magnetize if you're going to make an effort what did Martin Luther King say he said you don't have to know the whole staircase just take the first step and that's what we're doing so obviously just take a few steps in that direction and keep your ear open make a writing time make a time every day maybe get a timer you can use your phone and a timer because your phone is cracked because it has all these other nice little functions on it so a regular timer like this is really great because it doesn't distract you and you set it for 20 minutes and you have a 20 minute writing period every day and that accumulates a compounded interest like putting a dollar in the bank every day that should add up and that's good and that's all that we're doing with our stuff I know I just bet because it means but does that make sense and it can happen any time in the writing process but if you're working just take a few steps just take a few steps that's all you have to do keep that energy going it will also keep up with the writing even if you're sad like I'm crying just keep that like that oh yes what's your name? Erica do you think it's better to work on your characters first or the plot first did you hear Erica? did you hear our question? that's a really good question characters first or plot first here's a trick your characters are your plot your plot is your characters same thing oh write a long back story write a 20 page thesis or a 20 page report on what your characters are what they eat for breakfast and what shoes they wear and all that the character is better than the villain in the plot think of what play? Hamlet, you know Hamlet? think of Hamlet he shows up, he's looking around his friends say yo man he's like a ghost a ghost of who? a ghost of your dad oh shit, yeah, my dad dad so we know a lot about his character already it works like that so just work on your story and your characters same time tell yourself what story do I want to tell and your characters will emerge kind of organically story and character are connected that's not separate them they're actually connected good question come back are you local? well then visit us here we're there six o'clock? yay! we're back on April 22nd oh wow that long cause there are all these events in the public theater so we're back on April 22nd thanks for coming you guys