A Writer's Notebook, Day One-Hundred-Ten
I didn't feel very much like getting to work this evening, but I knew that I had to do at least a bit of work, and as soon as I was set down, and began, it just came out. It is funny how that works, as there have definitely been days when I was ready to go and then nothing happened, and others like today when I am exhausted and feel no urge to work, but something sparks and I fly through a large chunk of work.
Specifically, I completed the full rewrite on Origin of An Internet Cat(a title that is less applicable, I think, if it was ever anything more than just cute). That is not to suggest that the work is done by any stretch, but I have a much clearer sense of it as a whole, now, and can begin more work of going in and tweaking parts. Of course, I still have a lot of cutting to do, of course, but I know that will work itself out.
The cutting has a number of different possible targets. First, all the minor cuts that I can do where the events are not changed by the removal of a piece of language. This can be easy, but it is a matter of keeping the voice in tact, especially in a work as much about the voice as this play. I think that it is definitely preferable in many cases, though. The second possible target is cutting a repeated event. For example, a character might say the same thing a few times, or similar events might occur. They can be important to the tone, the characterization, even the plot, so it can be tricky to do this in a way that is sensitive to the plays needs, but it is hard to know that distinction sometimes. Finally, in terms of the major choices, you have the potential to condense or combine events. The issue in this piece, I think, with those options is about the texture and the voice. Condensing the work would often mean removing bits of quoted dialogue, and that would reduce the dramatic nature of the piece, I think.
But those are all issues I can focus on tomorrow. Tonight, I am just happy that I made it through the whole of the work. I have a sense of the shape of it, now. To offer a bit of a summary, it begins with Jeffrey, an adult with developmental disabilities, wanting a dog after meeting Kirk who is the dog of his friend Jackson. Jackson and Jeffrey work at a goodwill store and Jackson lives at a group home where Jeffrey goes in the afternoon.
Jeff's parents get him a fish and he learns to care for it, but then the fish dies. Jeff and his father put it in the toilet, and Jeff asks once more for a dog. Eventually, he gets a cat, but Jackson says it is not a dog and can't do the things a dog will. This starts with playing fetch, which Tigger, the cat, learns pretty fast. Of course, Jackson still insists dogs are better, and points to the fact that a cat can't walk on a leash. Jeff's parents, specifically his mother, won't get a leash and harness for the cat. The mother is scared that it will be a big blow if Jeff fails, and doesn't want to set him up for that.
Then, one day Jeff is called in to see Dr. Anders who tells him that his father is sick and in the hospital. An assistant drives Jeff home to feed Tigger and then is going to take him to the hospital. However, he refuses to leave Tigger behind out of worry that the cat is upset hearing the news of the fathers illness. At the hospital, his mother tells him to wait outside, as he can't bring Tigger inside.
Instead of waiting, Jeff walks to a pet store and get the harness and the leash and comes back. He takes and trains the cat to walk on a leash. His dad is in the hospital a long while but eventually comes home in a wheelchair. Jeff eventually shows Jackson the video, but it does not get him to accept Tigger, so Jeff then shows him how many people like the video, and that works. Seeing Jackson hurt, Jeff makes a comment about making a video with both Kirk and Tigger together.
That summary sounds fairly simple, of course, but their is more to it than this, which is a very basic overview of the most significant plot elements. For example, their are important elements around the death of the fish that I mentioned yesterday, details of it being spoken about in reference to the father being sick in the hospital before. As well, Jackson is shown to be obsessed with numbers, so when Jeffrey shows him the number of people it is a specific thing, not a general attack. It is directed at what Jackson is obsessed and focused upon.
I think that it is actually a fairly strong work, when I look at it, though it is straightforward and could be seen as a fairly light and cute piece. To my mind, it is one that has a lot of potential for allowing a performer to play with range in the piece. While the speaker is Jeffrey, his use of quotes is intended to allow the character to take on that voice. In my mind, Jeffrey has this gift. As well, I think much of the really important things are buried in the script will be more apparent in performance.
