I attended the “Awakening the Writer in You: A workshop with Robert Shearman” by the Singapore Writers Festival people! I noticed it when they were updating their twitter about this!
Who’s he? (A copy paste from the SWF blogspost)
Robert Shearman has worked as writer for television, radio, and the stage. He was appointed resident dramatist at the Northcott Theatre in Exeter, the youngest playwright ever recognised by the Arts Council in this way, and has received several international awards for his theatrical work, including the Sunday Times Playwriting Award, the World Drama Trust Award, and the Guinness Award for Ingenuity in association with the Royal National Theatre.
His plays have been regularly produced by Alan Ayckbourn, and on BBC Radio by Martin Jarvis. However he is probably best known as a writer for Doctor Who, reintroducing the Daleks for its BAFTA winning first series, in an episode nominated for a Hugo award.
Coolness… So before I got to meet him and attend the workshop and all, I had to find it. It was at the Little Arts Academy at Pomo. That’s the new name of Paradiz Centre anyway. So like, it was kinda weird waiting there with some kids and parents who were waiting to bring home their children from their classes.
I was pretty early so I sat in their waiting room at the reception area and hoped my butt wasn’t too big to break the tiny chairs there.
ANYWHO, the main room we went in was named Camelot. Pretty cozy and comfortable place with adult sized chairs for adult sized butts. Tables too, of course.
So the main workshop? It was really cool. Somewhat of a chat session really but actually I learnt quite a bit. Let me see from my notes here…
USE THE LIMITATIONS ON THE STAGE.
Yes, writing plays is about also knowing the limitations of the stage there and it can be pretty useful and engaging if you know how to use it! It’s not like, tada people on stage, that is it. I learnt that, woah YOU SHOULD THINK INSIDE THE BOX.
Bwuhahahaha, I wanted to use that cliche because it fits the context. There were examples given and sometimes the best jokes in the dialogue work best when it’s just there with your limitations to space and budget on the stage.
And paraphrasing here, writing is an arrogance cause it’s making people read your stuff. Which is pretty true. Also, semi-quoting Mortal Kombat… FINISH IT.
Yes. In plays for theater or screen, even for books, finish your stories. It’s okay to be rubbish, you can realize you’re rubbish or whatever but as long as you FINISH it, then it’s something you can show or improve on.
There were other things that made me go “Ooooooh” but yes, you had to be there for it to understand it all and such. Nonetheless, thanks SWF! That was a cool workshop!
So the next time you do ScRenzy, FINISH IT!