Wednesday June 4th. 23:56.
Just over a week until my birthday, and the world is not really seeming to recognise the fact in any way shape or form. There's no celebration or comment planned. No big event upon which a succession of world leaders will find themselves forced to make increasingly implausible statements.
Who am I kidding ? World leaders ? It's not like I died or something.
Not yet anyway, you never know I guess.
After all, that is the other side to the congratulations you receive from people, 'Happy Birthday !!' they say. Well, the alternative to me getting another year older is that I stop breathing and die, so if you don't mind, I wasn't hanging out for your congratulations. I was just trying not to be dead yet.
Here's the thing. Since my last entry I have done a grand total of zero writing, editing or indeed creating of any medium. (if you exclude this blog entry of course). The most exciting thing I've done all week has been to write about thirteen letters to customers at work, and play a little with the spreadsheet the team uses to look at their performance.
I made colourful graphs.
You've heard of death by powerpoint ? Well, this is crucifixion by excel.
It would seem that my daughter having cunningly miscalculated the timing of both my birthday and Father's day may not even be seeing me that weekend. I have to say that I struggle to adapt to this change in the frequency of our visits. As much as it may appear to be a gift that I get a whole other day each weekend to do things as I please, I'm not really happy with the price I am paying, or enjoying them that much.
More (free) time does not actually translate into more pleasure. It is not exactly as if I am doing something useful with that extra time. Normally just fucking around on facebook, or wasting time on Secondlife.
Not that it's been a really concious decision lately, but I have found that I'm not tempted to descend into the pixelated fantasy during the week. I'm usually just so frigging tired and worn out from the day at work that the last thing I want to do is switch on a computer or to read something where I'm having to do some thing.
I am quite happy to turn on the idiot box, and to sit there with my brain dribbling out my ear holes. Too many reasons not to do anything, too many distractions. Too easy to find something else I can do.
Work at the moment is, I would say, something that I tolerate. It isn't something I feel really great about, or good with. It's just something I have to do to get money to afford to live. There's a clock ticking at the back of my head that tells me it is only a matter of time before I hate it, and resent it. I feel like it's killing my soul, getting in the way of my life and sapping me of any energy to enjoy things. It's not part of the solution, it is the fucking problem.
I would suspect in that respect I am not in any way shape or form alone. There's always someone worse of than you are. I have plenty to be thankful for. I have my health, it's not as if I am struggling to make ends meet.
In other 'news', the supposed release of a new iPhone on June 2nd was a washout. There was a multitude of announcements from Apple on their WWDC (Worldwide Developer's Conference), about system enhancements and updates to software, but nothing as exciting as a new device for the Apple fans to get frothing at the mouth over.
Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Thursday, 5 June 2014
Monday, 7 October 2013
When is a weekend, not a weekend ?
Monday October 7th 2013. 00:00.
Another weekend where I feel that I haven't achieved as much as I have wanted. I've managed to get a review written for Steve, for Beacon's club magazine. Really actually enjoyed the episodes that I'd needed to watch for it, and was also pleased that Chloe had one again decided to take part in it, although she did this from home.
I had agreed with Chloe for her not to come up this Sunday, because I've been on Standby. I'd swapped the standby weekend with a colleague as they'd wanted this weekend off. As it would happen, I haven't been called out at all. I hate it when that happens. I mean, sure I still get paid for being on standby, but when there's no calls at all I worry that I got the wrong weekend. If I have I'm going to be a bit pissed off that I've turned down going to the pub with Kat and Rob on Friday night, and going to a house party on Saturday night.
I've also had an alcohol free weekend, and not seen Chloe. I figured in the end that it was best for her to decide if she wanted to come up or not. There was a chance that even while she was on her way up here, that I would get called in. Even if she'd gotten here, I'd needed to have made arrangements for her still to have a decent meal, bearing in mind that I couldn't guarantee that I would be around long enough to cook a roast.
Before I left on Friday, Hayley gave me some positive feedback, things that others had said, and that she had observed herself about how I've dealt with this week. It's been another hard week, and it's good to hear these things because, when all's said and done, it's not going to get any easier until about April. Winter is always chaos for us, just dealing with the sheer increase in number of people calling us. It's odd, but it usually feels like winter surprises us every year, that we didn't see it coming. I think those that have been there some time get used to, or more precisely resigned to the fact that business as normal between September and March is a shit storm of a drain in organisational and emotional work loads.
I think this may be why some people seem so subdued at present. There's no light at the end of the tunnel, just some bastard with a torch bringing me more work.
But survive it we will. When we come out the other side, we'll sit and reflect on all the things that we've achieved over that time, and how amazed we are that we have done so much in such times, and how much stronger we are as a result.
Determination, strength through adversity. I do quietly promise to myself each year that this will be the last year that I work through winter in my current role. Of course, nothing ever comes of this self promise. Although I don't want to escape this year. I do feel more confident, able and supported. Although I would like to branch out into other areas, I am not desperate to leave the area of the business I work in.
I've done lots of things lately, and over the year that I think is getting me noticed in the right way, by the right people. I've also been involved in getting things done in areas where some sort of different task is needed. I'm finally getting to problem solve things, and that I like. I like being able to take something that someone else says is a big problem, break it down, and make it work. The thing that's a strength for me in doing that this year versus previous years that I might have attempted such things, is that I've been able to do that and train and lead my team to carry out that work. It's not just a case of me being the only one that knows how it works.
Another weekend where I feel that I haven't achieved as much as I have wanted. I've managed to get a review written for Steve, for Beacon's club magazine. Really actually enjoyed the episodes that I'd needed to watch for it, and was also pleased that Chloe had one again decided to take part in it, although she did this from home.
I had agreed with Chloe for her not to come up this Sunday, because I've been on Standby. I'd swapped the standby weekend with a colleague as they'd wanted this weekend off. As it would happen, I haven't been called out at all. I hate it when that happens. I mean, sure I still get paid for being on standby, but when there's no calls at all I worry that I got the wrong weekend. If I have I'm going to be a bit pissed off that I've turned down going to the pub with Kat and Rob on Friday night, and going to a house party on Saturday night.
I've also had an alcohol free weekend, and not seen Chloe. I figured in the end that it was best for her to decide if she wanted to come up or not. There was a chance that even while she was on her way up here, that I would get called in. Even if she'd gotten here, I'd needed to have made arrangements for her still to have a decent meal, bearing in mind that I couldn't guarantee that I would be around long enough to cook a roast.
Before I left on Friday, Hayley gave me some positive feedback, things that others had said, and that she had observed herself about how I've dealt with this week. It's been another hard week, and it's good to hear these things because, when all's said and done, it's not going to get any easier until about April. Winter is always chaos for us, just dealing with the sheer increase in number of people calling us. It's odd, but it usually feels like winter surprises us every year, that we didn't see it coming. I think those that have been there some time get used to, or more precisely resigned to the fact that business as normal between September and March is a shit storm of a drain in organisational and emotional work loads.
I think this may be why some people seem so subdued at present. There's no light at the end of the tunnel, just some bastard with a torch bringing me more work.
But survive it we will. When we come out the other side, we'll sit and reflect on all the things that we've achieved over that time, and how amazed we are that we have done so much in such times, and how much stronger we are as a result.
Determination, strength through adversity. I do quietly promise to myself each year that this will be the last year that I work through winter in my current role. Of course, nothing ever comes of this self promise. Although I don't want to escape this year. I do feel more confident, able and supported. Although I would like to branch out into other areas, I am not desperate to leave the area of the business I work in.
