Have you ever felt…stuck?
Maybe you’ve been working on a play for several months. Maybe you’re halfway through, or maybe you’re on your second or third draft.
But over time, you may start to get the feeling that nothing seems to improve the play.
It’s a frustrating experience. I know.
When I have this experience, there are a few things that can often help me to get out of that funk.
Tip #1: Give it some time.
When you’re feeling stuck, it’s often because you’re so close to your work that you’re unable to see the big-picture issues that are holding you back. If this is the case, putting the play in a drawer for a while can often help. When you finally come back to it, you’ll be able to analyze it much more objectively.
Tip #2: Read it in a different format.
Here’s another tip to help you read your work with fresh eyes: simply read it in a different format.
Try changing the font, or giving the screen a new background color.
Try printing it out, or even sending it to your e-reader.
These may seem like small things, but they can help to trick your brain into thinking that you’re reading something new.
Tip #3: Try radical change.
Still stuck? Try making radical changes to your play.
When I say “radical changes,” I’m talking about taking an element of your play–preferably an important element–and give it a dramatic shift.
If your main character is a loudmouth jerk, try making them a sweetheart.
If your setting is a living room, try making it an inner-city alleyway.
If your climax results in triumph, try rewriting it to end in tragedy.
You’d be amazed by how much you can learn from a dramatic change like this. Often, challenging your assumptions can lead to big breakthroughs and new discoveries.
You don’t have to actually *keep* the radically rewritten material, either.
Even if you decide to stick with your original decision, the act of writing a dramatically different version can often help you to spot opportunities for improvement.
It’s also fun and exciting! Which is important when you’ve been working on your play so long that it’s starting to feel stale in your own mind.
So give one of these tips a try the next time you’re feeling stuck. They might just help you get back on the path to finishing your play.