Why You’re Not Writing Every Day – And How to Start

by Cate Cammarata | Jul 21, 2025 | Community, Theater, Writing Tips

For Playwrights and Musical Theatre Writers Who Want to Keep the Momentum Going

Let’s be real: you want to write every day.

You’ve got this show in your head that deserves to be on its feet—living, breathing, moving people. Your characters show up in your dreams, talking to you, begging you to make them come alive.

But when you sit down to write, you look at the blank screen, your mind races, you have a zillion other things to do and suddenly it’s 10:30 PM, you’re exhausted, and Netflix wins once more.

You’re not alone.

Writing daily is one of the most common struggles among playwrights and musical theatre writers. The pressure to be brilliant, the emotional vulnerability of putting words on a page, and the sheer time-suck of everyday life—it all adds up.

But here’s the thing: writing every day isn’t about discipline or punishment. It’s about building momentum, one actionable moment at a time. And getting produced is somewhat of a numbers game – the more great shows you have, the greater your chances of getting seen.

Let’s break down why it’s so hard to write everyday —and how to flip that script.

1. You Think You Need a Lot of Time

Many writers believe they need a full, uninterrupted hour (or three) to do some real writing.

But face it, long sessions are rare and unsustainable. Most of our lives are crazy busy these days. How do you find those undistracted moments to focus on your play even once a week, much less every day?

Here’s the thing to remember: You don’t need to write the entire Act I today—you just need to get something down.

What to try:

Set a 15-minute timer. That’s it. One focused sprint. You’ll be amazed at how much clarity can come from a short burst.
Keep a “daily scene” document: one page, one moment per day. No pressure to connect everything yet.
Make a promise to yourself to write badly. Take the pressure off yourself to be brilliant. Just write every day. Watch what happens when you just show up.

2. You’re Waiting to Feel Inspired

Ha! If you’re waiting to feel “inspired,” you may wait a long time.

But here’s the truth. There’s power in just showing up. If you only write when the muse strikes, you’ll end up unfocused, depressed, and thinking you should just give up.

Inspiration is not the starting point—it’s the result of showing up consistently.

What to try:

Create a ritual before you write: light a candle, put on a specific playlist, or make tea. Cue your brain that it’s time to enter the world of your show. Make the ritual repeatable at the same time every day (or most days).
Keep a running list of scene or song prompts (e.g., “Write a confrontation,” “Write a song of longing,” “Write the moment before they kiss”).
Before you sit to write, get into the next moment in your show visually first, in your head. I find this mental transition (while doing other things before your writing time) helps “prime the pump” of inspiration.

3. You’re Afraid It Won’t Be Good

Perfectionism kills momentum. First drafts are supposed to be messy. If you’re judging your work before it exists, it will never exist.

One thing I always tell my writers: Writing and editing are two separate processes. Don’t combine them.

What to try:

Write in a “sketch draft” mindset—you’re not writing the final script, you’re just sketching what might happen.
Automatic writing for 15 minutes. Use a pen and notebook to trick your brain into being less formal. No one ever has to see this version. Some people call this the “vomit” draft. Just get it on the page.
As to worrying about being good, that’s part of the process. Allow yourself to write badly. Writing is just re-writing, always refining the work. It will keep getting better and better if you persist.

4. You Don’t Know What Will Happen Next

Feeling stuck in your story is a legit momentum killer. But you don’t need to have it everything all figured out right now to keep going.

Just stick to your 15 minute writing routine and get something on the page. You’ll figure it out as you go along.

What to try:

Jump ahead. Write a later scene you do know.
Write a character monologue about what they’re feeling right now. Clues about your next scene often live inside your characters.
Know where you’re going. What is this play or musical about? What message are you trying to give over to the audience at the end?

5. You’re Going It Alone

Writing is solitary, but theater is collaborative.

If you’re trying to do this all by yourself, it’s easy to lose energy. Find someone to share your progress with.

What to try:

Join (or start) a small writers group with weekly check-ins. It’s remarkable what holding yourself accountable to a writers’ group will do for your process. CreateTheater has many to choose from.
Share short pieces with a trusted friend or fellow theatremaker to create momentum and accountability.
Hire a dramaturg to review your work and offer suggestions to move it forward.