I've done lots of things lately, and over the year that I think is getting me noticed in the right way, by the right people. I've also been involved in getting things done in areas where some sort of different task is needed. I'm finally getting to problem solve things, and that I like. I like being able to take something that someone else says is a big problem, break it down, and make it work. The thing that's a strength for me in doing that this year versus previous years that I might have attempted such things, is that I've been able to do that and train and lead my team to carry out that work. It's not just a case of me being the only one that knows how it works.
Monday, 22 July 2013
Just another manic Monday
Hang on, haven't I used that title before ? Maybe. Maybe not. Don't care. It was Monday, and it was manic.
The weekend was very, very nice, despite being rather tired, I got to spend extra time with my daughter. Always a good thing.
Trying to sort out the bike that she wants for her birthday. She's found one that she really likes at shop near her. It's not a chain shop, but rather an independent that refurbishes and brings to life old bikes. Chloe's friend has one already and really loves it.
I still can't process the concept that my daughter will be 14. In a couple of years she'll be leaving school.
Finally finished the playing around with the Doorstops script that Steve needed. I wrote the thing about a year ago now, and he'd needed me to rework it a little. Wasn't happy with the terribly trifling little detail that it didn't contain a few things that were in the synopsis he'd written for the episode. Ooops. Still, it's a much better script now than it was.
Still no progress with rewriting / editing the NaNoWriMo novel, but I guess that's because I've been working so much last week that I've barely been home. Talking of which. Idiot ! I'd forgotten to submit my overtime form.
Off to visit the acclaimed bike shop tomorrow after work, and then off out with the guys from work to the pictures on Wednesday. Round Col(v)in and Derrek's Thursday... Friday ? Well, on Friday Steve's coming round with his hard drive so I can copy the files that I need in order to be able to edit the Stephen Brown story that I've volunteered to edit. Eeek. Why did I do that ?
The weekend was very, very nice, despite being rather tired, I got to spend extra time with my daughter. Always a good thing.
Trying to sort out the bike that she wants for her birthday. She's found one that she really likes at shop near her. It's not a chain shop, but rather an independent that refurbishes and brings to life old bikes. Chloe's friend has one already and really loves it.
I still can't process the concept that my daughter will be 14. In a couple of years she'll be leaving school.
Finally finished the playing around with the Doorstops script that Steve needed. I wrote the thing about a year ago now, and he'd needed me to rework it a little. Wasn't happy with the terribly trifling little detail that it didn't contain a few things that were in the synopsis he'd written for the episode. Ooops. Still, it's a much better script now than it was.
Still no progress with rewriting / editing the NaNoWriMo novel, but I guess that's because I've been working so much last week that I've barely been home. Talking of which. Idiot ! I'd forgotten to submit my overtime form.
Off to visit the acclaimed bike shop tomorrow after work, and then off out with the guys from work to the pictures on Wednesday. Round Col(v)in and Derrek's Thursday... Friday ? Well, on Friday Steve's coming round with his hard drive so I can copy the files that I need in order to be able to edit the Stephen Brown story that I've volunteered to edit. Eeek. Why did I do that ?
Tuesday, 9 July 2013
Summer ?
Summer is finally here.
By Summer I don't just mean that part of the year that the meteorologists and astrophysicists define as summer, I mean actual Summer. Hot Weather.
Today, in the flat it reached 29 degrees centigrade. I was hot, the cats were hot. Pretty much from the moment I came home till about ten at night I've left the front door open, the windows as ajar as i dare and the window in Chloe's room open all the way (with the door shut so that the cats can't decide to leap out of the window.
And it's still 27 and a half degrees. It's really nice, and the sunshine is gorgeous. I've not been out in it a huge amount as it has rather been too hot to enjoy over the weekend.
Somehow I need to summon the strength and energy and find the time to take Chloe's Violin to the post office. In this heat, and with the times I'm working that means taking it to work with me, and at my lunch break walking into Havant and taking it to the Post Office, and then walking back to work. In the middle of the day.
You may guess that I'm not really up for that.
At the weekend Chloe was on a sleepover, and she had agreed previously that we go to the Beacon Barbie (Barbecue). In a moment of pure teenager she decided on the train to mine that she didn't want to go after all. This was after I had been shopping and brought some salad and some sausages and burgers for us to take. (not that they could ever go to waste really).
This was disappointing, I had really been looking forward to going, but could really understand that having been out in the heat walking around Southsea all day with her friends, the idea of walking to the train station, getting a train, walking to mine, doing some stuff, walking back to the train station and then getting a train to Steve's etc, etc and being surrounded by a load of people who would all be adults would not really hold that great an appeal for her.
She was quite happy for me to leave her at the flat, and I go without her, but I was not happy with this arrangement. I wanted to spend time with Chloe, having looked forward to seeing her all week, and to bugger off and leave her there on her own, not that she would be bothered at all I am sure seemed to be rather crazy to me.
In other news, Andy Murray won the Men's final at Wimbledon. Yay. Was a very exciting match, very energetic. I don't think I could run around a tennis court that much in that heat without collapsing.
I've perhaps foolishly offered to do some editing for Steve. This will be my chance I guess to put my money where my mouth is, instead of just moaning about how other people edit stuff. 
Monday, 1 July 2013
July ? Already ? You have to be having a fucking laugh !
All fucking ready ? You must be bloody joking ! How the hell has half the year passed without so much as a blink. It's ridiculous. I want a refund. I want to speak to a manager.
Monday July 1st. Not really a bad day. It was very warm last night, and it's only moderately cooler tonight. I couldn't get that much sleep last night. As it was I decided to make things easy for myself, and allow for a lie in, but having a bath Sunday night.
The bath, I'm not going to lie was absolutely lovely. It's been quite a while since I pampered myself with a nice soak. Anyway. To bed I went. Fresh and clean. Ready to slumber I may have been, but my body and mind we not really on the same page as it were. I was just wide awake. So there I lay, trying to get to sleep. Feeling hot, with windows open as much as I dare, worrying slightly that the cats might try and get out the windows overnight.
None the less, I've had a really good day today at work. I'd rather have gotten more creative stuff done, but I foolishly turned on that machine which sucks away my evenings. It is only now, as I type that I realise one of the reasons I had not gone to bed sooner was so that I could stay up and watch the first episode of the last series of Skins - the exceedingly well written, casted, directed and acted youth drama that's been running for about the last five years. Every couple of years they change out the characters, and present a different set of backgrounds and problems.
I had made myself stay up in order to watch that. But have forgotten when it got to Ten O'Clock and started watching some other stuff (Have I Got News for You) on Dave. I've probably seen the episode fourteen times already.
Dammit. I will just have to check up on the catchup application tomorrow. I am not now going to watch it tonight.
Okay. July 1st. I actually did some work editing my NaNoWriMo over the weekend. I didn't make a huge amount of progress, but still, I was satisfied that I actually started looking at the damn thing again.
I have brought a pair of flip-flops.
Every self defacing middle aged man should buy himself a pair of flip-flops. Just so everyone else can laugh at him when he trips over and stubs his toe.
Seriously, it was bloody boiling over the weekend, and having gotten on a train to go pick up my daughter, only to have her call me to tell me she was getting a light to mine, I suddenly found myself with the opportunity to get off the train at Hilsea, walk back towards the flat - going past Lidl. I don't normally get to go in there, so had a peak, and ended up buying a couple of things for Chloe's birthday.
I also brought the flip-flops. To be honest, at one pound forty-nine I couldn't give a shit if they fall apart next week. (Remember this, because if they do, I will be moaning like hell. What a waste of money, I'll say).
