Today's post including the latest issue of the Judge Dredd Megazine, featuring part 7 of my WWII story Fiends of the Eastern Front: Stalingrad, stunningly illustrated by Colin MacNeil. Also in the post - a royalty cheque from BBC Worldwide Ltd for further sales on one of my Doctor Who novels. Not enough to merit a massive spending splurge, but enough to put a smile on my dial. Of course, it would be for one of my worst books, but you can't choose your successes.
Went down the road to pay in my royalties, get a haircut and pay the council tax for October. Got back to find an email from the lovely people at TAPS, 'an organisation committed to seeking out, training and showcasing emerging talented writers by putting their original voices in front of leading drama and comedy producers and script executives.' I've been accepted on the TAPS script editing course. Best of all, it's being held in December, on dates I can attend.
I've still got to pay for it [the best part of £300], plus associated travel costs and find somewhere to stay while I'm down in That Fancy London, but that's a problem for tomorrow. Today is for celebrating. Come to think of it, tomorrow is also for writing a Megazine feature article, and for plunging into research for my next Black Flame novel, and for mind-mapping the core characters of my TV pilot idea on which I'm being mentored. So, Tuesday has got busy, busy and busy written all over it.
I should just have time to wipe the smile off my face before knuckling down to some real work tomorrow...
Monday, October 16, 2006
Mashup madness
Grease versus Snoop dog. Yes, really.
Next up, Weslife vs Foo Fighters vs Christina Aguilera.
Lastly, U2 versus George Bush.
Next up, Weslife vs Foo Fighters vs Christina Aguilera.
Lastly, U2 versus George Bush.
The midget is the baby's daddy
Serial storytelling has found a bizarre new lease of life on Youtube, thanks to R Kelly. The rap star is creating a cliffhanger soap opera that defines all descriptions. There are twelve episodes so far, all good, but this one is my favourite todate. Warning: contains swearing and outrageous shit. [Thanks to Adrian for the link!]
Why does radio drama lack the likes of Cracker?
The Stage's website has an interesting - if brief - interview with Radio 4 controller Mark Damazer in which he outlines plans to bring returning drama to the station. Radio 4 broadcasts serial drama, everlasting rural soap The Archers and single plays. But Damazar believes there's no reason why his station couldn't embrace returning drama as TV does: “We are talking six or eight pieces with big story arcs but which also work so that each episode can stand alone in its own right. I want productions where listeners know the characters and know their strengths and weaknesses. What I want is the radio equivalent of Our Friends in the North, Cracker or Prime Suspect. This is an obvious gap in the station’s portfolio. ”
Couldn't agree more. Returning drama series seem to be something of a holy grail for TV at the moment, it's bizarre that Radio 4 doesn't have more returning drama series. When I contributed to the Island Blue series of linked plays broadcast by Radio 4 back in June, I was sad to say goodbye to the character I'd created for it. He had a distinctive voice, a world view I wanted to explore further. I guess that was part of the reason I adapted the radio play into a short film script for my screenwriting MA course, it was a way of keeping the character alive.
Perhaps the lack of returning drama series on radio is a function of the current commissioning process. Perhaps it's simply a gap that has either never been addressed or stressed before. Whatever the truth of the matter, it would open up interesting writing opportunities if Radio 4 does push deeper in this direction.
I enjoy writing serial and returning drama. One of my most exciting challenges was being offered the chance to write all four stories for the second series of Sarah Jane Smith audio dramas by Big Finish. The money was pretty poor, considering the amount of time and effort I poured into the project - but that didn't matter. Indeed, when producer John Ainsworth phoned me up to ask if I was interested, I forgot to ask how much the project paid. I wanted the chance, the fee was largely immaterial.
While I was writing the SJS audio dramas, the central characters changed and grew, and so I did too. After scirpting four hours of drama featuring the core cast, it was tough putting an end to their adventures. Of course, I didn't create Sarah Jane, she was devised by the production office of Doctor Who and brought to life by the wonderful Lis Sladen. I'm looking forward to seeing The Sarah Jane Adventures, finding out where the character is headed.
I've been invited to take part in a radio drama lab next month. It'll be interesting to see if the drive for returning drama serials ges mentioned at that. A key part of the mentoring project which I'm lucky enough to be part of revolves around returning drama serials. Hopefully the work I'm doing for that will stand me in good stead for the radio drama lab. Yes, there are fundamental differences in writing for TV and writing for radio, but there are far more shared characteristics to the two media.
