All I Want For Christmas

Another Christmas, another long list of wishes.

• An agent.
• A commission.
• An option.
• A series deal for TV.
• To have the no 1 bestselling children's book.
• A fucking chance to show what I can do.
  

Not much to ask, is it?

In Your Face

Sometimes I wonder if you're an argumentative person, or someone who questions things that go on around them, does this hinder you as a writer and in life? Do the 'YES' men and women of this world achieve more success in their careers and home life?

In my experience the 'YES' men and women seem to progress further than the argumentative ones, and I'm quite convinced if you get a bad name from from questioning things you're basically stuffed from then on.

What do you think?

Is it better to question life or be a 'YES' man or woman?

Busy Man

Hadn't written anything in ages and then when I try and start a novel or two, all hell breaks loose. Everyone wanted a portion of my writing greatness. Somethings worked out, others didn't. No biggy.

Gone quiet again now though, so I'm able to work on my own stuff again....and I can't wait.

Rubbish

Writing like a maniac. Just finished a 4 page romantic comedy outline for a director. I hope she likes it.

Novel is coming on :-)

Novel Progress Part 2

Bit of a slow week, the total is now 2788 words. The urge to go back and rewrite as I'm going along is proving too much much of a draw which is why my number count is so low. I have to stop myself, I know, but that's easier said than done.

The Over Sensetive.

I made a comment on someones facebook page. They have now band me and erased me from their Facebook friend's list and also twitter.

Some people don't deserve my friendship. The comment I made was not derogatory in any way. In fact here it is to the best of my memory. "I'm single." My response, "Thank god there's not two of you." Not exactly rude is it? Funny? What's your opinion?

Being depressed I know about being over sensitive, but then there's being sensitive and over sensitive. You have to find the right balance, this person obviously hasn't.

Some people need to take a deep breath and not take things so seriously.

Dom

A Tale Of Two Novels

For months...nothing, not an idea, not a word, not even a single letter. Then I start a novel and a week later I have another fantastic idea ambush my head while I'm laid low with the flu, and I start a second one. Two novels being written simultaneously. That's what I said....written. Not thought about, not hoped for, not imagined, but actual fingers to keys typing. We have a double word count going on, people.

I think there is light at the end of my tunnel of darkness and its name is SIX!

Writing.

Started my novel. 1664 words down and a lot more to go. It's nice to be writing again.

Hello?

I really should write something new, but the darkness is still upon me.

Hopefully soon ;-)

Guest Post: Adrian Mead

The ever lovely and helpful Adrian Mead sent me this email, so I thought I'd print it in full as it's so good and extremely helpful.

"Sounds like you have taken all the right steps to address your situation and there isn’t much I can offer you other than saying well done for being so open and taking action. Known lots of very happy and successful folk who have learned to manage these sort of episodes.

Depression gets used as a term for many things. Perhaps others reading this may have experienced some of the feelings you have talked about.

If you or someone you know is feeling down and de-motivated it’s important to recognize those feelings are real and valid because that is what they are experiencing. The following is worth considering.

Ask yourself these questions -

MOTIVATION

Why do I want to be a writer?

What exactly do I expect to gain from this activity?

If you are not enjoying the process it may be because your motivation is out of balance and skewed towards a transient or often unquantifiable goal – such as validation from others or fame.

AVOIDING THE SLIP INTO SELF DOUBT

All humans experience self doubt – with writers it’s easy to focus it on your writing and career.

It’s hugely important that you quickly stop the slide into self doubt or feeling down. Having a positive feedback file at hand with reviews, clippings and emails that praise your work is an extremely powerful tool."

(I'd agree with that. I do indeed have such a folder and it's good to read those comments now and again.)

"ARE THINGS REALLY THAT BAD?

Your feelings are real and valid because that is what you are experiencing. However, and I know this is an oft quoted one but it’s true, go volunteer to help others. There are people with way greater challenges than you and I. Works for me."

(Again, good advice. I like to help those less fortunate than myself so last Saturday I was tea/coffee/food bitch for Lucy, at her first ever Script Reading seminar.)

"TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR DIET

Cut out all junk food, dairy and all booze for three months. You’ll be shocked at the difference this can make. Don’t believe me? Try it and prove me wrong."

