Speed Dating...for Writers?

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Speed Dating...for Writers?

Some of you may have seen my post on Instagram or Facebook this past week saying that I attended a Writer-Producer Speed Dating event this past Sunday evening.

(If not, make sure to follow me on FB, and follow me @radimichael and the blog @glamorouslifeblog both on the Instagrams!)

This event was insane. In a good way. But insane.

11 producers, 11 trailing producers, 22 writers, 2 sessions each over 2 hours, plus a reception. And that was just the night itself, which doesn’t include the week of intensive preparation of the pitch and accompanying materials!

And throughout the entire week leading up to it - I was scared out of my mind.

I rarely get myself worked up in anxious anticipation of things, but sometimes I cannot control it, and this was one of those times.

“So what the heck was this thing and why was it so daunting?”

Excellent questions, dear reader.

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Don't Bring Around A Cloud...

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Don't Bring Around A Cloud...

…to rain on my paraaaaaaaade! (sorry, I couldn’t resist!)

For those of you who read last week’s blog post - welcome to Part 2! For those of you who didn’t, check out the first part of the post here: As We Stumble Along…

Last week’s post focused on the more negative aspects of the risk-taking and the learning processes in this business. The journey is often imperfect and difficult and involves a great deal of trial-and-error, and that’s totally okay. But what I skipped over were all of the positive steps and outcomes that can result from this journey.

Every single success or accomplishment that is presently in my life can be traced back to either a risk I took, or a moment where I enhanced my personal education through non-traditional (aka classroom) means. And I am not unique in this regard.

So, the question becomes - how? Well, there are many routes, but I’ll tell you about some of mine.

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You've Got To Be Carefully Taught

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You've Got To Be Carefully Taught

One of the most eye-opening tips I’ve ever casually received in my career thus far came while doing a show called My Mother’s Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding. It’s an absolutely delightful, folksy, and heartfelt autobiographical musical written by the Canadian husband-wife writing team (and the kindest people) David Hein and Irene Sankoff - yes, the same people behind the international smash hit: Come From Away.

It was October of 2010 and we had been rehearsing the show at JCC Centerstage in Rochester, NY in a setting where the show was being workshopped with David and Irene as we went through the script. For a new writer like me, this was an incredible experience. The show’s director and a wonderful mentor of mine - Ralph Meranto - told David and Irene after one rehearsal that I was an aspiring musical theatre writer. They immediately showed interest and asked questions. As I said, kindest people ever.

At the end of the conversation, Irene asked, “Do you follow Ken Davenport’s blog? If you don’t, you definitely should. There’s a lot of great information. We read it religiously!”

This one suggestion set me onto a path over the next few years of attempting to acquire and consume every bit of knowledge that I could about writing musical theatre. And that is why this tip was so important.

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