Couldn't agree more. Returning drama series seem to be something of a holy grail for TV at the moment, it's bizarre that Radio 4 doesn't have more returning drama series. When I contributed to the Island Blue series of linked plays broadcast by Radio 4 back in June, I was sad to say goodbye to the character I'd created for it. He had a distinctive voice, a world view I wanted to explore further. I guess that was part of the reason I adapted the radio play into a short film script for my screenwriting MA course, it was a way of keeping the character alive.
Perhaps the lack of returning drama series on radio is a function of the current commissioning process. Perhaps it's simply a gap that has either never been addressed or stressed before. Whatever the truth of the matter, it would open up interesting writing opportunities if Radio 4 does push deeper in this direction.
I enjoy writing serial and returning drama. One of my most exciting challenges was being offered the chance to write all four stories for the second series of Sarah Jane Smith audio dramas by Big Finish. The money was pretty poor, considering the amount of time and effort I poured into the project - but that didn't matter. Indeed, when producer John Ainsworth phoned me up to ask if I was interested, I forgot to ask how much the project paid. I wanted the chance, the fee was largely immaterial.
While I was writing the SJS audio dramas, the central characters changed and grew, and so I did too. After scirpting four hours of drama featuring the core cast, it was tough putting an end to their adventures. Of course, I didn't create Sarah Jane, she was devised by the production office of Doctor Who and brought to life by the wonderful Lis Sladen. I'm looking forward to seeing The Sarah Jane Adventures, finding out where the character is headed.
I've been invited to take part in a radio drama lab next month. It'll be interesting to see if the drive for returning drama serials ges mentioned at that. A key part of the mentoring project which I'm lucky enough to be part of revolves around returning drama serials. Hopefully the work I'm doing for that will stand me in good stead for the radio drama lab. Yes, there are fundamental differences in writing for TV and writing for radio, but there are far more shared characteristics to the two media.
Sunday, October 15, 2006
I've got the Klappe [that's an Ikea chair]
So, for my birthday I got a new writing chair - I got a lot of other presents too, including a wonderful party and all manner of alcohol, but the chair was a much needed and appreciated gift. It's from Ikea and rejoices in the unfortunate name of Klappe. [There's an omlaut over the letter A, in case you're wondering.] Ikea product names can be a great source of culturally insensitive hilarity, but this one is a particularly strong example. What next, a table called Siph? Actually, there's a liquid scourer called Cif, so that's already been covered.
Despite getting the Klappe [sorry, couldn't help yourself] for my birthday, I decided to hold back from using the chair until after I'd finished my 17th novel. That left the building on Tuesday and Wednesday saw my old faithful writing chair retired to the guest bedroom. It's supported me through more than a dozen novels, as many audio dramas, two dozen scripts for the Phantom and millions of words. Let's hope the new chair proves just as productive a place to plant my arse. So far, so good.
It was week two in trimester one of year two of my MA screenwriting course on Friday. We had a discussion about the merits and symboolism in Bresson's L'Argent first, followed by a screening of Casablanca. Amazingly, there were some students in the class who'd never seen Casablanca before. I don't consider a great cinephile, but I must have seen that movie at least a dozen times, if not more. Perhaps the best time was on its 50th aniversary cinema re-release in 1992. Amazing how different the experience of watching Casablanca is on the big screen.
In the afternoon the part-timers went into a huddle with our screenwriting tutor James Mavor. He'd set us the task of bringing in 20 ideas for films or TV projects - each. Some of mine were little more than a title, others more considered and more advanced. One of them seemed to catch James's imagination and, I have to admit, it's one I was already seriously contemplating for further development, so I take that as a good sign it's got legs.
The local theatre workshop production of Major Barbara ended its run last night. I didn't take a prompt during any of the four performances and managed to think on my feet a few times when expected cues didn't materialise. By the last night I was beginning to find some depth to my characterisation that I hadn't previously appreciated. I wish I'd learned my lines sooner, so I could have devoted more time to exploring the characters, but pressure of work prevented that.
I'm helping to produce the pantomime, but will not be auditioning for a part tomorrow night. The combination of college, being mentored and half a dozen other work-related projects means I have to curtail my extracurricular activities for the next few months. It's a shame, as I love taking part in the panto, but something's gotta give and that's the most obvious candidate. As it is I've had to get a three week extension on the deadline for my next novel, something the editor has kindly granted. I might have gotten it finished by the original deadline, but the quality would have suffered. The extra time means a better book, so that's to everyone's benefit.
Once novel #18 is done, I doubt I'll be taking on any more novels for a month or four. I need to pour as much of my energies as possible into the mentoring project, my MA and other activities specifically aimed at advancing my career into new areas. Money-making work is important and I care deeply about every novel I write - if you don't care about a novel while you're writing it, you can't expect the readers to car while they're reading it. But the novels are a massive time committment and it's time I can ill afford in the new year.
