On Writing Audio Theater Part 1: Deadlines and Creativity
Having written scripts for the past four seasons of Nutmeg Junction and two in Barnaby Druthers, I have learned a thing or two about writing audio theater scripts which might be of assistance to those seeking to do the same. Many pointers/tips/ideas are quite common and can be applied to any form of writing, but they are still worth mentioning. I’ll start with one idea and continue to build as this blog moves forward.
Concept 1: Deadlines inspire creativity
It is entirely possible to think that if one had all the time in the world, one would still create art/stories/scripts, etc at the same pace or possibly even increase one’s output because the availability of time presents opportunities that are unavailable when one’s personal schedule is limited. It is a nice thought but I have not found it to be the case.
In the past decade at least I have not had a large amount of time that was unaccounted for anyway, so it is difficult to extrapolate what would occur if there was an infinite amount of time available. I also assume if one did have every nonsleeping hour available in a 24 hour period for a year or two, that eventually the water of time would find it’s level and one would find ways to produce. But in the reality of my day to day, week to week, year to year, in the very rare times when I have not have an extraordinary burden of responsibilities already placed on my allotted 24 hours, I have found myself consuming other media. Just thinking about this now, I am considering the fact that I’ve watched almost every episode of Star Trek from all series, every Sopranos/The Wire/GOT/and more HBO offerings, every Marvel and DC film, most current era series, etc, of course I’ve watched every Jeremy Brett Sherlock Holmes episode and movie, I could go on but in listing all of this, which doesn’t scratch the surface, let alone even touch the “one-and-done” shows/movies I’ve spent my time consuming, it does beg the question how I found the time to do that. The answer is that when I had time, I chose to consume and not create. It’s not all bad, there’s something to be said for allowing the brain to have a vacation.
However…
When one has limited time, and one wishes to create, then the time has to be found, savored and used wisely. Given the rigors of my current schedule, I find every two week period has a few hours that are nuggets of opportunity that can not be squandered and so I must write then. And as the writing and creating is my creative passion, I am thinking about ideas, stories, scenes, etc when I’m not writing, and if I have time to have something playing in the background, besides music, I have found documentaries on various subjects of interest foster great ideas for my stories. Learning of the Greek or Nordic myths, of physics, of space exploration, of philosophies, of histories, can inform my ideas and stories more than listening to story based media. So when I sit down to write, there is a good chance that the story has already been written in my head before I begin to put it on the page. The story has never remained the same, however, once I start writing, the stories may evolve into something else entirely but in having a limited time for output, and a deadline for story creation, I find I am never at a loss, in fact the opposite is true. I have four stories right now in the process and I’ve been thinking of a fifth since this morning.
I have a deadline because a new show must be created for the program. To put it in perspective, some television shows, like the old BBC model, produce 6 episodes a season, some modern streaming shows produce 10. At the height of syndicated media, shows would have to produce 26 episodes a season. For Barnaby Druthers in season 2 moving forward and Nutmeg Junction since season 2, I try to exceed 26 episodes each year. ** We have stories to tell and the audience wants to something new every week, so it is a perfect example of creative symbiosis. (** the “season one” of Barnaby was when Barnaby wasn’t fully its own show until August and season one of nutmeg junction began in April so the first seasons weren’t full years.)
Some might think of deadlines as if they were unwanted external expectations, like when a student has homework, or an employee has a report due to their superiors, things that are required but not particularly fun. Because writing is fun and it is what I want to do (and I would actually describe it is as a “need”, really) the external expectation is very much wanted and it helps me.
Perhaps I should have started with this thought, but I hope it’s clear that I find creating the show immensely fun. I might even describe it as a need and a driving force and if I had one hour in the 168 I’m given every week, this is what I’d do, and I would create stories.
I know listeners want new stories. I know the actors who create the show with me are looking forward to being a part of the experience and showcasing their talent, I know the stations are waiting for the new episodes to become available. So I have a natural deadline every week. A deadline by its very nature constricts time. You no longer have an unlimited amount of time to create, you now have whatever time you are allotted up to the deadline. So the equation is: Need to Write + Deadlines (Limited time)=Creativity. I’ve never had writers block because I’ve never had unlimited time to spend on it.
I honestly don’t know if self-imposed deadlines work for folks. If it does, great! It’s also not good to give yourself a medical condition because of stress of deadlines, so don’t do that either. But having a deadline and limited time is one reason why we’re on episode 23 of season 2 of Druthers and in the 3o’s already for Junction.
If you find this helpful, let me know. More on writing next time!
