Reflections on 31 Plays in 31 Days 2022

[breakinglight11]

Ah, 31 Plays in 31 Days. I’m not sure if it’s the creative broccoli I make myself eat, or the vitamin I keep choking down even though my nutritional needs have changed.

Wow, how’s that for a metaphor? I’M A WRITER, YOU SEE.

Anyway, another one down. This is my twelfth year. I confess, it’s become more frequent lately that they are kind of a pain to have to stick to, but I am always happy to have done them once they’re done. I love seeing my long unbroken list of what I wrote, and I’m often very pleased to have created some of the pieces that I did.

This was another year where I was not excessively directed in what I worked on. I did a fair bit of scratching at the upcoming Hawking part 7, but that’s still very much in the planning stages, so not a whole lot was structured or definite. I mostly wandered between various major projects that interested me, from other parts of the Hawking story, to Dream Machine, to Adonis, to a bit of my Marvel fan fic. I even did a couple of scenes from an idea for a King of the Hill story set in the future of that series that happened to be rattling around in my brain.

Hawking – 11
Adonis – 3
Dream Machine – 10
Forever Captain – 5
King of the Hill – 2

1. Aidan - 3
2. Ancient One - 1
3. Meredith Barry - 5
4. Miranda Barrymore - 1
5. Britannica Gloriana - 1
6. Josie Carraway - 2
7. Elizabeth Carter - 3
8. Jamie Carter - 3
9. Peggy Carter - 1
10. Devon Chambers - 2
11. Ryan Dresden - 3
12. Veronica Dresden - 1
13. Cassius Evans - 2
14. Marian Granville - 1
15. Hamba - 1
16. Beatrice Hawking - 1
17. Clara Hawking - 5
18. Nathaniel Hawking - 4
19. Justin Hawking - 3
20. Victoria Hawking - 5
21. Rishun Hayward - 1
22. Bobby Hill - 1
23. Didi Hill - 1
24. G.H. Hill - 1
25. Hank Hill - 2
26. Joxer - 1
27. Derek Kaplan - 4
28. Dave Lawrence - 1
29. Leah Lucchesi - 6
30. Myrmidia - 1
31. Pat Moran - 1
32. Rosaline Pembroke - 2
33. Steve Rogers - 4
34. Kahn Souphanousinphone - 1
35. Mary Stone - 2
36. Violet Strallan - 1
37. Arthur Swann - 2

As with last year, I wrote within a narrow set of projects and across a wide swath of characters. This year’s most frequent appearance was Dream Machine lead Leah Lucchesi with 6 scenes total. Following her was Meredith Barry, Clara Hawking, and Victoria Hawking with 5, Nathaniel Hawking, Derek Kaplan, and Steve Rogers with 4, and a total of five characters, Aidan, Elizabeth Carter, Jamie Carter, Ryan Dresden, and Justin Hawking, ending up with 3. Lately I also like to take note of how frequently I end up writing for certain actors. This time, Naomi Ibasitas has 8 between Leah and Rosaline Pembroke, Cari Keebaugh has 7 from Mrs. Hawking and Josie Carraway, Eric Cheung and Matt Kamm have 6, and Liz Salazar and Jackie Freyman have 5.

My actual drafting, as in, the choosing of the words to manifest the ideas, I feel was generally rather weak this year. Sometimes I feel that way in the writing and change my mind about it later, but as I looked back over all the scenes in retrospect I maintain that assessment. A little bit disappointing, but that’s what drafting’s for— just getting it out on the page, to be improved and punched up later. So I’m trying not to feel too badly about it.

I do think I ended up with a bunch of strong concepts for scenes and interactions. I had several pieces that were interesting from a character standpoint even if I didn’t manage much of a narrative arc. The irreverent screwing around in #23 - “Never Have I Ever” was charming and funny, even if the scene doesn’t really go anywhere. I liked the notions in #20 – “Cinched” even if I’m concerned I manifested them a bit clumsily on the page— I can’t decide if that bit with the watch works or not. #24 – “Shelley Duval” has some punch to it. I love the main concept of Meredith developing an imperious alternate persona as a way of seizing authority in #9 – “Marcelina Anastasia di Gregorio Tremaine”. #14 – “Another Young Girl” has a great thematic interaction between Mrs. H and her grandniece Beatrice. And just like last year, doing the Ember Island Players thing with #31 – “Counterparts” allowed for some enjoyable meta humor poking fun at the Hawking cast members.

Were there any scenes that came out strong overall? A couple. I think the one that came out the most spot-on in terms of arc and character was #21 – “Asshole”. It’s probably the single best crafted scene of the month, with two characters with long history and strong emotions about each other get honest and real. A close second would be #3 – “Rake and Coquette” which depicts Justin and Clara’s breakup. That I was pleased with because I was able to find ways to reveal failings in both parties in a way that was natural to the situation.

Favorite lines? #14 – “Another Young Girl” has, in response to Beatrice asking her great auntie why she doesn’t like her, “Oh, dear God. You are Nathaniel’s daughter.” #16 has the title line, “Your mother is in your bones!” I love basically everything Meredith says in character as Marcelina Tremaine. And #18 – “Blond Salvation” has several that I’m actually really proud of. “Hiding behind that gods-given face.” “How could you come to me? When everything I am was built on your back?” And of course, the title line, “I have seen salvation, and he is blond.”

So, yeah. Maybe not all my best work. But good, solid, useful stuff in there. Definitely something I can build on. No wonder I keep doing this year after year.