I’ve already written a short piece about her… She died about 14 years ago… It’s a very good piece but it is only about 10 to 15 minutes long.
I think it’s one of my best piece of work… And I’d like to expand it to a full-length play with other aspects including trying to get help for her from the NHS
Play as it stands is in imagining of my sister in a state of having died already and having some form of consciousness to be able to speak back to the grieving family
I wrote another short piece which I have been trying to edit… It’s about trying to get help from the NHS for a friend of mine… So far I have just cut and splice it and I’m not sure if doing any of this is appropriate… My mother has obviously not read any of it and she’s been such a help with my previous play This would be completely without support from her… I understand but it’s slightly frustrating artistically… Sorry if that sounds heartless
So, do you think it’s too much for me to want to do this?
The best plays are written from the heart.
If you feel it’s your best piece of work, how would this be out of order for you?
I guess it’s in the cutting and splicing of it
I suppose I’m worried it will lose something with impurity of other material… worried that it will turn into something almost commercial
I’m not saying that I’ll earn a lots of money from it… But isn’t it’s profiting in a way?
And keeping it out of mums way will be different to say the least… She has helped so much with my previous work
I do have a mentor… I plan on emailing…
I guess I can ask him if it’s a good idea… Just wanted to get some opinions
I think I’m actually getting to what the problem is now…
Mum refusing to read it is hard for me
Makes me feel guilty for writing it
Which is a bit unfair on her really I suppose
And obviously I don’t want to get in her way with her feelings
Thanks Csummers
There is healing there
Anything that gets you closer to reality and processes the unprocessed emotions of the past is almost always worth doing.
I don’t think it’s out of order… I’m sure there are still some high emotions from loosing her.
Maybe this will bring some inner peace.
I’m sorry your Mom won’t read it yet… but when she’s emotionally ready… she might read it later.
good luck with this new project.
I agree with surprisedJ this inspired me too that is sometimes the best way to process and you should also seek help from a psychologist I sense pain and the need to express and the pain can hurt releasing emotions so please take your time…
I believe there is an afterlife…
I don’t think there is anything wrong with it, as long as you don’t commit libel or slander anyone. How your family receives it might depend on how you portray both them and your sister. I would think carefully before I wrote anything about them if I were you.
Do you think it’s trite to stitch together a short play about grief ( the one mentioned above ) about a woman bought back to a better on stage life …
Stitched together with a monologue about sleeping rough from my own experience and another play about getting no help from the NHS with their help lines and emergency mental health services?
I think she said she would watch it if it was in a theatre x
Yes x it would mean attributing stuff nothing to do with my sister to her life
Hopefully this could be seen as artistic licence
She was pretty silent and severely unwell
She had the worst case of schizophrenia I’ve heard of
Unremitting for 12 years
So we really don’t know a lot about her
Thanks Starry night
X
It is painful yes x
I think my sister is horrified that I’m writing about Harriet
She’s a photographer and very visual
I’m a writer and kinesthetic
I suppose I don’t find anything sacred,
I’ve put my life in fictional format, now my grief / my sister is the closest thing to my heart
I think the person who said don’t libel has a good point though
No need to bring anyone else from my family in to it
Then it stays personal
If you did that, and the character you wrote about was clearly identifiable as your sister, she could sue you for libel. You’re on dangerous ground here. You need to think very carefully before you put pen to paper.
Sorry misunderstanding
I thought you have a good point
I can write about myself and Harriet
Not my living sister
Replied xxx didn’t make myself clear
Okay. You might want to consult a lawyer before you start to write. He can let you know under what kind of guidelines you would need to operate.
No one sues anyone in the UK xxx