Literature is the transcription of thoughts and emotions, as the authors experienced and felt them, in words. So should their translations be.
Literal translations are devoid of the original authors' thoughts and emotions.
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Writing from The Heart
Design and execution by Meeko Marasigan
Tuesday, January 29, 2019
Thursday, January 24, 2019
Dramaturgy for TheatreWorks Singapore: _The Burning_/_My Children Are Virgins_ by Helmi
Hello Helmi!
Just a few comments--otherwise your play is ready for a staged reading or, hopefully, a full production. It is dark yet funny and wonderfully Ibsenian. It is a commentary not on fundamentalism but on democracy (or the absence of it). As such it will be controversial and will upset many people in the audience (as all of your plays do anyway).
1) Page 7, Scene 4, 7th Line from Bottom: Might it not be funnier if you changed "LTG" to "LPG"?
2) Scene 13, Page 39, Line 1: MURAD is referred to as Brother again, rather than as Father. In his first appearance he was Brother, in later scenes as Father, and here once more as Brother.
3) Scene 15, Page 42, Line 4: Same comment as above. MURAD continues to be referred to as Brother even after this line.
4) Proofread your work carefully, especially for grammar.
5) Would your rather use "Pink Dot" or a fictionalized group name?
6) I understand that you are torn between titling the play The Burning (too Stephen King-y) and My Children Are Virgins after deciding not to title it The Fundamentalist Father. The word "Children" ties up this play with your previous "family" plays (My Mother Buys Condoms, My Father Wears Bras). The word "Virgins", though, is a bit off. Instead of the word "Are", choose an active verb, something like My Children Worship Me, My Children Come Home, or something contrapuntal and ironic.
Congratulations on completing a trilogy. I hope that the last two can be produced, after which all three can be published in their definitive, production versions.
Just a few comments--otherwise your play is ready for a staged reading or, hopefully, a full production. It is dark yet funny and wonderfully Ibsenian. It is a commentary not on fundamentalism but on democracy (or the absence of it). As such it will be controversial and will upset many people in the audience (as all of your plays do anyway).
1) Page 7, Scene 4, 7th Line from Bottom: Might it not be funnier if you changed "LTG" to "LPG"?
2) Scene 13, Page 39, Line 1: MURAD is referred to as Brother again, rather than as Father. In his first appearance he was Brother, in later scenes as Father, and here once more as Brother.
3) Scene 15, Page 42, Line 4: Same comment as above. MURAD continues to be referred to as Brother even after this line.
4) Proofread your work carefully, especially for grammar.
5) Would your rather use "Pink Dot" or a fictionalized group name?
6) I understand that you are torn between titling the play The Burning (too Stephen King-y) and My Children Are Virgins after deciding not to title it The Fundamentalist Father. The word "Children" ties up this play with your previous "family" plays (My Mother Buys Condoms, My Father Wears Bras). The word "Virgins", though, is a bit off. Instead of the word "Are", choose an active verb, something like My Children Worship Me, My Children Come Home, or something contrapuntal and ironic.
Congratulations on completing a trilogy. I hope that the last two can be produced, after which all three can be published in their definitive, production versions.
Dramaturgy for TheatreWorks Singapore: _Kor Kor Cheh Cheh Di Di Mei Mei_ by Flora
Hello Flora!
Your play is actually developing well. You now have a better knowledge of your characters and the issues that create the conflict they should be going through.
You are stuck because, for each set of characters, there should be one character who provides conflict to propel the play forward (either an additional character for Kelly and Wayne; and either Jessica to Josh or Josh to Jessica). As it is, Kelly and Wayne are mainly in agreement and merely planning for the future, and Jessica and Josh are ambling along to a prospective visit to their mother. When you laid down your plot, all of the points of conflict were in the PAST. Bring them forward to the present.
Balance the scenes between the first set of characters and the second set of characters by alternating from one set to the other. In your draft you initially did that, then followed through with the Wayne/Jessica set in a clinic, and then a mall, and then back to their house.
Visualize a generic set. As a scene ends for one set of characters, it should OVERLAP with the beginning scene for the second set of characters. The characters of the second set enter even as the characters of the first set are still there. However, the characters of the first set DO NOT SEE the characters of the second set, and vice-versa.
Follow all of these guidelines. I assure you that you will come up with an exciting play.
Your play is actually developing well. You now have a better knowledge of your characters and the issues that create the conflict they should be going through.
You are stuck because, for each set of characters, there should be one character who provides conflict to propel the play forward (either an additional character for Kelly and Wayne; and either Jessica to Josh or Josh to Jessica). As it is, Kelly and Wayne are mainly in agreement and merely planning for the future, and Jessica and Josh are ambling along to a prospective visit to their mother. When you laid down your plot, all of the points of conflict were in the PAST. Bring them forward to the present.
Balance the scenes between the first set of characters and the second set of characters by alternating from one set to the other. In your draft you initially did that, then followed through with the Wayne/Jessica set in a clinic, and then a mall, and then back to their house.
Visualize a generic set. As a scene ends for one set of characters, it should OVERLAP with the beginning scene for the second set of characters. The characters of the second set enter even as the characters of the first set are still there. However, the characters of the first set DO NOT SEE the characters of the second set, and vice-versa.
Follow all of these guidelines. I assure you that you will come up with an exciting play.
Saturday, January 19, 2019
In-Depth Writing Exercise #9: Your Personal Fairy Tale
1) Make a list of all the fairy tales and children's stories you can remember.
2) Go over the list and identify the fairy tale or children's story you like most.
3) Juxtapose the narrative over your life script. How is the main character like you? How are the other characters like the people who surround you? How are the conflicts like your present conflicts? How is the plot like your life?
4) Rewrite the fairy tale or children's story with you as the main character, keeping the narrative as parallel or as close to your life.
5) Give your plot a happy ending.
6) Keep a copy of your work as visible as possible in your writing area so that you are constantly reminded of it. (You may revise the narrative from time to time as you wish.)
Yes, you CAN author your life. All you have to do is go ahead and do it.
2) Go over the list and identify the fairy tale or children's story you like most.
3) Juxtapose the narrative over your life script. How is the main character like you? How are the other characters like the people who surround you? How are the conflicts like your present conflicts? How is the plot like your life?
4) Rewrite the fairy tale or children's story with you as the main character, keeping the narrative as parallel or as close to your life.
5) Give your plot a happy ending.
6) Keep a copy of your work as visible as possible in your writing area so that you are constantly reminded of it. (You may revise the narrative from time to time as you wish.)
Yes, you CAN author your life. All you have to do is go ahead and do it.
Tuesday, January 8, 2019
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