( I quit the booze for two weeks, and even that little amount of time made a huge difference.)

"YOU MUST EXERCISE!

Commit to exercise every day -

Hit stuff!!! Join a martial arts class.

Got a family and reckon you haven’t got time to exercise? Then take the baby buggy and a back pack filled with books on a 20 mins very brisk walk in the morning!"

(I take my son and dog for a walk at least once a day, twice if I have the energy to keep up with them.)

"Try Dancing/crawling/singing with your kids in between writing breaks or to their favourite DVD. You will feel good, they will have a great time.

Every time you think of raiding the fridge between writing breaks do 10 press ups, 10 sit ups, 10 squats instead.

Buy a punch bag or stand up target. Great for dealing with rejections and stress

Commit to doing something every day!

HATE EXERCISE?

Join a choir – lots of folk find this hugely beneficial.

Join a dance class. Your wife/girlfriend will most likely love the new man in you.

Or if you are single it will be a great chance to meet the opposite sex!

TOP UP THE CREATIVE TANK

Take yourself on a weekly date to art galleries, movies – even a read of the papers and a coffee in the garden – but do it every week.

The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron is a great manual for ideas like this.

MANAGE YOUR TIME: DON’T SPEND TIME, INVEST IT

Make a plan.

Whenever you approach the computer, TV, etc ask yourself “What return am I going to get “. Don’t spend time. Invest it.

“What return am I going to get “.

See the brilliant Jim Lawless book Taming Tigers for lots of great strategies on time management and inspiration.

SET GOALS

Most powerful motivator there is. Achieving a goal gives positive feedback and helps you maintain your motivation."

(I set daily goals, cleaning the house, doing the washing, or anything like that and if I've completed at least half of my list I feel I've had a productive day.)

"YOU MUST DO THIS and stick to them.

Set daily goals in your diary. Ring fence time and stick to it.

For your career and personal life set -

Short term.
Mid term
Long term goals.

Set deadlines for each. Stick them up where you can see them!

SURVIVAL KIT

Go download the E book MAKING IT AS A SCREENWRITER. www.meadkerr.com"

(If you don't have it already, get it. It's an invaluable thing to have.)

"PRINT IT OUT and keep it next to your computer. You can feel good about supporting Childline and taking control of your future at the same time

Positive feedback file. Start building it now. Keep it next to your computer at all times. Soon as doubt creeps in reach for this.

Stick your list of goals with deadlines up on the wall next to the computer.

FINALLY

If all this talk of goals and time management seems like too much hard work, well the truth is that you probably enjoy writing as a hobby. That’s great, but don’t confuse an enjoyable hobby with the goal to become a professional writer. It requires a massive, daily commitment to your craft and a well honed and highly active career strategy to become a professional writer.

It’s easy to fall short in your efforts and assume that your lack of success is due to a lack of talent. Enjoy your hobby and stop worrying about “making it” or get seriously committed.

None of the above is meant to trivialise the illness of depression or the feelings of others. As I said earlier, your feelings are real and valid because that is what you are experiencing. If you stick to the suggestions above and still feel down and unmotivated you should seek professional help – as Dom has done. It’s important to talk to people."

Cheers, Adrian.

Write Some More

While I've been suffering from the depression, and even though I haven't been writing, my brain has still been ticking over.

Second Skin, my entry to this year's Red Planet Prize, has been floating around in my head ever since I didn't get through to the second read. It's changed a lot since then, so tonight I started work again on the series bible. I've added a new character who will feature heavily in the first season and will bow out at the end of the series.

Still loads more ideas floating around in my head to change things so I'll try and work on this as much as I can during the week.

Write

I did write the other night, only a few words, but my first for months. Progress!!!

The Blackness

So what have I been doing for the last month or so?

I've been in a very difficult place, most commonly known as depression.

I'm not looking for any sympathy writing this, I just want to tell my story and help anyone else out there in writer land who might be suffering, but may not know it.

Mental illness affects one in four people. I have twenty three followers of this blog, which means five of them could potentially be suffering from mental problems. Don't let the words 'mental illness' scare you, although depression is classed as a mental illness it is treatable, you just need to admit you need help and ask for it.

