Getting better [fingers crossed]

Well, that was a craphouse week and no mistake. Had a good session in Brighton with the Lighthouse, but after that I descended into the feverish depths of lurgy that's been doing the rounds. Still managed to get some work done by consuming box after box of Olbus pastilles and stuffing tissues up my nose, but it's been most unpleasant. Seem to be feeling a little better, despite a cough that would make a bronchial swan wince. Hoping I'm on the up-slope.

Turns out the documentary I went into Edinburgh for last week is to be screened on BBC2 between Christmas and New Year. It's called The Perfect Detective and transmits on December 29th, I think. I burbled about Inspector Morse, but have no idea if my words [and terrifying visage] will make it on screen. More likely I'll be lining the cutting room floor of some edit suite soon, like the leavings of an over-excited budgie after too many shocks and scares.

Not much else to report. The freelance world is winding down for Christmas, but I've got a meeting on Tuesday [no agenda, just a general chat] and my first academic lunch on Thursday. I don't start at Napier until January but have now signed my contract. Life as a part-time lecturer beckons, but I've no plans to buy a tweed jacket with patches on the elbows. Did watch The Paper Chase on DVD - a cracking little film, it fit nicely in our 70s season.

Next on the pile to watch is Three Days of the Condor, another film from the decade that taste forgot but during which cinema flourished. Then maybe another dash of Dirty Harry in anticipation of Gran Torino. Ahh, Clint - some old, so grizzled and so bloody talented. Give that man another Oscar, and tell Sean Penn to relax.

Scotland to Brighton [and back again]

Had my fourth day trip to Brighton yesterday for the Lighthouse TV drama team-writing workshop. We're now at the stage of discussing our individual episode treatments, while also nailing down niggling questions about the rules of our high concept world. Feels like real progress is being made, although sometimes it can require backwards steps to go forwards. Happily, the deadline for our next work got nudged to after Christmas, making the days ahead easier.

Nearly everyone on the workshop arrived with some lurgy, bug or cold. My voice now best resembles Louis Armstrong after a hard night of gargling gravel. Normally that wouldn't be a problem, but it's opening night for the Biggar Theatre Workshop's festive family show. I'm in several sketches and just hope my voice lasts for all four performances. I'm not alone in this, it's like a consumptive ward backstage, but the show must go on, so on the show will go.

Elsewhere, the Writers' Guild of America has announced nominees for its 2008 awards. The category that most interests me is best TV drama where five shows are vying for the trophy: Dexter, Friday Night Lights, Lost, Mad Men and The Wire. Have to confess I haven't seen Dexter since its first, exemplary season, but hope it's been maintaining that same high standard. Lost is definitely firing on all cylinders again after some creative ennui in season three.

FNL is back among my favourites for its new season, after a few splutters the previous year. The third season is running on a cable channel in the US before appearing on NCB in the new year, so it's a mark of quality that FNL still got nominated despite being much less visible this year. Inevitably, season two of Mad Men lacked the freshness of its debut. Instead it spend this year pulling apart the characters before putting them back together again.

The results made for a powerful punch in the guts, while still retaining the silky smooth charms that won Mad Men such plaudits first time round. Long may it continue. Last but certainly not least is the final season of The Wire, a show praised to the hilt but watched by few. I'm halfway through the third season, so the last year remains in my future, waiting to be watched. In summary, that's a strong crop of shows on the WGA list of dramas.

There's another fistful that could have been just as worthy of inclusion, in my humble opinion. Damages wowed me, with its twisty-turny plot machinations and revelations, not to mention compelling performances by Glenn Close and [surprisingly] Ted Danson. House got its mojo back and delivered a real kicker at the end of season four. Breaking Bad dipped out in the top list, despite accolades elsewhere. It's a strong time for US TV drama.

Forthcoming announcement comes forth

Here's the juice: in January I'll be joining Napier University in Edinburgh as a part-time lecturer. For two and half days each week I'll be passing along what I've learned as a writer, reader and editor. Specifically, I've been hired to help teach a new MA in Creative Writing [that launches in September 2009]. Most such courses focus on literary fiction and poetry, but the Napier creative writing MA will be offering something fresh and different.

This course will have genre writing at its core. Crime fiction, science fiction, fantasy, screenwriting and more - all are key elements to the new MA. I can't get into all the details here, but will post links to the relevant announcements and offerings when the time comes. Let's just say I'm excited by the opportunities and looking forward to talking about writing for half the working week. Next question: why did I take on a teaching job?

Right now, I write for a living. That sometimes means paying the bills plays too large a part in creative decisions. Given the choice, I'd only write material I want to write - my own stories, my own characters, my own creations. But my career isn't at that point yet. So I do a mixture of journalism, tie-in fiction and other jobs. But these often get in the way of developing my own stories, speculative scripts and novels I'd like to create.

For example, there's a novel I've been itching to write for years. But without a commission I simply can't afford the unpaid downtime required to progress it. There's a feature screenplay I've been mulling over since March, but taking two months off to do that simply hasn't been practical. Every year I promise to write another radio play - every year it gets put aside for commissioned jobs. It's frustrating, always putting off what you want to be doing.

Taking this part-time lecturing position will free me financially. No more hackwork, no more doing jobs to pay the bills. If I take a freelance commission, it'll be because I'm passionate about it. The rest of the time I'll be developing all those stories I've pushed to one side, finally giving them the attention they deserve. It's exciting and scary and different. Will it work? It's too soon to tell now. Come back and ask me again in a year.

After eight and a half years freelancing, some tiny part of me feels guilty for taking a part-time job - as if I'm selling out somehow, taking the easy option - but that's nonsense, of course. [My mother was a teacher, so I've no doubt it's a job that calls for skill and passion and boundless energy.] Every freelance commission is a contract, with a set job to be done within a time frame - so it is with this. Half the week I'll lecture, the rest I'll write.

What does it mean for this blog? Vicious Imagery will continue, but don't expect me to details the ins and outs of life at Napier University here. This blog is mostly about my writing, with occasional blurts into other areas of my life. So shall it remain. Entries will be fewer and further between once I'm teaching, but you can still expect musings and mutterings - my brain needs a place to vent. Anyway, that's the news. Only one left to say: onwards!

It's another madcap day of running around

Signing contracts today for an interesting little audio drama project I plan to write just after Christmas - will reveal more when I can talk about it. After yesterday's conference call I've got a new A story for a novel to write up this morning, involving research into finding just the right tropical disease. Then a dash to Edinburgh to have an on-camera interview for a BBC4 documentary to be screen in 2009 - again, more when I can talk about it.

All of which is followed by another meeting for something else I can't talk about until all the paperwork's been signed off. This last thing is related to the forthcoming announcement I mentioned yesterday [hopefully I can spill the beans on Monday, if not before]. That meeting's followed by another meeting on similar lines. Then another mad dash back home to attend a concert and, just maybe, some food late tonight. It's an end to end life right now.

Bring on the weekend!

Too busy to blog - sorry!

Apologies for the radio silence of recent days, but I've got double deadlines looming at me like big looming things. Not enough hours in the day, nor minutes in each hour. A normal service of blathering and blethering should resume tomorrow. I have got a surprising announcement to make, but that'll simply have to wait. Sorry!

December: the month where music stops

December tends to be a craphouse month for new music. I look forward to Tuesday morning, sampling fresh delights on iTunes. But the music industry grinds to a halt at the year winds down. Between now and 2009 all we can expect are greatest hits compilations, 'deluxe' editions of popular albums with a new track or two tossed in to lure unwary shoppers and - grud help us - festive-themed releases. No snow on the logo, that's my bah-humbug opinion.

Rant over, on to other things. Emailed my full script to the Red Planet Pictures people yesterday afternoon, following a frantic weekend of tweaking and polishing. Apparently 1000 people entered the first ten pages of their script before the first round deadline back in September. From those about 70 were chosen for the second round, and invited to submit their full script. To spare everyone from mental arithmetic, that's roughly one in 14.

Can't help feeling chuffed that my effort FAMILIES AT WAR was among the chosen, though I have to confess its success was a complete surprise. I had hoped to create a new TV pilot for the competition, but inspiration and other priorities scuppered that. So I went back to the final project from my MA screenwriting course and gave it a thorough rewrite. [I entered an early, primitive version in last year's Red Planet and it sankly without trace. Rightly so.]

I've few illusions FAMILIES AT WAR will win the first prize [£5000, representation and a commission from Red Planet Pictures], but you never know. It might get me invited to a masterclass with RPP supremo Tony Jordan, as happened with the top 20 writers from the second round last year. Figure the odds of that are one in four, which isn't out of the question. There'll be no news on this until next year, so I can safely forget about it in the meantime.