I suspect the first quarter of 2007 will be among my worse for making money as a writer, but I'm hopeful they will represent a breakthrough for my future career. I've been an editor and journalist for the past twenty years or so. For the next twenty, I want to be writing drama for broadcast, be that radio, TV or even films. To make that want a reality, I have to make sacrifices. Speculate to accumulate and all of that. Let the accumulation begin!
Despite getting the Klappe [sorry, couldn't help yourself] for my birthday, I decided to hold back from using the chair until after I'd finished my 17th novel. That left the building on Tuesday and Wednesday saw my old faithful writing chair retired to the guest bedroom. It's supported me through more than a dozen novels, as many audio dramas, two dozen scripts for the Phantom and millions of words. Let's hope the new chair proves just as productive a place to plant my arse. So far, so good.
It was week two in trimester one of year two of my MA screenwriting course on Friday. We had a discussion about the merits and symboolism in Bresson's L'Argent first, followed by a screening of Casablanca. Amazingly, there were some students in the class who'd never seen Casablanca before. I don't consider a great cinephile, but I must have seen that movie at least a dozen times, if not more. Perhaps the best time was on its 50th aniversary cinema re-release in 1992. Amazing how different the experience of watching Casablanca is on the big screen.
In the afternoon the part-timers went into a huddle with our screenwriting tutor James Mavor. He'd set us the task of bringing in 20 ideas for films or TV projects - each. Some of mine were little more than a title, others more considered and more advanced. One of them seemed to catch James's imagination and, I have to admit, it's one I was already seriously contemplating for further development, so I take that as a good sign it's got legs.
The local theatre workshop production of Major Barbara ended its run last night. I didn't take a prompt during any of the four performances and managed to think on my feet a few times when expected cues didn't materialise. By the last night I was beginning to find some depth to my characterisation that I hadn't previously appreciated. I wish I'd learned my lines sooner, so I could have devoted more time to exploring the characters, but pressure of work prevented that.
I'm helping to produce the pantomime, but will not be auditioning for a part tomorrow night. The combination of college, being mentored and half a dozen other work-related projects means I have to curtail my extracurricular activities for the next few months. It's a shame, as I love taking part in the panto, but something's gotta give and that's the most obvious candidate. As it is I've had to get a three week extension on the deadline for my next novel, something the editor has kindly granted. I might have gotten it finished by the original deadline, but the quality would have suffered. The extra time means a better book, so that's to everyone's benefit.
Once novel #18 is done, I doubt I'll be taking on any more novels for a month or four. I need to pour as much of my energies as possible into the mentoring project, my MA and other activities specifically aimed at advancing my career into new areas. Money-making work is important and I care deeply about every novel I write - if you don't care about a novel while you're writing it, you can't expect the readers to car while they're reading it. But the novels are a massive time committment and it's time I can ill afford in the new year.
I suspect the first quarter of 2007 will be among my worse for making money as a writer, but I'm hopeful they will represent a breakthrough for my future career. I've been an editor and journalist for the past twenty years or so. For the next twenty, I want to be writing drama for broadcast, be that radio, TV or even films. To make that want a reality, I have to make sacrifices. Speculate to accumulate and all of that. Let the accumulation begin!
US readers: go watch Dexter now - for free!
Readers of this blog in the USA can watch the first episode of Showtime's gripping new series Dexter for free online. It's cracking stuff, all about a serial killer who also happens to be a police forensics officer, specialising in blood spatter. The lead character has that Hannibal Lecter, Tony Soprano quality - you know you should hate him, because of the terrible things he does, but you're still on his side. Class.
Friday, October 13, 2006
Studio; radio; TPO
Back to college today, where we have a morning session in Studio 1 discussing Robert Bresson's L'Argent - not a film that rings my bell. I admire his fixed camera positioning and the choice to have no score, only rare soundings of source music. But denying the actors any opportunity to act? Having a love of acting myself, that simply serves to frustrate me. It's a shame Bresson is dead, as his choices might have been better suited to a completely CGI feature.
I've been invited to take part in a radio drama lab next month, led by BBC Scotland drama development producer David Ian Neville. It's designed for people who've had a play already broadcast but are looking to move on to the next step within the medium. That neatly sums up my position at present. I've got no shortage of ideas for radio but simply haven't found the time or impetus to develop them further - this will be my chance.
The downside is I'll miss at least two successive Fridays from college, and possibly three. That's effectively a quarter of the first trimester. No doubt my appreciation of the modules will suffer as a consequence, but the radio lab is too good an opportunity to miss: close quarters, intensive development work that could lead to specific commissions for broadcast drama trumps group discussions about film theory and practice.
