One fear that writers often have is that their writing will offend someone or hurt someone’s feelings: A family member, a friend, a lover. Perhaps we are afraid of writing something too personal. This might be especially true of memoir, but it is an issue with fiction writers as well. Or maybe it’s the evening news where we find our inspiration, and we worry about the legal implications. Often our stories borrow little bits and pieces from real life. Sure we soak them, strain them, and boil them up until they are hardly recognizable, but what if someone recognizes those tidbits?
I had the “can I write that?” fear with one line from SWIMMING ALONE. Oh, there are plenty of scenarios in the YA novel that were inspired by my life, silly teenage stuff mostly. But if you’ve read the book, there’s this one line about a thong. (You can find that line in the first chapter, which, btw, you can read here.) I wondered if that line would anger the friend whose divorce had inspired it.
A couple of years ago, I had a reading of six of my ten-minute plays. Usually, I watch just one of my short plays alongside plays written by other people. But seeing them all together, I felt naked. I’m NOT EVEN JOKING! My short plays tend to be wild, wacky comedies…but it felt like someone was reading my diary up on stage. It occurred to me that maybe I shouldn’t have delved into my own psyche quite so much. And yet, these were my most successful short plays, so clearly divulging my deepest darkest secrets had paid off.
Here I am at Ticket's Muse, 6 Short Plays by me, produced by Ticket 2 Eternity Productions in 2012,
After seeing KING CHARLES III on Broadway, I sort of feel like anything is fair game*. I saw it earlier this month, and loved it. Great dialogue and great acting. Parts were actually written in iambic pentameter. So funny, and so moving. And the type of play that really makes you think. In this case, I left the theater wondering about the place in the modern world for a royal family and what it means to have power, among other things.
And talk about being inspired by real people and real events! Subtitled “A Future History Play,” KING CHARLES III imagines what life would be like for the British royal family after Queen Elizabeth II’s death. Camilla, Kate, William and Harry all make an appearance. And, needless to say, it’s not all flattering.
Me and hubby, taking our obligatory selfie, before seeing KING CHARLES III on Broadway.
OK, I do suppose this is a little different than my short plays or my thong scenario. Satirizing the lives of such public figures can hardly be compared to satirizing one’s own relationships or borrowing a tawdry detail from my friend’s messy divorce for my novel.
But I do wonder if playwright Mike Bartlett** ever asked himself, “Can I write about that?” Well, I’m glad he did.
*Some things actually aren’t fair game. Be sure you are clear on what constitutes defamation, slander, libel, etc.
**Bartlett also wrote COCK, which I saw off-Broadway in 2012, and also loved. Stay tuned for a future blog post: Can I title it THAT?