✨ Try This: The “Daily Show Builder” Ritual

(5 Steps, 20 Minutes Max)

Step 1 (2 minutes): Review what you wrote yesterday (no editing—just read).

Step 2 (1 minute): Write down today’s scene or moment goal.

Step 3 (15 minutes): Write. No deleting, no second-guessing.

Step 4 (1 minute): Jot down tomorrow’s “next scene idea.”

Step 5 (1 minute): Celebrate. Out loud. Yes, even just “I wrote today!”

Final Thought: Small Progress Is Still Progress

Living a creative life is all about the process.

Some days you’ll write three pages. Some days, just a single line of dialogue. It all counts.

Progress in theater isn’t linear—it’s built in scenes, in stumbles, in sticky-note revelations.

So don’t wait for the perfect moment.

Don’t wait to feel ready.

Just write the next beat.

Your characters (and audiences) are waiting.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Want a free downloadable version of the Daily Show Builder Ritual of your own?

Let me know and I’ll send it your way.

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Protect Your Reputation

by Cate Cammarata | Jan 14, 2025 | Business, Community, Getting Produced, Theater

Note: This is the second in a three-part series this month in how to network, build and maintain important professional relationships in theater.

Your Reputation is Everything

In an industry built heavily on relationships and reputation, as a theatermaker, your reputation is everything.

You must present and maintain a professional ethos around you and your work, your collaborations, your work ethic and your aesthetics.

Networking is essential for all theatremakers to build connections, gain visibility, and create opportunities for themselves in the theater industry, but your reputation as a professional will sustain those opportunities over the long haul of your career.

Some Ways to Build and Maintain Your Reputation

First, I always say that the “work speaks for itself.” Always strive for excellence in your scripts, presentations, and in your collaborations. Your work may often be people’s first impression of you, so make sure to deliver and maintain high-quality work in everything you do or are associated with.

Second, make sure that your work ethic is professional. What do I mean by this?

Be reliable and punctual. Be prepared for your rehearsals. Show up on time for all rehearsals, meetings and events, where others often depend on you. The theater world values dependability and professional conduct.
Communicate professionally. Respond to emails promptly (my personal nemesis), do what you say you’ll do, respect other’s opinions and always clarify expectations in collaborations.
Be open and gracious to all feedback. Accept constructive criticism; listen, and use it to improve your craft. Remember this response, “Hmm, that’s interesting. Let me thing on that for a bit. Thank you.”
Be open to changes. When three different people point out the same scene with differing criticisms, you may have to look at that moment again with an open mind. Your audience is catching something that you should know. Nothing should be precious.
Always acknowledge the contributions of others and express gratitude for opportunities, advice and support. It’s a small sandbox, and everyone likes a team player.
Maintain your integrity at all times. Your honesty and transparency in your dealings with others in this industry will serve you well over your career. People have long memories, and everyone knows each other.
Support your peers. No one advances alone, and by attending others performances, readings, and workshops you’ll be making those collegial friendships that often pay off later in innumerable ways.
In other words, build relationships and meaningful connections in this industry, not transactions. People are never to be viewed as “stepping stones.”
It takes time. It always takes longer than you think, and costs more than you planned.

Respect other’s time and boundaries. As artists we never have enough time in our lives; understand that with every request you make of a colleague, you’re asking them to part with a precious bit of their time to give to you. Show your appreciation and accommodate their schedules.

Stay positive in your outlook. We all have bad days, even bad years (or decades). We may feel like a cloud of misfortune has permanently taken up residence in our life. Yet, still remember that we chose this life, and being a part of this industry isn’t easy. You may need to supplement your life (and income) with another pursuit for a while. Whatever you do, being a “Debbie Downer” will never help in doing anything except isolating you from others.

Finally, a pro keeps growing. Attend workshops, masterclasses, and seminars. Read books to spur your creativity or to learn something new. Demonstrate your commitment to learning and honing your skills. Not only will you be a more interesting person, this is how you meet other professionals who will respect your knowledge and experience.