In other news, my book on the history of iconic British comic 2000 AD is now available for pre-order from Amazon.co.uk. The cover shown by Amazon is a placeholder, not a representation of what the final cover art will look like. It's an exciting moment, bringing me one step closer to seeing this five-year project come to fruitition. You can find out more about the book by going here.
I've been invited to take part in a radio drama lab next month, led by BBC Scotland drama development producer David Ian Neville. It's designed for people who've had a play already broadcast but are looking to move on to the next step within the medium. That neatly sums up my position at present. I've got no shortage of ideas for radio but simply haven't found the time or impetus to develop them further - this will be my chance.
The downside is I'll miss at least two successive Fridays from college, and possibly three. That's effectively a quarter of the first trimester. No doubt my appreciation of the modules will suffer as a consequence, but the radio lab is too good an opportunity to miss: close quarters, intensive development work that could lead to specific commissions for broadcast drama trumps group discussions about film theory and practice.
In other news, my book on the history of iconic British comic 2000 AD is now available for pre-order from Amazon.co.uk. The cover shown by Amazon is a placeholder, not a representation of what the final cover art will look like. It's an exciting moment, bringing me one step closer to seeing this five-year project come to fruitition. You can find out more about the book by going here.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
ITV needs escapist and family teatime dramas
The new issue of Broadcast has a fascinating article about UK broadcaster ITV. It transmits more than 1000 shows but has nine particular shows or broadcast slots that are considered the crown jewels: daytime magazine programmes This Morning and The Jeremy Kyle Show; serials Coronation Street, Emmerdale and The Bill; weeknights from 9-10pm; the news at 10.30pm; and Saturday nights from 6-9.30 pm.
Of particular interest to wannabe scribes like me are the weeknight slot from 9-10pm, where a lot of returning dramas are broadcast; and Saturday nights. The latter has seen a massive revival in the fortunes of light entertainment shows like The X Factor on ITV and Strictly Come Dancing on BBC1. But the BBC has also recreated the concept of family teatime drama with the success of Doctor Who. It's now trying to expand that success from 13 weeks of the year to 52, beginning with the new versin of Robin Hood. Thus far ITV is running to catch up, though it is prepping a sci-fi teatime drama in Primeval. But there's one opportunity for a new TV drama.
The other big opening is weeknights from 9-10pm, it seems. In the 1990s ITV ruled this slot, thanks for shows like Soldier Soldier and, more recently, the trash TV delights of Bad Girls and Footballers' Wives. But the channel got outflanked by the BBC's alliance with indies like Kudos, broadcasting slick escapist fare such as Hustle and Life on Mars. ITV let it best shows in this slot get old and failed to find replacements for them. So there's another glaring opportunity.
Of course, even if you do get a drama series commissioned for that slot, there's no guarantees of success. Recent candidate Jane Hall apparently sat on a shelf for months [even years, according to some reports] waiting to be broadcast. ITV give The Outsiders a 90 minute pilot, broadcast last week. Reading the script by Caleb Ranson, I can see exactly what it was trying to achieve. Just wish I had a copy of the whole show - it'd make a fascinating case study for my screenwriting course!
Of particular interest to wannabe scribes like me are the weeknight slot from 9-10pm, where a lot of returning dramas are broadcast; and Saturday nights. The latter has seen a massive revival in the fortunes of light entertainment shows like The X Factor on ITV and Strictly Come Dancing on BBC1. But the BBC has also recreated the concept of family teatime drama with the success of Doctor Who. It's now trying to expand that success from 13 weeks of the year to 52, beginning with the new versin of Robin Hood. Thus far ITV is running to catch up, though it is prepping a sci-fi teatime drama in Primeval. But there's one opportunity for a new TV drama.
The other big opening is weeknights from 9-10pm, it seems. In the 1990s ITV ruled this slot, thanks for shows like Soldier Soldier and, more recently, the trash TV delights of Bad Girls and Footballers' Wives. But the channel got outflanked by the BBC's alliance with indies like Kudos, broadcasting slick escapist fare such as Hustle and Life on Mars. ITV let it best shows in this slot get old and failed to find replacements for them. So there's another glaring opportunity.
Of course, even if you do get a drama series commissioned for that slot, there's no guarantees of success. Recent candidate Jane Hall apparently sat on a shelf for months [even years, according to some reports] waiting to be broadcast. ITV give The Outsiders a 90 minute pilot, broadcast last week. Reading the script by Caleb Ranson, I can see exactly what it was trying to achieve. Just wish I had a copy of the whole show - it'd make a fascinating case study for my screenwriting course!