Not so long ago I found myself sleeping a lot, and when I was awake I didn't have any energy. I lost interest in my writing (I've written nothing since the CBBC drama competition), going out, socialising, or doing anything other than sitting on the sofa in front of the TV. I also found myself analysing everything about my life in the minutest detail. I felt I was a failure as a writer because after eight years of trying I've still not had a commission here in the UK. I was also very short tempered and would get angry over the littlest things. Life was, in short,...crap!!!

But I decided to go and do something about it. I got my doctor to refer me for some counseling and I've just started cognitive therapy (reordering the way you think about things and look at the world). Even after only one session I feel better. I know I still have a long way to go, but I know I'm doing something about it now, so one day very soon those dark clouds are going to lift.

I even feel a little interest in my writing coming back, so I may even write a few little words on a treatment, or something, just to get me started.

Asking for help is a hard thing to do, but I promise you there is no shame in it. If you're feeling down I urge you to go and talk to your doctor and tell him how you feel. He/She will listen to you, and more importantly, he/she will be able to help.

Where Have I Been?

Update soon!!!!

James Moran

Good, intelligent, thought provoking television that stays with you weeks after transmission, that's the mark of good TV. So why do people feel it necessary to be nasty about things.

James has been nothing but open about his work from day one, offering a rarely seen insight into the television creative process. He didn't need to do that, he could have just kept quiet, but he was generous enough to share his experiences with us. Now others have gone and spoilt it by sending hateful messages and rude comments. If you don't like what he writes then don't watch it.

James is taking a rest from the blog-o-sphere for a while, so leave him be: http://jamesmoran.blogspot.com/2009/07/stepping-back.html

A Happy Writer

I found it, that feeling you get when you absolutely love something, when it's all you think about, when it just comes naturally, and when everything you touch turns to pure, solid gold.

My CBBC entry was so much fun, more fun than I've had for ages. It was just a joy to type words, one after the other, and not to care what anyone else might think of it. It just flowed, and flowed, and flowed. And when I reached the end I hardly had anything I needed to change. It was just perfect. Maybe it was the fact the story has been in my head for three years now, and is being written as a novel, or maybe it was working to a deadline that did it? Whatever it was I now want to write the second episode, and the third, and the fourth, and so on. Pure writing joy.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I now have my writing mojo back...yeah, baby, yeah!!!

The CBBC Rush

18 pages written, 12 to do.... 6 days and 10 minutes till the deadline.

Will I make it?

Read the comments to find out.

CBBC

Frantically working on my CBBC entry, trying to get it finished by the deadline. But a thought occurs to me, what if it's too scary?

A drama aimed at the 6-12 year old viewers, so exactly HOW scary can I make it? Do I avoid scenes with characters suffering nightmares, in dark places being chased by creatures they cannot see, or do I go,"BOLLOCKS" and just write it how I want to and risk a nation of six year olds weeing their pants in terror?

Mind you, if I do that, those children will remember the program for the rest of their lives, which is what good TV drama is all about.

Oh dear, what should a writer do?

Bastard Pooter

Bastard pooter crashed because of bastard Mac update.

Bastard reinstall went bastard wrong and I lost ten years of bastard photos.

And I haven't been able to write a word of the bastard CBBC thing for three bastard days because of it!!!!

Nine bastard days to go and still only three bastard pages. Better get a bastard move on then.

BASTARD!!!!!

Apology

Last night I posted something I had noticed about James Moran which I thought was funny. On reflection it wasn't and may have been interpreted as a criticism of his work.

The one comment I received called me unprofessional and quite rightly so.

I would just like to state that James Moran deserves the success he is experiencing, because he is very talented and works extremely hard, and at no time have I thought, or intended to apply, the opposite.

So if anyone was offended by my post, please accept my humble apologies.

Dom

The Sound Of Silence

I've been a bit quiet of late, tis coz I have my head down trying to do this CBBC thing.

I will surface soon enough, and there had better be plenty of comments on my posts when I do....or there will be trouble :-P

A Writer Shall Be Rewritten

I've just started the third rewrite on Second Skin, my supernatural comedy drama, thanks to some pretty honest notes from some very lovely people. And it's a biggy, almost a complete overhaul of character, plot and original idea. The thing I don't like about rewrites, and it's a big thing, is my enthusiasm for the project evaporates slightly with every new version. To me writing then becomes mechanical and loses the joy and excitement which first attracts me to a project. With a loss of enthusiasm comes a loss of motivation. I'd rather Facebook or Twitter.