Today it's back to work on the Lighthouse screenwriting for TV team project. I've got to deliver a detailed plot synopsis for my proposed episode by midday Thursday. Meant to spend last weekend working on that, but Red Planet shoved in at the front of the priority queue. Now it's been dealt with, I'm headed back to the Lighthouse. My story is set on Christmas Eve [in the drunk tank], so the carpet of snow outside sets the scene perfectly. Onwards!

Things for which writing's inadvertantly good

After my sojourn in That Fancy London last week, I'd been writing pretty much non-stop ever since. Well, not actually non-stop, otherwise I'd have keeled over from lack of sleep, food and other essentials for life. But most of my waking hours have been occupied by writing or thinking about sundry writing projects. Wrote till after midnight on Saturday, put in another six hours yesterday and it's a full programme of writing in the week ahead.

Still, all this writing does have some side benefits. If you're hunched over the computer, there's not much time left in the day to spend money. Online shopping is all too easy, but a really pressing deadline does concentrate the mind away from the lures of retailers like Amazon and excellent New Zealand music outlet Marbecks. So you can save money by writing more. Given the right project, you can even earn money by writing - or so the story goes.

Another advantage of writing too much: you don't have to go outside. Now in summer that can be a bummer. Everybody else is glorying in the sunshine, while you're stuck inside typing. [Get a laptop and wi-fi. Or a pen and paper.] But come the cruel months of winter, not going out keeps you warmer. It snowed overnight here, just a dusting but enough to keep temperatures sub-zero for the third day in a row. Happily, I can stay in and write.

There are plenty of disadvantages in being a writer - lack of human contact, lack of exercise, tendency to get stuck in your own head - so it's nice to know this vocation has some ancillary upsides. [Unless you're Beckley, in which it's just a job.] What other ways can you think of in which writing's inadvertantly good for you?

Is David Knijnenburg the next Doctor Who?

Now David Tennant has announced he's leaving the title role in Doctor Who next year, there's an endless stream of speculative press coverage proposing and debating likely candidates to take over control of the TARDIS. [Personally, I think it'd be fun to have a female Doctor. I hereby nominate Emilia Fox, pictured above.] Anyway, here's an Australian newspaper story trying to conjure a local candidate for one of TV's most wanted jobs - enjoy!

Will David Knijnenburg replace Tennant as Doctor Who?

An intriguing set of coincidence has raised the possibility that the next Doctor Who could be a 41-year-old Brisbane actor called David Knijnenburg [below].

Hardly a household name, Knijnenburg is nevertheless a stalwart of the Australian stage.

His recent sudden departure for the UK "for an audition" took on a new light when it emerged the current Doctor, David Tennant, was quitting the BBC series.

Knijnenburg was extremely coy when asked by Confidential if he had put up his hand to pilot the TARDIS.

"If that were true then I probably wouldn't be in a position to be supposed to be talking about it," he said.

Knijnenburg was reportedly spotted several times in the Old Dart with members of the Doctor Who production team, including at well-known entertainment industry lair The Ivy, where deals apparently get inked.

Neighbourhood park all covered with cheese

Never fails to amaze me how few people have seen Sports Night. If you're scratching your head, trying to recall if you know the name, chances are you're one of the many who hasn't seen this US TV series. Sports Night was a sitcom devised and written by Aaron Sorkin, creator of The West Wing [TWW hereafter]. It launched in '98 and ran for two seasons, the second overlapping with TWW's first year on TV. Sports Night got canned, despite rising ratings.

The simply reason why most UK viewers don't know Sports Night is it never got screened on a British terrestrial channel [though you can find repeats on digital channels if you hunt around]. To the best of my knowledge, it's never been released on DVD in the UK [though you can import the new 10th anniversary edition from the US if your DVD player can cope with multi-region discs]. As a result, Sports Night remains an undiscovered gem for many.

In short, the show is set behind the scenes at a sports news show on a major cable network. But Sports Night is about people, not sports. A lot of American sports jargon does fly around, but it's the characters and the comedy that make it worth watching. Sorkin can write a funny behind the scenes at a TV show show, although some might not have thought so after his second attempt at this specialised sub-genre, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, tanked.

Why's Sports Night worth seeking out? There is a crackerjack cast, for starters. Peter [Six Feet Under, Dirty Sexy Money] Krause, Felicity [Desperate Housewives, Transamerica] Huffman, Joshua [The West Wing] Malina and Robert [Soap, Benson] Guillaume are among the main series regulars. The guest cast is just as impressive, including William H Macy, Janel Maloney, Lisa Edelstein, Ray Wise and others who've gone on to notable success since.

Sports Night is the place where Sorkin learned how to write for TV, and tried out many of the tricks and tropes that served him so well on TWW. It was also where Sorkin forged his creative partnership with director Thomas Schlamme. On Sports Night they developed the walk-and-talk visual style that make exposition so energised on TWW. They built a storytelling shorthand that would lead to many, many plaudits and influence many other shows.

Watching Sports Night with the benefit of hindsight, you can see Sorkin trialling storylines and characterisations he would repeat and refine on TWW. Dan Rydell is the forerunner for Josh Lyman in TWW. Whole plots get recycled from Sports Night into TWW, such as Sam discovering his father's been having an affair for 27 years [in Sports Night, that happens to Joshua Malina's character]. This series is John the Baptist to TWW's more messianic success.

Most of all, Sports Night is fun to watch. The first few are a bit clunky and preachy, as the writer finds his TV legs, but things improve rapidly. And there's a laugh track that irks like hell, but it quickly fades into the background. [Literally - the programme makers kept turning down the volume switch on the laugh track.] Best of all, there's 45 episodes of Sorkin goodness you may never have seen before, just waiting for you to discover. Enjoy!

You know you're too busy when...

...you get good news and it makes you go 'Argh!'. In my case, it was a congratulatory email yesterday, saying the first ten pages of my script Families At War had made it to the second round of the Red Planet Prize. Normally I'd be dancing round the room, celebrating. But now I need to devote this weekend to polishing the rest of the script when I'd planned to be writing two other, just as urgent projects. As a consequence, all I could think was 'Argh!'.

Doesn't help the household's down with flu, I'm knackered from my round trip to London and a bunch of other stuff. But let's get a sense of perspective. Thousands of people are losing their jobs round the country every day, and terrorism is doing bad things in India right now. On the scale of human tragedy, having too many exciting opportunities happen at once is merely unfortunate. Time to suck it up and get some writing done. Onwards, fingers of fun - onwards!

Back from That Fancy London

Spent the past two days in a London recording studio for the taping of my new audio drama, DOCTOR WHO: Enemy of the Daleks. Contractual obligations prevent me from spilling the beans about who's in the cast, details of the plot or many other juicy morsels. Sorry about that. But I can tell it was a blast listening to my script come to life, hearing actors interpret the roles and make the most of the drama. It's 'ovely when a plan comes together.

I took the sleeper train down on Sunday night [yes, you can still catch sleeper trains in Britain, a fact that took many by surprise when I told them], before heading over to the studio in West London. Enemy of the Daleks is structured like classic series Doctor Who i.e. four episodes each of 25 minutes duration. Taping all the dialogue for such a story takes two days in the studio, so there was plenty of time for green room gossip, banter and badinage.

I took every opportunity to sit in the control room and listen to the script being recorded. There's nothing like hearing professional actors [many with a stunning array of credits] speaking dialogue you've written. On the nose moments become all too apparent, and each actor bring fresh nuances to their part. An educational experience. The director for this story, Ken, proved marvelously adept at getting the best from his handpicked cast.

In truth I wasn't needed, but went along mostly for my own benefit, as a learning experience. I did make a few useful contributions and/or suggestions, but mostly just sat in awe of everyone doing their jobs. A few weeks before I was typing the second draft, now I was witnessing the next stage of its evolution. The audio drama now goes into post-production, acquiring sound effects and music and a thousand other creative moments to finish it off.

The results will be released next May, available to download from the Big Finish website or order on CD from various retailers. [Indeed, you can pre-order Enemy of the Daleks now if you feel the urge.] In the meantime I've got a splitting headache, a sandpaper throat and deadlines to meet. It's lovely to be home, but two days and three nights away have played havoc with life. Onwards!

Snow, Sports and Sore Throats

The much promised snow has yet to materialise. Earlier this week the weather service was predicting an icy blast from the Arctic that would make the colder parts of Narnia look like a tropical paradise. But we're too far inland, so it's just rained a bit and been nippy round the nether regions. Probably just as well, as I'm doing a lot of coughing and spluttering. Some kindly soul has given me their cold and my throat feels like rusting razorwire.