Anyway, with only weeks to go, Chloe has finally acted upon my request to provide me with that which is most arduous and difficult. The challenge to end all others. The list to separate the idiots from the stupid. I speak of course, of the birthday list. That sacred thing which the parent of any Teenager knows they dare not purchase gifts without consulting THE LIST.
Wednesday, 29 May 2013
Get off your arse and cook !
So far this week I have achieved rather little, creatively. I have been back at work for two days now and although I have gotten on well with making sure that I leave on time, today I did not allow myself a lunch break and I have again come home and vegetated infront of the television.
I may be being a little hard on myself here, I did get off my arse long enough to clean the cats' litter tray out and wash up three days worth of cuttlery and crockery and run the vacuum cleaner round the flat.
Also, despite not really feeling that hungry when I came home, I did make some dinner. I mean make dinner, not something processed, or something more of a cheat (processed chuck in the over stuff). I have a large amount of mushrooms knocking around in the fridge and I didn't want them to go to waste, so they really led my inspiration. With some red onions, peas and the addition of some rolled up back strips this made for a rather simple but very quick and very satisfying meal.
The salad and cherry tomatoes have made lots of outings the last few days too. I did make a concious decision when I did my last round of internet shopping to buy some 'proper food'. You are what you eat after all, and even if summer is hiding from us, I can still take some culinar inspiration from it.
It's a bit odd, but I had a small perfunctionary chat with Andy online last night, the usual sort of thing, congratulating him on recently becoming a father, asking if either of us have spoken to or seen anything of the people we last did a theatre production with. We agreed that we needed to find some time to have another get together.
Tonight, my long term friend Helen is obvously feeling pangs of nostalgia as she's going through lots and lots of photos that I've put on facebook from either the last theatre production that we did, or from some of the videos that we shot.
With facebook working the way that it does, this has prompted a couple of the others to comment or to 'like' some of the photos also. I wouldn't put money on us getting to the end of the week before someone else starts suggesting we do some more filming - which would be a good thing. Did I not start this blog moaning about how I haven't taken the time to do anything creative today ? (this effort excluded).
I just hope that certain people don't start going on about wanting to do another theatre production.
Monday, 20 May 2013
Cheeky little writing lunch-break.
Keen to take my own advice, and get out the keyboard on my lunch break... so here I am. Sitting at a table in the call centre, tapping away on my Apple keyboard.
Despite not feeling 100%, as asked by my boss I defined myself as 'not well enough to return to work, but not ill enough to be at home'. I've felt hot and a bit wobbly today, but I have been sensible and not walked around a lot, and pretty much stayed static, although I have been getting up from time to time as if I sit still for too long my back seizes up and it's a real pain to get back up again.
Ever taken your car for an MOT and the garage tell you, that rather than just fixing a problem with a rear break light, they actually need to sort out the steering block, fix the wheel trim, mend the suspension and work on the rust on the chassis ? No ? Well nor have I, as I don't drive so don't have a car. I feel like a car that's gone in for a rather pointless service only to discover that I'm pretty much unroadworthy.
Still could always be much, much worse. I keep remembering the sad news about the person that died at a train station near me yesterday. There's always someone worse off than you, my Mum used to say. I'm sure she did at some point.
It does seem however that being the caring sharing kind person that I am, I have shared this virus, (or whatever it is) around a bit, and a couple of the people I work with seem to have something very, very, similar.
I am still quite chuffed though, quietly confident in fact that I am getting lots of things done, and preparing to make sure that the office doesn't fall completely apart whilst I'm on holiday (as I am for the rest of the week). After all, they managed to not go out of business last week when I was off sick, so as nice as it is to feel wanted, or needed, the reality is they don't shut up shop when I'm not around.
There's only really one person that 'needs' me that much, and that's my daughter, she will hardly appreciate it saying on my gravestone that I 'answered all emails promptly, and improved team performance' when what I'm sure she would prefer would be that I was alive and well to be with her, and watch her grow up into the fantastic person I am sure she will be. I'd hate to miss it too, not that I'd notice, what with being dead and all.
Work is after all just the thing you do to get you the money to allow you to do the things that you want to do. If you can enjoy it, if what you do to earn money is something you really like doing, well, then you're a really, really lucky person. Most of us don't. Oh, don't get me wrong, I wouldn't go so far as to say I hate my job, but I wouldn't say I leap out of bed with enthusiasm every morning. I certainly can't at the moment, being so tired this morning as to need 4 alarms and three phone calls from my Mother to get my out of my pit, and the pain in my back certainly excluding any leaping.
Sunday, 19 May 2013
.......
Ever just find that I need to have a keyboard in front of you, and that you need to just ... let it all out ? Well I do. I'm not sure that there's a reason, but sometimes, just sometimes there doesn't need to be a reason.
This may sound egotistical, but I guess that's what writers do. They write. Sometimes it doesn't make sense, sometimes it's not for a specific reason, or toward a specific project. But writing. Just taking things from inside the brain and putting them down to page (or in this case, Evernote).
I am having trouble getting myself to sit down and edit/rewrite the nanowrimo story. The same old things linger in my mind, is it routine, is it habit, is it location, is it time ? Well I guess it's all of the above. I'm just being lazy. Distracted. Finding it all too easy to get drawn away to other things. With me being ill lately, I haven't even been on Second Life all weekend.
Despite all the distractions that were present, I was able to write the bloody thing last November. 50,000 words in one month. That's some achievement and something I need to replicate in order to actually move forward with the project. After all the thing that I want to do is write. The only thing really stopping me from writing is me.
It's not like I'm working all the time, I'm just being frivolous with the time I have outside of work.
I've looked at the whole is it technology thing before. That was the whole reason behind buying an iPad. To enable me to go write anytime any place anywhere. My actual routine has turned out to be something entirely different, and a lot less inspiring.
If it's time, well, I can make sure that I get time at work, on lunch - and not work through it - I strangely found it therapeutic to not only break from the mundane nature of my job, but to be creative, even if that does mean being sat in front of another keyboard.
So what to do ? Do I make a place in the flat where I can sit down and write, without any distractions from the TV, away from the sofa.. away from Facebook (which is considerably more difficult - unless of course I log out of the bloody thing).
That's it isn't it. I need to change my routine so that I create times in my day to be creative, and to write, or whatever it is I want to do. I also need to just use the tools available, the tools don't need changing, to think or explore anything else is just a waste of time and money. After all, I have a notebook and a pen. You don't actually need a bloody computer to do any writing. In fact some of the creating I have done in the past, I have written with pen and paper first, and then typed up - this performing part of the editing process.
So, the purpose of this venting is to give myself the space to work out some things in my head, and to give myself a kick up the creative backside. If I want to write, then I shouldn't be letting anything stop me.
Maybe there's the psychological side of avoiding getting to a point where I can submit something to be published, or publish something via Kindle because that was I never have to deal with people saying that what I have created is rubbish. I don't have to deal with the rejection.
They say that at the end of your life you don't regret the things you have done, the mistakes that you have made, but you do regret the things that you didn't do.
Sunday, 14 April 2013
Less time is more time.
Cunning revelation last night. Because my daughter was playing minecraft on my computer up to the point that the parental controls kicked in, and blocked her internet connection and then logged her out, she got to see the time at which it would next allow her access. (That being 7am).
Knowing that today would be her last day of holiday before going back to school, I wanted to make sure that she got a decent night's sleep and got up at a good time - so that getting up tomorrow for school wouldn't be such a shock.
Curtailing her computer access at 9pm and insisting that she go to bed at Ten PM seems to have worked exceptionally well. What I hadn't counted upon was Chloe making good her realisation that the computer's access would be reopened at Seven AM, so was surprised to say the least when she woke me up at 7:30 saying that she wanted to have a shower.
