Spiral Patterns of My Mind

I don't have much time at the moment for anything other than work, so here's a quickie...and quite possibly the shortest post I have ever written.

Have you ever felt you were spiralling?  I don't mean spiralling out of control (I don't think),  I mean, on a spiral path? You know, you tootle along quite happily - round and round but always going somewhere - and then, depending on which way you were going, you get to the 'end' or 'centre' thinking, "Ah, yes, that's me getting there."   Then you notice the spiral path carries on and on and on; round and round and round.

Mmmmm. That was last night's dream. My head is still all swirly and foggy and it hurts lots. I want to lie down but I have so much stuff to do.

Back to beat sheeting again today.

Farewell 2008 - Hello 2009

And so here we are - I can now gaze back at 2008 in its totality and raise a glass to what has quietly turned out to be a refreshingly marvellous year.  It's not been an easy-peasy 12 months at Tenacious Towers, that's for sure, but then where would the fun and sense of achievement have been if it had all been too effortless?

I am glad to say I have made more friends and contacts this year than I have lost, and lost more kilos than I have gained, so that's got to be a good thing; I have created more and written more this year than I ever have, including of course my experimental short film, "three" and my NaNoWriMo effort, "Taking the Fast Lane", which looking back on the experience really is recommended for anyone with a dose of writer's block, creative collapse or even penetrating procrastination. Not that I was actually suffering from any of the aforementioned afflictions mind you - I just felt like a challenging change. Last but not least, I have of course, been selected as Writer/Director for Screen East's DigiBytes scheme and start my script development in the first week of January 2009. I am really excited about the whole project and can't wait to get into the swing of it all; I know it's going to be really hard work but I can't wait! I am living, breathing and sleeping my short, "Practice is Perfect" and I keep having comedy moment panicky dreams about it. Here are a few recent horrors:

1) Staring at the shooting script, forgetting everything I have ever learnt about filmmaking / writing / performance, 

2) Not being able to find the set (!), 

3) Walking onto set and just shrugging and grinning at everyone as they await my instruction, 

4) Realising the actors are in the wrong costumes waaaaay into the shoot, 

5) Having agreed the lighting design for the Digital shoot, finding out, as we wrapped, we had been shooting on 35mm and no-one had bothered to tell me...

Oh, I could go on, but I won't as I am [nervously] laughing too much about the difference in size of a Film camera to a Digital camera.

I have approximately a three month period of development and only then do the successful five (out of seven) projects get chosen to go into pre-production and onto shooting.  You'll not be catching my ass near any laurels having a rest until I know what's what, that's for sure - it's so not over 'til the fat lady sings.  Or Screen East/UKFC say yes. Whichever comes first.  

And on that note, my dearest near and far friends, family, colleagues and e-stalkers, I have work to be getting on with. 

I wish you an ebullient Hogmanay and bid you an effervescent 2009.  

Onwards as always.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas!

A complete whirlwind of a week, so far, I tell you.  I've already been assigned my script editor for DigiBytes and I've been all go in order to hit the ground running come early January 2009, so as far as I am concerned, it's truly time to sign off now for some serious festivities here at Tenacious Towers.  

I wish an extremely Merry Christmas / Happy Hanukkah to all fellow bloggers, general readers, friends, family, colleagues, accidental googlers, the person from Bolivia who checks this blog habitually, anonymous lurkers and cyber stalkers.  I hope you all have a happy, safe time & here's to a brilliant 2009 for all!

I leave you with a Christmas video: you don't have to be a geek to appreciate it, but if you are, you'll get even more of the gags.  Until we meet again on the other side of the mince pies. 

Oh, yes...DigiBytes 2009

The Screen East Lady...she say: YES!!!!

That's right, peeps, following my interview last week, I have just heard my short, "Practice is Perfect"  has been selected for development for Screen East's DigiBytes 2009 scheme.