Lovely day of sports results yesterday for an ex-pat Kiwi. Biggest upset has to be the New Zealand rugby league team beating perpetual nemesis Australia in the world cup final. Been a long, long time since they outdid that opposition, and never in a cup final. The All Blacks initially struggled against a resolute Wales team in Cardiff, before winning 29-6. Alas, the NZ cricket team couldn't complete the trifecta, losing to Australia at the Gabba.

It's another thin week here at Vicious Imagery as I'm away from tonight until Wednesday morning. Catching the sleeper train to London so I can observe the recording sessions for my Big Finish audio drama DOCTOR WHO: Enemy of the Daleks. Once I get back there's a helter skelter week of work to squeeze into three days, so don't expect long or languid posts upon my return. Sorry, folks, deadlines comes first - but I'll be thinking of you. Onwards!

I. Am. Waiting for the [Snow]Man

The weather service has been making ominous noises about the first substantial blast of winter, coming by the end of this week. Wind directions are due to change Thursday night or during Friday, so our weather comes from due north i.e. the Arctic. That means a sudden dip in temperatures from recent mild days [8-12 degrees in... err... Centigrade? Farenheit? Can never remember which one's which]. Plus biting wind chill, Maybe even some snow.

We did get snow flurries for about five minutes one day in October, part of a week-long cold snap that didn't come to much. I've yet to have a serious effort getting ice off the car first thing. But sounds like that's about to change. The good news is we've had the chimney swept, so a roaring fire is available. The bad news we don't have any fuel in hand for said fire. A trip to buy some fossil fuels is probably in order. Hmm, fossil fuels.

In other news, I'm headed down to Brighton tomorrow for day three of the Lighthouse screenwriting for television workshop. The story so far: six ideas for a new drama series were pitched, developed and re-pitched. One was chosen for further development, a lot of which took place a fortnight ago. Since then we've each been working up two characters and three story-of-the-day ideas for this putative TV series. Tomorrow it'll be time to review.

As a consequence there won't be much blog action round here the next day or two. Such is life. Oh, almost forgot to say - first Christmas presents of the year arrived yesterday! If that seems wildly early, well, they did come from New Zealand. When you're posting stuff halfway round the world, sending early to err on the side of caution is deffo the sensible option. So, a big shout-out to Dad and Catherine for the Kiwi goodies. Onwards!

Phoo Action series gets nixed - belatedly

Back in February BBC3 launched a series of six pilots, each intended to showcase a potential series. Leading the charge was Phoo Action, an action comedy based on an old comic strip by Jamie Hewlett [co-creator of pop culture icons Gorillaz and Tank Girl]. BBC3 talked up Phoo Action a lot and within days of broadcast announced a full series of the show had been commissioned. But then something curious happened, a phenomenon that's still playing out.

Nobody seemed to have a lot of affection for Phoo Action, despite the best efforts of BBC3's publicity department. Some people felt the comedy sequences weren't actually funny, while the budget wasn't sufficient to make the action sequences work. An action comedy without laughs or thrills doesn't have that much appeal - but six further episodes were already commissioned, to be made in Scotland as part of the BBC's drive for regional outsourcing.

Meanwhile the second pilot in the BBC3 series, Being Human, proved to be a critical hit. Soon viewers were launching internet campaigns to get Being Human its own series commission. The BBC seemed surprised by this reaction. Cynical souls might almost suspect the coronation of Phoo Action was a foregone event while Being Human's sudden popularity was both unexpected and almost inconvenient. [Shame on you, cynical souls, shame - don't be so doubting!]

Eventually the word-of-mouth campaign convinced BBC3 to commission a full series of Being Human, currently being filmed in Bristol. But two thirds of the original cast have been replaced - a creative choice that invokes curiosity. Perhaps the pilot of Being Human was guilty of skewing too old for BBC3's target audience? Let's hope the new incarnation retains the unique flavour that made it such an unexpected, breakout hit for the channel.

Alas, fate has not been so kind to Phoo Action. It's emerged that the six-part series has been cancelled, not long before filming was due to start. Six figure sums have been spent building sets and costumes, hiring actors and production staff. Reading between the lines, it seems developing good scripts from the slight source material proved too great a challenge. Someone took the brave step of pulling the plug, before more money was spent.

No doubt there are lessons to be learned from all of this, some of them quite expensive, but hindsight always brings a wonderful clarity. Perhaps it would have been wiser to wait until all six pilots have been screened before choosing one to give a series. Looking from the outside, it's apparent how tough a job commissioners have. Get it right and attached talent gets the credit. Get it wrong and the commissioner takes the blame. A thankless task!

My Doctor Who audio project - public at last

Audio drama makers Big Finish has just announced details of a project on which I've been working most of this year. DOCTOR WHO: ENEMY OF THE DALEKS is a four-part adventure featuring Sylvester McCoy as the seventh Doctor, with Sophie Aldred as Ace and Philip Olivier as Hex. Here's the advance publicity blurb for my story: 'The TARDIS travellers fall in with starship troopers struggling to defend a remote research facility from an all-out Dalek attack. But this time, could it be the Daleks need saving…?'

If you've never heard a Big Finish audio drama, it's like a radio play with enhanced production values. Sold via download or on CD, each story is recorded in a studio with professional actors. An extensive post-production process follows, and each story has its own unique musical score. Officially licensed by the BBC, there have been some significant crossovers between the Big Finish range and the hit TV series, particularly in terms of talent.

I've been writing scripts for Big Finish off and on since 2001. My first efforts were for the 2000 AD range of audio dramas, to which I eventually contributed five Judge Dredd thrillers. Soon after starting on Dredd, I was fortunate to have a story commissioned for the Sarah Jane Smith audio range. Test of Nerve was a break-through, full of plot and excitement and ethical dilemmas for the cast - an early example of my writing voice emerging.

When Doctor Who celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2003, Big Finish was allowed to run wild with a spin-off range called Doctor Who: Unbound. These stories rewrote continuity or presenting new interpretations of the Doctor. I was among the writers who contributed, alongside such heavyweights as Robert Shearman [Dalek] and Marc Platt [Ghostlight]. My effort, Full Fathom Five, was controversial but still wins plaudits for pushing the envelope.

From there I got the chance to write a Sapphire & Steel audio for Big Finish, before getting a commission to script all four stories in the second series of Sarah Jane Smith audios. Writing four hours of interlinked drama was a brilliant opportunity to stretch myself as a scribe, and gave me a taste for series work. By this time it was the end of 2005 and my MA screenwriting course was fast becoming an all-consuming activity in my life.

As a consequence I had to step aside from a commission to write my first audio for the main Doctor Who range at Big Finish. I was sad to lose this opportunity, but hopeful I'd get another chance. That finally came this year, with an invitation to pitch for an opening. I won the gig and the project's been inching forwards ever since. My work on the scripts is done and a recording date is imminent. The results will be available on CD and download next May.

ENEMY OF THE DALEKS is my 13th audio drama for Big Finish, and I believe it's among my best work for the company. I've learned a lot about writing since completing work on SJS series two, and - hopefully - my dialogue's improved considerably. I've been fortunate to work with a great script editor and executive producer, both of whom pushed me to extract the most drama from my story and characters. The results should make gripping listening.

Going to see the Changingman

Teaching a session or two about novel writing at the East Ayrshire Book Festival today, before heading into Glasgow for a concert by Paul Weller. I've followed his career since he first burst on the music scene in the 1970s as leader of The Jam [I was raised in the wild by punks, at a time when most Kiwis were listening to Saturday Night Fever]. A lot of fans never forgave Weller for splitting The Jam, let alone forsaking it for The Style Council.

Me, I didn't mind. The Style Council's mix of soul, jazz and funk with a message chimed nicely with me learning to appreciate soul, jazz and messages. [I blame Level 42 for my antipathy to funk.] Weller stepped off that carousel by the end of the 1980s and became a solo artist, rediscovering his musical mojo along the way. Now he pumps out a new album most years, and tours like a Trojan. He's got a massive back catalogue of songs, it should be a good gig.

In other news, Variety contributed a new word to my collection of obscure language today. The Hollywood trade paper has a long history of invented lingo that requires some decoding for newcomers to its pages. For example, nobody leave a project in a Variety article - they 'ankle' it. Chicago isn't a musical, it's a 'tuner'. Today's Variety gives the new Broadway production of Billy Elliot a glowing review, praising the West End transfer from London.

In the midst of that the reviewer talks about the show's gritty 1980s Northern England setting, describing it as 'hardscrabble' - what a great word. I've already scrawled that on a post-it note stuck to the wall beside my writing desk. There it joins samizdat, policier, rustbelt, imbroglio, weltschwerz, kinslayer, cognomen and cartouche - all words that have tickled my fancy. Always handy to have a distinctive word up your sleeve when required.