I stayed awake as well, making good of the early morning. The same principle of course working for me, as I also return from my holiday tomorrow morning. Back to the grindstone. I'm not so much dreading it, as unbothered by it. Disinterested I think would cover it. What I do there, pays the bills, keeps the roof over my head, affords the things that I want to be able to do with my time instead.
My Mum asked me today if I would look after my Nephews Tuesday evening, while her and my Sister go out for some exercise thing. All easy enough, and knowing that the boys will be thoroughly absorbed in some form of device or another, I can get on with some writing in a distraction free environment. Ironic really, that the quiet of the flat be more distracting than a house with two pre-teenage boys.
Like when I was writing the nanowriomo novel, I found that I was able to get down about twelve-hundred words during my lunch break, and therefore be more motivated to continue on when I left work in the evening. I also made considerable progress when I went to Costa.
Maybe instead of asking Sharon to drop me home after work, I will instead ask her to let me out at the high street and I will go along to Costa and get some work done there.
Knowing that today would be her last day of holiday before going back to school, I wanted to make sure that she got a decent night's sleep and got up at a good time - so that getting up tomorrow for school wouldn't be such a shock.
Curtailing her computer access at 9pm and insisting that she go to bed at Ten PM seems to have worked exceptionally well. What I hadn't counted upon was Chloe making good her realisation that the computer's access would be reopened at Seven AM, so was surprised to say the least when she woke me up at 7:30 saying that she wanted to have a shower.
I stayed awake as well, making good of the early morning. The same principle of course working for me, as I also return from my holiday tomorrow morning. Back to the grindstone. I'm not so much dreading it, as unbothered by it. Disinterested I think would cover it. What I do there, pays the bills, keeps the roof over my head, affords the things that I want to be able to do with my time instead.
My Mum asked me today if I would look after my Nephews Tuesday evening, while her and my Sister go out for some exercise thing. All easy enough, and knowing that the boys will be thoroughly absorbed in some form of device or another, I can get on with some writing in a distraction free environment. Ironic really, that the quiet of the flat be more distracting than a house with two pre-teenage boys.
Like when I was writing the nanowriomo novel, I found that I was able to get down about twelve-hundred words during my lunch break, and therefore be more motivated to continue on when I left work in the evening. I also made considerable progress when I went to Costa.
Maybe instead of asking Sharon to drop me home after work, I will instead ask her to let me out at the high street and I will go along to Costa and get some work done there.
Sunday, 27 January 2013
Tuesday, 28 February 2012
Tuesday, 1 November 2011
... and they're off ! ... well almost.
It's now the start of NaNoWriMo 2011. This means that over the month of November, I will attempt to complete a 50,000 word novel. I entered into this literary race last year, but didn't get to the 50,000 word point because there were lots of other things going on at the time, but principally packing and moving.
One idea that comes to mind, is about taking a picture of something I see or experience in the course of the day, and make the writing that I do center or at least include the thing that I've seen. Clear ?
As crystal. Crystalised coal. An example would be that Saturday, when I went to pick up Chloe, there was a helicopter passing over Southsea. It was trying, I think to maintain a hover in a cross wind, and not really doing a good job of it.
Make sense ? Yah. Thought so.
Today's work was busy, but not as busy as I was expecting. So all good then ? No. I'd gotten up early in order to be able to pop into Tesco on the way to work to get some food for the Halloween buffet, and some decorations. I really don't get into the hyper Americanised theming of what is a pagan festival of the dead, (rather strange considering what a religiously insane country the USA is). My dressing up was limited to wearing all black. I had bought some face paint, but had not been able to get that on as I barely had time to sneeze all day. When I explained it earlier, I used a different bodily function to sneeze.
So. NaNoWriMo. Yay. All starts tomorrow.
One idea that comes to mind, is about taking a picture of something I see or experience in the course of the day, and make the writing that I do center or at least include the thing that I've seen. Clear ?
As crystal. Crystalised coal. An example would be that Saturday, when I went to pick up Chloe, there was a helicopter passing over Southsea. It was trying, I think to maintain a hover in a cross wind, and not really doing a good job of it.
Make sense ? Yah. Thought so.
Today's work was busy, but not as busy as I was expecting. So all good then ? No. I'd gotten up early in order to be able to pop into Tesco on the way to work to get some food for the Halloween buffet, and some decorations. I really don't get into the hyper Americanised theming of what is a pagan festival of the dead, (rather strange considering what a religiously insane country the USA is). My dressing up was limited to wearing all black. I had bought some face paint, but had not been able to get that on as I barely had time to sneeze all day. When I explained it earlier, I used a different bodily function to sneeze.
So. NaNoWriMo. Yay. All starts tomorrow.
Sunday, 18 September 2011
I am still here...
I've got so many ways of getting my opinions 'out there' that I actually don't bother using them.
So, after a gap of 3 months, here I am, September 18th, in bed, sat at my netbook whilst half watching 'He's Just Not That Into You'. Drinking a cup of hot chocolate.
Anyone in the know, may have been reading the blog, and wondering if I'd actually made it to my 39th birthday. I did, and as I am sat here typing this somewhat meandering entry, have made it way past that point.
So many things have happened, all things that you can (if you are at all bothered) catchup with from my vlog.
I don't really do this because I kid myself that other people are remotely interested in what I have to say. I do this for entirely selfish reasons. It's the only time I can get my point across without someone trying to argue with me.
As it is now three months since I enthusiastically decided to document each day counting down to my 40th birthday (and over nine months since I gave myself the new years' resolution of blogging daily). Time to catch myself up, decide if the targets or goals that I set for myself this year are really ones that I want to achieve, and if so, make sure that they do come true.
Last year turned out to be all about buying the flat. It wasn't until June time that this became apparent. There was a part of me that felt the need to find someone to spend time with, in my new home. I make it sound so clinical.
Have I changed any of my habits ? Have I done anything different ? So why am I expecting to get a different result ? I'm always telling the guys (in my team) at work that if they want different outcomes (in their performance) then they must do something different. As I believe Einstein said 'only a fool does the same thing and expects a different result'.
Just don't do this consistency thing very well. The bit where something becomes routine. Normal. Mundane.
So, after a gap of 3 months, here I am, September 18th, in bed, sat at my netbook whilst half watching 'He's Just Not That Into You'. Drinking a cup of hot chocolate.
Anyone in the know, may have been reading the blog, and wondering if I'd actually made it to my 39th birthday. I did, and as I am sat here typing this somewhat meandering entry, have made it way past that point.
So many things have happened, all things that you can (if you are at all bothered) catchup with from my vlog.
I don't really do this because I kid myself that other people are remotely interested in what I have to say. I do this for entirely selfish reasons. It's the only time I can get my point across without someone trying to argue with me.
As it is now three months since I enthusiastically decided to document each day counting down to my 40th birthday (and over nine months since I gave myself the new years' resolution of blogging daily). Time to catch myself up, decide if the targets or goals that I set for myself this year are really ones that I want to achieve, and if so, make sure that they do come true.
Last year turned out to be all about buying the flat. It wasn't until June time that this became apparent. There was a part of me that felt the need to find someone to spend time with, in my new home. I make it sound so clinical.
Have I changed any of my habits ? Have I done anything different ? So why am I expecting to get a different result ? I'm always telling the guys (in my team) at work that if they want different outcomes (in their performance) then they must do something different. As I believe Einstein said 'only a fool does the same thing and expects a different result'.