The sincerest form of flattery
Fox TV has announced it is developing a sitcom based on the hit film The Devil Wears Prada, about a terrifying fashion magazine editor in New York and her innocent assistant. The movie was based on a novel by Lauren Weisberger, based on her own experiences as a personal assistant to legendary Vogue editor Anna "Nuclear" Wintour. The problem for the programme's maker is that The Devil Wears Prada operates in much the same environment as the new hit comedy in America, Ugly Betty.
Ugly Betty is about a terrified assistant to a fashion magazine editor in New York. The series is based on a telenovela from South America, a highly addictive kind of finite soap opera. The original Ugly Betty predates The Devil Wears Prada novel, but there's no question of imitation there, as Weisberger's book is based on her personal experiences.However, the success of the new US version of Ugly Betty makes the coincidences of subject matter an issue. The world of high fashion is also generating plenty of non-scripted reality shows in America right now, such as Project Runway. But Fox TV Studios president Angela Shapiro-Mathes told Variety is not worried about the glut of such material, particularly Ugly Betty's plot similarities to The Devil Wears Prada. Shapiro-Mathes claimed the success of Ugly Betty could help get the TV version of The Devil Wears Prada on the air.
"We're not going to be afraid of Ugly Betty," she said. "It's good to see a show like that doing that well. It's a little bit about the zeitgeist, but when is fashion not in the zeitgeist? Fashion is an aspirational, glamorous world that's always fun to look in on." Hmm, well, it'll be interesting to see if the new version of The Devil Wear Prada can capture that zeitgeist. The danger is that by the time it hits TV - if it gets that far - it could end up looking like last year's model.
Films and TV shows rarely reach the public without spending a minimum of two years in development first. Chasing a trend that's popular now is fatal for new, wannabe scribes trying to catch the bandwagon. If you want to write a spec script as a calling card for your talents, it seems a better idea to write your passion project, the story you'd most like to tell. I figure you've got a better chance to show off your unique voice material you care about, instead of simply writing something you think people with power want to see. Anybody can write a pale imitation of the latest hit, be it The X Files, Lost or Life on Mars. Only you can write like you - right?
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Well and Truly Warhammered
Well, I finished writing my first Warhammer novel yesterday. The Games Workshop omerta forbids me from blurting out the title or many plot details, but it was effectively a police procedural set in the a particular part of the Warhammer fantasy universe. Think Hill Street Blues meets Lord of the Rings and you sort of get the idea. The novel came in at 101,500 words, whereas the stated wordcount on the contract is 95,000. However, my editor tells me they like books to run a little long. Seems 95k isn't quite enough to fill the obligatory 416 pages.
All of which means my 17th novel is also my longest too date. A Nightmare on Elm Street: Suffer the Children clawed its way to a bare 95k, but this tome was a big, fat baby, chock full of plots, subplots and a massive ensemble cast. Some of them got more page time than others, quite a few didn't make it out of the book alive, and several only got cameo appearances. I enjoyed my first visit to the world of Warhammer and would happily tackle another novel set in that universe.
Sometimes, you get to the end of a novel and it's a blessed relief. You never want to see the bloody thing again, much less have to proof-read it. Knowing I had put myself under severe time pressure on this one, I did a proof-read when I hit 75,000 words. AFter that I would write another 5000 words and proof-read that the following morning. It meant when I finished the book, I only had the last 7000 words to proof, instead of the whole damn thing - now that was a blessed relief.
I had hoped to finish the novel on Monday, but spent the day mentally preparing myself for the final chapter thrash. All my novels have ended in a last, helter skelter dash to THE END and yesterday was no different. Got up at 6 am, had breakfast, incorporated my revisions to the previous 5000 words and then dived into the end of the book. Rattled off 7000 words by two in the afternoon. A quick spit and polish, then the joyous moment of clicking the button that says Send.
No doubt there will be tweaks and twiddles to come - as a newcomer to the world of Warhammer, I'm sure I'm gone off-message in a few places - but the hard work is done. I'm not plugged into Warhammer fan forums as I am with 2000 AD and Doctor Who, so the only people I need or want to satisfy with this novel are myself and my editor. Right now, I'm halfway there.
Anyways, today will be a day of taking stock. Clean up the office, sort my head out and prepare for opening night of the local am-dram production, Major Barbara by George Bernard Shaw. I'm in it, but as a supporting player. For a change I'm neither directing nor producing the show, which takes a huge weight off my shoulders. I can turn up, say my lines, act and react, and that's my job done. Seems to be my theme for the day: job done. Starting tomorrow: new jobs begin.
All of which means my 17th novel is also my longest too date. A Nightmare on Elm Street: Suffer the Children clawed its way to a bare 95k, but this tome was a big, fat baby, chock full of plots, subplots and a massive ensemble cast. Some of them got more page time than others, quite a few didn't make it out of the book alive, and several only got cameo appearances. I enjoyed my first visit to the world of Warhammer and would happily tackle another novel set in that universe.
