Explanations and Oddities

What inspired you to write a play?

Before the play, I penned two novels. From them, I learned that writing description isn’t fun for me. I prefer dialogue. Eureka! It hit me that plays are 100% dialogue.

Why did you choose rhyming iambic pentameter?

I was writing poetry back then and have always liked structured poetry better than free verse, so rhyming lines and ten syllables per line sounded like a fun challenge. Although the rhythm is constant throughout the play, the rhyme patterns vary significantly, with rhymes sometimes carrying over between characters. The flexibility to choose which lines to rhyme appealed to me.

When I began, I wanted Janette’s speech pattern to be different from the royals’, to indicate that she was of a lower class and was less educated, so I wrote her lines differently. That’s why in Act I, Scene 1, line 67, Prince Scott notes that Jane is odd: he was referring to her speech. Shortly after, I changed my mind and rewrote Jane’s lines—but I left the above-referenced prince’s line in. Doing that required that I explain why he thought she was odd, since the reason was no longer obvious, so in Act I, Scene 2, line 123, I had Jane ask the prince if he really thinks she’s odd. The explanation he gives works, saying she’s a “precious oddity,” but it is far from what he meant originally.

How did you choose your format?

I copied much of the formatting in Cambria from a book of Shakespeare plays, including the use of Latin words such as solus and exeunt and the line-numbering system; i.e., a line consists of ten syllables, so if a character speaks four syllables, the line is not complete until another character speaks six syllables. The book numbered every tenth line and the final line in each scene, so I did, too.

Did you write every day?

I can’t imagine I had time to do that! When I did write, I felt guilty for spending so much time on a frivolous activity, so I spent mornings taking care of housework, bills, and errands, and I wrote after lunch. Curiously, lunch started coming earlier and earlier, maybe at 10 a.m.! In the afternoon, I had to take a break to fetch my son from high school. Some days I could continue working until dinnertime; others, not.

What was your writing process?

I sat on the couch holding a clipboard of lined paper with a dictionary, thesaurus, and rhyming dictionary close at hand. I used those resources relentlessly. I would write a draft of some lines and make lists of words that rhymed with the final words in those lines to give me inspiration for the next lines. If none of the rhyming words worked for future lines, I would take a step backward and look for synonyms for end words in previous lines and list their rhymes until something fit. Not every line had to rhyme with another one, of course, and internal rhymes were a bonus. I learned that there are many different ways to say the same thing in English.

After I had composed something that seemed to work, I’d move to the computer and type the lines in, but I didn’t always keep them as written. I would substitute words, count and recount syllables on my fingers, and listen for the flow. If I was lucky, something fell into place. That usually happened when the pressure to produce was on, which was right before my son’s school let out.

I did not use an outline, nor did I plan the plot in advance. The story came as I wrote, including the twists. Unlike my novels, I did write the play in order, scene by scene.

How did you choose the themes?

I wanted to give the play an old-style feel, but I also wanted it to involve some modern issues that would be relevant to readers today. My goal was to address issues that would interest older high schoolers and college students. The story addresses suicide, unwed pregnancy, abortion, and infidelity. Honestly, I was stuck on pregnancy back then. Both of my previous (unpublished) works had pregnant characters, and then the play did. Fortunately, I moved on. My newest novel, The Adventures of Miss Becky McCoy has no—oh drat— well, no pregnant humans, anyway!

There is a mix of old and modern words in the play. Explain some of your word choices.

Some people may not be familiar with Viz., which appears at the beginning of Act III, Scene 2, line 58. Per Wikipedia, it’s an abbreviated form of the Latin word videlicet. It has a few meanings, but “that is to say” is my definition of choice. I came across viz. about twenty years ago when reading Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe, published in 1719. I can’t recall anything about the book except the extremely long paragraphs and unrestrained use of viz. within them. I latched onto that word and kept it in my working vocabulary.

One word I struggled with using in the play was psyched. Prince Scott says it in Act II, Scene 1, line 2, when meeting with the jailer. I left it in because I thought younger readers could relate to it. It certainly doesn’t fit with the medieval times, and I hope it doesn’t bug people. Of course, now that I’ve pointed it out, it will bug people.

Yo in “Yo, Matron!” by the prince in Act III, Scene 3, line 31, is another word that I thought might be too current, but if you believe Wikipedia and Wiktionary, it’s been around for centuries.  

Another example is the use of cons for convicts by the jailer in Act II, Scene 1, line 13. It stands out as maybe being too informal, but the play is meant to be a mix of old times and new, so I went with it.    

There is a mix of old and new spellings, too. How did you choose which spellings to use?

I used the British grey because it seemed common enough that American youth would recognize it or at least understand its meaning. I chose jail over gaol, however, because the pronunciation may not be obvious to someone unfamiliar with the word, plus it looks like a typo for goal. No one should be stumbling over words when reading a play.

What scene was the most fun for you to write?

I think the fête scene is my favorite because of all the action with princesses being presented. The actors’ timing would have to be perfect for the scene to flow. The imagery was also fun, like cheeks that “look ripe, like fruit” and the “pumpkin gut.”

What is your goal for the play?

I would love to see it on stage! I envision high school or college students producing it with a big, choreographed dance scene and band students playing the trumpet flourishes.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

The Tragedy at Cambria addresses serious subjects and ends in tragedy, but it’s a playful play. I would ask the readers to look for the fun references to Cinderella, Romeo and Juliet, and Camelot. Look for the puns and wordplay, such as double entendres. Check out the rhyme patterns in various scenes. Discover consistencies, like all scenes ending in couplets, and inconsistencies, like—sorry, no hints from me on that one. I truly hope readers enjoy the poetry while they contemplate the message!

Sherrie J. Lyons ©2022