The writing has begun. I have always found writing scripts comes easier to me if I go in with a strong understanding of the characters and events. So, the first half of the week was mostly about research and questions and pondering. Once a structure started to form, I jotted down some ideas and vague sentences.

The big difference with writing a libretto for opera versus writing a script for a play is that the text won't be spoken in natural rhythms. Currently, I'm writing it as if it will be spoken that way because I don't know any other way to write, and I'm keen for the character to still have an authentic voice. However, I know that Phase 2 will involve drastic cuts to the text in order to make it work when being sung.

Another big thing about this piece of writing is that the character is a very different age to me. A lot of my recent writing work has involved characters close to my own age, and so the phrasing is reasonably instinctive. I've decided that I'm going to watch some documentaries featuring older adults so that I can be influenced by their speech patterns.

That's all I've got for this week. Hopefully by next week, I will have completed the working draft of this libretto, because I need to pass it on to the composer. It's a tight turnaround, but they say pressure makes diamonds.