Sometimes, you get to the end of a novel and it's a blessed relief. You never want to see the bloody thing again, much less have to proof-read it. Knowing I had put myself under severe time pressure on this one, I did a proof-read when I hit 75,000 words. AFter that I would write another 5000 words and proof-read that the following morning. It meant when I finished the book, I only had the last 7000 words to proof, instead of the whole damn thing - now that was a blessed relief.
I had hoped to finish the novel on Monday, but spent the day mentally preparing myself for the final chapter thrash. All my novels have ended in a last, helter skelter dash to THE END and yesterday was no different. Got up at 6 am, had breakfast, incorporated my revisions to the previous 5000 words and then dived into the end of the book. Rattled off 7000 words by two in the afternoon. A quick spit and polish, then the joyous moment of clicking the button that says Send.
No doubt there will be tweaks and twiddles to come - as a newcomer to the world of Warhammer, I'm sure I'm gone off-message in a few places - but the hard work is done. I'm not plugged into Warhammer fan forums as I am with 2000 AD and Doctor Who, so the only people I need or want to satisfy with this novel are myself and my editor. Right now, I'm halfway there.
Anyways, today will be a day of taking stock. Clean up the office, sort my head out and prepare for opening night of the local am-dram production, Major Barbara by George Bernard Shaw. I'm in it, but as a supporting player. For a change I'm neither directing nor producing the show, which takes a huge weight off my shoulders. I can turn up, say my lines, act and react, and that's my job done. Seems to be my theme for the day: job done. Starting tomorrow: new jobs begin.
Stories My Mother Never Told Me
Another part-timer on my MA Screenwriting course at Screen Academy Scotland in Edinburgh has decloaked and started their own blog. The mysterious MJ is a first-year part-timer and I'm a second-year part-timer, so we may never meet - year 1 PT students have classes only on Thursdays, year 2 PT students only on Fridays.
You'd think Napier would organise some sort of mixer so we could meet our Thursday counterparts, but no. When the department did throw a social function, it forget to invite the Year 2 PT screenwriting students. Great way to welcome us back, huh?
Anyways, enough bitching, pissing and moaning from me. Enjoying MJ's blog, they read like my kind of writer. And anyone uses Bladerunner as their default answer to what's your favourite film wins my vote. So, check out Stories My Mother Never Told Me.
You'd think Napier would organise some sort of mixer so we could meet our Thursday counterparts, but no. When the department did throw a social function, it forget to invite the Year 2 PT screenwriting students. Great way to welcome us back, huh?
Anyways, enough bitching, pissing and moaning from me. Enjoying MJ's blog, they read like my kind of writer. And anyone uses Bladerunner as their default answer to what's your favourite film wins my vote. So, check out Stories My Mother Never Told Me.
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Super Sleuths: Inspector Morse on ITV3 tonight
Back in July I schlepped all the way to Durham and back to be interviewed for a documentary about Inspector Morse, being made by Free @ Last TV. Well, the programme is getting its premiere broadcast on ITV3 tonight, with plans afoot to repeat it on ITV1 at some point early in 2007, possibly as a lead-in to the next helpings of the Lewis spin-off. [Below is the Radio Times website listing.]
I've no idea if my pieces to camera will have made it into the finished show or are gracing a cutting room floor somewhere in Soho, but be warned - watch this programme and you may see my ugly mug on your TV. Since I don't have a satellite dish and where I live features cable or Freeview, I won't be able to watch the show when it's broadcast. However, an acquaintance has kindly offered to record it for me, so fingers crossed I will get to see the finished version sooner, rather than later.
TUESDAY 10 OCTOBER, 2006
Documentary: Super Sleuths
9:00pm - 10:00pm • ITV3
VIDEO Plus+: 1189316
Widescreen
2/6 - Inspector Morse
A celebration of literary detectives. This edition tells the story from page to small screen of Colin Dexter's Inpsector Morse. With contributions from the author himself, who talks about the importance of the music and of the Oxford setting, as well as the decision to kill of the main character, and from former cast members and the original production team. Narrated by Sean Pertwee.
I've no idea if my pieces to camera will have made it into the finished show or are gracing a cutting room floor somewhere in Soho, but be warned - watch this programme and you may see my ugly mug on your TV. Since I don't have a satellite dish and where I live features cable or Freeview, I won't be able to watch the show when it's broadcast. However, an acquaintance has kindly offered to record it for me, so fingers crossed I will get to see the finished version sooner, rather than later.