Working my way through a long To-Do list

I'm not much on To-Do lists, preferring to keep my different projects compartmentalised and work on one thing at a time. This is especially important when I'm writing a novel. If possible, I burn through the first draft in one go, start to finish. Doesn't always work, sometimes I have to break off for an urgent, short-term job. But that can bring its own benefits, especially if you've already broken the book's back. Gives you a chance to review progress.

Sometimes the freelance life throws so many things your way at once a To-Do list is the only sane solution. Write down all the things that need doing and delivery deadlines, assess how long they'll take, and assign priorities accordingly. This week's been particularly madcap with story of the day ideas for Doctors, a novel synopsis to rewrite, plus characters and stories to be devised for the Lighthouse screenwriting project all demanding my time.

Tomorrow I'm taking two sessions at the East Ayrshire Book Festival, so they need prepping too. Just after lunch I'm talking to 15 school pupils about writing graphic novels and various genres, while there's an open session at the Stewarton Library from 4.30pm where I'll be gabbing about novels. Of course, you never know what questions people are going to ask, so there's only so much preparation to do while expecting the unexpected to happen.

On top of all that the final script for a 100-minute audio drama I've written came back to me for a last look-see. The script editor shuffled a few scenes around, added some extra character moments for the regulars and streamlined some clunkier moments. I was more than happy to sign off on the changes - anything that makes the story better and me look good is always welcome. That's due in the studio the week after next, so time's getting tight.

All in all, this is proving to be an action-packed week. But there's still plenty more to do, so it's time to see if I can't get something else scratched from my To-Do list today. Onwards!

Trailer for 'Damages' season 2 now online

Weaving plot, emotion and themes

Most of this week I'm juggling story ideas. Got to devise a new A-story to replace one in a trickily twin-time narrative intended for a tie-in novel project. Creating three storylines and two new characters for the Lighthouse workshop. Trying to find time to update my Complete Inspector Morse tome for a new edition to be published next February. And I'm speaking at the East Ayrshire Book Festival at Friday, so need to do some prep for that too.

But mostly I've been tweaking one story of the day proposal, and developing another. The first has now gone onwards for consideration, while the second - not sure I've nailed it. It hinges on an unusual medical diagnosis, and the placement of that is crucial to the story, how it's told. My original instinct was to put that right up front, make it matter of fact and explore the consequences thereafter. But that didn't seem to sit right.

Someone suggested I hold the big reveal back as long as possible, to build up suspense, turn it into a mystery for the audience to keep them hooked. That's the version I submitted yesterday, but having slept on it I'm not sure that's work. Yes, we get the mystery element, but deny the protagonist a chance to talk about the consequences of his diagnosis beyond generalities. Can't help but feel that omits what could be a powerful scene.

Want to have another look at it, see if I can't find a better was to weave together the plot, emotions and central themes. But I need to progress all the other projects on my plate. Argh. Not enough days, not enough hours, not enough time. Onwards!

UPDATE: Having done my thinking out loud in the above entry, a better ending came to me almost immediately. I dove back into the synopsis, streamlined the start, rewrote the final scenes and sent off the new [hopefully improved] version - all by eight o'clock this morning. Blog - it's useful as well as therapeutic.

Another year older, what have I done?

No, it's not my birthday. But this Thursday another class of screenwriting students graduates from Screen Academy Scotland at Edinburgh's Napier University. Tutor James Mavor is inviting some of us old lags to come along, catch up and raise a glass. I'm hoping to attend, having gone along last year for my own graduation and the previous year when the first full-time class finished [and I was half way through my part-time MA screenwriting course].

Knowing it's twelve months since I graduated got me thinking about what I've achieved since this time last year. I finished my 19th novel, due to be published in the next few weeks. Read a dozen scripts for Scottish Screen. Wrote half a dozen issues of The Phantom comic for Egmont Sweden. A few bits and bobs of journalism, but that was about all my paying gigs. In purely financial terms, it's probably been my worst year since emigrating to the UK in 1990.

The bulk of my time's been devoted to speculative work, particularly screenwriting. I wrote a trial script for the BBC's daytime medical drama Doctors that got me invited to submit story of the day ideas. Yet to get one banked, but found myself invited on the Doctors shadow scheme for emerging writers [thanks, Caroline, much appreciated!]. Spent months pursuing a tie-in novel opportunity off and on, something that may come to fruition next year.

Wrote a 100-minute script for an audio drama that's due in the studio later this month, but that's yet to be made public. Got one of six places on the much esteemed TV drama team-writing workshop run by Lighthouse in Brighton. Wrote a new spec script that makes me proud. And it looks like I've got a part-time job that will secure my financial futures, freeing me to devote even more time to speculative writing - more details to follow.

All in all, it's been a productive if poorly paid twelve months. Haven't made the big breakthrough I've been working towards, but lots of little victories keep coming my way. Onwards!

Scotland 6, New Zealand 32

Went to see the All Blacks plays Scotland at Murrayfield in Edinburgh. Scotland had never beaten New Zealand in a rugby union test match, despite 26 attempts in the past - and Saturday was no different. The All Blacks fielded a second string side, giving several players their first cap and holding back superstars like Dan Carter and Richie McCaw until near the end. The New Zealand looked a bit rusty at times, not firing on all cylinders at once.

Scotland spent much of the match camped in the New Zealand half, and had considerable success worrying the All Black scum. The local side took the lead with an early penalty kick. NZ soon responded with a penalty and a well-worked try. There was an exchange of penalties, but after that Scotland never troubled the scoreboard again. The All Blacks managed three further tries in a fitful effort notable for sturdy defensive work and a few moments of luck.

Alas, the match got bogged down with long periods of scrum after scrum after scrum, crushing the life from the game in the second half. The crowd even attempted a Mexican wave to break the boredom, which seemed to galvanise the players back into action. The arrivals of Carter and McCaw kicked things up a gear and I was sorry to see the match end, despite the cold. Happily, a few moments of drizzle were as bad as the weather got, a lucky escape.

Three moments in quick succession proved the most moving. The stadium lights were extinguished and a minute's silence held in remembrance of soldiers past and present, a fly-past by an RAF helicopter underlining the significance of their sacrifices. I don't get to hear the New Zealand anthem that often, so having it big and loud was special. And the All Blacks' haka was a thing to behold in person, powerful, strong and intimidating.

The most bemusing incident came when I bought a plastic bottle of apple juice. The concession stand staff were obliged to remove the plastic top before handing me the beverage, meaning I had to spend the rest of the match taking care not to spill the drink everywhere. Why? Presumably some health and safety regulation was involved. What was I going to do with it, run amok and cause havoc? Let slip the lids of war! Daft. Still, a grand afternoon out.

Off to see the All Blacks versus Scotland

Today I get to savour the last of my birthday presents - tickets to see the All Blacks play Scotland at Murrayfield. It's many years since I've been to a live rugby match, probably not since old mate Vincent Mortimer took me along to see the All Blacks playing at Eden Park in New Zealand. So today's fixture should be exciting, even if being outdoors during November in Scotland is not always wisest. I'll be wrapping up warm, that much is certain.

Had quite a day of it yesterday, sprinting round Edinburgh from one meeting to another. Came home to a surprising phone call that's left me with a big decision to make. Can't say what it is yet, as there's a lot of implications to ponder and I'd rather give myself the time to do that in private. Sigh - never knew I was so coy. Anyway, time for breakfast. I feel a fish finger sandwich [with plenty of lemon juice] calling. Just need to cook it first. Onwards!

Another helter skelter day @ Vicious Imagery HQ

Home from Brighton late last night, after a full day at the Lighthouse screenwriting for television course and a happy meet-up with fellow writer Michelle Lipton. Up early this morning to prep for a full day of meetings, coffee and interviews in Edinburgh. Tuesday was last minute tweaks to a 100-minute audio script that's in the studio later this month. Wednesday was prep for today and a conference call on another project. State of play: frazzled. Onwards!

Brighton, my dear, and not a moment too soon

Heading soon to Brighton tomorrow [Thursday] for the second session of Screenwriting for Television at Lighthouse. Won't get back until waaaaaaay late, so no fresh posts until Friday at the earliest. And Friday's fast turning into a bonkers day as well, with a coffee meeting, a presentation, nibbles, another coffee meeting and an interview thing. Will type more when I can. Onwards!

Change, my dear, and not a moment too soon

Stayed up to watch the US presidential election results come in. I've long been hooked on American politics, and even considered spending this week across the Atlantic to savour the moment that's come. Deadlines made that impossible, but I was still determined to see the US deliver itself from the last eight years. Happily, it did and Obama gave a great, lyrical acceptance speech in Chicago, full of tripling phrases and poetic writing.

Spent yesterday finishing off a project I've been working on since January. Contract obligations preclude me from spilling the beans just yet, but it's due to be announced soon, so I'll reveal much more soon. Three days left this working week and they're just packed. Several hours of prep today for a double meeting on Friday, plus a conference call about another project I'm not at liberty to divulge. [I may end up regretting my late night of Obama.]