Just don't do this consistency thing very well. The bit where something becomes routine. Normal. Mundane.
Friday, 29 April 2011
Resolutions seem to break like...
...china cups dropped onto my kitchen floor.
Not that I've done that you understand. Puft ! Like I'd have china cups !
I'm remonstrating myself about not blogging as much as I had wanted. I have taken my eye off the ball. It's not for lack of events to blog either, it's more a case of lack of time. Before I got home last night (to start a 4 day weekend) I hadn't actually turned on my lovely iMac since last weekend. Poor thing.
So what's been happening ? The kittens have well and truly settled. Very comfortable, and are loving their new cat tree.
Dr who is back. And Stetsons are cool.
Progress is being made, sort of, with the show, but we've had some set backs. Gemma, who was going to play Starlight, has had to pull out as she realised she has family commitments the week of the show. The wonderfully talented Faye has let us know that because of increased workload (at work, I guess) she has had to drop the larger of the two parts that she had been cast.
We may well be able to get Nick's Mum to do one of the now vacant roles, it would be brilliant to have her involved in a show again. Fingers crossed. So pretty much looks like we are only one person short, instead of two. Monday's rehearsal involved us going over one of the call centre scenes, which are the complicated ones. We did this easily enough, despite the lack of a Starlight, and with Helen getting herself distracted, becoming too carried away with the background antics of Polly. Even so, scene got blocked out and was working well. We'd actually planned to only do about 5 pages of the scene, but decided to do the whole scene in the end. The comedy is coming alive, the (hopefully) wonderful visual comedy that is laced throughout the show. Wednesday night we blocked out a scene set in the Manager's office, and again the comedic talents of Lin (Bone) and Faye came to the fore. Such a shame that she (Faye) won't be able to do Hermione, but I understand if she's at risk of being overwhelmed. Much better that she let us know now, than in about 8 weeks time. 18 Rehearsal sessions left until the show opens. Clock is ticking. Clock IS ticking.
The blocking, on the whole is taking less time than we imagined, which is good because we will have to go back and do some of it again for the benefit of the characters that we will now have to recast. We also need to make sure that we can sort out the filmed pieces in the show, as if we can't get them to work, we really do have a problem.
Dr Who returns. Fantastic, thrilling, scary and funny episode. The Impossible Astronaut, at risk of running out of superlatives, it was a brilliantly sharp script. I've now watched the episode 6 times, and it sings every time. Really tight. Really well done. Again laden with phrases that will, I am sure to be copied by millions of fans up and down the country.
I've brought a sun hat. After shaving off all my hair again, and the recently gorgeous sunshine, I thought it would be a good idea to protect my poor noggin from the sun. I have become rather attached to my sun hat. I am sure that the prevailing opinion may be that I look like a prat, but I don't care. I like it, so I wear it. I am ready to pick Chloe up tomorrow, and have her laugh uncontrollably at me.
I have come to the conclusion that I am not going to be able to complete the script Laptop for Script Frenzy. Now I know that I sure as hell WONT achieve it with THAT attitude, but as I am only at page 25 I really would have to cane it completely to even stand a chance of getting it finished before the end of the competition. This is sad. I really had wanted to make sure that I did complete it, as I had failed so miserably to complete NanoWriMo in November last year, using the move as a reason/ excuse.
Grrrr. Frustrated with myself. Need to get a review done for Beacon, as I haven't done one since I moved. Need a great big boot and rather bendy legs, so as to kick myself up the arse don't I ? Yes. See. I knew I was right.
What else has been going on ? Well, work has not been without its dramas this week. People can be funny things, and sometimes the hardest thing they find to do is to look into the mirror and accept what they see. Me, I'm always looking in the mirror, although you may not think so to look at my dress sense. It his heartening to realise that despite some difficult times, the world isn't against me. I work with some really great people, and I just wish I got more of a chance to get to know them in that context than the ones I am normally presented to them in. Hopefully the crowd from work will come along to the show, and will be able to let their hair down and have a really good night.
Royal Wedding. As someone who both dislikes the idea of royalty on political grounds, but has a deeply contradictory love of the royal family themselves - and all the things they do for the country I had decided that I wasn't going to be spending time on my extra day off to watch William & Kate's wedding. Somehow, my 'bah humbug' nature was overridden sufficiently for me to watch the spectacle and be very moved by everything that I saw. I really don't give a stuff about the ins and outs of their or anyone else's private lives. But to be a spectator on such a happy day reminds me of how much hope there is in the human spirit and in the love of another. I do wish them well for the future. Wishes I am sure they will not be short of.
It is at times like this, when pretty much half the country has gotten caught up in the fever and celebration and flag waving that we remember what it's like to be British. It is nice to see though, that because most of the flags are the ones provided by the Sun newspaper, and have a picture of the happy couple on them, thereby forcing Jo public to put the bloody flag up the right way. Otherwise I would be getting all anal about how some people don't realise that there is a right and a wrong way to hang a union flag.
Not that I've done that you understand. Puft ! Like I'd have china cups !
I'm remonstrating myself about not blogging as much as I had wanted. I have taken my eye off the ball. It's not for lack of events to blog either, it's more a case of lack of time. Before I got home last night (to start a 4 day weekend) I hadn't actually turned on my lovely iMac since last weekend. Poor thing.
So what's been happening ? The kittens have well and truly settled. Very comfortable, and are loving their new cat tree.
 |
| ..thank you Daddy x |
Progress is being made, sort of, with the show, but we've had some set backs. Gemma, who was going to play Starlight, has had to pull out as she realised she has family commitments the week of the show. The wonderfully talented Faye has let us know that because of increased workload (at work, I guess) she has had to drop the larger of the two parts that she had been cast.
We may well be able to get Nick's Mum to do one of the now vacant roles, it would be brilliant to have her involved in a show again. Fingers crossed. So pretty much looks like we are only one person short, instead of two. Monday's rehearsal involved us going over one of the call centre scenes, which are the complicated ones. We did this easily enough, despite the lack of a Starlight, and with Helen getting herself distracted, becoming too carried away with the background antics of Polly. Even so, scene got blocked out and was working well. We'd actually planned to only do about 5 pages of the scene, but decided to do the whole scene in the end. The comedy is coming alive, the (hopefully) wonderful visual comedy that is laced throughout the show. Wednesday night we blocked out a scene set in the Manager's office, and again the comedic talents of Lin (Bone) and Faye came to the fore. Such a shame that she (Faye) won't be able to do Hermione, but I understand if she's at risk of being overwhelmed. Much better that she let us know now, than in about 8 weeks time. 18 Rehearsal sessions left until the show opens. Clock is ticking. Clock IS ticking.
The blocking, on the whole is taking less time than we imagined, which is good because we will have to go back and do some of it again for the benefit of the characters that we will now have to recast. We also need to make sure that we can sort out the filmed pieces in the show, as if we can't get them to work, we really do have a problem.
I've brought a sun hat. After shaving off all my hair again, and the recently gorgeous sunshine, I thought it would be a good idea to protect my poor noggin from the sun. I have become rather attached to my sun hat. I am sure that the prevailing opinion may be that I look like a prat, but I don't care. I like it, so I wear it. I am ready to pick Chloe up tomorrow, and have her laugh uncontrollably at me. |
| I wear a sunhat now |
I have come to the conclusion that I am not going to be able to complete the script Laptop for Script Frenzy. Now I know that I sure as hell WONT achieve it with THAT attitude, but as I am only at page 25 I really would have to cane it completely to even stand a chance of getting it finished before the end of the competition. This is sad. I really had wanted to make sure that I did complete it, as I had failed so miserably to complete NanoWriMo in November last year, using the move as a reason/ excuse.
