Ohhh, this is dark, witty, diabolical, funny, and fun - did I mention DARK -
What critics say about bold young playwright Sheila Callaghan is true of you:
“Each moment in Roadkill Confidential is exquisitely crafted, stunning in both its heady intellectual content and its vivid, vibrant theatrical construction… it’s all crystal clear and compelling, with a dry macabre sense of humor… if you like intellectually compelling and skillfully crafted theatre you should totally see it… ” -Theatreiseasy.com
Our daughter's alma mater (a small college in the Midwest) is staging this play in April. I really ought to go see it.
This freewrite is full of sharp insights. Taut with suspense! Then, I almost imagine the noisily deflating balloon as the belligerant nanny wannabe picks up her coat (not the bat) and all the tension is defused.
But that's not all! Oh no!
The final kicker is that husband, Mr. Oblivious.
I thought that last one was good.
Well, of course you did, you dolt!
Every single line you write is quotable. This:
Reminded me of Aunt Ester when she was on those psychotropics, after she tried to kill me.
You really nail the delivery, deadpan, matter-of-fact.
And follow it up with another kicker:
I couldn't hire this woman to take care of my child.
The scream slays me, right after "my useless husband" slayed me.
HOW DO YOU PACK SO MUCH into so few words....!!!!!
I DON'T KNOW!
I freewrite. Then I go back and quickly proofread just for typos. I finally actually read it and I am almost always as surprised as you are when I finish reading. I touch it up after that without changing content at all, because if I start to tinker with it there is no "skillfull crafting" going on, they always get worse, muddied, contrived. So as much as possible I try to publish them exactly as they came out. Then I get to learn something.
I once interviewed a nanny with speech like that. For some reason (all my closest friends were shrinks in those days, no kidding 100%) I knew it was caused by psychotropic medications, and did not consider her. I saw that woman as I wrote this. Otherwise, all pur imagination. Well, except for the useless husband.
This is so true of me when I try to paint anything (esp. cats on wood slices):
I love the real-life elements you pull in and weave into the tapestry.
Somehow, you get it all right the first time! Only little tweaks - no major reconstruction.
I haven't got the energy to work hard on a story right now, or the interest. I used to enter contests that require more work, and I could take pleasure in them, but now it just taxes my mind too much. I don't want to think hard.