21 March 2012
Guest Lecturer: Jim Kenworth:
Jim Kenworth is a playwright who wrote the play 'WHEN GHANDI MET CHAPLIN.'
He is also a Arts educator and Creative Writing Tutor. Other plays he has written is: Polar Bears, Johnny Song, and Gob.
For more on his work and workshops visit his page:
http://www.jimkenworth.co.uk/
He also got a blog site that hasn't been updated since 2009 but it is worth looking into if you interested in his inspirations for his plays.
http://jimkenworthblog.blogspot.co.uk/
Lecture:
Jim Kenworth went through some writing exercises with us on how to be able to let our creativity flow and some methods that will be able to help us. Through a variety of examples he demonstrated how a small idea can be transformed into a great story.
Also as an agenda for the lesson we looked at how to structure a piece of work using a three act structure. Within this structure we had to have a beginning, middle and end.
Exercise One: Responding to the word:
In this exercise Kenworth called out a number of words and our task was to write what popped into our head when we heard the word. This was a great exercise because it allowed us to associate the word with what we originally associate it with instead of like normally we would think of a word that would make sense to go with the other word. As Kenworth likened it to 'child-like behavior,' saying how children allow their imagination to guide them and to do this exercise we have to allow our child-like behavior to submerge.
It was interesting to hear the different words people came up with to represent the words on the left of the table. In each case everyone had a different word to each other.
Exercise Two: Free-Writing:
In this exercise similar to the other free-writing we did before we had to start off with I am writing and write for two minutes.
I am writing about thoughts that continually cloud my mind. Thoughts of sorrow and pain, these that always lead me back to the darkness that I try so hard to escape. It makes me crave death so much more. I am going insane. Maybe this is what is building me, but why does it have to be so hard to live a normal life? You would think the older you get the more ambitious and free you will be. But for me it makes me feel more trapped, more closed in and struggling to get out. There is only one solution I keep coming back to and that is death. Only then will I be totally free. Is this who I am meant to be?
Exercise Three: Instant Stories:
Write a sentence that links three things into a very short story, keeping them in the same order.
Choose any of the following three things and begin your story with on of the opening sentences:
1) Today I would like to...(book, shoe, penguin)
2) I don't understand why...(computer, crocodile, toast)
3) The world would be a better place if...(television, chicken, bed)
Example:
I don't understand why the computer gave all the information about the crocodile but it didn't stop me burning all the toast.
The world would be a better place if everything on television wasn't about violence and making the victims look like chicken'sjust so that the perpertrator could sleep better in their bed.
Today I would like to read a bookwhile putting on my shoesand find out what happened to the penguin.
I don't understand why the computer shows the crocodilehow to eat toast.
Exercise Four: Structure: Techniques: Tip 1:
Your Premise:
Sum up your scene or drama in 3 - 4 lines.
This is a scene...(describe your hero)
Who...(What s/he wants more than anything else)
but...(Name of overwhelming obstacles preventing the realization of their goal)
and...(tease us with an ending)
This scene is about a angry, disappointed and desperate musical geek who wants to propose to his girlfriend at the Glastonbury Festival but as he goes down on one knee the heaven's open and flooding the place erupting the crowd in chaos knocking him over into the mud and he drops the ring while his girlfriend gets carried away by the crowd.
This layout of instant stories is said to be used by Hollywood's elites just in case they get stuck in an elevator with a movie director. They use this to give a quick review of their play and it covers the most important elements.
Exercise Five: Your Story - The Potted Version:
In this exercise we need to make a one minute monologue using the story we created in the Instant stories exercise. This time using the potted version. This version can be used to out together any kind of story. It gets to the truth of the story (Core/heart of the story).
This story is about(theme)...
The main character is...
It takes place (location)...
The main characters wants...
So s/he(what do they do to get their want)...
However(What gets in their way)...
In desperation s/he...
But that backfires when...
Things reach a dramatic peak when...
At this point a truth is revealed...
The story ends when...
As a result of all this the main character has changed somehow...
George wanted to propose to Emily, so he bought tickets to the Glastonbury Festival and a lovely diamond ring. However during the festival it began to rain really hard and the festival got flooded. With the momentum of the crowd George and Emily got separated. In his desperation to find her, George tripped and the ring went flying out of his hand. Covered in mud, George began digging through the mud in a bid to find the ring. Depleted and tired he gave up and decided to look for Emily. As he looked around he caught a glimpse of another girl wearing a ring similar to the one he lost. As he walked closer he overheard her telling her friend that she found it on the ground as everyone rushed out of the rain.
This potted version can be used within a solo performance piece. It is the ups' and down (arcs) of a play.
Exercise Six: Tag lines:
This is a memorable phrase that will sum up the tone and premise of a film/play.
Trust a few. Fear the rest: X-Men
'Before you die, you see...: The Ring
Love is a force of nature: Brokeback Mountain
His history will touch you, even though he can't: Edward Scissorhands
To enter the mind of a killer, she must challenge the mind of a madman: Silence of the lambs
Every dog has his day: Reservoir Dogs
Afternoon Workshop:
In today's class we in groups of three we had to perform our pieces and get feedback. Then as a group of 10 we performed again and got feedback and guidance from the teacher as to how our performance is going.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Kenworth, J. 'Jim Kenworth: Playwright and Arts Educator,' http://www.jimkenworth.co.uk/ (Accessed 22 March 2012)
Kenworth, J. 'Jim Kenworth Blogspot,' http://jimkenworthblog.blogspot.co.uk/ (Accessed 22 March 2012)
No comments:
Post a Comment