I hope you get a chance to read this essay by Wallace Shawn; he explores the world of acting and writes about the freedom inherent in moving between roles and society.
I remembered this post a lot this weekend as I finished up a writing project that I’ve been working on for the past year. I resembled an insane person as I talked out the various voices: gesturing to the air, scaring the cats with imaginary arguments, figuring out how an arthritic recluse would clutch a tea cup, yelling at dust bunnies on the floor. But somehow I was in that zone of letting it come out of me, all the noises, all the steps ahead, to let the story uncoil and have its own path. It was a 15 hour writing marathon, and on the other side of it I’m amazed. I’m amazed I drank so much coffee and survived. And the cats…well, they’re glad that this weekend is over.