How to combat it? One suggestion is to put the script away for a few months until it starts to interest you again. After all should you really work on something you've lost your enthusiasm for? Wouldn't this weaken the effectiveness of any rewrite?

Another suggestion is just to plow on through with it despite a dwindling enthusiasm. Get the rewrite done, leave it for a while and then come back to it. Then you can see if the rewrite worked and go back and change what didn't. This is significantly harder work than the above and can lead to a lot of indecision, but is still my preferred way of working. I don't like to give up and for me putting aside a script until my enthusiasm returns is doing exactly that.

Another problem I have with excessive rewriting is the diluting of the original idea. The idea is to make your script better, improve on characters, sharpen dialogue and tighten structure. Your script maybe much improved at the end, but does all that rewriting dilute your original voice? After all we are continuously told an original voice is what producers are looking for.

I think as a new writer you're under pressure to make your scripts perfect and I for one know that in the search of that perfection I lose some of that initial sparkle, that rawness which makes the script a Dominic Carver original. Maybe more considered rewrites are the way to go, getting as much feed back as possible before attempting one. This way less time is spent on actual rewrites, enthusiasm is less likely to be lost, and less of the original voice is consigned to the scrap pile.

By the way, the term 'New Writer' annoys me too. I've been writing for years now, just because I haven't had a major commission, option or success so far doesn't mean I'm a 'New Writer'. 'New Writer' is a dirty word in my house and will no longer be used to describe the current stage of my career. I am a writer... end of!

The Gardening Scriptwriter

Sunday I was gardening, mainly because it was sunny, but also because the weeds had taken advantage of my week's holiday in Norway. It looked like they had had a party, a few friends round, even though they denied it. You know the sort of thing. Cheeky little buggers! While I was yanking out a rather stubborn dandelion root a sudden thought struck me, right between the eyes, made my eyes water I can tell you. My revelation? Scriptwriting is like gardening.

In the spring your garden is a mess, weeds everywhere, with the occasional shoot of a plant trying to battle through. This is your script at its conception. You have a mess of ideas floating around in your cranium with one or two showing promise. So you weed out those bad ideas, giving the good idea room to breath and grow. Then it blooms and you have your story and your garden is looking delightful. Now you can relax and enjoy it, right?

Wrong! Those weeds come back, becoming underdeveloped characters, clunky dialogue, threatening to choke the life out of your beautiful garden. Time to weed all over again. The more you weed the more weeds you notice hiding away waiting to shoot up when your back is turned. It's no good relaxingly, you have to keep on the boil, constantly going back to the garden, pruning, weeding and turning the soil to maintain the garden the way you want it.

But it doesn't matter how many weeds you dig up, when you have visitors over they'll always spot those one or two persistent weeds you failed to find. And there's always some bastard who kicks the heads off all your daffodils on their way home from the pub!!!!!

Vacation

I'm on holiday as of tomorrow, the first proper one in two years. Oh the joy!!!

I'll see you all when I get back kiddies, behave yourselves while I'm gone.

The First Chapter

So here it is as I promised, the first chapter of my children's novel, Guardians.

The novel is about five children with elemental powers who protect the Earth from the Groonmaig, demons intent on enslaving humans and using them as food source.

Please try and remember that the following chapter is a very, very, very rough first draft, completely unedited. What you read is what I typed without it being altered...well except for the spell check, but I think that is allowed. Enjoy :-)

PROLOGUE

A bitter wind drove the rain down hard on the Haskin’s Estate, swirling it into every corner, under ledges, into sheltered walkways, drenching ever inch of concrete, glass and tarmac, leaving no place to escape the storm’s vicious onslaught. None of the residents dared to venture out of their warm flats into such weather. Even the desperate and foolish staid dry tonight.

On the roof of the tallest building the wind rattled a TV aerial, hanging loose where the holding bolt had come away from the wall, causing the metal to screech eerily, a soft cry of a wounded animal, in-between the distant claps of thunder. The wind caught a discard, weathered, piece of newspaper, flipping it into the air, forcing it into a contorted dance, fighting the rain trying to dump it into the growing puddle of water on the roof.

