July 2015: Commencement of Research
And so, it begins. I want to write a play about the idea of being ‘butch’. The first meeting was a ‘get to know you’ session, and we all discuss details about ourselves. It is important to understand who we are before we can commence. I still have no idea if I can write this play or not. I have never written a play, only small scripts for skits and devised work. This is going to be a monumental undertaking. I only have an idea, I don’t know where we’re going from here.
August 2015: Research in Progress
I’m looking into several topics: Goddess Athena, Billy Tipton and a few indian dieties. They are of interest, but not quite what I want to write about.
I have been tasked to do a few things, all of which involve field work. The first thing is to people watch, so I set myself up at Starbucks at Raffles City. I write short essays/descriptions about the people I see around me, and I write about both men and women. I write imagined monologues, and imagined scenarios based on how people carry themselves and what they wear. I am starting to question the ideas of femininity and masculinity, seeing how these concepts are blurred by everyday, ordinary people at a Starbucks.
The second thing was to go on a shopping experiment to see how people react when I try to buy a dress. In different kinds of stores. I find that the least judgmental people are the aunties in the neighbourhood BHG, who aren’t afraid to tell you what you should and should not try. They are also unafraid of showing you what they really think, drenched in humour of course, and that is a welcome change.
The third thing was to track down a transgender person. Reached out to some friends, and found a potential someone who is a friend of a friend on Facebook, but got no response or reply. Maybe it’s too sensitive a topic.
Still don’t really know what I’m writing about. But I’m starting to think about ‘butch’ as a larger, more universal theme, rather than just a play about lesbians. Maybe I can write butch lesbian characters, but maybe there’s more.
December 2015: Research never ends.
Have done some interviews with some people. Have discussed this idea of being butch extensively. More and more, I am certain it’s not just a ‘lesbian’ term.
I try to write on my year end trip, but nothing really concrete comes out of it. I have drabbles. Good start, I suppose.
January 2016: Discussing the work in public for the first time.
I’m in conversation this month with Edith Podesta as part of the M1 Fringe Festival 2016. When Bitch meets Butch is a discussion of Gender and the local theatre industry, and about women in local theatre. It’s a discussion on the process of making work as a woman, and I decide to share a short excerpt I wrote over the December holidays.
Have a better idea what I’m going to write about, but I’m not sure if it’s what people expect of me. I don’t want to write the next lesbian play. I want something more universal.
February 2016: Writing phase (Officially)
Have started putting fingers on keys and developing characters. I have 5! I don’t know where they will go, but they are each starting out as an idea. The characters are based on myself, my observations, and some people who I’ve met and interviewed. People don’t really like talking about themselves much, but they try their best to share what they have experienced. I am writing monologues for my characters, and will see where they end up.
April 2016: Characters, Characters, Characters
Still writing character speeches and monologues, and I’m starting to have favourites. Some characters are just easier to craft, while others will need help.
June 2016: Writing is a lonely road
I spend some days, consecutively, alone, and without talking to any human being. It’s tough being a writer. I try to discuss my work just to keep sane, but I also spend days at a stretch not meeting another human soul. But I’m hanging in there, have written some extensive monologues for my characters, can’t wait to start letting them meet and putting it all together.
