Andrea Lepcio Playwright | Writing Coach
  • Home
  • About
  • The Plays
  • Your Writing Coach
  • Aspiring Authors Follow Up

Morning blogging thinking about morning writing and work process

1/26/2014

2 Comments

 
I feel very lucky that when I was in graduate school at Carnegie Mellon University Milan Stitt invited Tina Howe to be our thesis advisor. Tina had tremendous influence on me and made me feel like a life in the theater was possible for me as a woman and an already not so young one at that.  A life changing moment with Tina was when she was talking about her own writing process. She said she writes every day and had been writing every day for 30 years.  She said, that way, if the writing is not going well, for.... And she paused and I thought to myself if it isn't going well for a day or a couple of days. And then she continued, if the writing isn't going well for 4 months, it doesn't matter.  First, I flipped out. How could you possibly continue if the writing isn't going well for 4 months.  Then, I really heard  those last three words: It doesn't matter.  She taught me in that moment to do the work, you need to be in the work.  Milan used to say as well that you are what you do.  You are a playwright if you write plays.  If you spend most of your day cleaning the apartment, working at other things, repotting plants, you might want to question if you truly are a playwright.  Now, I do know that different people have different habits.  I know great playwrights who actively hate to write.  Some write in spurts.  And many, too many, have long dreary day jobs that they have to write around. I'm lucky that I have only a part-time not so dreary day job that involves more writing and integrates well with my practice.  I knew when Tina said that that day that I would join her in a long, daily practice and I have.  I will confess there is the odd day off most often if pressure to make money has built to a peak, more rarely to truly goof off. The reason is writing is the thing I fortunately always want to do. I get quite grumpy if I haven't had enough time alone at my desk. It is my rhythm, my happy place, my escape, my duty.  
Picture
2 Comments
Rosemary McLaughlin
1/25/2014 10:31:58 pm

Tell us more! (Unless you're busy working on a play in which case, carry on.)

Reply
Lillian Rodriguez link
1/27/2014 10:42:28 pm

What a great blog post! I love reading about your passion to write, it's inspiring.

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Right now, Andrea is either writing, doing yoga, training,  coaching or walking Lady.

    Archives

    January 2021
    April 2020
    July 2018
    May 2018
    January 2018
    October 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    March 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    January 2013
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

    Tweets by @andrealepcio
Home     About    The Plays    Loves & Activities    Contact