1. Writing this play was surprisingly hard. I had to write a 20 page play in 7th grade for a writing extra-curricular I was in, and this paly was so much harder. Part of that was trying to create an idea for a play that was limited in length. It's hard for me to pick something to write about that's only 5-7 pages. I was also having trouble making it stage appropriate. I wanted about fifty different places and a hundred characters. I really prefer writing stories rather than plays because I feel character development is more in my hands. In plays, movie and T.V. shows, the character is really in the hands of the actor who plays the character. I like talking about internal emotions and thoughts too much.
2. If I was talking to a five year old about to start their serious educational journey, I would tell them that it matters. School matters. You have to be able to let go of the little things, but the big picture is very important. It's important to make your school environment as positive as possible. This includes choosing the right friends. Friends who don't pressure you to do things you don't want to do. Friends with similar interests, but varying personalities and backgrounds. Humor is important, but kindness is more important. Always try your best. One year of school affects the next, which affects the next, which will eventually affect your highschool career.
3. Personally, I like old books much better than new ones. Don't get me wrong, there are amazing books coming out right now, but it's easier to know that a book is good if it's old. That's why it's been around so long. I was watching a very funny 1970's BBC version of Persuasion, by Jane Austen this weekend. I had forgotten how great the story was. Even though the plot is very specific to Anne Elliot, there are aspects of her personality that everyone can identify with. And if it's not Anne, it's another character. People find themselves in, and relate to, and are emotionally stimulated by these characters. That's what makes a book last such a long time. I would love to write something that lasts through time. Even though fashions change, and so do customs and sayings, the fundamentals of society and themes from our life stay the same.
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4 comments:
Wait I'm confused... how can you be sure a book is good if it's old? I don't think that age should have anything to your opinions of the book... maybe I'm just confused...
I love what you say about friends though. The way you act in elementary school can come back to haunt you in high school, but that means you should be yourself, and not pretend to be someone else. Friends are definitely the most important thing like ever, so it's a good idea to have friends that are similar to you.
I really agree with what you had to say about story limitations on stage. I'm used to 120 page screenplays not five page stageplays. I also like "old books" and I think to answer Stef's questions, if a high schooler in 2007 is still able to read something written a hundred years ago, it probably went through a dozen publishings over time and that probably means it was liked at some point in time. There are probably a hundred thousand books that we never see from the late 1800's because they weren't worth squat.
Well, I think if a book sucked in the 1800s, its probably not a classic, because enough people read it and said it sucks. Books now haven't had the time to be proclaimed "crappy" by enough people yet.
You could have written a longer play. It's always okay to write MORE in Creative Writing.
When you said, "but it's easier to know that a book is good if it's old," I had to laugh because that's my theory. I read a lot of classics because I enjoy knowing I'm getting something of substance that I will enjoy. It's kind of close-minded of me, but . . . Though I do like Amy Tan. Actually, I think it came from high school. In my lit classes, I always enjoyed older works more so than newer ones. It was as if they spoke to me more vividly than the stuff written today.
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