Tomorrow it's back to Brighton for the second session on the Lighthouse screenwriting for television course. The team will be getting to grips with its chosen project, plotting the way forward and planning our next steps, both as a collective and as individual writers. Back home late tomorrow night, before spending all of Friday in Edinburgh. Meeting two former MA screenwriting classmates for coffee, followed by several more meetings.

Come Saturday I'll be enjoying the last of this year's birthday presents, a trip to Murrayfield to watch Scotland take on the mighty All Blacks in a rugby union test. The New Zealand side will be a bit jaded from travelling halfway round the world, and a bit ring rusty after several months apart. But they stopped in Hong Kong en route and came back from behind to defeat arch rivals Australia in a special test match on neutral territory.

Scotland have never beaten the All Blacks at rugby in what must be round a hundred years of trying. Can't say I fancy their chances much this time either, but rugby's a funny game and anything can happen. Whatever takes places, it should be an enjoyable experience, albeit a chilly one. Hats, scarves, gloves, thermals and fleeces will be needed to ward off the cold. Haven't seen the All Blacks live for 20 years, so it'll be a blast. Onwards!

Long weekend in North Cornwall

Back from my first holiday in six months, a long weekend in North Cornwall. Spent it at Port Isaac, a fishing village and tourist spot best known for appearing in several TV series and films - most recently the comedy drama Doc Martin. The show's massively popular, and there was a steady stream of tourists having their photo taken outside Fern Cottage. Anyway, here are my holiday snaps.

Gone to Cornwall, back on Tuesday

Having my first break since early April. Talk amongst yourselves until I get back. If I'm not blogging by Tuesday - wait longer.

Preacher saved from development Hell?

This morning entertainment industry bible Variety announced acclaimed British director Sam Mendes is resurrecting a controversial comic book from Hollywood development hell. Created by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon, Preacher tells the story of an American churchman who discovers he can wield the voice of god. The preacher takes a road trip across the US in search of answers, in a story that had something to offend almost everyone [see below].

Preacher was snapped up as potential film fodder while it was still being published, with director Rachel Talalay attached for a long time. Considering how badly her adaptation of iconic British comics character Tank Girl misfired, some might consider it a blessed relief she never got to make Preacher. More recently there was talk of the Ennis-Dillon creation finding the promised land of production as a mini-series for pay cable channel HBO.

Now Mendes is having a crack, bringing his considerable creative clout to bear on the project. An esteemed theatre director, he won many plaudits for his film debut, American Beauty. Mendes has previous form when it comes to adapting comics for the big screen - his second feature Road to Perdition was based on a graphic novel. The helmer is back in the frame for potential Oscar glory this winter with a film of celebrated novel Revolutionary Road.

The big question is how closely can any film version of Preacher follow the source material? Is the world ready to see hillbillies humping farm animals? A suicidal simpleton with a face like an arse? Considering how some religious fundamentalists react to films that take an allegorical look at religion [The Golden Compass, for one], how will they feel about any movie based on a comic book that virtually nukes religious zealots from orbit?

It'll be interesting to see if Mendes came overcome the many hurdles that have scuppered this project in the past. He'll need plenty of courage for the battles ahead.

I've got an angry frown on my thumb

Two weeks ago I foolishly chose to swift some large sheets of wet, broken glass in the garden without putting on gloves first. Sliced my right thumb open, a big flap of bloody skin with some meat on it too - tasty. Trooped off to the nearby cottage hospital, had it sealed with some steri-strips and a bandage the same of Omaha wrapped round the foolish. Below you can see my swathed digit in all its glory - hours of comedy fun, it was.

A week later the bandage and steri-strips came off to reveal the wound. The treatment had done its job, my wound was knitting back together nicely. The treatment nurse told me I'd have a scar - cool! At least I won't feel left out next time I'm on a deep sea fishing boat hunting a great white shark and the crazed captain decides to regales me with glimpses of his war wounds. Below you can see a rather blurry photo of my thumb soon after unveiling.

One week on and the wound is much happier. You know the special effects in 1980s horror films always looked kind of cheesy and fake? That's what my scar looks like now. There's a frowning mouth on my thumb. At any second I expect it to open up and taunt me in a Nightmare on Elm Street stylee. The thumb's healing nicely, but does feel like I've suffered a simultaneous sprain and bee sting. Still, could have been much worse. Onwards!

Are all second films of 007 actors flawed?

The new James Bond film Quantum of Solace opens in the UK this Friday, with America getting it a week later. I was looking forward to it until I saw the reviews. Almost without exception, everybody seems to be underwhelmed, with two stars out of five the most common assessment. To a large extent Bond films are critic-proof, a high-octane institution full of bangs and flashes [in more ways than one]. But a great Bond film is a treat to savour.

Daniel Craig's first appearance as 007 in Casino Royale injected fresh like into a long-familiar franchise. Much the same happened when Pierce Brosnan took over as Bond in Goldeneye. Even the much-maligned Timothy Dalton was considered a breath of fresh air in The Living Daylights after the safari suit shenanigans of the 1980s. And Roger Moore brought new life and vitality to 007 when he made his debut in Live and Let Die some 35 years ago.

But all four of these Bonds had a considerably less successful second outing. Moore's sophomore effort The Man With the Golden Gun is less than memorable. License to Kill fails to thrill, only killing Dalton's fledgling residency as Bond. Tomorrow Never Dies bores for Britain, sticking Brosnan with a steaming mess of hokum. It seems Quantum of Solace may be another sticky second helping for Craig. [George Lazenby never got a second chance.]

There's a theory among geeks that even-numbered Star Trek films are always better than those with odd numbers. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan certainly trumps its predecessor, Star Trek: The Slow Motion Picture. Trek IV: The Voyage Home thumps III: The Search For Spock - and so on. [The exception is Trek X, which all but killed the franchise.] Perhaps a similar theory should be posited for second efforts for new James Bond actors.

The question is why so sophomore Bonds slump? The arrival of a new 007 gives the production team a chance to redefine the character and the franchise. They can kick against everything that typified the previous Bond - safari suits and smug quips, dull and dour, invisible cars and quiffs, etc. Sometimes there's a longer gap between old and new 007s, allowing more time for script development and rediscovering the essence of Bond for a new era.

But once the first effort works, the pressure comes to pump out another Bond and capitalise on that success. As a consequence, the second film of a new 007 struggles to recapture the lightning in a bottle qualities of its predecessor. It's a common phenomenon in US TV drama, where a new show seems amazingly innovative first time round but less so the second time of asking. They even have a name for this - the sophomore slump.

Just witness the less than stellar offerings found in the second seasons of Desperate Housewives, Heroes, Ugly Bettery - my beloved Friday Night Lights couldn't match the genius of its first season last year. [Happily the current third season is back in the zone.] Mad Men just finished its second season with a stunning finale, but couldn't quite meet the standard of its first year. Even The Wire's second season was not the equal of its dazzling debut.

So it is with second films for new 007 actors. There is one exception is to this newly minted geek theory: Sean Connery. His second appearance as Bond was From Russia With Love, building nicely on the success of Dr No. But his 007 didn't take off until the third film, Goldfinger. So there's hope yet for Daniel Craig. Expect a return to form in Bond 23, due sometime in 2010 or 2011.

Finding a title for the next Bond may be problematic. The producers are running out of original Ian Fleming titles. Only three short story names remain unused - The Property of a Lady [sounds like a Henry James novel], Risico [doesn't sound like anything] and The Hildebrand Rarity [sounds like a Robert Ludlum book - as if Jason Bourne hasn't caused the Bond franchise enough problems].

Perhaps we should take comfort in the knowledge things can get better. The Man With the Golden Gun was succeeded by The Spy Who Loved Me, one of Moore's finest Bond films [IMHO]. The World Is Not Enough was a significant improvement on Tomorrow Never Dies for Brosnan. Fingers crossed Bond 23 gets things back on track for Daniel Craig, after what may be a less than stellar second appearance as 007 in Quantum of Solace. Time will tell, as usual.

Only 8 days until the US presidential election

What's in a name? Or a story title, come to that?

Got an email from a script editor yesterday, suggesting a new title for one of my projects. I'm still fond of my original name for the story - having the word Atrocity in my working title left nobody in any doubt about the tone - but the new title is much better. Clever, gives a call-back to classic terminology for the genre, and still sums up the essence of the story. Just wish I'd thought of it myself.

When I was a comics editor I wasn't too bad at suggesting alternate titles for other people's stories [objectivity makes you so much smarter, don't you find]. But putting a name on one of my own efforts is more of a struggle. Most of the novels I wrote for Black Flame got their titles changed along the way, for one reason or another. My Doctor Who novel Empire of Death was Metempsychosis for a while - too obscure, perhaps, but far less cheesy.

