Today I’m riffing on Taylor Swift and how as playwrights we can find ways to write in a way that feels incredibly truthful, to the point that it feels confessional. In what ways can we better embrace the cringey, diaristic, oversharing in our early drafts, so that we can move through to subtle, nuanced insights in our polished work? Because you can’t get to sophisticated sincerity, if you don’t nurture your cringe. And if we think being emotional in our writing isn’t intellectually rigorous enough, I think we risk suffocating where a piece of writing might take us… I reference ‘All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)’ by Taylor Swift ‘All To Well’ by Taylor Swift ‘folklore’ studio album by Taylor Swift I'm doing an AMA (Ask Me Anything) episode next up! Send me your questions to answer by email [email protected] or on Instagram @emilysheehan__

Should we have multiple scripts on the go? Today I delve into the benefits and challenges of writing more than one idea at the same time. As well as some strategies for focus and momentum when bouncing between stories. I touch on:  The temptation to do 'all the things' when it comes to new ideas. The complexities of managing more than one writing project at once. Identifying a primary project and side project and letting them ebb and flow. Planning your writing week when you have more than one thing on the go. Allocating the right amount of time to make manageable and meaningful progress. Leaving space for setbacks. Thank you for listening. To learn more about me and my work visit my website www.emilysheehan.info, say hi on Instagram @emilysheehan__ or reach me in an email at [email protected].

Having our work reviewed publicly is a strange and unavoidable part of writing. It's something we all have to deal with when we put new work out into the world. In today's episode I talk about reviews, theatre criticism and 'perfect opinions'. I touch on:  - Writers' different appetites for reading reviews of their work.  - The difference between theatre criticism and reviews. - Frustrations with an imperfect reviewing culture. - How reviews are one small piece of the broader cultural and critical response your work.  - Knowing what's important to you. Whether that's the audience response, the industry response, the response from the community the work represents, box office sales, awards and nominations etc.  - Asking who or what art criticism meant to serve? - My thoughts on writers being part of the broader conversation surrounding their work.  I reference:  'Beejay Silcox on literary criticism and the art of judging' on The Garret podcast Thank you for listening. If you're enjoying the podcast, leaving a rating or a review is a really friendly way to show your support.  To learn more about my work, visit my website https://www.emilysheehan.info/ or connect with me on Instagram @emilysheehan__ or send me an email at [email protected].

Today I'm joined by Artistic Director of the Old Fitz Theatre, Lucy Clements, to talk about the rehearsal room for my play Frame Narrative. We speak about: - Finding the right artistic team to build out the world of the play. - The rehearsal process and the role of a director and playwright at different stages. - The many design elements and working with composition in the rehearsal room. - Working with an intimacy coordinator to choreograph the work. - Making changes to the text on the floor. Come see the show! Frame Narrative by Emily Sheehan Directed by Lucy Clements At Old Fitz Theatre 8-30 March 2024 https://www.oldfitztheatre.com.au/frame-narrative Follow Lucy on instagram @lucypodstolski and @newghoststheatrecompany Follow me on instagram @emilysheehan__

I've been writing an adaptation! (Frame Narrative and it’s on March 8-30, 2024 at The Old Fitz in Sydney.) Working with source material has changed some parts of my writing process. So I thought it could be useful to share what's been helpful along the way. I speak about: - The many kinds of adaptations: retellings, reimaginings, cover songs, fan fiction, prequels, sequels etc. - Bridging the gap between the source material and the liveness of theatre (or whatever form you write in.) - The relationship between form and content. - Using research to broaden your access points to the material and find new ideas and inspiration. - Imagine filtering a story through your voice and aesthetic like it’s a cover song. How does this particular story sound in your voice? - Marginalia and the long history of readers writing in the margins of books. - Working with the expectations audiences bring to a work when they know it’s an adaptation. Can you deliver on the expectations that open up possibilities, and subvert the ones that don’t. I reference: - G Flip’s cover of 'Cruel Summer' by Taylor Swift on triple j Like A Version - 'Like A Version and the art of making a cover song' by Madi Chwasta on ABC See Monument at Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre! By Emily Sheehan and directed by Ella Caldwell February 20 - March 10, 2024 Book now: https://www.redstitch.net/monument-2024 See Frame Narrative at The Old Fitz Theatre! By Emily Sheehan and directed by Lucy Clements March 8-30, 2024 Book now: https://www.oldfitztheatre.com.au/frame-narrative

