by Jennifer Bobiwash

Have you ever had a moment and wonder why, why do I write plays? Or just, why do I write in general? This year has been filled with rewrites, a lot of producing, and some teaching, and I haven’t written. And I haven’t stopped to wonder, why am I not writing?

That brought me to another idea, was where do my ideas come from? But I think that’s a whole other conversation. Right now, I’m concerned with why I write.

I saw a play last night. A play that I have been wanting to see but afraid to see lest it ruin me and I never want to listen to that music again. In those first couple of moments, three rows away from the stage, and I was overcome with emotion. I wanted to cry. I didn’t because I got caught up in my thoughts and wondering, why am I crying? Why are these tears forming?

If you hadn’t noticed, I ask why a lot. And so as I sucked back the tears and watched as the cast danced and sang across the stage, my eyes were aglow, rimmed with tears. But I held them back. And I sat in awe, singing with the cast, enjoying some of the music. It didn’t quite ruin me, but some songs took me a few bars in to recognize what song they were singing. But at the end of the night, I was overjoyed.

And did that make me want to write? Mm, yes and no. It made me wonder about writing. It made me wonder why we write. Watching this play based on an album, written by a band, I wondered how the music all came together with the story and the dance. I wondered about the production of it. To know how things work.

So now I have to go back and find the documentary of the making of this piece. And maybe it will help me write. I’m hoping. Because I am in a funk right now. And I am overthinking things, if you couldn’t tell.

That’s what it is. I am overthinking why I write. Jennifer, just sit down and write! I tell people all the time, get in the practice of writing 10 minutes every morning. And even if you don’t know what to write, just write. Something will come out.

So, I guess as I’m writing this at 7 a.m. mornings are when I write. I should just do that instead of procrastinating by sharing with you the delight of a play that I saw last night and try and work on my own stuff because I want to write. I want to write plays and stories and share them with the world. Oh, but that’s a whole other different story, huh? Maybe tomorrow. For right now, I’m gonna set my timer to 10 minutes and hopefully write more than the same sentence over and over. I wish you good writing.