Had a debate with another script editor yesterday about character names. They have a pet peeve about writers giving their creation outlandish or unlikely monikers. Me, I don't mind it so long as the names serve a purpose. Calling a woman Jemima suggests an elevated upbringing [how many girls from sinkhole estates do you know called Jemima?]. Calling a former thief Fingers hints at his past. But calling a crime boss Caligula is probably going too far.

There's a choice to be made. Do you want your characters to be memorable and distinct from one another? How can you achieve that in a ten-page treatment when you have to introduce a large ensemble cast? In a full script characters define themselves by their actions, but in a treatment some shorthand is required. Memorable names are a brisk way to make characters pop. Calling a crime boss Caligula may be on the nose, but it's easy to remember.

Whole album concerts I'd like to see

There's a vogue at the moment for recording artists to stage concerts where they perform an entire album in order. Lou Reed, The Wonder Stuff, Gary Numan and OMD all have had or are taking a crack at this. Not that the concept's a new idea - Suede did a week of concerts five years ago where each night was a different album from their back catalogue. David Bowie did something similar when he released Heathens, performing Low in full in concert.

So, what albums would I like to see performed in full and live? If death wasn't a factor, I'd start with Kind of Blue by Miles Davis. But Miles isn't with us anymore, so that'll have to remain a fantasy. Ditto anything by the Beatles, seeing as how half the band isn't around anymore. So let's stick to acts that are, by and large, still alive. Assuming I won the lottery, who would I hire to perform favourite albums in full and live on stage?

ABC - LEXICON OF LOVE: A joyous confection of 80s-tastic production and bittersweet lyrical wordplay. I must have listened to this a zillion times over the years. Always surprising to rediscover it only lasts 37 minutes, as it feels so much bigger.

DAVID BOWIE - HUNKY DORY: A pick 'n' mix selection of styles and songs. This feels like Bowie trying on a dozen different outfits, searching for the perfect persona to become a superstar. Plus it features Life on Mars - pure class.

PRINCE - SIGN O' THE TIMES: A double-album but Prince loves giving long concerts, so stamina shouldn't be a problem. Another eclectic musical collection, ranging from cold funk to hot soul via perversity and playfulness. Ooky and its kooky.

JOHN HIATT - BRING THE FAMILY: A dazzling, hand-crafted album cut in handful of days that brought this much admired tunesmith to a wider audience. Remains a high water mark in his career, not a duff track to be found on it.

k.d. lang - INGENUE: A gorgeous gathering of songs, full of longing and yearning and simmering sexuality. Angst and joy and whatnot, all wrapped up in a shimmering, gutsy voice and heartfelt musicianship. Priceless.

So, what albums would you love to see performed in concert? No greatest hits compilations, no mostly dead bands, just your favourites and the reasons why. Post your answers in the comments section - and no sneering at other people's choices!

It was dawn when the skull wept blood...

My 19th novel - A Massacre in Marienburg - is due out the first week of December, published by the Black Library imprint of Games Workshop. Set in the phantasmagorical city of Marienburg [natch], this hefty tome puts the war back into Warhammer as a vicious necromancer resurrects the dead to attack the living. Expect a searing saga of noble sacrifice and gore galore [the title of this post is also opens the novel]. Download the first chapter as a free pdf from here - enjoy!

Tina Fey vs Sarah Palin: can you tell them apart?

Why do you want to write this?

The question of why you want to write a particular story tends to arise mostly when you're doing speculative work. That's not to say it does apply to commissions. When I'm pitching a novel to an editor or publisher, I still need to convince them there's a story worth telling and that I'm passionate enough to deliver upon the promise of the premise. [For non-fiction pitches, you need to demonstrate why YOU should be chosen for a particular project.]

But why you want to write a particular story is fundamental to doing good speculative work. [Apologies for any mistypings, thumb still on the blink.] If you can't get excited about the story you're trying to tell, why should anyone else? If you don't have passion for your concept, your characters, the world you're creating, most likely it'll seem lifeless, manufactured, false. You can fake it, but you won't fool all the people all the time.

This week the next stage of my work for the Lighthouse TV drama course is due in. By Friday each writer [or writing team] must submit a 10-page treatment for their original TV series idea. Characters, individual story ideas, the concept, the world of the show and where I think it would go in a second series all need to be included, along with a detailed synopsis of the opening episode. So it's time to make decisions, nail down some choices.

Crucially, do I want the pilot to be a typical episode, redolent of what the show would be like week to week? That's the hit the ground running approach, as used in such pilots as CSI, Mad Men and Hill Street Blues. Or do I want to spend the pilot establishing the premise of the show, so that the second episode would be more typical? Examples of this are Life On Mars, The Street and Clocking Off. I'm probably leaning toward the latter.

Why? My proposed show is quite high concept, so there's a fair amount to set up. I like to see a protagonist transformed by events in a pilot, their ordinary world disrupted - probably because it replicates the classical storytelling structures. On the other hand, a show like The Shield has a great episode of the week pilot and only reveals the backstory of how these characters came together for a later episode [ditto The West Wing].

Like I said, this stage of the process is all about decisions, a thousand little choices that all contribute to a bigger picture. That's why you need to know why you want to write this particular story. If you don't, you risk being paralysed by indecision over every little one of those choices. Onwards!

Pipe wrench fight!

John McCain cast in next Batman film?

'It's always somebody else's fault' syndrome

To me, there's no shame in saying you can do better next time, or admitting responsibility when things don't work out. I've always gleaned far more from my mistakes than I have from successes. I tend to learn by repetition, so having to do something again is good for me. That's not to deny an in-built tendency to hope for perfection at the first time of asking - but I learned to accept failing short isn't fatal or abject failure.

It's the finished work, the end product that counts, not the stages required to achieve that gleaming conclusion. Often a story you've written gets tainted by the tortuous development process, so much so you lose all objectivity about its merits. The audience only sees the end results, not your workings. Every draft en route is merely another step on the path. Some drafts leads done blind alleys, so back up a step and then go forwards again.

If there's one thing I can't abide, it's creatives who blame everybody else for a story's poor reception - but never themselves. When I was a comics editor there was one particular individual who specialised in this behaviour [they still do, judging by interviews with them I've read]. The audience didn't like a story? Perhaps the audience wasn't clever or sophisticated enough to appreciate it. Or it was presented badly, or marketed poorly.

No, hold on, it was the editor's fault. They interfered with the creative vision. They commissioned the wrong collaborators. They did too much editing, or too little editing. They deigned to change the creative's priceless work, or didn't challenge the creative enough. Maybe the collaborators weren't given enough support, or perhaps they were over-managed. Everybody else was to blame with this individual, but never the individual themselves.

Sometimes I wondered if they owned a mirror. Had they never spotted themselves as they walked past a shop window? Had they ever thought - hmm, perhaps my work wasn't good enough? Apparently not. Me, I'm more than willing to acknowledge my mistakes and my flaws. I figure it's the better to recognise your weaknesses, listen to criticism and endeavour to improve. Blaming everyone but yourself is delusional behaviour that helps nobody. Live and learn.

Slowly getting back up to speed

My right thumb remains swathed in bandages so it's double the normal size, but I'm adjusting. Alas, my accidental wound came at exactly the wrong time, as such injuries are liable to do. The slicing, blood, bandage and pain combo meant I got little useful work done on Tuesday, when I'd hoped to make significant progress on a major rewrite for a project that's got to be locked off by the end of this month. Unable to type much, I opted for thinking.

Rushing a rewrite is not usually a great idea. If the notes are relatively minor, you can give a project the required spit and polish in short order. But if there are fundamental changes to be made or clarifications to be found, you need time away from the project to short those out in your head [at least, I always do]. So my comedy wound provided a little distance, along with a chance to invent new methods for previously simple bathroom functions.

Yesterday I bit the bullet and got typing again. Progress was slow and fumbling, but I'm getting back up to speed. I don't need to stare at the keyboard while I'm writing, which makes touch typing far more efficient. Digression: the DVD release of a Channel 4 drama called Dockers is worth getting just for its special feature - a documentary that shows writer Jimmy McGovern developing the script with Liverpool dockers whose story the drama told.

It's a fascinating insight to the creative process, with McGovern challenging the dockers' preconceptions about scabs workers. You get to see people who've never written before blossom, their stories coming alive through words and fiction. But one image stuck in my mind: McGovern tapping out his scripts with two fingers, pecking away at the keyboard with hands like a pair of chickens. Wonder if he's considered taking a touch typing class?

