Another journey

One thing I've said time and again in these blogs is how much you discover about yourself when you start writing.

For me, a key revelations is the trait that I have to continually challenge myself.  When I first thought about writing, the question was whether I had the discipline and ability to write a book? 

When I managed that, it was whether I could get the thing into a passable enough shape to be published.  And after reaching that rather surprising/alarming landmark, it was onto the nerve wracking business of going out and talking about the thing at libraries and literary festivals.

And then came the even more daunting prospect of writing another one...

The reason for this continual need to test myself goes back to my childhood I suspect, and feeling I always had to prove myself.  I don't think I'll go into any more of that here if you don't mind - I'm happy to say a fair bit in these blogs, but that might be a trespass too far into a very tender land.

Anyway, back to the point, and it was this.  I mentioned before about this play I'm writing, based on the tvdetective books.  I'm now looking back in amazement at how easily I agreed to do it, as if it were just the simplest of natural progressions from writing novels. Naive or what?!

I'm now well into planning the play, and have come to properly understand just what a mammoth task I'm taking on.  It's not just the plot and characters and writing, it's all the direction and lighting and scene changes and thinking about how to use the stage and so much!

I confess here to a very intense visit to the library, to look up some of the great playwrights and an attempt to crib tips from the masters.

Which isn't to say I'm not enjoying it - I very much am - but just a musing on what it seems to take to keep me entertained.  A continual need to break new ground, to challenge myself is, I've come to think, a welcome trait - mostly.  But the question that lingers in the darkness at the edge of my mind is - when do I ever rest and properly relax?

Well, I think I've said quite enough for this entry. That last question is not one I'm thinking about for now!  It's time to exit the online world stage left.  I need to get back to this play...