A clap of thunder reverberated around the estate, and then a louder, more horrendous crack, much closer, right there on the roof. But it wasn’t the TV aerial come free at last, but a slither of the blackest darkness shattering into the air a foot off the ground. A fissure had opened within the air, continuing to grow wider as a terrible, heart wrenching screech of sheer desperation ripped the air. And then a foot, scaled and green, forcibly squeezed through the tiny gap that had formed.

Gabrinal slid through the gap and fell to the floor, and lay in the puddle, bloodied, scratched, bruised, out of breath and exhausted. He had made it, escaped the Groonmaig’s prison and returned to world of man, only the second demon to achieve this. He lay on the ground letting the rain wash over him, washing away the dirt, grime and blood from his scaled and hairy body. How many centuries had it been since he had last felt rain upon his tortured skin?

Gabrinal breathed in deeply. He could smell the stench of humanity that infested this world. He licked the razor sharp fangs that protruded over his lower lip. Soon the humans would know their masters once more.

Gabrinal calmed himself, emptied his mind of all thoughts of pain and exhaustion, and finally let it free to search out his brother. It didn’t take long before he felt that familiar presence.
“I am through, brother,” pulsed Gabrinal.

“Welcome home,” the words formed in his mind, the familiar voice sweet in his memory.

“Do you have what I need?”

“I have the list of children,” the words brought a shiver of excitement to Gabrinal’s spine.

“Good, then I wish to start immediately.”

“No, brother, you must rest first, recover from your wounds. You will need your strength”

“I am eager to begin. The quicker we achieve what we have set out to do the quicker the rest of the Groonmaig will be free,” pulsed Gabrinal rather too insistent. Gabrinal knew he had overstepped the mark, maybe even angered his brother. He remained silent waiting for his brother to reply.

“Patience, brother, I need you at full strength.” Gabrinal sensed his brother’s concern.

“What is it?”

“They are here.”

Gabrinal shivered once more this time not of pleasure but of fear. He hoped he was wrong.

"They are here?”

“They are.”

The Groonmaig’s old enemy, the Guardians, were close. Of all the places Gabrinal and his brother could have broken through the veil between worlds and they had landed right where the Guardians were. Coincidence, or had the Guardians predicted they would break through her?

“Do they know we are here, brother,” asked Gabrinal fearing the answer.

“I have already fought them and survived. Better still I slew their leader.”

Gabrinal breathed easier. “They are four again?”

“They are, and I have tracked down their replacement, a boy.”

“When will he be dealt with,” Gabrinal hissed with venom.

“No harm will come to him yet.”

Gabrinal could not believe what he was hearing. Had his brother gone mad?

“You must kill him, brother.”

“I have another way.”

“But if he becomes their leader...”

“Trust me, brother, I have it all in hand. Go now and rest, we begin soon,” the voice in Gabrinal’s head said soothingly.

“Can I feed, I am hungry?”

“Only one human, brother, no more. Leave nothing. We do not want to draw attention to ourselves before our task is done. I will contact you again soon.”

Gabrinal, too tired to argue, set off to hunt for a victim, then he would find a place to lay low and recover before the real work began.

Your Choice

Finally started the children's novel after three years of planning, and as I promised I will post some of the first words here, raw an unedited. But what to post?

Basically there are two choices.

1) The first paragraph only.
2) The first chapter (not very long).

So which would you like to see? I'll leave the vote open for the rest of the week and post the most popular suggestion next week.

Vote away :-)

Fame At Last

My first Mr. Vista episode has been uploaded and you can view it HERE or HERE.

The Mr. Vista blog will also feature on BBC Radio Five Live on Tuesday morning, which makes me super happy as it'll be my episode everyone will log in and see. Ooh, the fame!!!

I like Tim's version of my script even though it's not quite how I envisioned it, and it's strange and equally interesting to see how he interpreted my words. My script is below so you can see for yourself.

FADE IN:

INT. KITCHEN - DAY

Mr. Vista plonks a Tesco’s bag on the counter top, extracts a microwave meal, reads the cover.

POV: “READY IN 2 MINUTES.”