Anyway, back to my rewrite today. Also got two extra jobs on, the combination of which are liable to consume most of a day for little financial or creative reward. Wishing I hadn't taken them on now, but bills don't pay themselves and every little helps. October is turning into a helter skelter month, and I can't see November being much better. Two day trips to Brighton, another day running writing workshops in Ayr and grud knows what else. Onwards!

Learning to value my opposable digits

Apologies for any mistyping in what follows, but I have a good excuse. Had some work done in the garden on Monday. A few sheets of broken glass got left behind, so I tried to tidy them away yesterday morning. When they were still wet and slippery. If this was Casualty, earlier scenes would have shown me under extreme deadline pressure, arguing with my partner and being close to breaking point. Cut to close-up of slippery glass with jagged edge.

Well, you can guess what happened next. Least I now know why those guest characters on Casualty are always so surprised when they suffer an accidental injury - they don't see it coming. They don't get carefully lensed camera angles of the imminent danger, they just blunder towards it, blissfully unaware. Should I ever write for Casualty, I'd argue for more surprise and less careful set-up. It's the surprise that catches your breath in these moments.

So, yes, I sliced open my right thumb. A big old flap of skin [with some meat attached] was hanging off my favourite opposable digit. No gushing or spurting blood, no sudden change in background music, no actual pain. Just dumb surprise and instant dismay. Went inside and wrapped some kitchen towel round the wound to apply pressure. Drove to the local health centre, holding my thumb aloft like a Roman emperor, still cursing my stupidity.

I wasn't going to bleed out anytime soon, but it was getting quite uncomfortable and my kitchen towel was now an alarming crimson. [Fresh blood is really red, isn't it? Way red. No wonder giving somebody a bloody nose is sometimes called tapping the claret. Though I prefer a rich cab sav or a malbec myself - but I digress.] The health centre sent me round the corner to our local cottage hospital [a bit like Spearhead From Space, Who fans].

There I got questioned for form-filling purposes, my wound cleaned and some of those narrow white plasters put across the wound to hold it together [just like in Casualty!]. Then a big dressing, followed by a lot of bandage [not as entertaining as badinage, but more effective in the circumstances] and tape to hold it all in place. Finish with a lecture on not getting it wet and an invitation to return in 24 hours for a check-up.

Of course, if the bleeding persisted and soaked through the many, many layers, I should come back sooner. Hell, if it soaked through all of that I'd be busy panicking. Anyway, off I wondered back to the car and drove home, filing the experience away in my head for future writing reference. I only started feeling pain when the nurse was pressing the two halves of my wound back together.

My thumb still bends and still has plenty of feelings. Stretch it too far or try to do too much and I'm sharply reminded how many feelings my thumb has. No stitches required thus far, and I'll be fascinated to witness the unveiling of my wound this afternoon, 28 hours on from the accident. If nothing else, this has certainly made me appreciate my opposable digits a lot more. Opening doors, carrying drinks, doing up buttons - my thumbs do a lot.

Guess I should be grateful it was my thumb that got sliced. Had it been my palm or my fingers, had the wound been deeper or the glass sharped, things could have been a lot worse. When it comes to typing, my eight fingers do the bulk of the work - my right thumb is all about the space bar. But it's amazing how many times you hit that particular key, perhaps more than any other. And every time I do, it hurts. That'll teach me, I guess.

What do you want to be doing in January?

Had tree surgeons in yesterday to give the garden its annual hack and slash. Hedges got trimmed back, a run-down wooden shed got taken away, and several trees were removed. As a consequence it looks like winter arrived early, lots of empty spaces where foliage and branches used to be. The garden looks a bit naked, denuded, bare. All of which got me thinking about what I want to be doing when the worst of winter hits in January.

If you're a freelance writer, this is the time to be setting up work that will see you through the long, cold months ahead [assuming you aren't commissioned from here until the end of time - that means you, Moran]. Like a squirrel storing nuts for the times when food ain't so plentiful, soon editors will pull up the drawbridge and stop commissioning new work. That's not to say there'll be none around, but it gets a lot harder to find.

For example, the Frankfurt Book Fair happens later this week. It's one of the key events in the publishing calendar, helping to shape what books will see print in 2009 and beyond. When publishers returns they have to process any intelligence and new deals they obtained in Frankfurt. By the time that's done, November brings the pre-Christmas crush of work, parties and organisational nightmares. December is largely a write-off for new commissions.

January sees most people still recovering from Christmas, and that's before the credit card statements come home to roost. There's no shortage of publishing going on - 400 new books a day in Britain alone - but fresh work gets harder to find. Throw the credit crunch into the mix, redundancies, cut-backs and belt-tightening... It all adds up to a tough time if you haven't got a few commissions already lined up, plus some bread and butter jobs.

This month could be your last chance to secure the commissions that will stave off a barren January. It's all very well promising yourself you'll spend the weeks after Christmas writing that spec feature script or starting that special novel you've always wanted to write. But inspiration can be hard to find when bills are mounting and the boiler needs fixing. Get busy or come January you might end up looking like my garden does today.

Suddenly busy after months of not so much

At the start of last week I realised there were six different projects all wanting my attention, all interesting and all worth progressing. Some required half a day, others a whole week, some considerably more. Attempting to nudge them all forwards at the same time was the path to inertia and madness - it was time to prioritize. So I sat down and made a list of everything I needed to do, everything I wanted to do, time needed and specific deadlines.

The first half of last week went to plotting a media tie-in novel and submitting that for consideration. Next came developing Story of the Day ideas for Doctors. This week I planned to split between developing a Phantom pitch and plotting a new novel, with some Tv reviewing in my Copious Spare Time®. Next week I need to submit a ten-page treatment for the Lighthouse TV writing course. That left the last days of October to revise my Inspector Morse tome.

Of course, that went flying out the window by Tuesday. Got a welter of notes on a commissioned project I'm not allowed to discuss yet, requiring a nose-to-tail rewrite within three weeks. The media tie-in novel plotting overran by a day, nudging my Doctors efforts into today. A screen agency asked me to read a script and I need to do some paying work this month, so I said yes. That means this week's planned activities must wait until November.

And then something else came up, another enticing opportunity [with a Non-Disclosure Agreement attached, so no details allowed]. And an exciting job opportunity. Not to mention yet another novel proposal I've got sat on an editor's desk awaiting their feedback. Or a documentary pitch I submitted to a new competition that should bring a yea or no answer this week. Or finishing a new draft of my Red Planet Prize entry in case it makes round two.

It's nice to be so busy after months of submitting material, waiting and waiting some more. If half these projects came off I'll be amazed [one in four is a more likely scenario]. I'll also be run off my feet. I'm already reducing all extra-curricular activities to a minimum in anticipation of a busy winter. It was a relief when I heard on Saturday I wasn't shortlisted for a local writers' fellowship. Time's at a premium. Let's get busy. Onwards!

Rodeo cakes, country singers and Roald Dahl

A month or two back I reconfigured Vicious Imagery to take advantage of improvements to Blogger. In doing so I stuffed up my links to Sitemeter, so switched this blog over to StatCounter instead. My favourite part of their service is better access to the keywords that lead people here. As you'd expect, plenty arrive looking for me, my work or things relevant to either of those.

For example, last year I reprinted my Sopranos episode guides. These covered the first three seasons of the acclaimed HBO show, and have generated a lot of traffic ever since. I reprinted my interview with author Roald Dahl and that guarantees a steady stream of visitors to this blog. Guess there's not many Dahl interviews freely available on the world wide interweb.

My guides to 80 different Michael Caine also bring quite a few punters. Lately everybody wants to know the final score from that kitsch Caine classic, Escape to Victory [a.k.a. Victory]. The Germans were up 4-1, but the P.O.W. side levels the scores 4-4 [must have been a real hairdryer halftime team talk]. Sylvester Stallone saves a penalty and it ends a draw.

More obscure keywords and phrases that bring people here: rodeo cakes; vicious swallow, Athelhampton House is reportedly haunted by what kind of animal?; Shania Twain's wooden leg; Claire Grogan's scar; Gordon Brown - texture like sun; the art of being subtle; London Underground murders; Sally Field sex; lust vicious; hoops dinner; and hot smut letters. Well odd.

How long do you keep pursuing your dream?

Went to Coatbridge yesterday to do a spot of acting for former classmate Wilma. We were among the first part-timers to take the MA screenwriting course at Screen Academy Scotland. Wilma has been making low-to-no budget films for years, most often with her partner Duncan. All that hard work is getting them some attention - their last feature, My Life As A Bus Stop, was selected in competition at the 2007 Edinburgh International Film Festival.

When Wilma asked if I'd like to appear in her new film, I was happy to say yes. Alas, I can't sustain a Scots accent to say my life, so she cast me as a frazzled teacher. It was my first experience of guerrilla filmmaking, and for me it made an interesting afternoon away from the computer. For Wilma it's a hobby that's become a lifelong passion. We got to talking about the struggles of pursuing your dreams, never knowing if they'll pay off.

