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.

Just a Couple of Things

We are now back to normal at Tenacious Towers. Having basked in the tawny sunshine for most of today, the snow drifts which had accumulated in the shaded areas of the grounds have now melted, adding quite a lovely water feature to the heather embankments. There are still a few icicles here and there in the North Wing, and although I found myself fighting through a blanket of my own breath whilst bringing the hounds in for the evening,  all in all, the log burner and Aga are doing a sterling job indoors.

Now where was I? Oh yes. Novels.

I have been toying with the idea of entering NaNoWriMo because like my Naughty Nun colleague, I don't really have much to do. Basic deduction tells me if I worked at an average of 5.8 pages a day I could reach the target of 50,000 words - but do I really have that time? I am not one to commit if I don't think I can give 100% and life is too short to beat oneself up for falling short. 

I have precisely one day left to decide and so I shall ponder the situation in my slumber.  

On a completely different note, if you are a lizard expert get yourself over to Sir Arnopp's place and have a nose around THERE while he's away - he's got a strange specimen 'pickled' in a bottle in the second last photo and if you can correctly name what it is then you'll win the fantastic prize of...a Tenacious North Wing Icicle.  Oh, come on what more do you want? Blood? A novel? Tsk.

Ta-ra for now.

Blogging is Good For You

I don't know if any of you listen to Simon Mayo on BBC Radio 5 Live but I generally like to try and catch up most days with who is promoting their recently released book/film/album etc.

This Wednesday, RTD and Benjamin Cook were talking about "Doctor Who: The Writer's Tale" - which I haven't yet read, but I think I may grab a copy (or ask Santa nicely) - but I digress, and that's really unusual for me on a Friday (Thursday, Wednesday, Tuesday, Monday...). Anyway, if you listen to the interview, about half way through RTD not only recommends the BBC Writers Room for getting your stuff read, but also checking out the Blogosphere and the writer/bloggers online who are all in touch with each other - better known to us lot as the Scribosphere. So you see,  this blog malarkey is not that bad a procrastination tool. Honest.

If you want to listen to the interview (or others from this week) there is a listen again facility for the past week's programmes and also podcasts of the main 'arts' interviews (which I think are available to download for a week after the tx?).  The RTD/Benjamin Cook podcast can be found on this page.

I bid you all a good weekend - personally, I'm going to get on with the Kiddie TV Project interspersed with autumn garden tidying, so catch up soon.

Back on Track

Crikey it's been a busy old week again at Tenacious Towers - and it's only Tuesday.

I finally managed to focus my brain, complete and submit my application for Think-Shoot-Distribute.  It was something I felt I really should apply for this year and although I am sure the competition is very tough, a girl's gotta try!  I have also been tweaking (and faffing) with the shorts I propose to submit to Digital Shorts '09.  

The various regional screen agencies will be gearing up very soon for the 2009 scheme to open, so if you've got some work you'd like to get out there, check out all the details with your particular screen agency. 

If you're not sure which regional agency you fall under, here's a titchy map for you to squint at - or click on the link to the full size map here.

I managed to get along to the UKFC Development Fund talk & networking event held by Euroscript last week.  It was a very good, relaxed event and I was really interested to hear the bare facts and figures from Tanya Seghatchian, Head of the Film Council's Development Fund.  The one lasting impression I came away with was: they read everything submitted.  And the magic formula for ticking their boxes?  Good, solid writing that works.  

Not rocket science by any means, but sometimes it's easy to forget the simple and obvious.

Last night I attended the Writers' Guild London & SE Branch drinks where Arnopp of Camden's absence was duly noted. I met lots of lovely writers, old and new - oh, plus fellow bloggers Perry & Beckley - and had some interesting chats laced with a teensy-weensy bit of alcohol. Ahem.  Nice bunch that Guild lot.  

My thought on the way home at midnight was, "if only the trains didn't stop so goddam early..." - my thoughts at 5am this morning when The Kid started were far less savoury.  Damn that Guild lot and their bottles of wine.

Emm, Emm, Aaaargh!

Today I had that awful feeling of: if I didn't - I was a bad mother; if I did - I was also a bad mother.  I am talking the combined MMR vaccination here, and in the pending wake of an epidemic (or was it going to be a pandemic?), I figured I should be The Bad Mother Who Chose To Vaccinate.  So The Kid is in bed and we've only had one wake up so far to report (just the usual dropped dummy).  However, I did notice he had a feint rash across his cheeks along with a chipmunk-like look.  It could of course be my imagination, which I am sure is going to run riot for the next few weeks.  Elinor has suggested Calpol and Wine, though I'm not sure they taste so good mixed.  You never know, it could be the next Red Bull & Vodka.  I'll let you know.

Talking of drinking - sorry, I meant talking of talking - I had a lovely afternoon in the fantastic company of Far Away, Potdoll & Helen on Saturday and what started out as a very calm, civilised 'coffee and cake' turned into a hysterically funny meeting of the minds (and livers). Think Women's Institute morphs into Coyote Ugly and you're vaguely moving in the right direction.

Right. Back to work I go.  Enough procras for one evening. Laters.