SOLD

At the second attempt (after being screwed over by some arse from Nigeria) Chloe's netbook has sold on ebay. Sadly not in time for her to have part of the money to take with her on her school trip to France. I think I've done a rather good job of packaging it up..... Just need to get myself in gear and post it off on Saturday.

One script finished (almost)... another starts

One o'clock in the morning... now 60 minutes into script frenzy 2011. Two things are terribly apparent.

One. That although Helen and I have finished writing the play 'The Fatcat And The Grafter', we do still need to edit / rewrite it before the read through on Monday. (This will mean that I cannot devote Saturday to some one on one time with my frenzy script)

Two. I really wish that I could sit and blast out, in an energetic eruption of creativity, a few pages, but I'm honestly too knackered to do that right now.

I will probably take my netbook to work, so that I can work on 'netbook'. I haven't sat down and worked out the characters, but I do have a pretty good idea of the flow of the narrative, so I will be able to get down a few pages before having to do any more really detailed planning.

Other exciting developments in the world of Fallible_Fella (is it cool to refer to your blogging name in the third person ? Possibly not). Well, Helen and I had more people turn up to rehearsal on Wednesday, and this meant that we were able to cast most of the roles in the show. There are still some that we haven't been able to give to anyone.

In a twist of fate, we now have more than enough men, and are unsure about how to cast the last few male roles. (Mycroft Cockburn, Trevor(s), Narrator). Starlight, the ditzy air-headed girl is a role we also have to fill, but currently do not have a girl that would be able to take the role on.

With some other people interested that may come along on Monday, we may well just be in a situation where we can have the show completely cast before we start rehearsals, and without me having to take a part. This is actually something that although  I have said all along I would want to avoid,  (incase someone backs out, we always have me as a backup) but now I think the realisation is dawning that I'm rather going to miss being on stage myself. I will, no doubt get to be in the 'filmed' pieces, assuming we can sort out the organisation of those and all the technological aspects.

Monday ? Did I say Monday ? Yes. That's right, we will be moving to two sessions a week as of next week. Exciting stuff. This only leaves us with 23 rehearsals to get the whole show ready, but I'm sure that we can do it. We may have to cram in some extra sessions somehow (god only knows when or where)... but it's all about the art of the possible.

The other fantastic news is that Helen finally got around to giving me the contact details of the lady that has some Kittens for sale. (I was so worried, I was having Kittens about it myself). She says they may be strong enough to leave their Mother in the next week or so. I feel instantly cruel, taring these poor kittens away from their Mummy. If they are up to it, I will be able to pick them up the weekend at the start of my holiday, this gives two rather brilliant effects, being that I will get to spend time with them as I will be on holiday to settle the little darlings in. The other being that I will have Chloe for a few days that week, so she will probably be inconsolably excited when she finds this out. I am trying to stop myself from telling her, so that it comes as a surprise.

Can I keep my mouth shut ?  Hmmm

Weekend without TV

Bank holiday weekend, and I've been working away at the old word processor, well, to to be more precise.. Celtx.

Yes. Celtx. Not heard of it ?  Well if you've ever fancied writing anything, a stage play, a book, a comic, a screen or radio play... then this fantastic piece of FREE, did I mention FREE software makes everything so much easier.

And it's free. My favourite price.

Anyhoo, religious fervor aside, it's really helpful, quick and easy to use. I was using it to help me complete the script that is way way way overdue for The Ninth Man. A new series for the amateur video group that I'm a member of (Beacon).

I've had some motivational issues lately, in trying to find the time, energy and desire to complete the script, that I started what seems like so many months ago, writing in partnership with one of the other key members. Sadly he'd had to go off to Europe to work doing things that involved him working in Europe.. (I'm vague, because I don't really know).

Having finally completed the elements of the plotline into a script at the weekend, I've spent a bit of time 'dabbling' and 'tweaking' the odd bit here and there. I'm not happy with it. Not ready to 'release' it yet. I've had to resort to printing hard copies (I know, dead trees !), as sometimes when I'm stalling infront of a computer, it's easier to review it away from the machine. Review with a great big red pen. I don't have a red pen, but I do have an unforgiving and totally critical blue fountain pen.