Community is Important

You will be known by the company you keep. Make sure that your circle is known for their professional integrity and for their good work. One of the good things about adulthood is that we can choose with whom we spend our time and our collaborations.

Choose wisely.

And if you’re interested in learning more about the community here at CreateTheater, get on our email list to participate in our professional theater company.

Checklist: 12 Best Networking Practices for 2025

by Cate Cammarata | Jan 8, 2025 | Business, Community, Getting Produced, Networking, Theater

New Year’s resolutions are so positive and uplifting!

But maintaining, implementing and sustaining them throughout the year is a challenge!

This third installment for networking yourself as a theatre professional post is a practical checklist to put into your notes, online task list, or wherever you keep your list of yearly goals.

Building a reputation and networking go hand in hand—focus on being authentic, supportive, and passionate, and opportunities will follow!

Here’s to a productive 2025, my friend!

Your 2025 Networking Checklist

Show Up Consistently
- Attend theater festivals, performances, and workshops regularly to make yourself a familiar face in the community. Consistency counts.

2. Join Local and National Theater Communities

- Participate in groups like the Dramatists Guild, local theater collectives, or online platforms like New Play Exchange or CreateTheater.
- The more you participate, the more you’ll get out of it.

3. Introduce Yourself Confidently

- Prepare a short, compelling pitch about who you are and what you do as a playwright.
- Remember, theaters need playwrights to continue to survive. Share who are you and what you do with a smile.

4. Be Active on Social Media

- Use platforms like Facebook, Instagram or YouTube to share your work, comment on theater trends, and engage with industry professionals.
- Love it or hate it, promoting your ideas and your work is necessary for every artist today, so schedule time for it.

5. Attend Talkbacks and Panels

- Participate in post-show discussions or panel talks and ask insightful questions.
- Not only will the writer appreciate your smart feedback, others in the room who could be influential will notice too.

6. Host a Reading or Workshop

- Invite others to a casual or staged reading of your work to showcase your script.
- A Zoom reading is still helpful, especially if you are able to bring together artists and audiences from various regions.

7. Volunteer at Theaters or Festivals

- Offer your time to assist with productions or events, which can lead to organic networking.
- Theater everywhere are impacted by the post-pandemic economy, and will be grateful for experienced supporters who would like to volunteer.

8. Collaborate Across Disciplines

- Work with directors, actors, or designers on small projects or readings to form deeper connections.
- Theater people know other theater people, so you will not only advance your general knowledge of theater but will come into contact with more industry professionals.

9. Follow Up

- After meeting someone, send a thank-you note or email to keep the conversation going.
- Only a relatively small percentage of people actually follow up after events, so your doing so will be noticed and appreciated.

10. Seek Out Mentors

- Build relationships with more experienced playwrights or industry professionals for guidance and connections.
- Relationships with possible mentors takes time, so realize this and seek to make it a two-way friendship.

11. Ask for Recommendations

- If someone enjoys your work, ask them to introduce you to others who might appreciate it.
- An even easier request is to ask someone who has complimented your work to put their comments in writing to post on your website or social media channels.

12. Celebrate Others’ Successes

- Congratulate peers on their achievements publicly and privately, fostering goodwill.
- Positive energy and encouragement of others is sure to reflect back on you.

Here’s to Making Your Theater Dreams Come True

Happy New Year!

What are your dreams for 2025? If you’re thinking of really taking action on your script this year, sign up for a free consultation with me here to see if I can help.

I hope 2025 becomes the year of your dreams. Take action NOW to make sure it happens!

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The Artist Isolation Problem

by Cate Cammarata | Jul 30, 2024 | Community, NPD, Theater

I saved a research study from last fall that I stumbled upon again, that gave stats for overall employment rates in Arts graduates. The research was conducted by Sunil Iyengar, the Director of Research and Analysis at the National Endowment for the Arts. As I am both an artist and an advocate for other artists, I was interested in hearing the findings.

Unsurprisingly, the quick study found an overall loss of employment of artists. Interestingly, those having a college degree in an arts-related field were more likely to be employed in those fields than those who did not hold a BFA/MFA degree. Happy news as a person holding a BFA in Acting/Directing and an MFA in Dramaturgy! However, it also suggested to me that those artists who knew in their bones they were artists were able to sustain employment in the field over the long term. When your art is integral to your identity, you keep creating art.

