A New Play

I am trying to decide whether I want to write a new play. I'm going through this talk with myself that I don't have the right angle or I don't know for sure which way to go with it. I want the finished product before I've written the first word. Such a commitment--it's like getting married or something. Do I really want to give a couple of years of my life to the frustration of writing a play? The last one never saw the light of day other than being sent out to about twenty theatres. I thought I was over this phase of my writing life. Then today a friend mentioned I should write a play about something I've been dealing with lately and since I know the innerworkings of the situation.

I try to remember that play of all these characters wanting to be in the play and how the play basically writes itself after you get started and let the characters have their way. Right now I'm in the arguing stage telling them all to shut up because I am not going to write another play. I'll just write poems or short pieces on a blog. No more plays. I've already told the children they absolutely can't be in it as I don't want any plays with kids in it. Unfortunately, by the time you get to this point and are talking to your characters, you are writing the play.

One day at a time, I'm going to try to let this play go and ignore the impulse to write. I guess if in three days I'm still having these conversations with the characters, I will give in. However, in the meantime, I'm watching tv tonight.