As you can imagine I am totally stoked so I'm now off to open a large bottle of champagne, eat chocolate, read more film books and then stare at my Christmas tree - all with a very big grin on my face.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

Cor Blimey, Mate - Time Flies and All That

Hello all

Just popping my head above the parapet for a nanosecond to check all is well in the Land.  

I have been terribly busy all week, what with one thing and another, and now it's very nearly the end of the week and I am already heading towards organising myself for next week which is also jam packed full of meetings here, there and everywhere!  Phew - and all this so close to Christmas too - it doesn't feel as though anybody is winding down for the festivities in a rush, that's for sure!  

I will also be going to see Santa next week as I need to squeeze in a trip to his grotto before Christmas - I have been a very good girl and I would like to tell him what I need this year.  Oh, ok, I thought The Kid would like to pull Santa's beard off, alright?

I may not get the chance to babble on too much for a few days,  so you could be pretty safe from Tenacious Tripe for maybe a week yet. I will return with a vengeance of course, and besides, I'll need to update you all on my Screen East interview.

I am reliably informed we have only 14 sleeps left until Christmas so  I trust you have all completed and wrapped your presents by now? Good. Thought so.  My tree's over here...no, I said here...don't go leaving my presents under James Moran's tree by accident - he's got far too many baubles as well as commissions. ;)

Until next week - probably, but not definitely.

x

Where does time go?

Hello from the other side.  The other side of 25,000 words that is.

It's been a strange week for me - 

1. I've had The Kid with a blood filled mouth and bleeding nose after falling on the floor and impaling his lower lip with three top teeth, his upper gum with two lower teeth and bashing his nose all at the same time (and yes, I panicked. A lot.); 
   
2. I've said "Ta-ra 'til the New Year" to my Mummy dearest, who's off to play the campest Evil Queen Snow White will ever have come across in Pantoland;   
   
3. I've cleared up little pools of sick, after The Cat ate one of The Kid's errant grapes (I think) ; 
   
4. I've cleared up so many leaves from the Tenacious Towers' grounds I am beginning to think they breed on the floor of the vast orchard; 
   
5. I've been shocked at how much Anton du Beke is gradually morphing into Brucie;  
   
6. I've been avidly watching our graciously returned Sky 1 (that didn't take too long did it Virgin..?) in the vain hope that something else other than 'Ross Kemp on Everything' will be on.

But just for a laugh, I've also partaken in that old game "half fall/half slide down the stairs" whilst rushing to grab The Kid's teddy for cuddles.

On the up side, I didn't fall completely as I had grabbed onto the bannister; on the down side, I grabbed with the arm that had previously been privy to a dislocated shoulder so writing has been interesting.  I also crushed two toes on one of the spindley thingies. Ouch. Obviously, my utter silence as I limped down the stairs spoke louder than any words, as The Kid said "Uh-oh" and pulled out the chenille throw which is reserved for cold winter nights, illness and /or injury cuddles.  In amongst all this madness and mayhem, I have of course be slotting in keyboard hammering flashes, where I sit talking to myself like a demented mad woman, and create NaNoWriMo stylee.

Having now passed 36,000 words, I am onto the fourth (and final) part of "Taking the Fast Lane", which seems incredible - not the novel, but just the feat!  It's been a fascinating journey to sit down with nothing and create something.  Obviously still being at least 14,000 words off, I am hoping it won't be too rough a ride.  The whole NaNoWriMo experience so far has been brilliant  and has been made even better by the Pep Talk emails we receive. So far we've had wise words from Philip Pullman, Jonathan Stroud, Katherine Paterson, Meg Cabot and many from NaNoWriMo founder, Chris Baty at HQ.  If you are interested in reading any of the pep talks they are available online here.

I was also able to breathe a sigh of relief on Friday when a fairly hefty envelope from Screen East plopped in the letter box advising me (one envelope, four separate letters inside) that each of my screenplays had been received and logged.  I had started to panic a bit as four Royal Mail bags full of post had been found abandoned in a field in my area - and of course I had convinced myself my screenplays were in there...the acknowledgement letters weren't due until Friday, but I had nonetheless convinced myself my creations were being sifted by CID for prints.  Or something.