Grrrr. Frustrated with myself. Need to get a review done for Beacon, as I haven't done one since I moved. Need a great big boot and rather bendy legs, so as to kick myself up the arse don't I ? Yes. See. I knew I was right.
 |
| ... and sunhats are cool.... |
Royal Wedding. As someone who both dislikes the idea of royalty on political grounds, but has a deeply contradictory love of the royal family themselves - and all the things they do for the country I had decided that I wasn't going to be spending time on my extra day off to watch William & Kate's wedding. Somehow, my 'bah humbug' nature was overridden sufficiently for me to watch the spectacle and be very moved by everything that I saw. I really don't give a stuff about the ins and outs of their or anyone else's private lives. But to be a spectator on such a happy day reminds me of how much hope there is in the human spirit and in the love of another. I do wish them well for the future. Wishes I am sure they will not be short of.
It is at times like this, when pretty much half the country has gotten caught up in the fever and celebration and flag waving that we remember what it's like to be British. It is nice to see though, that because most of the flags are the ones provided by the Sun newspaper, and have a picture of the happy couple on them, thereby forcing Jo public to put the bloody flag up the right way. Otherwise I would be getting all anal about how some people don't realise that there is a right and a wrong way to hang a union flag.
Thursday, 21 April 2011
The show must go on..
Sunshine has suddenly become an expected part of the weather in England. We've had glorious weather pretty much for about 4 days now, and before everyone starts moaning about it being 'too hot' or how stupid they were and that they got sunburned, I figured that I should just take a moment to enjoy it.
Done.
I now have a couple of days off work, due to the Easter holiday, and then am in for 5 hours on Saturday and not back in the office until Tuesday. This is all fantastic stuff, and really appreciated, coming as it does right toward the end of Script Frenzy. Realising that I haven't broken into double digits really does make it tough for me to achieve the 100 pages before the end of the month, but I guess that I won't get them sitting around on my arse writing my blog. I'll get them sitting around on my arse with a copy of Celtx open, writing some script.
I wasn't that well on Monday, and pretty much spent the day in bed. It'd been about 6 months since I last had a day off work through sickness, but I was absolutely wasted. Man flu ? Well, call it what you like, but I got up to get ready for work that day, and after calling in sick, went back to bed. I didn't wake up until about 7 hours later. Must have really needed that. Still got annoying cough and pains in my chest, from the coughing, but I am very much near mended. Went back to work Tuesday, but hate, hate, hate being off work. It also meant I certainly wasn't up to attending drama on Monday night.
This was the second session that I have had to miss. Poor Helen being left to carry the can. On both occasions the turnout from the cast has been lacklustre also. We can't afford to keep wasting these valuable rehearsals. Apart from the cost (£8 per hour), there is the cost in time. There are only so many weeks before the show is due to open. Helen was very good about the whole thing, and understanding. Wednesday's session was very good. We did about half of one of the more complicated scenes, and although I hadn't had a chance to go through it with Helen in advance, I planned it out on my own. The characters are really coming alive, with Jay Jay (Steve Penfold) and Troggie (Chris O'Connor) working very well. These scene was working out to show the desired amount of chaos and comedy, with Helen and I both finding it funny to watch, even at this early stage. Some of the cast, well most of them actually, haven't worked with us before and we've taken a bit of time to explain to them how our comedy works, why we have so many things happening at once and how at times, it appears to break most of the 'rules' of theatre, and get away with it.
We've gotten off to a rocky start, but if this is any indication of how the rest of the show will turn out, then we are on to a winner for sure.
Now on to some script frenzy !! If I'm good, and focused and get lots of work done, I may just treat myself with an afternoon out to Steve's BBQ tomorrow...
Done.
I now have a couple of days off work, due to the Easter holiday, and then am in for 5 hours on Saturday and not back in the office until Tuesday. This is all fantastic stuff, and really appreciated, coming as it does right toward the end of Script Frenzy. Realising that I haven't broken into double digits really does make it tough for me to achieve the 100 pages before the end of the month, but I guess that I won't get them sitting around on my arse writing my blog. I'll get them sitting around on my arse with a copy of Celtx open, writing some script.
I wasn't that well on Monday, and pretty much spent the day in bed. It'd been about 6 months since I last had a day off work through sickness, but I was absolutely wasted. Man flu ? Well, call it what you like, but I got up to get ready for work that day, and after calling in sick, went back to bed. I didn't wake up until about 7 hours later. Must have really needed that. Still got annoying cough and pains in my chest, from the coughing, but I am very much near mended. Went back to work Tuesday, but hate, hate, hate being off work. It also meant I certainly wasn't up to attending drama on Monday night.
This was the second session that I have had to miss. Poor Helen being left to carry the can. On both occasions the turnout from the cast has been lacklustre also. We can't afford to keep wasting these valuable rehearsals. Apart from the cost (£8 per hour), there is the cost in time. There are only so many weeks before the show is due to open. Helen was very good about the whole thing, and understanding. Wednesday's session was very good. We did about half of one of the more complicated scenes, and although I hadn't had a chance to go through it with Helen in advance, I planned it out on my own. The characters are really coming alive, with Jay Jay (Steve Penfold) and Troggie (Chris O'Connor) working very well. These scene was working out to show the desired amount of chaos and comedy, with Helen and I both finding it funny to watch, even at this early stage. Some of the cast, well most of them actually, haven't worked with us before and we've taken a bit of time to explain to them how our comedy works, why we have so many things happening at once and how at times, it appears to break most of the 'rules' of theatre, and get away with it.
We've gotten off to a rocky start, but if this is any indication of how the rest of the show will turn out, then we are on to a winner for sure.
Now on to some script frenzy !! If I'm good, and focused and get lots of work done, I may just treat myself with an afternoon out to Steve's BBQ tomorrow...
Saturday, 2 April 2011
It's on ! It's on ! It's on !
GO GO GO GO GO...... GO ! What's with all the implied excitement I hear you ask ? Well, it's April 2nd and I've survived April fools day without any incidents to report. But THAT is not the cause of this unbridled enthusiasm. That is due to Script Frenzy 2011 now being 'live' and me actually having a chance, against my expectations to get some script down.
5 Pages ! Yeeek ! I'm off (wondered what the smell was). Talking of smell, the flat really needs a clean, but I have so many other things that I want to do that are, well, more interesting. Must clean, clean the flat, clear my head. I'm going to scrub at and vacuum away the grime that acts as a barrier to my creativity, and let it shine.
Also, in other news, I've only got a week more of work and then I'm off for a week ! Yippeee. The week off being punctuated by two really great things, (I have noticed how many times I have said that lately, like I'm always trying to make a list out of everything in life, but really suck at it because I only do two). Those two things being that Chloe is coming to stay, and that hopefully I will get to pick up the kittens next weekend.
I need something fawn over, and gush about how cute it is that isn't made by Apple ? I need to have an interruption to my rather set ways and 'spotless' living environment. Yup that's right, I think my lovely new flat is too clean, too tidy so I'm going to introduce two baby cats (kittens to you) to help mess things up a bit. My Mother thinks that I am mad. This is possibly not untrue.
Anyways, the script....
© Simon Sansbury, April 2011. A PDF can of Laptop, can be found here :- Laptoppdfcanbefoundhere
Wednesday, 9 March 2011
The Eagle has landed
It's so late, and it's been such a long and fantastic day, but I had to nip online quickly to report the much anticipated arrival of my beloved iMac. Despite the anguish, the expense, oh and the waiting, it is finally here. It does not disappoint. Helen had come up today rather early, well early for her. She arrive just before 10am, as she had promised to do. I on the other hand had been up since 7am to make sure that I was ready for the arrival of my new shiny.
