I was so sad to see this weekend go. It was a beautiful time to meet new people and see a ton of new work. The last to-do is to write from feedback received and get on NPX to review others’ work.
Here is a copy from my Facebook:
Midwest Dramatists Center 2018 take aways:
* Writing is discipline –
* read Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott and On Writing by Stephen King and Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
* Be kind and open doors for other artists
* Say thank you and be appreciative
* Make connections, build relationships, and sell your own work
* Before you get an agent rep, will it add value? Rule of three before getting agent- have combo of major LORT production, residency, or paid premiere or publication – 3 big things to justify needing an agent.
*Join the Dramatists Guild
*Go to as many shows as you can
*If you go out of town to see a show (or out of town in general) make a connection to meet someone in the field
*Always move the conversation forward to promote yourself to the next thing ™️©️®️
*Define what success means to you
*It’s half writing and half marketing
*Every playwright has a day job
*People who just write are boring. Have a life. Be curious and passionate. Read and watch lots of stuff.
*Typos can wreck a submission.
*Specificity leads to universality
*Beginning, middle, end
*Crying and laughing – salt on the caramel – they go well together.
*No one knows what they’re doing.
*Submit everywhere that fits what you write, and know which theatres produce the kinds of work you write.
*Yale submission standards are Comic Sans font with red crayon, 2.5″ margins on a page that is 4′ long. Don’t look at me like that, I don’t make the rules.
*Everyone is your friend. If they aren’t, find a new tribe.
*Have a New Play Exchange page with all your latest work, and review others’ work as often as possible
*Be brave
*Kill your darlings
*Make a choice
* Know when you’re dragging around a corpse and it’s time to put it in the drawer for a while, if you keep dragging the corpse around it’s going to block the doorways and not allow other writing through
*Make a connection with others and be supportive and interested in other people’s work
The Wandering Playwright 