Anyway, if I get short listed for an interview then I should know early December.  If I am successful after the interview, it'll be a great Christmas, I tell you.  

Right, before cracking on with a few more pages of the novel, I'm off to see who out of the "Celebrity" jungle inmates, has had the most surgery.  Hmmm. Let me think....

I am loving the Red London Bus - it must have been dumped there after the closing ceremony in Beijing.

Onwards.

Twenty-Five Thousand Words and Counting

So, I'm writing this darn novel for NaNoWriMo right?  And I'm thinking to myself - you know what, it doesn't matter what you end up with - in fact, although it would be pretty cool to hit the 50k word target,  that really doesn't matter either, not in the grand scheme of things.  I heard here and there that a few people thought this NaNoWriMo idea was really very stupid and it didn't mean a thing as the point is "just to write - edit later" (if you want), but one thing it has allowed me to prove to myself is given a deadline, I can write to it.

Somewhere in my brain, there is a tiny cluster of cells that disagree heavily at the fact this is a waste of time.  These cells have driven me round the bend, making me type faster and faster, and weaving themselves in and out of characters and experiences like a demented spider, the more I move on in the story.

I no longer own this story, as it now owns me and I am firmly stuck in the world with HotCeleb magazine and all the people who feature in it.  Especially Jardin Moist (that's just to make Stevyn laugh again ;)

The mind is a crazy thing (well, mine is).  I was really worried I would run out of steam the further I moved on in the story, but the damn thing is writing as if I had planned it.  Great stuff, but most unnerving as I don't know where it's all coming from.  MacBook is possessed.

Well, regardless who's possessing what and when, I have just tipped the scales over the half way mark.  Wow, can't believe I've got to write all that again, word count wise!  

So here's to the 25k word benchmark!  Not too bad a feat thus far.  I doubt very much I'll be keeping up this pace for the other 25k, but you never do know.  Perhaps I'l just finish it in time to hear good news from Screen East. Here's hoping. 

x

Short films, Short books and a Short Fuse.

Hello again lovelies.

Actually I don't have a short fuse today - as per my post title - but thought it sounded more interesting. Tsk.

Just another quick dip in and out for me just now as a lot of today has been spent running through piles of leaves in the park, pushing swings with all my might and then trying to get the odd word typed here and there.   Time is very precious at the moment and I have to run my days like a Sandhurst text book operation, squeezing in all the usual stuff as well as keeping on top of my obsessive word count for NaNoWriMo.  As of last night "Taking the Fast Lane" was sitting at 12,680 words, so it's moving on.

First up, a couple more job opportunities:

1. Assistant Script Editor, BBC Drama Series & Serials, London : 6 month fixed term contract/Attachment (Maternity cover)
2. Script Editor , BBC Drama Series & Serials, London: 1 x 12 month fixed term contract/attachment and 1 x 6 month fixed term contract/Attachment (Mat Cover)

Well, back to NaNoWriMo.  It *seems* to be going ok, apart from the fact I keep panicking myself by thinking I'm running out of plot/words/fingers.  I have now completed "Part One" (of four) of the book and am wading my way into "Part Two".  When I had two minutes spare yesterday (a bit like now), I very bravely filled in the 'synopsis' and 'excerpt sections' of the  'Novel Info' page on the NaNoWriMo site, so if you want to read what kind of trash a totally unplanned novel reads like (no editing has taken place), then please feel free to check it out here. [Please note: it contains bad language, bad imagery & more than likely very bad writing].  

Urgh. I'm probably really going to regret that, aren't I?  [There's still time to remove the link... No!  Be brave, Tenacious You...it'll be ok - they're all lovely your bloggie-buds...]

Other than that, not a lot has been happening apart from the usual day to day writerly drift.  

