Finished?

Last Wednesday night I managed to finish the last of my ten shorts that make up ‘Error of Comedies: Occupations’. On a roll, I sat down and tried to work out what order they should be presented in.

Then something weird happened. If this were to be presented as a full-length two-act play, there were subtle links between each of the individual plays in each act. It was almost as though I had planned it.

I wish that I was that clever – but it must have been something sub-conscious that led them in that direction.

I posted on my Facebook group that I was looking for new pre-readers (a term that I created to indicate that you don’t need experience as a proof-reader, but basically just tell me if it works and point out any errors you see) printed a copy off for my committee of taste (my wife) and one of my finest proof-reader (my Mother-in-Law – with some degree of fear as she is a scary character and I had named one of the characters after her).

I received the manuscript back from my Mother-in-Law this morning and felt sick when I read her comments.

Not that she slammed any of the contents, but it was the fact that she picked up so many little errors that I should have spotted ages ago in my proofing stage. Stupid stuff like putting ‘your’ instead of ‘you’re’.

I’ve even been contacted by one of the actors from the last production of ‘Denim’ who has quite a lot of experience in proof-reading saying that he was willing to have a stab.

I wanted to have this published before Christmas, but after a couple of comments I realise that I am asking far too much of my pre-readers for that to happen. After all, they are volunteers and they have other things to do.

But it made me wonder when a play is ever finished. When is it ready to push out to the public?

I realise that I am often too close to the script as I have poured so much time into it, that I read what I think is there, not what is really there (otherwise I would never have made the ‘your’ mistake). So how long do I have to plan for a pre-reading stage before saying enough is enough and publish the thing?

I guess I will work that out in time – or I may end up with an agent and they will employ experts to help me through this stage.

Until then, if you are interested in pre-reading my new work, get in contact… And I’ll await the responses from those that have the play at the moment.