Shiny it is. Although it didn't arrive until about 2:30 I was very excited when it got here. I practically threw myself down the stairs to go out there and meet the TNT driver, just to make sure that he had no problems finding my address.
Rather quickly I had the machine (somehow that word doesn't feel the right word to use) out of the box and operational within a matter of minutes. A little bit longer, but still a very short amount of time was all that I needed to get the all important Celtx installed and away we went, carrying on exactly where we'd left off, working on the script for The FatCat And The Grafter. Helen is not the most technically savvy person in the world, and would admit herself that what she knows, or cares about computers is very, very limited, but even she was impressed by how well everything was put together, and how well it all worked.
The arrival of my new Shiny was not the only great success of the day. We have made considerable progress with the play itself, and have indeed been able to plan out the storyline into the second act, and even get the first scene in Act II written.
The day seemed to take a bit of a downer when person after person cried off the session tonight, each citing differing reasons. Both Helen and I were beginning to feel that perhaps we would be better off if we cancelled the session, and carried on writing the script. We decided to push past those reservations, and boy are we glad that we did.
We had, in total, the same number of people at this session as we had the previous week. There were new people (Welcome Steve and Christine) joining in alongside the stalwarts that have become regulars over the last couple of weeks. The atmosphere worked so well with all the people there tonight, and everyone participated equally, there was so much laughter. Never a bad thing when you are trying to put on a comedy. Some of these people have now seen some of the scenes we were looking at quite a few times, but still, they laughed (in all the 'right' places). Tonight's session has really given Helen and I a boost, not really that one was needed, but it has shown us that we are on the right track, and we just need to get the script itself finished, and the show cast so we can move into rehearsals proper.
There's still a long way to go, and there's lots of work to do, but we have made great progress today, and this energetic success will embolden us further to press on and achieve what we need to do. We're starting assemble a cracking team of very talent and very nice people.
Things can only get better.
Shiny it is. Although it didn't arrive until about 2:30 I was very excited when it got here. I practically threw myself down the stairs to go out there and meet the TNT driver, just to make sure that he had no problems finding my address.
Rather quickly I had the machine (somehow that word doesn't feel the right word to use) out of the box and operational within a matter of minutes. A little bit longer, but still a very short amount of time was all that I needed to get the all important Celtx installed and away we went, carrying on exactly where we'd left off, working on the script for The FatCat And The Grafter. Helen is not the most technically savvy person in the world, and would admit herself that what she knows, or cares about computers is very, very limited, but even she was impressed by how well everything was put together, and how well it all worked.
The arrival of my new Shiny was not the only great success of the day. We have made considerable progress with the play itself, and have indeed been able to plan out the storyline into the second act, and even get the first scene in Act II written.
The day seemed to take a bit of a downer when person after person cried off the session tonight, each citing differing reasons. Both Helen and I were beginning to feel that perhaps we would be better off if we cancelled the session, and carried on writing the script. We decided to push past those reservations, and boy are we glad that we did.
We had, in total, the same number of people at this session as we had the previous week. There were new people (Welcome Steve and Christine) joining in alongside the stalwarts that have become regulars over the last couple of weeks. The atmosphere worked so well with all the people there tonight, and everyone participated equally, there was so much laughter. Never a bad thing when you are trying to put on a comedy. Some of these people have now seen some of the scenes we were looking at quite a few times, but still, they laughed (in all the 'right' places). Tonight's session has really given Helen and I a boost, not really that one was needed, but it has shown us that we are on the right track, and we just need to get the script itself finished, and the show cast so we can move into rehearsals proper.
There's still a long way to go, and there's lots of work to do, but we have made great progress today, and this energetic success will embolden us further to press on and achieve what we need to do. We're starting assemble a cracking team of very talent and very nice people.
Things can only get better.
Friday, 4 March 2011
Wednesday cannot come too soon...
An email this morning from Apple confirmed that they had, at last processed my order, and would be delivering my new iMac on either the 9th or 10th of March. Next week. Of course it would be arriving after I go back to work.
At least I know that it's on its way. I am sure as the time passes I will get more excited, and will practically be impossible to be around on Tuesday. Inconsolable if it doesn't get delivered on Wednesday (as that's my day off).
An iMac, apparently cannot be rushed. Whilst I await my new shiny, Apple have gone and released another new such gorgeous machine, the second incarnation of the hugely successful Ipad.
As ever, they have produced a wonderfully exciting device, that is an improvement over the previous model. Astonishingly, the Ipad 2 is priced at the same level as was the first Ipad when it was released last year. When I wasn't frustrated about the time it is taking for my new computer to arrive I was salivating over the new ipad. I simply cannot afford to buy one. There are some deals at the moment with a variety of mobile phone companies (Orange & Three) - with Orange offering the Ipad (1, as I'm guessing we'll now learn to call it) for £99, with a monthly contract £25 to existing customers, £27 to new ones it is sorely tempting. None the less, as much as the kid let lose in the candy store feeling is exciting, in the real world you still have to find the money for the shiny thing.
When I wasn't either frustrated or dreaming (never saying that to a someone in Curry's again) I got some thrashing out of ideas for Laptop (the idea I'm developing for this years Script Frenzy). In short, there are more post-its.
It's probably not clear from the photo, but it is now evolving into three distinct acts. There are still plenty of gaps, but there's definitely a story there. You know, like with a beginning, a middle and an end. Feeling the glow of that creativity. Additional ideas pop into my head every now and then, and I just add them to the wall. It's a funny thing, the more I add, the more ideas I have. Once I get the ball rolling I find it has a life, a momentum all its own.
Far across town, in another idea..... Workshop numero three for drama. Stunningly there were more people this week. A whole 8 people turned up. This was the most we've had so far. It was a really good session for that reason, and also because rather than struggling to find ways to fill two hours with random games we spent the vast majority of the time playing with selected scenes from the show.
Those that hadn't seen the script before responded well to it, which is always encouraging. Hopefully by the next session then Helen and I would have been able to write some more. Helen is due back off her holiday, just as I finish mine, so our chance of cramming and writing a couple of days straight seems to have passed us by.
It's a bit worrying that our deadlines for getting the script completed are slipping away at a rate of knots. It is now four weeks since the initial readthru, and we haven't written anything extra in that time. A whole month. With now less than four months until the show opens, it's critical that we actually finish the script, and in good enough time to allow ourselves to edit it sufficiently and to give the cast time to get to know it.
At least I know that it's on its way. I am sure as the time passes I will get more excited, and will practically be impossible to be around on Tuesday. Inconsolable if it doesn't get delivered on Wednesday (as that's my day off).
An iMac, apparently cannot be rushed. Whilst I await my new shiny, Apple have gone and released another new such gorgeous machine, the second incarnation of the hugely successful Ipad. As ever, they have produced a wonderfully exciting device, that is an improvement over the previous model. Astonishingly, the Ipad 2 is priced at the same level as was the first Ipad when it was released last year. When I wasn't frustrated about the time it is taking for my new computer to arrive I was salivating over the new ipad. I simply cannot afford to buy one. There are some deals at the moment with a variety of mobile phone companies (Orange & Three) - with Orange offering the Ipad (1, as I'm guessing we'll now learn to call it) for £99, with a monthly contract £25 to existing customers, £27 to new ones it is sorely tempting. None the less, as much as the kid let lose in the candy store feeling is exciting, in the real world you still have to find the money for the shiny thing.