Happy birthday, Vicious Imagery
It’s the first anniversary of this blog today, so happy birthday to Vicious Imagery. I started it as an online chart my progress on the MA Screenwriting course at Edinburgh’s Napier University, after one of the tutor’s urged everyone to keep a journal. Not sure how many others bothered, but I’m pleasantly surprised to find I’ve stuck with it. Tried to post most days, though weekends can often be a fallow period. This is my 441st posting in 366 days, but there’s more a reflection of my work displacement tendencies than much else.
According to sitemeter.com Vicious Imagery has attracted more than 18,000 visitors over the past year. Of course, that number’s kind of deceptive – it doesn’t represent unique visitors, just the total number, including recidivists. On the other hand, I didn’t have sitemeter on the blog for the first two or three months, but it’s all swings and roundabouts. Bumped into a lot of interesting people online thanks to the blog and have even meet two or three in the flesh, such as Miss Read and Andrew Tibbs, both of whom have just started on the same MA course as me. Hopefully I’ll meet a few more, down the line.
[Excuse the sudden drawl, I’ve been overdosing on Friday Night Lights today, watching the film and the pilot of the new TV series. If anything, I’d say the TV version is better – tauter, more compelling and utterly gripping. Shame it doesn’t seem to be getting much ratings-wise, as it is a crackerjack show. Course, I’m a sports buff, but it’s about much more than that – the weight of expectation, the collision of adolescent and responsibility, all that good, juicy conflict. Aces, aces, aces.]
Where was I? Oh, yes, the blog. It’s become a habit, so I guess I’ll stick with it. Gets me writing in the morning, gets the old fingers typing, gets me sat down at the computer – all good things when procrastination is my favourite waste of time. Speaking of which, time to get down to some serious work. Need to get my Warhammer novel out the door today, as there’s no shortage of other projects I have to progress and the coming months are looking increasingly crammed to bursting.
The mentoring project is picking up some speed and momentum after a gentle start, so there’s that. I’m in with a chance of getting on a four-day radio drama workshop for scribes who’ve already got a broadcast credit to their name. I’ve been meaning to put more time and effort into radio, but seem to need somebody else kicking my arse to make that happen – so the workshop would be prefect for me. Not long till I hear about the TAPS script editing course I’ve applied for. If I get on that, it happens in November – but there’s a danger it would clash with the radio thing. That’s all ifs and maybes right not, so no point stressing on it. And I’m still waiting on River City to see whether my sample scenes shone like a beacon, were merely mediocre or sucked like a black hole.
I believe the BBC Scotland soap is double-banking until the end of this month, so that’s probably still several weeks away from any kind of meaningful feedback. Production team has got to put the show first. Wading through sample scenes from fifty or more would-be scribes is always going to come second to the show. You’ve gotta take care of business before you worry about what’s beyond that. Daily newspaper journalism taught me that and working on a weekly like 2000 AD only reinforced it. Get your priorities right, or you’re flirting with disaster.
Plus there’s my college work, some scripts for the Phantom, a feature for the Megazine and a new novel for Black Flame. I suspect the latter – novel #18 – will be my last for a spell. A novel eats time and I’ve been struggling to find enough time lately. Which reminds me, our new screenwriting tutor on the MA course wants us to take 20 ideas for stories into class on Friday afternoon. Time to get creative…
According to sitemeter.com Vicious Imagery has attracted more than 18,000 visitors over the past year. Of course, that number’s kind of deceptive – it doesn’t represent unique visitors, just the total number, including recidivists. On the other hand, I didn’t have sitemeter on the blog for the first two or three months, but it’s all swings and roundabouts. Bumped into a lot of interesting people online thanks to the blog and have even meet two or three in the flesh, such as Miss Read and Andrew Tibbs, both of whom have just started on the same MA course as me. Hopefully I’ll meet a few more, down the line.
[Excuse the sudden drawl, I’ve been overdosing on Friday Night Lights today, watching the film and the pilot of the new TV series. If anything, I’d say the TV version is better – tauter, more compelling and utterly gripping. Shame it doesn’t seem to be getting much ratings-wise, as it is a crackerjack show. Course, I’m a sports buff, but it’s about much more than that – the weight of expectation, the collision of adolescent and responsibility, all that good, juicy conflict. Aces, aces, aces.]
Where was I? Oh, yes, the blog. It’s become a habit, so I guess I’ll stick with it. Gets me writing in the morning, gets the old fingers typing, gets me sat down at the computer – all good things when procrastination is my favourite waste of time. Speaking of which, time to get down to some serious work. Need to get my Warhammer novel out the door today, as there’s no shortage of other projects I have to progress and the coming months are looking increasingly crammed to bursting.