I am still waiting to see what happens with my film, "three" - the closing date was the end of August and no decision has been made yet (the second round has also now closed...)!  So that really has been the longest wait on earth.  Never mind, next Monday is the closing date for Screen East's DigiBytes and Digital Nation , and seeing as they have a strict timetable to adhere to, all final decisions after interviews etc (hopefully) should be revealed just before Christmas.

Have a good weekend all.  Not sure what I'm  up to...ha ha ha. Onwards.

Hallowe'en, Samhain and NaNoNoNoNo

Today, I have been tripping over a mini version of Vlad the Impaler whilst preparing my delectable fright night basket of trouble for those brave enough to bare their souls on entering the Tenacious Towers Gateway.  I adore Hallowe'en as I love scaring the sh*t out of the little sh*ts who try to scare me! Foiled again, you darn pesky kids!  I get the feeling The Kid loves Hallowe'en too - he looks super cool running around with his swishy, black cape on.  

On a less witchcraft-like and more craft-like note, I have decided to take up the challenge of NaNoWriMo after checking up on the dates for the Digital Shorts scheme. I really didn't want them to clash because if I do get onto DigiBytes/Digital Nation, I need to keep my head crystal clear and full of screenwriter and directorial info for the process, but luckily nothing solid will happen until 1st December or thereabouts.  So that leaves me a month.  A big gaping 30 days in which I have nothing to do except complete the submission for CBeebies, outline and finalise a Docudrama format, have a few of meetings here and there for research purposes, run around after The Kid, oh, and write a load of tosh which will be lovingly referred to as a novel.  And it'll probably end up like a 50,000 word blog post.  

However, I have a slight problem - now I have made the decision to actually take part in NaNoWriMo I can't get onto the website to register.  Ain't that just Sod's Law?  I guess the whole world (?) is logging on and registering but I'll keep trying.  If I succeed I hope to stick up some of their pretty stat counter thingies so you can see how bad my word count is by the day/week!  Ha!

In addition to Hallowe'en, after sundown today, it is also Samhain - marking the end of the Summer, the last Harvest and the beginning of the dark half of the year.  It's a time to take stock, develop and make tacit moves towards new, fresh goals - a good time to start making sketchy plans more solid. Onwards ever onwards and all that, so, I do hope I get to register for NaNoWriMo as it would be an appropriate start to my Celtic New Year.  

Happy Hallowe'en/Samhain!

It's in the Post

Well, that's that, then - half a ream of paper filled up with my words, observations and nonsense is now pounding it's way to Screen East in Norwich.  

I started printing this morning and have only just managed to get to the Post Office, but this was mainly down to my printer not playing ball well enough when it came to the mock-up posters I had to produce as part of my submission.  

After a few arguments with myself about quality control, I went out to my local printy-place and the nice man printed my posters off. As I was admiring how posh they looked, he was looking rather confused at the poster for Brad Pitt's Pants - one of my screenplay subs.  I asked if there was a problem and he replied he couldn't remember modelling for me.  Funny man.  In your dreams.

When I returned home, Cat had been having a brilliant time playing with her sparkly toy balls. Unfortunately for me, she had obviously been running after her toys at top speed, couldn't stop on the wooden floor and had slid straight into my neat little piles of Screen East printouts on the floor, scattering everything everywhere.  After a few choice words, and fishing her toys out from the papers, I then had to reprint six story outlines which had been screwed up against the desk and/or slashed by her claws.  Little f*cker. 

Anyway, it's all gone now and as I said, that's that.  

Next...?

Ah, yes, had a meeting yesterday about a new kids TV series which I am really looking forward to collaborating on - that'll be taking up a bit of my time from now, but at least I have practically finished my Christmas shopping: I gave myself the weekend off, remember?!

Whilst I am thinking about it, I emailed a peep at the Beeb yesterday for info on the new "rolling commission" protocol they are introducing for CBeebies which will be coming into force in January 2009.  All subs will now be via e-Commissioning (all info HERE) and full guidelines on the rolling commission will be released early in the new year, so if you have any children's TV submissions then keep your eyes on the CBeebies Commissioning area.

