Creationism

Wrote about four pages on my play tonight. I'm still torn about whether it should be a one act or a two -- I was struck tonight by how I wanted to start the second act if I *did* decide to go with two, but I'm not sure I'll actually go in that direction.

Actually, that's probably not true. Easiest to write long and then cut later. I should strive for two, and if the two act structure fails, it shouldn't be too hard to slam the two chunks together into one.

The second act will be hard, structurally, because where, initially, there was the possibility of having two actors on stage, the point in the story where I'm currently on breaking the two acts is when the second character dies, leaving, essentially, a single actor to carry the rest of the show.

I know that's not an impossible task. There are enough plays staring single actors to prove that to me (I read one this year, actually -- Total Body Washout -- lovely little play). But with only one actor on stage, I would expect it to fall even more heavily on the writer to come up with something solidly entertaining. Or profound. Or so brutally ugly that the audience is unable to move from their seats. That's probably the direction I'll go. Brutally ugly is where I'm most comfortable.

Did my terrible cartoon tonight too. Don't even ask why I'm doing a cartoon -- it's a long story. It's called "Stick Figure Drama" and if it runs for longer than four weeks I'll be stunned beyond words.

Still, I think it's important to dabble in as many different mediums as possible. Just to, you know, keep your creative edge *sharp*.

Besides, the cartoon has this weird kind of "private joke" feel to it. Like people are looking at it, and not getting it, and wondering why they don't get it, without realizing that there's nothing to get. And that's the joke. That it's dumb and there's nothing to get, but they're stumbling over it, wondering what it's all about. It's funny because it's *not* funny. But unless someone's pointed out to you that it's not supposed to be funny, you can't really see the humour in it, if you're busy looking for the punchline.

It's like...meta-cartooning or something.

And I know it's sick and wrong to think about that and enjoy the thought. Guess that just makes me sick and wrong. And I guess it makes me even more sick and wrong and to enjoy the thought of my being sick and wrong.

Ow...that made my head hurt.

Anyway, I think the point -- way back up near the top of this post, when I was still pretending to be making one -- is that sometime's it's not the destination, it's the journey. It doesn't so much matter how good your cartoon looks when you're done with it, as long as you created something. And I created something today. A few things, actually. Far more than I've created in a single day for quite awhile.

And that's left me feeling pretty gosh darn good.

Though, sadly, not completely good. Still wishing for a therapist. Or an anonymous blog. Or a 50" plasma TV...