KEEP THEM WANTING MORE...

I recently saw my first Burlesque show. It was part of the Emerald PAVE festival and was wonderful. Not only did I love the colour and costume, the music and choreography, but to me it represented what real performance is all about. The MC for the night was the multi talented Lilikoi Kaos

Not only did she keep the crowd under control (the bar was open) but she kept the audience exactly where she wanted us. We were under her spell. Hers to command. This is what performance is all about. In performance poetry there is not that much emphasis on costume and lighting, but music plays a much bigger role than ever before. And timing and effect are still vital components of a good show. What really came to my mind, was delivering such a good show that the audience were left screaming for more.

The luscious Becky Lou(above) was a great example. And perhaps the style of entertainment, and the open bar, helped to fuel the audience participation...but there is much for a writer to note. When delivering a performance piece...perform! The audience is there to hear you, see you. They want to be taken somewhere, offered up something to make them laugh or cry, to gasp with astonishment, cringe with embarrassment... they are yours to do with what you will. But it's not only performance that this works with. I hate novels and short stories where the ending is tied up in a neat ribbon, bows perfectly aligned. I want to finish and want more. I don't want to be hit over the head with a 'did you get it? The husband is the killer. Did you see how I did it?'

I like being made to work. I like to think about a story. I want to finish it, feel like I've said goodbye too soon. I want it to haunt me, to think about it's characters, it's landscape. I want more. And isn't that what we should be doing as writers. Leaving the reader wanting more....