At the moment, then, I am at a good point in my progress. I still have several days to work before the next session, and plan to attempt to back through again, hopefully to tighten things up and perhaps end up with a shorter, and much improved version. That is, of course, work for tomorrow.
Specifically, I completed the full rewrite on Origin of An Internet Cat(a title that is less applicable, I think, if it was ever anything more than just cute). That is not to suggest that the work is done by any stretch, but I have a much clearer sense of it as a whole, now, and can begin more work of going in and tweaking parts. Of course, I still have a lot of cutting to do, of course, but I know that will work itself out.
The cutting has a number of different possible targets. First, all the minor cuts that I can do where the events are not changed by the removal of a piece of language. This can be easy, but it is a matter of keeping the voice in tact, especially in a work as much about the voice as this play. I think that it is definitely preferable in many cases, though. The second possible target is cutting a repeated event. For example, a character might say the same thing a few times, or similar events might occur. They can be important to the tone, the characterization, even the plot, so it can be tricky to do this in a way that is sensitive to the plays needs, but it is hard to know that distinction sometimes. Finally, in terms of the major choices, you have the potential to condense or combine events. The issue in this piece, I think, with those options is about the texture and the voice. Condensing the work would often mean removing bits of quoted dialogue, and that would reduce the dramatic nature of the piece, I think.
But those are all issues I can focus on tomorrow. Tonight, I am just happy that I made it through the whole of the work. I have a sense of the shape of it, now. To offer a bit of a summary, it begins with Jeffrey, an adult with developmental disabilities, wanting a dog after meeting Kirk who is the dog of his friend Jackson. Jackson and Jeffrey work at a goodwill store and Jackson lives at a group home where Jeffrey goes in the afternoon.
Jeff's parents get him a fish and he learns to care for it, but then the fish dies. Jeff and his father put it in the toilet, and Jeff asks once more for a dog. Eventually, he gets a cat, but Jackson says it is not a dog and can't do the things a dog will. This starts with playing fetch, which Tigger, the cat, learns pretty fast. Of course, Jackson still insists dogs are better, and points to the fact that a cat can't walk on a leash. Jeff's parents, specifically his mother, won't get a leash and harness for the cat. The mother is scared that it will be a big blow if Jeff fails, and doesn't want to set him up for that.
Then, one day Jeff is called in to see Dr. Anders who tells him that his father is sick and in the hospital. An assistant drives Jeff home to feed Tigger and then is going to take him to the hospital. However, he refuses to leave Tigger behind out of worry that the cat is upset hearing the news of the fathers illness. At the hospital, his mother tells him to wait outside, as he can't bring Tigger inside.
Instead of waiting, Jeff walks to a pet store and get the harness and the leash and comes back. He takes and trains the cat to walk on a leash. His dad is in the hospital a long while but eventually comes home in a wheelchair. Jeff eventually shows Jackson the video, but it does not get him to accept Tigger, so Jeff then shows him how many people like the video, and that works. Seeing Jackson hurt, Jeff makes a comment about making a video with both Kirk and Tigger together.
That summary sounds fairly simple, of course, but their is more to it than this, which is a very basic overview of the most significant plot elements. For example, their are important elements around the death of the fish that I mentioned yesterday, details of it being spoken about in reference to the father being sick in the hospital before. As well, Jackson is shown to be obsessed with numbers, so when Jeffrey shows him the number of people it is a specific thing, not a general attack. It is directed at what Jackson is obsessed and focused upon.
I think that it is actually a fairly strong work, when I look at it, though it is straightforward and could be seen as a fairly light and cute piece. To my mind, it is one that has a lot of potential for allowing a performer to play with range in the piece. While the speaker is Jeffrey, his use of quotes is intended to allow the character to take on that voice. In my mind, Jeffrey has this gift. As well, I think much of the really important things are buried in the script will be more apparent in performance.
At the moment, then, I am at a good point in my progress. I still have several days to work before the next session, and plan to attempt to back through again, hopefully to tighten things up and perhaps end up with a shorter, and much improved version. That is, of course, work for tomorrow.
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