It is Worth It!

This post by Jennifer Flaten

When both girls got roles in the school musical, they were excited. My more reserved daughter had a lead role and my other daughter, who started out having just one speaking part (five lines), was picked for the chorus, so now she would appear in every single scene, which necessitated a total of four different costumes in addition to her “kingly” costume for her speaking part.

Prior to casting the play, the drama club only meet once a week, but after the roles were assigned the rehearsals started. At first, the girls found them fun and exciting, but as rehearsals dragged, it went from fun to work.

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The girls met for an hour after school every single day of the week, except Fridays; unless the directors thought, they needed more practice-which as opening night approached they did.

They couldn’t even escape the musical during chorus practice, because they practiced the songs from the musical there too.

During this time, they girls had to pick out their electives for 7th grade and as we discussed electives we talked about what clubs they would both join next year. Now into month two of rehearsal for the play, when I asked the girls if they were planning on joining drama in 7th grade both of them claimed they had zero interest in joining drama next year. Too much work they said.

I told them that they might feel different after they actually performed the play for an audience. Basically, both girls said “Meh” to that statement. After all, what did I know?

Guess who was right? Me (yes, mom scores one). After performing the play five times, four times for fellow students and one for the community, the girls can’t wait to join drama next year.

Finally, hearing the audiences’ laughter after a funny line, getting applause after their scene, not to mention the thunderous applause for the entire cast at the end of the show, they had tangible proof that all their hard work was worth it.

Of course, because they are cool Tweens, they will have to see what the play is next year before fully committing to joining the club again, but I would put money on them joining next year.

Don’t you think this applies to writing? All that hard work creating the characters, editing, fixing the plot holes, it can seem endless, thankless even. Maybe, you think, I don’t ever want to do this again.

Then, someone reads our work and likes it; they really, really like it. Suddenly, you can’t wait to write another story.

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Finding Your Character

A post by Doris McCraw

Actors have ways of finding their character when preparing for a performance.  As an acting coach it is my job to help them learn the easiest way for them to access that information. Many of the tips and tricks used by the actor translate to writing also.

Let’s start with how you find your character.  Some actors create by finding what the psychological make up of the character they are to play.  What makes them tick? How do they think and react to those around them? How does the character sound, is their voice low or high, soft or strident?  Many times clues are found in the script itself.

Other actors find their character from the way they perceive how the characters body moves.  Is it stiff or fluid in movement?  Do they dress conservatively or bohemian? Do they march when they walk or glide as if on a cloud? What kind of shoes to they wear?

Once the actor makes their choices it is on to delivering the lines. Many new students believe that you just say the lines as written with emotion and clarity.  They don’t understand the depth that they are capable of bringing to those lines.

If you want to be believed it is necessary to understand what has happened before even saying your first line. If it is the first line in the script why are you saying what you are saying?  What is the subtext? What is your biography?  The audience may never or need to know, but it will inform your whole performance.

Now you may ask yourself how does any of this relate to my writing? Take a look at some of the questions actors  ask themselves when preparing for a performance. If in your writing you answer those questions you may find that your characters and story take on a life of their own.  The stories become more than just lines and settings, they become flesh and blood.  If they do that for you, imagine what they will do for your readers.

If you would like to study more about the actors process the following books are a good read.

“The Technique of Acting” by Stella Adler

“Acting on Film” by Michael Caine

“The Power of the Actor” by Ivana Chubbuck

“Getting Into Character” by Brandilyn Collins

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