Bye for now. x

Check, Check, Check

Four completed Outlines - check

Four 25WOL - check

Four Publicity Poster mock-ups - check

Three completed Screenplays - check

One Showreel - check

One Biography - check

Four Completed Application & Monitoring forms (one per film) - check

One full printer cartridge ready for 'The Mass Print' next week - check

Envelope (sturdy) - check

Minor adjustments aside: Weekend Off - check

Wish cyberpeeps a good weekend - check

x

No Test Tube Required...

Yesterday, I spent the day with Lucy at her ICA Lab which is excellently organised by Deva Palmier. It was an interesting day (spent without wearing white lab coats) and I was fascinated to hear other actors' understanding of the screenplay, characters and structure.  It was really a very enjoyable day and I for one would definitely consider taking a script there for a read-through in order to both develop and 'test the water'.  

It was lovely to catch up with Lucy as we haven't seen each other for such a long time - apparently last time was Adrian Mead's course - but it was also great to finally meet Nun with a Gun Elinor!  The fact we just "picked up from where we left off", knew each other's business like old mates and in Elinor's case - had never met - was probably a bit too much for a some peeps whose vision of "cyber geeks" was obviously something other than us lot.

All that fun aside, I'm glad to say I fully utilised The Kid-free tube travel time there and back by hammering at my Mac keyboard,  rejigging one of my Screen East subs and rewriting my biography. Again. 

Apart from a few tweaks here and there, I thought I was pretty much done on my Screen East submission - wrong. On Friday, I re-read one of the outlines I had written and decided it was total and utter cr*p.  In fact, I was so furious with my lame effort, not only did I hand shred the outline into teeny, tiny pieces whilst shouting loudly at it, I then deleted the whole damn file from Mac.  

So I started again, and it's much better this time - although I'm still not finished, but I am on my way.  

I am going to fill out the actual application form and print everything off this week, then I shall put into play my very own personal OCD (Obsessive Checking Disorder).  Very soon, I'll carry the package to the Post Office like a swaddled baby - wondering all the while if everything is included - and place it carefully into the woven, grey, plastic large letter/parcels bag. But not before Wednesday. No sireeeee, not in a zillion years.  

You see, Mercury moves forward again on Wednesday after being retrograde for ages. Wondering where those "lost in the post" things have gone?  Why THAT email hasn't been responded to? When THEY'LL call back?  I guarantee after Wednesday things will start moving again. And the stock markets too. Mark my words.* 

Ta-ra for now.

x

*The Don't Blame Me If I'm Wrong Waiver: 

The value of your investments can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you originally invested. Therefore, you should avoid investing more than you can afford to lose.

If at first, the idea is not absurd...

...then there is not hope for it"  - Albert Einstein.

It's all busy bees and business here at TT, and absurd goals are the flavour of this week/month/year.

I am gradually working through my checklist of bits and pieces for my Digibytes submission. I have four screenplay 'submissions' I would like to get into them - each 'submission' consists of a story outline, 25 words or less synopsis, publicity poster mock up plus previous writing example, biography, showreel and application form. It's starting to feel like a celluloid matryoshka.

I have two completed screenplays, two completed 25 words or less, three completed publicity posters, one story outline (I never outlined the longer screenplays before starting as the ideas were both born and written up at top speed) plus all the other application paperwork. I make that three outlines, half a screenplay and two 25 words or less to go. 

I find myself stuck between a rock and hard place most of the time as I need to nail all the "completed screenplay" paperwork so I definitely have two solid submissions to send off, but I am desperate to finish off the half written screenplay! Although it has my usual trademark twist near the end, it is so vastly different from anything else I have ever written, it's been quite fun. I really hope I get somewhere with one of them!

Then there's the outline for The Book for Kids. It's driving me round the proverbial and has had to take a back seat of late. All the storylines seem too scary, too intimidating, too...adult? Over the weekend I had a leaf through books aimed at a similar age group and decided they are actually a bit scary and intimidating but can be read on both an adult and child's level, so that's fine. I think it will also work for TV as well, so that's fine too.