I learned a lot on the MA, but a big part of that experience was the camaraderie we shared - especially the part-timers. While the full-time students were rattling through the course at ramming speed, we had more time together as a group. Writing is a largely solitary endeavour, so it was good to have people in the same boat with whom you share the triumphs and the torments. I've struggled to fill that absence since finishing the MA.

I've found the best way to keep the dream alive is setting little milestones, and enjoying the achievement when they happen. One of the last things we did in class as part-timers was plot where we wanted to be in years to come. Back in May 2007 I turned that discussion into a list of six goals and gave myself two years to achieve them. I didn't expect to nail the lot, but hoped to hit at least half of them. [Aim high, that's my policy.]

One was getting an agent - I've set that aside until after I get some more broadcast drama credits. Not much point asking an agent to represent you if you're not going to make them any money. Goal two was pursuing radio drama, something else I've sidelined for more urgent objectives. Three was get my first TV drama credit. Hasn't happened yet, but the BBC invited me on the Doctors shadow scheme this year, bringing my goal that bit closer.

Four was write at least two more TV pilot spec scripts. Falling short on this one, I have to admit - but help may be at hand [see #6, below]. Five was get more experience in TV drama storylining and/or script editing. Big tick here - did a Script Factory course, spent a day with the Emmerdale storylining team and there's more ahead. Goal six was get selected for another script workshop scheme, such as the Lighthouse TV drama course in Brighton.

Another big tick here after having my first day on the Lighthouse course last week. That experience will run through the next seven months, involving storylining, team writing and working directly with professional script editors. It concludes with a networking event in London to meet agents, drama execs and indie production companies, and they get sent out finished work. You never know, that might get me closer to ticking goal #1.

Those six goals have helped keep me focused since May last year, and they'll carry me through to May next year. Then comes the tricky part - decide my objectives for the next two years. In the meantime, I've got three Story of the Day ideas to develop. Onwards!

Being sanguine about notes

Got a plethora of notes on the first draft of a project I'm writing. My script editor was a bit worried I'd throw a wobbly about them, but I've learned to disengage any prima donna tendencies my ego may harbour. The notes were full of tough questions I need to answer, intriguing suggestions of ways to improve the script and not one of my weaker scenes got through unscathed. It means a massive, page one rewrite - but I don't mind a bit.

Because it's all about making the script better.

The opening sequence can be tighter and tauter? Great. Let's pump the conflict between two characters who spend most of their time together? Cool. The protagonist's reason for getting involved needs to be clearer and more consistent? Yes, couldn't agree more. I've got no objection to any of the notes given because they all make sense. Finding solutions for the problems highlighted - that's down to me, with the help of the production team.

When I first started writing, I expected every first draft to be perfect. I'd get irked when people gave notes or expected rewrites. Looking back at how naive I was, I can't help smiling. My attitude's completely changed, especially in the last few years. To me, a first draft is now nothing more than a work in progress, a rough diamond in need of polishing. The structure should be solid, it's the details that need honing and refining.

Got a big batch of notes? Welcome them, it's a chance to make the script better. That's what everybody wants, the best possible script. Remove your ego from the equation and rewriting becomes a much happier experience. Chances are there was a voice nagging at the back of your head when you were writing the first draft, telling you certain scenes weren't working or some characters lack drive or motivation. Good notes spotlight such flaws.

Got a bunch of notes? Get sanguine. Onwards!

Let's play creative leapfrog

Been jumping from one project to the next a lot lately. I'll have a meeting or phone conversation about something, write or type up my notes - and then have to move straight on to another project. Deadlines are a wonderful motivating tool, but can also create frustration. At least they make prioritising easier; if a proposal is due tomorrow, you should be working on that today, not another project that's not required for another fortnight.

At times this game of creative leapfrog can be frustrating, other times it's useful. I find my subconscious does my best creative thinking, finding interesting solutions to story problems that would likely have eluded me if I'd tried to force out an instant plot fix. So having to shift focus elsewhere gives my subconscious a chance to work on such knotty problems. But moving off a project just as you're building up momentum can be right irksome.

For example, I had a meeting a few weeks back about an exciting gig. I'd have loved to been working on that and that alone ever since, giving it 100% of my time. But I've had other fish to fry, as the saying goes. I've rewritten my script THE WOMAN WHO SCREAMED BUTTERFLIES twice, after a couple of directors expressed interest in it. [Still needs another pass, but that'll have to wait now.] I took on some journalism, and did prep for that.

Talked with a publisher who interested in a project I pitched them back in August. That needs further development work, but isn't hyper-urgent so I've filed that back into my subconscious for now. Finished polishing my Red Planet Prize entry and pitch doc, sent that away. Talked through half a dozen Story of the Day ideas with my script editor at Doctors, need to polish three of those for formal submission - again, that's a job for later.

Wrote ten pages of notes on a feature screenplay for two friends. Wrote two pages of notes on a TV spec script for another friend, and gave verbal feedback on several more pitches for others. Devised a 100-word pitch for a documentary I'd like to make and submitted that to a competition. Got on the Lighthouse's Screenwriting for Television course thanks to a phone interview. Cue mad scramble down to Brighton last Thursday for the first day.

All of that in the past 17 days. Oh yes, and I wrote an issue of The Phantom comic for Egmont Sweden - that was my one paying job since my meeting in London. [Blimey, didn't realise I'd been quite so busy!] Anyways, I'm not lacking for things to do right now. Got a deadline tomorrow, another next week, and another the week after. Plus there's all the other projects mentioned above that need progressing. Looks like more leapfrog ahead. Onwards!

Sarah Jane Smith audio dramas on special!

Big Finish is offering a special deal on its SARAH JANE SMITH audio dramas this month. You can now buy both series of adventures featuring the popular Doctor Who companion for just £30, a saving of £55! For that you get nine discs and nine hours of thrills and chills featuring the lovely Elisabeth Sladen - a bargain in anyone's book.

Why am I plugging this? I contributed one of the stories in the first series, a taut tale called Test of Nerve. When the SJS audios were revived several years later, I was lucky enough to write all four scripts for the second seres. It's the longest story I've ever told, which the cast and production team did an amazing job bringing to life.

Exhausted, exhilarated and excited

Got back from Brighton round midnight after an epic 24 hour journey involving planes, trains and automobiles [but no Dell Griffith, thankfully]. My reason for spending a day beside the seaside? I've been selected on the Lighthouse's Screenwriting for Television workshop. Over the next seven months we'll be using a team writing approach to create script for an all-new six part drama series, guided by tutor and working writer Philip Palmer.

Out of respect for everyone else involved, I won't be blogging at length about what happens until we've finished. We're operating a "what's said in the room, stays in the room" that seems only sensible at this point. But I'll try to offer a few thoughts after each session. By next April we will have each written a 50-minute episode. Yesterday was all about discussing and debating the different ideas proposed for our putative drama series.

By the end of it I staggered back to the train station for the long journey home feeling excited, exhausted and exhilarated. I've a lot of work to do getting my idea into shape for the next stage of the process, all manner of story options and openings whirling round in my head. It's a bit like somebody's just dropped a Berocca in my brain soup. Whurgle! Hopefully this will settle down enough I can get some work done today. Need to focus.

Between now and the next Brighton session in early November I've got all manner of stories to tell and deadlines to meet. Can't guarantee to blog every day, but will try to keep y'all abreast of developments. [Stop sniggering at the back, Arnopp! Yes, I did say "a breast", but if you can't behave like a grown-up, you can leave the class.] Anyway, tales to tells, stories to break. Onwards!

A twenty-three hour round trip to Brighton

Just after midnight I'm getting the sleeper train down to London, connecting to another train en route to Brighton for the day. Later I'll be getting a train from Brighton to Gatwick, to catch a plane to Edinburgh, followed by a taxi to the train station where I left my car so I can drive home. Truly, it shall be a day involving planes, trains and automobiles, a 23-hour round trip between Scotland and the south coast of England. I expect frazzlement.

As a consequence, no fresh blog entry on Thursday, October 2nd. I hope to explain where I've been on Friday, so you'll just have to wait until then. Sorry. In the meantime, you all know the rules by now: play nice, don't tease the ocelot and anything you break, you pay for it to be repaired or replaced. Talk amongst yourselves until I get back. If I don't return by Friday - wait longer.

Ladybird Books spoof: warped genius at work

Visited the excellent Unbearable Oddness of Stevyn blog, where he posted an extract from a spoof Ladybird 'Easy-To-Read' Book about being a policeman. Featured here are two extracts from the online tome. See the rest by going here. Mind how you go!