It's probably not clear from the photo, but it is now evolving into three distinct acts. There are still plenty of gaps, but there's definitely a story there. You know, like with a beginning, a middle and an end. Feeling the glow of that creativity. Additional ideas pop into my head every now and then, and I just add them to the wall. It's a funny thing, the more I add, the more ideas I have. Once I get the ball rolling I find it has a life, a momentum all its own.
Far across town, in another idea..... Workshop numero three for drama. Stunningly there were more people this week. A whole 8 people turned up. This was the most we've had so far. It was a really good session for that reason, and also because rather than struggling to find ways to fill two hours with random games we spent the vast majority of the time playing with selected scenes from the show.
Those that hadn't seen the script before responded well to it, which is always encouraging. Hopefully by the next session then Helen and I would have been able to write some more. Helen is due back off her holiday, just as I finish mine, so our chance of cramming and writing a couple of days straight seems to have passed us by.
It's a bit worrying that our deadlines for getting the script completed are slipping away at a rate of knots. It is now four weeks since the initial readthru, and we haven't written anything extra in that time. A whole month. With now less than four months until the show opens, it's critical that we actually finish the script, and in good enough time to allow ourselves to edit it sufficiently and to give the cast time to get to know it.
Wednesday, 2 March 2011
T - 30
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| Script Frenzy |
Remembering how crap it felt last year, when I wrote Retro Rocket (and succeeded in the 100 pages written during April target. Yay !) and didn't really have a plan, and how that nearly ended in failure, I wanted to make sure that I avoided that this year. When I'd entered National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) I had also neglected to plan, and elected for an organic free form approach to the writing. I just sat at my desk, and let the ideas poor out. Good, bad or downright terrible.
Having not succeeded with NaNoWriMo and only managing something like 17,409 words (when I say something like, that's the exact figure) I don't want to repeat the failure.
Fail to plan. Plan to fail.
This works for me, may not work for others.. but you have to go with what works. I have progressed a little from the initial post-it driven 'floating of ideas' to the developing of one particular idea. I had considered using Frenzy (as it appears to be affectionately shortened) to write the first series of Retro Rocket. I have dismissed this as I have not revisited the idea since last April's Frenzy, so the 'pilot' script will, in itself need lots of editing. An attack of the big red pen (or in my case, the impatient pencil) is required. Also with Retro Rocket, I just haven't actually resolved those issues about show direction that had been the stumbling block. It was not answering those questions that I think made it hard to push on with the script originally. It didn't have a plan (return to previous point about planning).
I also discarded the 'man goes back in time to undo the mistakes that cost him his marriage - only to find out that he erases his daughter from existence' because, well, I just thought it was a crappy idea.
Likewise 'man on bus / train that isn't allowed to get off at his intended destination' is perhaps worthy of a short film (about 5 minutes) but I couldn't for the life of me see how I could get 100 pages out of that idea. It may be possible that the idea I have gone for ends up with elements of that. We'll have to wait and see.
Laptop (alternative titles being :- Feedback or Netbook) is the story of what changes occur in a man's life as a result of him buying a laptop (or netbook) off Ebay. The computer contains information that he is not aware of, and also has automatic sign-on enabled to internet chat sites. This draws or drags him into a world that he is initially intrigued about, but as he discovers more is increasingly scared as he gets more and more deeply involved in the things that were happening in the life of the laptop's previous owner.
What does the machine have on it that makes it so important to so many different groups (big business, criminals, government etc) ?
How did it come to be on Ebay in the first place, if it was so important ? (was the previous owner mugged ? Are they still alive ?)
So our hero, if that's the word is forced to try and convince these people that this was not his laptop before, and he has no way of finding out what's hidden on the hard-drive. He has a hard time convincing these people, a succession of organisations or individuals keep tracking him down to convince him to give them what they want. None of them believe him when he says that he's just brought the laptop on ebay. They believe him even less when it gets stolen.
He then has to try and find the laptop, as giving it to the people that want it so badly is the only way to get them out of his life.
This would be as boring as hell as a stage play, and is definitely suited to filming, even something that could be done on a low budget ,and with a bunch of amateur film-makers. (you see where I'm going here, don't you ?)
Let me know what you think, dear reader. Perhaps as I develop the idea, I post those onto the blog ? Hmmm. All this AS WELL AS , The Fatcat And The Grafter.
This is good. I like to be busy. When I'm not busy I'm sitting at home watching shit someone else has written on TV.
Saturday, 8 January 2011
Cleaning is good for the soul
Saturday, day of rest. NOT. Well, not completely.
After spending a rather leisurely morning sat in the front room, listening to the wireless (radio), and reading 'The Girl Who Played With Fire' on my Kindle I went into Cosham to do some shopping.
My parents are coming to Sunday lunch tomorrow, which'll be the first time I have cooked for anyone other than Chloe in the flat. After I'd struggled back from Tesco with the shopping, which was quite a walk, even though I did get the bus some of the way, with a heavy bag of shopping.
After a spot of lunch and some more reading, I finally got myself motivated to do the cleaning, but not until about 7pm. No matter how late you start it, cleaning always makes you feel good. There's something thoroughly therapeutic about things looking all clean, and clear of clutter and mess. Not that there is much clutter or mess. A soothing action all the same.
When I was on lunch break yesterday, at work, I called BT, to see if there was any was I could get the appointment for the installation of the telephone line, and Broad Band brought forward. They could not, and trying to change the date to one that I will be at home for, means that I'd have to put it back about a month. Does seem crazy. Still. Good things come to those who wait.
With this entry, I exceed the number of entries made in the month of January in 2010. Not really an achievement worth celebrating just yet. Progress though. For sure.
Perhaps it is this, that this year will be about, small, but measurable steps in the right direction ?
Liam is coming round to watch a dvd on Monday night. It will be his first visit to the new flat too. An evening of company, a DVD, perhaps some wine. Should be good.
Then on Wednesday, Helen has promised to come round 'early' - which for her is 5pm. The intention is that we can talk about the show, and then actually get down to doing some writing. Don't hold your breath.
After spending a rather leisurely morning sat in the front room, listening to the wireless (radio), and reading 'The Girl Who Played With Fire' on my Kindle I went into Cosham to do some shopping.
My parents are coming to Sunday lunch tomorrow, which'll be the first time I have cooked for anyone other than Chloe in the flat. After I'd struggled back from Tesco with the shopping, which was quite a walk, even though I did get the bus some of the way, with a heavy bag of shopping.
After a spot of lunch and some more reading, I finally got myself motivated to do the cleaning, but not until about 7pm. No matter how late you start it, cleaning always makes you feel good. There's something thoroughly therapeutic about things looking all clean, and clear of clutter and mess. Not that there is much clutter or mess. A soothing action all the same.
When I was on lunch break yesterday, at work, I called BT, to see if there was any was I could get the appointment for the installation of the telephone line, and Broad Band brought forward. They could not, and trying to change the date to one that I will be at home for, means that I'd have to put it back about a month. Does seem crazy. Still. Good things come to those who wait.
With this entry, I exceed the number of entries made in the month of January in 2010. Not really an achievement worth celebrating just yet. Progress though. For sure.
Perhaps it is this, that this year will be about, small, but measurable steps in the right direction ?
Liam is coming round to watch a dvd on Monday night. It will be his first visit to the new flat too. An evening of company, a DVD, perhaps some wine. Should be good.
Then on Wednesday, Helen has promised to come round 'early' - which for her is 5pm. The intention is that we can talk about the show, and then actually get down to doing some writing. Don't hold your breath.
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