I’ve recently been stormed with ideas for new plays.

But it made me think – where did your ideas come from? Was it an overheard conversation? Was it a life experience?

Go on – Share!

The play I submitted was based quite heavily on my own family. Anyone who's read it has already met quite a few aunts and uncles and a grandmother.

Not sure where the core ideas might come from (don't forget we're not all as prolific as you mate) but it seems to me that with only a small effort you can create those artificially. Some dialogue ideas, and certainly speech patterns come from my local.

Why do I think that won't surprise anyone ...

I haven't a clue where my ideas come from.

I only know they are few and far between.

I don't tend to write from personal experience;
my lfe, unfortunately, is largely devoid of incident.

And as for picking up fragments of dialogue, in pubs or at bus stops; I never seem to stand next to the right people.

Lewes

Your posting was almost poetic in the first four lines!

LEWES' IDEAS

I don’t know where they come from
They’re few and far between
They don’t appear
From things I hear
My life is quite serene.

I’m just a civil servant
I keep a civil tongue
I work each day
To write a play
That no-one knows I’ve done!

They must arrive from somewhere
But where I just don’t know
It’s with a frown
I jot them down
Before they up and go.

Coz I’m just a civil servant
Civility I condone
My computer and me
We’re quite PC
When I go home alone!

I wish I had a cauldron
Because I have a notion
To blend a brew
With powers true
To be a magic potion.

For as a civil servant
Power I comprehend
My new elixir
Would be a fixer
Which new ideas would send!

And then you’ll have to watch me
As scenes and acts will flow
I’d impress Sonia
She’d say ‘Good on ‘ya’
As to the stage we go.

But I’m just a civil servant
With magic powers few
I’ve little tension
A decent pension
And I’m happy through and through!

----

So I don’t know where they come from
I only know they bring
Some tiny hope
For this old dope
To win The Play’s The Thing!

Reading that, something within moved.
Lewes has a tear appear on his immaculate facade.

{Must get that mended!}

I guess that as I started this thread, I should comment…

My ideas tend to come from a single sentence that I overhear, or from a piece of advice that I have been given and disregarded.

I heard on such sentence as a youth and it changed my life – not necessarily for the better. Although unintentional, it reminded me of the fact that I am adopted – and it changed the way I looked at any relationship I had in the future.

Once I started writing plays, this was the topic that I wanted to cover – but it took me three years to develop the courage to do so. And writing it was a painful process, but hugely rewarding as I felt as though I had exorcised my demons – but in a novel fashion… It enabled me to laugh at myself and enables the audience to laugh with me, not at me…

Not that it didn’t cause problems – it certainly changed the shape of my relationship with my parents (they looked at the manuscript, but refused to see its AmDram production)…

It’s amazing how hearing a single sentence can change your life…

quote:

It’s amazing how hearing a single sentence can change your life…

Like 'Hello Mr Swinford, my name's Sonia Friedman ...'

quote:

"Hello Mr Swinford, my name's Sonia Friedman...'

...before we continue this conversation, could you please remove the car tyres from these three ladies and gentlemen."

... and, please Mr Swinford, the one from around my neck, too!

...Thank you! And do you think it would be possible to let those children out of the fridge?

Mmmm ... can I have that medium-rare one, there, please?!

It's not ideas I have the problem with - I have card indexes and notebooks full of them.

What I need is a few 50 hour days to write them.

Card indexes. CARD INDEXES?

Notebooks I can understand, but surely there isn't a writer around so organised as to have his ideas alphabetised - surely?!

quote:

Originally posted by Adman 1961:
Card indexes. CARD INDEXES?

Notebooks I can understand, but surely there isn't a writer around so organised as to have his ideas alphabetised - surely?!

I am so jealous - my office is a mess...

There are piles of paper everywhere and little bits from when the punching machine tray explodes (which is usually when I try and empty it... which is only when it's really full)… And I have 'to be filed' stacks of rejection slips loosely inside unstable towers of lever-arches... even the laundry finds it's way in there.

What I need Gravedigger – is to be more like YOU

quote:

but surely there isn't a writer around so organised as to have his ideas alphabetised - surely?!

Did I mention anything about putting them in any sort of order?

The box is labled "card index" that is sufficiant surely? It looks good on the desk anyway.

Did I mention that you had?

Actually, I'm rather pleased - my entire office looks like a waste-paper basket; it was bad enough thinking you were organised up to the card index level without throwing in alphabetisation!

quote:

my entire office looks like a waste-paper basket

I know the feeling! I was clearing out a load of old paperwork and found the notepad that contained the inital notes for a play I wrote 3 years ago!

I had forgoten what had given me the inspiration for some of the character traits! I was killing myself - and making mental notes not to tell the people involved!

Suddenly feel slightly less protected in my bed than before.

Firing Officer - “Captain Jason Sir! Enemy in range”

Jay scratches forehead pushing hat back to a rakish angle.

Captain Jason – “Now where did I put the notepad with the firing codes on?”

Unfortunately, you’ve got it slightly wrong… My response would of course have been…

“Chief, what do I do now?”