Stella this is fascinating. Having written a few books myself, in retrospect, I guess I did them all in Open Space. I wasn't nearly as orderly and purposeful as you were, but it seemed to come out in just about the same place. The one thing that became absolutely clear was that if I did not have the passion, nothing would work. Grinding it out was no help and best just to put the project on the shelf until it called me. However, once called, there was no stopping until it was over. I never knew at the beginning where the book was going, never had an outline -- and truth to tell always felt that the book wrote me. Sounds pretty much like the 4 Principles and the Law of Two feet (smile). Thanks for sharing!
Harrison Harrison Owen 189 Beaucaire Ave Camden, ME 04843 207-763-3261 (Summer) 301-365-2093 (Winter) Website www.openspaceworld.com Personal Website www.ho-image.com OSLIST To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html -----Original Message----- From: OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu] On Behalf Of Stella Duffy Sent: Thursday, July 15, 2010 8:57 AM To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu Subject: Re: making theatre in Open Space Hi Allison, I have a brief mention of it here on my writing blog : http://stelladuffy.wordpress.com/2009/01/21/editing-a-novelediting-this-nove l/ Basically I was at a standstill, having completed the 4th draft of the novel, my publisher, agent and I all knew more work was needed, but none of us could quite get clear on what it was, and a deadline was looming, of course. I asked Lee Simpson of Improbable who had been part of the Devoted & Disgruntled Open Spaces to come and talk to me about it, I knew he would be able to hear my concerns and I trusted he'd probably have a suggestion of two that were of value - I think NOT asking a fellow novelist was useful here actually! We did some process work on what it was I was going through (my 11th novel! how could I be so 'stupid/inept' - my feelings - as to not know what to do next, etc etc), and Lee suggested it might not be so much a case of not knowing what to do, as not wanting to do it in the usual way. And that if I did actually know what to do, all I needed to do was come up with that agenda and then allow myself permission to work on it in OS - as and when I was drawn to/moved to, rather than ploughing through a list and grinding to a halt because it was so boring/difficult. So, the next day, I took some time, called about two dozen sessions - for myself, alone - made up my timetable and each day for the next few weeks I worked on what I was drawn to work on, for as long as I wanted to stay there. The final edit was a pleasure, the book my most successful at the time. It sounds incredibly obvious as I write it now, but at the time it felt like a huge liberation, trying a new process, one I had worked successfully for other forms, and giving it a go with my 'real' work. And a joy, of course, finding that OS had solo application! Hope that explains it a bit. As a non-planner for first drafts (I tend to improvise a first draft, though with some idea of beginning-middle-end) I'm not sure it's possible for a first draft, but I'm interested in finding out one day. All best Stella On 15/7/10 1:40 pm, "Allison & Jim Baensch" <mb...@iinet.net.au> wrote: > Hi Stella, > Good to hear you have used Open Space for writing. > I also used it while writing a thesis recently. > I tried to map part of the process that was going on inside my head > in words and sketches. > The thesis ended up being far too long and I had to cut it in half > (several times over the many months of writing) and that section was > left on the cutting room floor. > But the process lifted me out of one of my 'sloughs of writing > despond' and got me going again. > How did you use OS for editing? > Allison > > On 15/07/2010, at 7:37 PM, Stella Duffy wrote: > >> hi all, >> I'm new to this list, having been at all of Improbable's 'Devoted & >> Disgruntled' Open Spaces led by Phelim McDermott in London in the past >> years. Some years ago, when I came to a major impasse in the >> editing of my >> eleventh novel, I tried editing in OS and was astonished at how >> useful it >> was for me, alone, with my manuscript. This year I have shared OS, >> along >> with other practitioners, with my buddhist practice here in the UK, >> and most >> recently I've been working on a new theatre project and (with Phelim's >> encouragement!)I now - shyly - share with you the report I returned >> to the >> National Theatre Studio who generously gave 30+ of us the space to >> work on >> this new project in OS. >> I'd be very interested in hearing from anyone else who has used OS for >> writing or where it's been used for making/devising theatre work. >> best wishes, >> Stella Duffy >> stelladuffy.wordpress.com >> >> >> My report to the NTS : >> I'm emailing to thank you all so much for your support for the >> Chaosbaby >> Project Open Spaces this weekend and last. >> >> To give you some idea of what happened, and how valuable it was : >> 36 people attended over both days (many of them came to both). >> The age range was from 21 to mid-60's. >> They were 11 actors, 2 actor-musicians, 4 actor-writers, 1 >> choreographer-dancer, 6 directors, 1 designer, 1 film-maker, 2 >> musicians, 2 >> playwrights, 5 writer-directors, 1 photographer. >> >> In the two days, using the Open Space form, various groups & >> individuals : >> - wrote a 14-page traditional/'straight' narrative for the piece >> - developed character breakdowns >> - worked on the physicality/movement for a number of characters/spaces >> - held many discussions about the nature of the piece >> - discussed the nature of chaos (as a theatrical concept, as a >> dance/movement concept, and in terms of chaos theory and mathematics) >> - created/drew up initial design ideas >> - wrote 3 new monologues >> - worked on the (two, brief) pre-existing texts >> - wrote and recorded a lullaby >> - documented the work on camera and video >> - made a puppet show, with live music accompaniment >> >> Above all, I think, we showed ourselves it is not only possible, >> but perhaps >> preferable to work in Open Space, with a wide range of theatre-makers, >> across many disciplines, which generated an enormous amount of >> work/material, led not by a single director or writer, but by the >> whole - >> and that in doing so it is still possible to have a cohesive idea >> of what >> we are making and where best our skills might be used. >> >> I'm really excited about taking this on further, I especially loved >> that, >> having met Slav (on the door, doing security) the first Saturday, >> he took >> (wonderful) photos for us on the 2nd Saturday. >> >> We're looking at a full weekend/three day Open Space to further the >> work >> later in the year. >> >> I've worked in made/devised/improvised theatre for the past twenty- >> five >> years, this was one of the few times I've felt that it was TRULY a >> shared >> group endeavour and not, at least in some ways, a director or >> writer-led >> experience. And happy though I am to work as both a director and a >> writer, a >> working form that uses ALL the skills in the room, to the utmost >> that can be >> offered, feels like a much better use of time, space, money and, most >> importantly, the full range of all the artists' abilities. >> >> * >> * >> ========================================================== >> osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu >> ------------------------------ >> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, >> view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: >> http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html >> >> To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: >> http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist > > * > * > ========================================================== > osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu > ------------------------------ > To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, > view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: > http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html > > To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: > http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