The mentoring project is picking up some speed and momentum after a gentle start, so there’s that. I’m in with a chance of getting on a four-day radio drama workshop for scribes who’ve already got a broadcast credit to their name. I’ve been meaning to put more time and effort into radio, but seem to need somebody else kicking my arse to make that happen – so the workshop would be prefect for me. Not long till I hear about the TAPS script editing course I’ve applied for. If I get on that, it happens in November – but there’s a danger it would clash with the radio thing. That’s all ifs and maybes right not, so no point stressing on it. And I’m still waiting on River City to see whether my sample scenes shone like a beacon, were merely mediocre or sucked like a black hole.
I believe the BBC Scotland soap is double-banking until the end of this month, so that’s probably still several weeks away from any kind of meaningful feedback. Production team has got to put the show first. Wading through sample scenes from fifty or more would-be scribes is always going to come second to the show. You’ve gotta take care of business before you worry about what’s beyond that. Daily newspaper journalism taught me that and working on a weekly like 2000 AD only reinforced it. Get your priorities right, or you’re flirting with disaster.
Plus there’s my college work, some scripts for the Phantom, a feature for the Megazine and a new novel for Black Flame. I suspect the latter – novel #18 – will be my last for a spell. A novel eats time and I’ve been struggling to find enough time lately. Which reminds me, our new screenwriting tutor on the MA course wants us to take 20 ideas for stories into class on Friday afternoon. Time to get creative…
Monday, October 09, 2006
Another screenwriting blog worth a look
Stumbled across the charmingly named Pillock's Pad blog of late, another another would-be screenwriter like me. Hey, the world needs more scribes, write? Right. Tell 'em Vicious Imagery sent you.
Tyranny of the Blank Page
Purely by chance I discovered my old work colleague Pete Kempshall has a blog, the semi-aptly named Tyranny of the Blank Page. In these computer-based days, it should probably be Tyranny of the Blank Screen, but that doesn't have quite the same combination of romantic self-delusion, ennui and quiet terror that being a writer often has. Pete worked with me on the Judge Dredd Megazine back in the mid-90s, before doing a bunk to Australia with his unfeasibly tall partner. After a lot of hard work he's started to make some breakthroughs as a fiction scribe. So, for a peek at an English writer's life down under, check out Tyranny of the Blank Page.
New improved BBCone idents - by Nimbos!
That scamp Nimbos has created his own version of the new bbcone channel idents. I'm guessing his version cost less than £1.2 million.
Not taking my breath away
Decided to go to the pictures on Saturday and agonised over what to see: the much-praised Children of Men; guilty pleasure comedy The Devil Wears Prada; or Scorcese's latest, The Departed. Opted for Scorcese, perhaps inspired by having resumed by screenwriting MA. I've yet to see a bad Scorcese film but, equally, I've never felt myself becoming immersed in a Scorcese film. They always provoke a sense of detachment in it, I feel myself appreciating his movies rather than enjoying them or empathising with the characters' phlight. Having Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio as the leads probably didn't help, as both actors leave me cold. Obviously, it all looks great and sounds great and there are some stellar performances, but... I just couldn't get excited by it all. No visceral thrills for me and I simply didn't care what happened to anyone on screen except Martin Sheen [I suspect that's a hangover from being a devotee of The West Wing]. I don't doubt The Departed will be up for a sackload of Oscars come February, but it left me ever so slightly underwhelmed. My loss, I guess.
Saturday night on BBC1 brought the first episode of Robin Hood, the latest reincarnation of the medieval outlaw hero. It's a big budget, lush and lavish production, heavily hyped as the successor to Doctor Who as TV drama the whole family can watch and enjoy. Opening night got more than 8 million viewers, so that's a good start - but you've got to wonder how long those viewers will stick around. The first episode felt like half a pilot, with Robin still to acquire his merry men [sorry, rugged band of outlaws]. Highlights of the opening effort were Keith Allen chewing scenery in the grand Sheriff of Nottingham tradition - love that bird killing sequence; the bumbling buffonery of Robin's sidekick Much and Alan of Dale seems promising. Plus it's nice to see a female lead on TV who's not a size zero, nor capable of opening envelope with her hip bones. Lowpoints - gratuitous snogfest in opening minutes to prove Robin is all man, leading to gratuitous sword fight to prove he's all man and can fight; that annoying arrow sound that comes up every time subtitles shoot on to the screen; and the hey-look-at-me-aren't-I-modern jolty camera work and editing.
Not going to be home to watch next Saturday's second episode and not sure I'll bother to set the DVD recorder for it, either. So far, the new Robin Hood has failed to win me over. Still, Doctor Who scribe Paul Cornell has an episode or two coming up soon, so I'll probably give one of them a try, see if Robin Hood settles down into something I'll made the effort to watch regularly.
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