Write a play in January! 5 Reasons why you should take part in #WrAP2019

Want to find out more about why you should take part in #WrAP2019? Here, our Head of Writer Development and #WrAP2019 producer Kimberley Andrews,  gives you the lowdown and her top 5 reasons for why it’s worth giving it a go!

1.  It’s the perfect New Year’s Resolution

With Christmas looming you’re probably starting to think about your New Year’s Resolutions. Mine usually consist of a diverse selection of overly ambitious aims such as taking up a wild and daring new sport (NB, I don’t do any sports) or eating a fiercely unbearable cocktail of superfoods on a daily basis for the whole year. Not to mention my ‘Writerly Resolutions’ which include bold and completely unattainable commitments such as ‘I will set my alarm for 4am every day to make more time for writing’, or ‘ I will make it big in Hollywood this year’.

Needless to say, most of these resolutions have been ditched before the end of January and whilst I can happily forget the idea of taking up a sport, falling off the wagon with my writing aims leaves me feeling demoralised and I find this really kills my motivation.

#WrAP2019 might sound like another  outlandish January plan but it differs in the fact that you’ll see results in relatively short space of time. Seeing how much you can achieve in just one month will give you a massive boost for the year ahead! It’s also completely possible to achieve your goal – and we know this because people actually did write entire first drafts when we ran #WrAP last year.

2. You can’t fail

Unlike a resolution that requires you to abstain from something you really love for a whole year or FAIL(!) completely, you can’t actually fail WrAP. It’s true that some of those who took part last year didn’t manage to finish their plays in a month but you know what, they still had more than they started with at the beginning of January. That sounds like success to me. Even if you only get a few pages down, you’ll have sown the seeds of an idea you’ll be able to develop as the year goes on. Plus, you’ll have the #WrAP2019 emails in your inbox (and live on our members site) to refer back to as you go along.

3. It’s even better than last year

Well, last year’s WrAP was phenomenal. And that’s not us blowing our own trumpets – that’s based on the amazing work that the 155 writers who took part managed in the space of just one month.  Some people completed a whole first draft in January, others wrote a few scenes, others fleshed out an idea which formed the basis of the project they worked on for the rest of the year. It was amazing to have so many writers working alongside each other, albeit digitally, to achieve a common goal.

#WrAp2019 will work in pretty much the same way as it did last year (if it ain’t broke don’t fix it!) with participants receiving prompts straight to their inbox to guide them through the process of writing a play –  but this year, we’ve got even more exciting stuff coming up…

We’re going to be throwing in some bonus content which looks at the building blocks of playwriting so rather than just focusing on the page count, you’ll have even more of a chance to develop your craft and to become a better writer.

We’ve even got a new content producer on board called George, who has experience in delivering digital content and supporting writers (and is also an emerging playwright) who will be working with me to make sure #WrAP2019 is even better than last year!

In addition to this, we’re also going to be giving you the chance to share your work at the next members meet-up so you can get feedback from other LPW members, and I’m also going to turn up armed with some tips for redrafting (which will be useful if you’re thinking of entering any of the big competitions coming up in 2019). You can read more about that here.

4. It’ll make you a better writer

This might sound like a bold claim and admittedly, there is no scientific evidence to back this up nor any guarantee that completing #WrAP2019 will mean your play gets snapped up by a producer. But based on the old adage ‘practice makes perfect’ I don’t see how committing to your writing in January could not make you a better writer in some (even small) way.

With writing prompts, mini workshops, and exercises to banish writers’ block, you should feel motivated to write as much as you can in January and whilst you’re doing that, you’re bound to discover some stuff about playwriting and you voice that will no doubt improve your work. There’s also something magical about working to a tight deadline which unlocks something in your writing – you might not come up with your most polished piece of work but you’re more likely to write something you feel connected to, once you’ve let go of the idea of perfection in favour of getting it finished.

5. It’s not going to break the bank

We know January is that notorious month where we desperately await payday, subsisting on slightly stale mince pies and the Bounty Celebrations that no one ever bothers eating over Christmas. But, if you’re already a member of LPW , you can access #WrAP2019 for absolutely no extra cost. if you’re not a member yet, it’s only going to cost you the price of a coffee to join. And weren’t you giving up coffee for 2019 anyway…?

We should also mention that by becoming a member, you’ll also be helping us to continue the work we do to support emerging playwrights, so you’ll also be doing a good deed! Find out more about joining here. 

You can also find out more about signing up for #WrAP2019 here. And feel free to ask questions by commenting on this post, tweeting @LDNPlaywrights or emailing members@londonplaywrights.org 

Team #WrAP2019

Kimberley Andrews 

Kimberley is a co-founder of LPB and is Head of Writer Development. She’s worked with many writers through the workshops she programmes and delivers, and also works as a playwriting tutor & script consultant. A playwright herself, she’s passionate about helping others to be the best writers they can be. 

George Bailey

George is the LPB intern and also works at Chichester Festival Theatre in digital projects. He’s an emerging playwright and has worked with many writers through mentoring schemes he has managed with theatres. He is keen to help everyone and anyone in their writing; whether it’s their first draft, first play or first time picking up a pen! 

Featured image by Marco Verch via Flickr CC