Get your groove on

Nothing like getting a few monkeys off your back to make the load that little bit easier to manage. Writing Fiends 3 had me stressed to the eyeballs, as anybody who read my cry-for-help blog entries on the subject may have noticed. Handing in the book was like removing the lead weights from a diver. Suddenly, I could swim again. If I was going to extend the metaphor even further, there'd probably be something about words as my ocean, but bollocks to that.

Anyways, writing the first draft of my radio play was fun. Actual, real life fun. It's been a while since I've felt that way about writing, enjoying the sensation rather than being bogged down with work and no foreseeable way out. I sent the first draft scirpt in yesterday. No doubt there'll be plenty of rewriting to come and the second draft is due February 23, so that still lays ahead. The Morse book is chugging along nicely too. I've now reviewed 20 of the 33 TV episodes and the end is in sight. The week's new TV listings mags were published today and the Morse spin-off Lewis is on the front of all of them, with cover feature status accorded the show in the Radio Times and Total TV Guide. Lots of positive reviews everywhere for the new show. I'm getting excited about the new show, being broadcast on Sunday. I'm even buying a DVD Recorder to keep a permanent record.

Between now and Friday I've got two more deadlines to meet: submissions for the major pieces of assessed work from the first two modules of my Screenwriting MA. For the script report I've chosen an unproduced screenplay called Vivid Gray, downloaded from triggerstreet.com - first thing I'll be recommending? Change the title! The other assignment is my market analysis, for which I've chosen science fiction and fantasy TV drama for family audiences, particularly in the wake of Doctor Who's phenomenonally successful resurrection last year. 3-4000 words a piece for both of those.

Once they're handed in, I've got a Phantom script that's fast becoming urgent, so that's the next job - and it's a paying job, so that's not an insignificant factor. But, once we hit February 1st, I'll be able to devote all my time to finishing off the Morse book revisions and start looking ahead to new projects. I won't have a book on the go and the path ahead seems remarkably clear of jobs that best resemble lead weights. Bring it on...