Also interesting to me was that when the study segregated the results on artists’ participation in their art roughly by age (early career artists were those in their 20s, more established artists were in their 30s through 50s, and late career artists that were in their 60s or 70s) it highlighted the effects of the pandemic on artists.

In general, after the pandemic the study found that:

early career artists had a hard time building new connections in their field and were struggling to even maintain those they previously had pre-pandemic.
more established artists in their 30s through 50s were generally better connected, and were using those connections to gather in person or discuss art, network and socialize, but weren’t building new networks.
late career artists felt largely isolated in their work and personal lives, even though they seemed adept at using social media during the pandemic; they were still “losing touch with existing professional connections that they had before the pandemic” more than the other age demographics.

In other words, despite the general experience of isolation that we all felt as a result of the pandemic, older artists were already working in the gig economy, and had weathered the last two economic recessions – but there was a “perceived loss of community and collegiality” that came with a “perceived loss of professional opportunity and collective artistic creativity in a digital professional landscape.”

Conclusions?

The study emphasized the importance of serendipity and regular encounters with others as critical to artistic career development, especially those that occur in person in their local professional communities, and encouraged all artists to “gather in person or discuss art, network and socialize.” *

Note the key words “in person.”

My take – artists of every age need to connect, especially to connect in person – but online communities can facilitate those connections, friendships and professional networking.

CreateTheater is a Community of TheatreMakers

From the very beginning CreateTheater has been an online community. I began the company to work with writers across three continents in 2015, on Zoom; soon they began helping each others in Zoom readings, which were almost unheard of at the time. Needless to say, were were ready to go when the world shut down in 2020. Each Monday throughout that year we had a developmental reading on. Zoom, given freely to many different writers just to keep them moving forward (and sane). It established CreateTheater as an online theatre develmental community.

People have told me that they miss the monthly online cocktail parties where people could meet in a fun format and talk about their work at the “cocktail tables” (known as Zoom rooms). We stopped doing these at the end of 2020 when our Zoom readings were Zoom-bombed at the end of 2020 (a traumatic experience if you’ve never experienced it), but I think as a space to network and meet people these cocktail parties were really helpful.

In January 2021 I began our resident writers’ company The Experts Theater Company, aka as ETC (a loving hat tip to Ellen Stewart, the original La MaMa, who has always served as my theatrical role model). Today ETC is a vibrant writers’ residency where writers get to know each other in writers groups, producing groups, and monthly developmental and networking opportunities. It is truly what I had hoped it would be: an “Artistic Home” that supports the creation of new work in a community of artists who encourage, instruct and inspire each other and form strong friendships and collaborations.

As a producer I’m 100% committed to creating producing opportunities for members to see their work on stage, which is why the New Works Festival is such a success.

Creating Theater is Creating Producing Opportunities

As I often say, everything I do is about developing and producing the new work created by these ETC artists. All of my programs – the New Work Festival, the Cabaret Festival, the producing partnerships – are centered around creating oppoortunities for these member artists. I do open up opportunities at times for non-ETC artists, but knowing my members’ work and being able to contribute dramaturgically to the creation of their scripts helps me to talk authentically and enthusiastically about them, all the time.

I’ve decided to open up the cocktail hours again to anyone who is a theatre maker, of any stripe, including directors and designers. We all learn from each other. It’s also in the summer that I open the doors to new members, and I’m reading new submissions now for the 2024-25 ETC membership and for our developmental partnerships. We’re also planning the 2024 CreateTheater Cabaret Festival, the 2025 CreateTheater New Works Festival, as well as our Smash It! Musical Workshops.

As to the in-person thing, I will continue the summer and Christmas parties that are open to members. but I also believe that we can still connect online, to network, create and collaborate. But look for new in-person opportunities to support you as well, in light of and in consideration of this study.

Have ideas? I’d love to hear them! Reach out to me at cate@createtheater.com

And don’t forget to submit your scripts to createtheater.com/submissions. I want to get to know both you and your work 🙂

* Check out the study for yourself here.

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