Finishing line beckons for marathan writing stint

Feels like I've been writing non-stop since Christmas. Obviously, the reality is a little different. I teach 2.5 days a week, get 5-6 hours sleep most nights and do enjoy a long bath. But I doubt there's been more than a handful of non-teaching days since Christmas when I haven't been writing [plenty of teaching days too, first thing].

Most weekdays and every weekend have been about writing, writing and more writing. What's been occupying all my time? Computer strategy game Fate of the World is a hearty chunk of that. Wrote 6000 words for that last weekend alone, as the final push is on before the game launches its full version. [A beta version is already out there.]

CBeebies science show Nina and the Neurons has also loomed large. I've completed at least a first draft for four of my five eps, and some second drafts too. A more first draft to come, and plenty of rewrites as well. I've little more than a newborn writer when it comes to capturing the preschool style of Nina, but I hope to be crawl soon.

I've also returned to writing comics for the first time in two years. My 41st script for the Phantom is written to first draft and needs a thorough polish before I submit it to my editor, Ulf. Took a while to get back up to speed, but teaching postgrads about writing for graphic fiction every Friday afternoon has been a useful reminder.

All things being equal, I should be signed off on most of these commitments next week. Suspect I'll need a day or two of drooling in a corner before I recall what the outside world looks like. [Most weekends of time the only time I've left the house in daylight have been supermarket trips. Live to shop, shop to live - that's my motto.]

But right now, March is looking relatively deadline free. There are lots of things I need to progress, most of which have been shoved aside to hit deliveries for Fate of the World and Nina. I'm working with a London director on a short film project that needs a new draft, but that's a writing for fun project rather than paying work.

I've got half a dozen ideas for Doctors story of the day pitches waiting to be written up and submitted. Simply haven't had the time to do any of them justice, so have been scribbling ideas into notebooks, thus justifying my stationery fetish/addiction. Found one on the computer yesterday I'd written a week earlier and since forgotten!

Plus there's the small matter of my new calling card script which got shoved aside last August to write my 3rd Doctors ep. It's been sat waiting for my return ever since, but the game and Nina and teaching and everything else have taken priority. I need to get my new script the attention it deserves, so that's a March job too.

One good thing that arises from being so insanely busy: you don't have time to spend much money. I even got a tax refund last month [my first ever, I suspect] and it's been sat in my bank account ever since, waiting for its moment. Come March, I might get to shop for things other than food and essentials. In the meantime - onwards!