Another cool session!
Attendees: FB, JW, AH
Read: Points of Perspective (Annabel short story); Sunday Football (John comedy scenes).
Points of Perspective is a charming short story by Annabel about a country jaunt of a young lady and her potentially-interested foreign friend. It was filled with wry, engaging observations and no little amount of underlying tension. It was not yet complete, but discussion centred around what direction to take the story, and what could be omitted in terms of character development and plot and what needed further fleshing out. It remains a great example of short story writing as a process that forces a writer to make decisions, and it was pleasing to see so many avenues being explored by Annabel. Many of our points on red-herrings and plot-points will all be resolved, no doubt, in a next draft, when it becomes apparent what Annabel wants to do with the story.
Sunday Football is a series of sketches/skits/radio-bits/jokes, all built around the idea of a parish football team. John is keen to find a structure that maintains the speed and regularity of the jokes (which are excellent - some wordplay, some situational), while also providing a bit more, well, structure. We wondered whether trying to pace the pieces like a football game might work - short, sharp in the halves, with longer breaks at half-time and pre- and post-match. But we definitely want another session on this, to build a greater distinction between the character comedy and the repartee stuff, and to see what other comedy writers think.
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