Mr. Vista licks his lips, shoves the meal in the microwave, presses buttons.

INSERT: Progress Bar “2 minutes.”

PING

INSERT: Progress Bar “Done.”

Mr. Vista extracts the meal, sticks his fork in, lifts it out. It’s still a block of ice. Back in it goes, followed by more button pressing.

INSERT: Progress Bar “2 minutes.”

PING

INSERT: Progress Bar “Done...I think?”

Mr. Vista extracts the meal, sticks his fork in again, lifts it out. It’s still a block of ice. Mr. Vista perplexed. Back in it goes, followed by frantic button pressing.

INSERT: Progress Bar “Warp Factor Ten Mr. Sulu.”

PING

INSERT: Progress Bar “It should be done now?”

Mr. Vista extracts the meal. It’s a small charred, smoking lump.

INSERT: Progress Bar “Enjoy!”

I hope the other scripts turn out equally as well.

Birthday

So I've reached the big 40 and to be honest I don't really feel any different, except my taste in presents has turned to shit.

Normally I would know way in advance what I want for my birthday. I usually scour Amazon a month or so before for all the latest DVDs, make a list and remind people about it every couple of days or so. This year I didn't know what I wanted, nor did I have a desire for anything. Strange!

In the end I got very excited about a lawn mower and strimmer my parents bought me, and I am also planning to buy a BBQ with all the lovely cash I was given. I think middle age has hit early.

My party was organised by my lovely wife Susie and was on the theme of TV and movie characters. As you can see I came as Batman, The Dark Knight version.

However, the Batman suit had one problem, it didn't have a pee hole, so to go to the loo I had to almost take the whole thing off. I started drinking pints that night and soon realised a full bladder was going to be a problem. So I started to drink shorts. "Come on, Dom, it's only a quid extra for a double," someone said to me. I don't remember much after that.

A special thanks to Timothy 'Clackers' Clague who was the only blogger and fellow writer who managed to tear themselves away from the normal Saturday night stuff and come help me celebrate my special day. Cheers buddy :-)

Apparently I spent three hours wandering around the house after everyone had gone to bed, mumbling to myself and falling asleep, five minutes at a time, in some very odd places, even lent on the kitchen counter top at one point, so I'm told.

My head hurt really bad the next day. Roll on fifty.

Life Begins At Forty

Does it bollocks!!!!

Photos and birthday party report to follow soon.... I just have to edit the drunken photos of me first. Tough job!!!

I Survived.... Just!

Details to follow soon.

Life Begins

Despite my best efforts, I'm surprised to find I have survived to see my fortieth birthday. No idea what happened there????

Happy Birthday to me,
Happy Birthday to me,
Happy Birthday Domiwomidoodles,
Happy Birthday to me.

Now pile on the praise and tell me how I don't look forty :-)

And for those of you coming to my party, I'll see you there. And to those who aren't coming... I never liked you anyway.

Pay It Forward

A year or so back I was having a conversation with a reader, discussing scripts we had read and loved. I remembered a script I reviewed on Tiggerstreet.com, a fantastic monster feature with great characters, a fast unrelenting pace, and an outstanding plot.

Let me get this straight from the start, I hate horror and monster movies. I don't understand why anyone would like watching a film where stoopid students get hacked to pieces, or some monster is on the loose and a couple who were once romantically involved have to hunt it down and save the world. In other words I find these types of films dull, boring and a waste of my time.

So it was a surprise for me to read this script and find that not only did I love it, but I wanted to see it made. So I went back through seven years of emails hoping to find an email from the writer, as luck would have it I still had his address. We got chatting and it ended up with me agreeing to help with a rewrite and to find the script a home. A year later I may well have just done that. An Australian film production company of some renown have shown an interest in the script and the writer is waiting to hear from them.

If I hadn't bothered that script might have found itself on a shelf covered in dust and ignored. I used the few contacts I have to get people to look at the script and it seems to have paid off.

I know so many people, writers especially, who are so precious over their industry contacts. Why should we be? We're writers, all with the same agenda, so why not give someone a leg up by recommending a friend's script you're really passionate about. You don't have to give out those contact's details, just forward the script. You never know this act of kindness might pay off in later years and help you get something of your own made. Of course I'm not asking you to send scripts to you contacts that you don't believe in, because that would just be silly and would do your reputation no good at all.