Sometimes in order to make a piece of writing stronger you have to remove something. Whether that's a conversation between two characters, a whole scene, a whole narrative thread or maybe even a whole character. In today’s episode I unpack the common piece of writing advice to ‘kill your darlings’ and share some of the provocations and writing tasks that have helped me cut material from my latest draft. I speak about: - Stepping back and looking at your play as a whole rather than its individual parts. - We often default to adding something to our draft to improve it, but subtraction is just as important. - How to know when to add something and when to take something away. - When not to kill your darlings. - Why going for clarity in each moment of the script isn’t the same as being vanilla. - Some prompts for cutting dialogue, cutting drama beats, cutting key events, cutting scenes, cutting narrative threads, cutting whole characters and cutting stage time. I reference: - Episode 28 ‘Character Development’ - Episode 38 ‘Stay With the Story’ - Mark Ravenhill’s series of tweets '101 Notes on Playwriting' See Monument at Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre! By Emily Sheehan directed by Ella Caldwell February 20 - March 10, 2024 Book now: https://www.redstitch.net/monument-2024 See Frame Narrative at The Old Fitz Theatre! By Emily Sheehan directed by Lucy Clements March 8 - 30, 2024 Book now: https://www.oldfitztheatre.com.au/frame-narrative

What’s your play about? What questions is it trying to answer? What provocations does it make? After a period of intense focus on the big ideas of the play, it can be helpful to switch focus and 'stay with the story'. In today's episode I speak about: - Writing from your authentic voice. The place where you are the most honest, most lyrical, most creative.
 - The difference between what your play is about, and what it’s really about.
 - Developing the story versus developing the ideas.
 - The dance between complex ideas in a simple story, and simple ideas within a complex story.
 - Looking at feedback through a story lens.
 - Looking at your outline through a story lens.
 - Using note cards to physicalise your story spine.
 - Why I always print out the material I’m working on. I reference: Episode 22 'Writing a Draft Zero' '36 Assumptions About Writing Plays' by José Rivera Get one-on-one support for your writing by visiting www.emilysheehan.info/dramaturgy   Say hi, ask a writing question or request a podcast topic on instagram @emilysheehan__

A seductive psychological defence is that we will one day feel ready. Ready to start a draft. Ready to tackle these rewrites. Ready to send the script to a friend to read. But feelings of readiness don’t always arrive… Today I share my thoughts on whether we need to feel ready before we take the next step in a creative project. And some strategies and tools to try out if we don’t feel ready. I speak about: - Readiness is an emotion and emotions are fickle. - How to focus on what you can control: where you place your attention and the action you take. - Discovering a supportive writing routine and setting up writing sessions. - Getting curious about the pace your project wants to move at. Does it want to go slow? Or does it want to bolt? Are you getting in the way of that pace? - A travel story about the opulent dinner parties thrown by Salvador Dalí and his wife and muse, Gala. Hint: if you’re given a bottle of champagne, it’s only good on your shelf for a year. So don’t save it. Drink it! I reference: Episode 14 Episode Creative Resets Between Projects Episode 15 'The Artist's Way' Weeks 1-4 Episode 16 'The Artist's Way' Weeks 5-8 Episode 17 'The Artist's Way' Weeks 9-12 Episode 25 Writing Habits to Overcome Procrastination ‘Dali: Les Diners De Gala’ by Salvador Dali. Get one-on-one support for your writing by visiting www.emilysheehan.info/dramaturgy Say hi, ask a writing question or request a podcast topic on instagram @emilysheehan__

It’s time to reacquaint ourselves with rest. Rest and recovery are as much a part of the creative process as phases of enormous artistic output. And we can validate our ambition to create our best work and chase our dreams, at the same time we talk about wellbeing and meeting our needs as artists. ‘Pushing through’ when we’ve hit our limit is rampant in the arts industry. This podcast is an invitation. I want to release you from the myth that those who are experiencing the most artistic success and the most artistic fulfilment are the ones who are pushing the hardest. In this episode I speak about: - The myth that those who are successful are pushing the hardest. - Rest’s relationship with capitalism. - My honest opinion on our obsession with ‘pushing through’ in the arts industry. - How we can find rest within a broken system. - The difference between high quality rest activities and unhelpful numbing techniques. - My strategies for setting up small ways to rest, extended ways to rest, and making space for mindful distraction techniques during the week’s schedule. References: 'Rest is Resistance' by Tricia Hersey If you’re enjoying the podcast, please leave me a rating or a review. It’s a really friendly way to show your support. To learn more about my work, visit my website or connect with me on Instagram @emilysheehan__ or send me an email at [email protected].

As part of the publicity for Monument at Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre, I’ve done a number of radio interviews. This episode is a compilation of three of my favourite radio conversations. So much about theatre and live performance is ephemeral, so including these in my podcast feed is a way to archive interesting conversations about the play. And even though art and writing can and should speak for itself, I also really believe that artists should be part of the conversation about their work. Listen to these interviews in full and check out other conversations with interesting artists by following: Steff Kechaya on Arts Weekly on3MBS Melbourne Yvette Kean on She Bop on 3CR Radio Richard Watts on SmartArts on Triple R Read the play! Monument by Emily Sheehan Buy online at Readings, Booktopia or Currency Press