Two hours after the deadline, I got an e-mail from the New Play Project folks: Safe and Sound got accepted. :)
The funny thing is, I almost sort of knew it would (and that Alchemy wouldn’t) in advance. I’m not sure how, but I wasn’t surprised at all. I suppose part of it is that I’m a lot better at writing humor than I am at writing straight drama, and Safe and Sound has a lot of humor — it’s a comedic drama — whereas Alchemy has almost none. And it makes a difference.
I’m actually glad that Alchemy didn’t get accepted, now that I think about it. I do want to write “serious” stuff, sure, but for me it seems to work out best when I sprinkle on the humor. And I don’t really mind being a humorist; if I’m known for writing “funny plays,” that’s fine by me. :)
I’m interested to see, though, if any of this leaks over into my other writing. It’s looking like I tend towards humor and fantasy. Which is also fine by me. (But I do plan to sharpen my skills in other areas, because I don’t want to pigeonhole myself. And being better at serious drama and realistic fiction and whatnot will make my comedies and my fantasy work better.)
[...] I’d begin to wonder about production standards and all that ;), and 2) I’m better at humor than drama.) Technorati Tags: New Play [...]
Even in serious drama and and realistic fiction you have comic relief. It makes the tension easier to bear, and it is a realistic tactic that real people use in tense dramatic situations. The difference between comedy and humor has to do with the distance from the characters. Comedy tends to be further away, as it’s eaiser to laugh at someone than with them. But a bit of lightness makes the dark look even darker. I don’t think you need to worry about being pigeon-holed. Comedy is harder to write than serious, realistic fiction.
Good points, Charlotte. :) Thanks for commenting!