Come on writers if there's someone out there you admire as a writer, or even better a script you think rocks, or could rock with a little close attention, then give that person a friendly hand up the writing career ladder. Be kind, pay it forward.

Back With A Bang

Back after a week off and I did some writing last night. I felt fresh and well up for it, so I shall be cracking on again tonight.

Two of my short films have been picked up by Celtic Storm Films for shooting later this year. Jump will be the first to shoot sometime in the summer. Ooh, I'm so excited I could poop my pants...no really, I could.

Moods

I play a little online poker now and again, just for a bit of fun and beer money, and I recently brought a book on the subject. The author very interestingly talked about moods and how different ones affect your game. The basis of it was, never play in a bad mood as you won't be able to concentrate and you'll loose money. Always play when you are happy, calm and relaxed. This got me thinking.

How do our moods affect our writing? If we're writing a comedy should we only write when we're in a happy mood? Should we write horror when we're in a bad mood, and we're mad at the world or people and we want to get back at them? Would a happy mood make a comedy more funny and would a dark mood make a horror more scary?

I'm very interested to hear your thoughts on this because it's something I've never thought about before, but is perhaps something I should consider in the future.

What do you think? Does your mood change the way you write, and do you have to be in a certain mood to write a certain genre?

Mr. Slackness

I have just realised that to enter competitions you need scripts that are a) complete and b) you're happy with. Better get to it then.

I'm also thinking of filming one of my shorts. I nearly did last year, but dropped the idea to lack of time and not really knowing what I was doing. But as everyone else seems to be making one I don't want to be the one left out. Beware, I might be calling on you for some help very soon.

Competition Pimp

I'm going to set myself a goal for the rest of the year to see how many screenwriting competitions I can enter, regardless of the cost.

How many do you think I'll manage by the 31st of December and more importantly, how many do you think I'll get placed in?

Joy

I sent a script out to a few people a while back and I got the same feed back from them all, "Why is Alan chosen to receive his powers?" Stoopid people questioning my script :-P

But now I have the answer and have adjusted the script to answer this all important series driving question.

Blimey, writing two days in a row, it's becoming a habit.

Magic

I did some writing last night, the first this year...if you don't count the ever on going novel.

I feel faint...I might need a lie down.

Snow

I find myself slipping back into my old lazy ways, another New Year's resolution evaporated. I have my excuses of course, a trapped nerve in my back, and the snow, but I'm really just looking for things to distract me.

And what of my novel? No I haven't started writing it yet, but that's because I'm still smoothing out plot points. I've been working on this story for over two years now and I know it's good, but I want it to be spectacular. So just a little more needs to be done before I'm happy enough to start the actual writing. When I am I'll post the first few paragraphs in all their raw miss-spelt glory.

So much to do and so little time. Pull your finger out, Carver!!!

Mr. Vista

Yes, finally, he's back in his first adventure since the last one. Mr. Vista returns for series two in 'Ctrl Z'.

I was there for the filming that day and helped position the mug to get knocked from the table. I was curious to know how they were going to cut it and make the mug return to the table. Tim said it would be FX'd and I have to say I'm bloody impressed how they did it. Shame my shoes got a bit wet with tea though, but the free biscuits made up for it. Maybe I should not have stood so close when they filmed it (I was just out of shot on the left).

Can't wait until my episodes are shown.

And So 2009 Begins

This is the year I make it, where I succeed where I have failed for so long. 2009 is my year.

My episodes of Mr. Vista are coming soon, I believe they start broadcasting on the wondrous interweb sometime this week. I've also been contacted by a director interested in not one, but two of my shorts scripts... and he wants to shoot them in February.

The year has started the way it is going to finish. Nice :-)

Novel

I've been putting it off for ages, maybe because it's a major challenge and I didn't think I was up to it before.

Well I can announce I am no longer putting it off. I'm officially writing not one but two novels this year, starting today. One children's novel and one fantasy sword and sorcery type thingy. I will of course keep you posted.

P.S. Bit concerned about Matt Smith as the new Doctor. Is he really going to be any good? I'll have to wait and see like the rest of you I guess.