All this packed into just two and a half days a week (plus evenings and the odd hour here and there). If I had a whole week, I could rule the world. Ho ho ho. LOL. 

Hope you are all gearing up for a fun and busy week. 

Right then. Back to outlines...

x

To Infinity and Beyond?

Today I had my meeting with Sam Burton, New Talent Executive for Screen East.  We had a really good chat about Screen East's DigiBytes (a.k.a. Digital Shorts) and Digital Nation (previously Digital Shorts Plus) Schemes, had a chance to run through the application and selection process, as well as a general chat about my aims going forward - it was quite a lot to pack into a half hour meeting but well worth it.  Screen East have now uploaded all the info you require to submit your application - so if you fall under the Screen East area, go here to take a look.

However, behind the cool, creative exterior I presented today (!) lay a mere catalogue of disasters which, at one point, almost convinced me fate was steering me away from filmmaking forever - well, the meeting at Screen East anyway.

Cock-up #1: 

I decided to go to Norwich (Screen East Office location) by train - that way I could get some work done on the way.  I decided this last week and bagged myself a fantastic bargain in the form of an advance ticket. Brilliant.  The whole travel thing had been bugging me though - so I checked my itinerary/tickets on Sunday night only to discover the very helpful lady at my station had given me tickets to IPSWICH. 

Cock-Up #2:

I returned to my station on Monday morning (08:55 to be precise) and was assisted by a very helpful gentleman who informed my that although his colleague had quite possibly given me the incorrect ticket, as it was an advance ticket I was not able to change it - unless I extended it to go to Norwich for an additional charge of £10 per ticket (I had two singles). However, taking that particular train would have meant I was 1.5 hours late for my meeting - not a great start.  So, after no deliberation, I purchased ANOTHER ticket (again 2 singles which were cheaper than a return - wtf?).  When I asked what I should do with the Ipswich ticket the very helpful gentleman suggested I sell it onto someone at Liverpool Street Station.

Cock-Up #3:

Unfortunately, I didn't have time to bootleg my spare tickets this morning as my underground line virtually ground to a halt at every station between Baker Street and Liverpool Street due to bearing the brunt of the Circle line "not working effectively".  When I fought my way off the tube, towards the mainline station, cursing my choice of footwear, I had exactly 3 minutes to get up to the concourse, find the right platform and get on the train to Norwich. In my haste, I nearly broke my arm whilst tripping on the stairs and grabbing the handrail very hard. Didn't drop my iPhone though. Phew.

Cock-Up #4:

The train was late coming into Liverpool Street.  Consoled myself by rubbing my arm better like a five year old. 

Cock-Up #5:

Off we trundled towards Norwich.  Speedily we ran until Chelmsford, where we sat for 20 minutes due to "platform congestion" - don't they have industrial vats of Vicks or Olbas Oil to solve that? At least arm is feeling a bit better now.

Cock-Up #6:

ETA announced as 11:48.  Meeting starts at 12:00 in the city centre - a city I don't know. 

Cock-Up #7:

Arrived at 11:53. Nearly broke my ankle running for a taxi. Cursed my choice of footwear, once again. Rubbed my ankle whilst tearing paperwork out of my file to phone ahead, then realised I hadn't told the driver where I wanted to go. (You mean there are no psychic cabbies in Norfolk?).

Cock-Up #8:

Every single traffic light turned red. Ankle still hurts a lot.

But I did get to the meeting and everything was just fine - and other than someone sitting next to me on the tube eating an orange and spitting out all the the pips, the journey home was slightly less eventful. 

On arriving home I saw the news and a report about the poor Frank McGarahan who had been murdered in Norwich during the early hours of Sunday morning - he ending up dying where I had been dithering over whether to buy lunch from Tesco or just grab a cab from the rank, and head back to the station.

Today's cock-ups were swiftly smacked into perspective.