While I was in the middle of attacking some of my work, I also needed to submit a review of an episode of The Adventures Of Stephen Brown, the flagship series for Beacon. I had to review 'Dice With Death', which was ironically, another script that I had written for Beacon. This task was made infinitely more hassle than was needed by the lack of oooomph in my netbook, and trouble getting the youtube videos to play seamlessly on my 'old' laptop. Got there in the end.

What was so bloody amazing, was that I had decided that working into the night doesn't really work for me these days, and that actually, I am at my creative best when I attack the computer first thing in the morning. So, at 7am, Bank Holiday Monday, my alarm went off, telling me it was time to get up and go the 'office'.

Me @ the office. 7:30am. Bank holiday Monday. Mad, inspired, or both ?

This decision would have been astounding enough, what made it even more so, was the fact that I actually did it too ! I did get out of bed 7am on Bank Holiday Monday, and after a quick detour that involved a cup of tea... I headed all of two doors down the hallway to the 'office' (the spare room), where I had left my netbook, looking terribly lonely and dwarfed by the size of the computer desk it was sat on. 

And so, the write was on. Now with the various technical issues... solutions were elaborate, and involved.. 

1) Refreshing the screen.

2) Reloading the browser

3) Another computer. (luckily I dug out my old laptop)

4) Try original computer, with cable rather than wireless connection

5) Rebooting my router.

6) Turn it off.. and turn it back on again...

7) Try and view the video on my Blackberry.. discover I can't... 

Add a caption

Me @ the office. 7:30am. Bank holiday Monday. Mad, inspired, or both ?

Anyway, in the end, I managed to get to see both episodes.. (although, perhaps there were times when I wished I hadn't).

So after submitting, a less than scathing review, and feeling satisfied that I had completed another writing assignment (task just sounds way too boring).. I sat down with, by now the fifth cup of tea and waited for the death threats to start.

Then... well, then Helen turned up, for us to do some more work on The Fatcat & The Grafter. - the play that we have decided to write, having done so well last week. After some hours... and it amazes me how those pass by... you start off at 3pm, and before you know it, the clock tells you it's 6pm.

Anyway, much progress. First scene in the bag, or on the computer at least. The more we write, the more we get to know the characters ourselves, the more this is shaping out to be just as mad, chaotic and hopefully funny as our other efforts.

I'd like to attach some work in progress to the blog, but can't figure out how to do that, yet... but when I do, you absolutely must promise not to tell anyone, okay ? Spoilers and all that. 

So well, were things going last night, that despite saying 'we must wrap up around 10', Helen didn't actually leave till just gone midnight, when I pretty much kicked her out the door and told her to get a taxi back to chav-ville. (I didn't. I was joking !). I was expecting some sort of suffering for being up so darn early until so late.. but no. There was a short, but dispirited fight with the alarm clock(s) this morning, but I was up, in reasonable time, and awake enough to navigate my Blackberry for some magical solution that would allow me to get from Cosham to Havant without having to get a taxi the whole way, or being late. 

An early start means an early finish.. well it's meant to. It doesn't always for me. End of the month there are administrative tasks to preform, that are pretty much like all end of month administrative tasks the world over. Anyway, for the first time ever, I'd actually completed all mine last Saturday. This removed any need for me to stay late after the shift today, and meant that once I had walked in the glorious sunshine to the train station, and gotten back home I decided to make the most of what must be a dwindling number of sunny days, let alone evenings, and went over the park with a book. A book I said. A book. 

It's actually really, really good, it's one of those that I picked up whilst taking advantage of the 'buy two get third free' offer in Waterstones whilst purchasing a birthday present for my mum the other month. On reflection, I think Waterstones took advantage of me and my quivering debit card. It's called 'The Earth Hums In B-Flat' by Mari Strachan. 

It's such an interesting writing style, it makes it utterly engaging and compelling. I'd started reading it on holiday. One of the great things about holiday is that it makes it really easy to find time to do things I love, like reading. This gets so much harder once reality arrives, and I have to go back to work. 

This book makes me want to find the time to read it, and this afternoon, that's what I did. I went and sat in the park over the road for two hours, which with the rich and colourfull descriptions of Welsh hillsides seems the perfect place to read it. 

Other, lesser books haven't captivated my imagination and interest enough to demand that hard fought time in my life. On that note.. I'm off to go read some more.