Holiday Blues

It's been over a week since returning from the lovely, sunny isle of Mallorca. (Well, mostly sunny, as long as you don't count the several days of cloud and rain; but we don't talk about those.) For the first time ever, I actually have an all-over-not-quite-so-pale-and-insipid-bit-of-colour. Not entirely 'all-over', I must make haste to point out, it wasn't a nudist holiday or anything. (The unfortunate incident on the beach that morning was purely accidental, I swear.)

So, now it's back to the scribbly stuff in earnest. I've had some good things though, since I got back. Got paid the final cheques for a screenplay and a treatment, that I thought would involve a whole lot more rewriting than I expected, which was a jolly nice relief.
Also, at the weekend, I found out that I'm a finalist in the EotP International Film Festival script writing competition, which was a really nice surprise. I'm going to see if I can make the journey down to the festival this year. Although it's quite a hike, I'm sure it'll be worth it. Tis a jolly good festival, so go and have a look!

Until then, I'm working on a very exciting Dark Harvest project which will hopefully keep me out of trouble for a while or so.

Liquid Lunch

There's a rather excellent and very funny online comedy show running at the moment. Written by the ever lovely and sickeningly talented Danny Stack, tis definitely worth catching up with! And if you don't - I shall take it upon myself to come round and slap you over the chops with a rather smelly wet fish. Yes - YOU! I know where you live!



You can also visit the main site over here.

Did I Really Write That?

One of the nicest things about finishing a particular script, is not only does it fill me with a sense of achievement and warm glowiness, (and gives me the excuse to run down to the corner shop and go wild in the wine section,) but it's the wonderful fact that I can just totally forget about it. And I mean, totally and utterly forget about it. It means I don't have to wake up at 5am fretting and trying to convince myself that I shouldn't even think about even attempting to write anything at all due my absolute rubbishness in all things scribbly.

So it usually comes as a rather pleasant, and highly surprising event if it gets placed or wins, (if it's a competition) because I really, truly, have completely thrown it out of my concious memory. It can be such a delightful shock to find that I've actually produced something solid rather that stare vacantly into space as most people tend to think I do all day.

They are of course, correct.

Mostly.

Onward

I sent off the first draft of the screenplay today - which of course means that I'll spend the next few weeks fretting about what the notes will say.
So, 'tis onto the next tasks which include writing up a second draft of a short film that's lurking around. Whether I get it done on time to put it in for what I plan to, is anyone's guess!
Also going to rewrite another little joint project, which so far is a lot of fun.
I've also have another treatment to write, so just waiting for the details of that job to come through. Busy, busy! Time to get a wiggle on I think!

Sofa's and Scripts

Good progress on one of my current work projects. I finished the first draft of the novel adaptation I've been hired to do - ahead of deadline! I'll be able to re-write it and tweak it over the next week or so.

Today, I had planned to have a bit of a lie-in as a treat, however, one of the ever so thoughtful neighbours decided to rip out their windows at 7:30 am. Joy.

So, I think I'll spend the afternoon finishing up a spec script that really should have been finished ages ago...

Or I'll just lounge on the sofa watching tv... or shooting some zombies on the Xbox...

First Signing!

Saturday saw me attending my first actual proper signing at Asylum Books and Games in Aberdeen.
The ever lovely Iain Lowson, creator of Dark Harvest: Legacy of Frankenstein and good friend, made the perilous journey up North on Friday, bringing probably the best gift EVER!
Up bright and early we turned up at Asylum Books and Games at 10am. It felt really odd being on the other side of the table and we sold and signed a good amount of books with a steady stream of folks coming to see us.
I did notice, however, that my signature kept changing throughout the day!
It was the first time I'd seen a hard copy of this gorgeous book and I got a strange but delightful tingle at seeing my short story in actual proper print!
For those of you not familiar with the setting, DH is set in a very believable and very dark alternative timeline where Victor Frankenstein has wangled his way to power and created the closed country of Promethea (what we would know as Romania). You can imagine our delight when a Romanian lad bought the book, full of enthusiasm for the book and it's setting!
The day, went by so quickly and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute.
Of course, being Saturday, the shop owner closed up early and invited us back to his flat for dinner and Doctor Who!
Definitely one of those most splendid days.

Iain will be traveling to the UK Games Expo in Bristol.

Marching on.

Blimey! March already! It'll be Christmas again before you know it.
It's been a busy few months. Lots of scribbly stuff and the eating of pizzas keeping me more or less out of trouble.
I had the good fortune to catch Geoff Holder on Wednesday, who was doing a promotion of his new book, 'The Guide to Mysterious Aberdeen'. A jolly nice chap full of interesting stories and info who also led a short tour of Old Aberdeen, which is where I used to live! It's shocking how much we don't know about our own back yards!
After that, it was a much needed trip to the pub followed by dinner at my favourite Tuscan restaurant. A most splendid break from scribbling!

Other quiveringly exciting news, is that Cubicle 7 are taking advanced orders for Dark Harvest: Legacy of Frankenstein - in fact, you can get your grubby little mitts on one right here!

Not only that, but we shall be shamelessly promoting it at Conpulsion in Edinburgh which takes place from March 25th - 27th! So, if you're in the area drop by and say hello. And if you're not in the area - then get your fuzzy little butts there by any means possible!

A Brand Spanking New Year

A whole new year ahead, filled with opportunities, problems, obstacles, challenges and rewards - all exciting and terrifying.
It's time to take this new year, grip it by it's big flappy ears and show it who's boss.
Whatever we have to face in the next 364 days... we will take it as it comes and if we don't like it we can always just cower behind the sofa and hope it goes away.
However we will have to deal with it and somehow we will reach it's end, ready to take on the next one.
A toast my friends... to whatever may be...

Festive Teaser...

Two years ago I thought that I'd quite like to have a shot at that writing lark.
If anyone had told me this time last year that I'd be writing Hollywood treatments, about to have a short story published, attended the screening of a fabulous short film in London and met numerous brilliant writers, I'd have poked you in the eye and walloped you with a frying pan for slander.... yet.... tis all true I tell you!
Gather round dear friends while I pour you some grog and tell you my tale... (or you could just bugger off to the pub and make your own entertainment!)
Not to mention the stuff I'm not allowed to talk about! :D

It Had To Happen

It's inevitable I suppose. I've been working on a script for a prospective TV thingy for almost two years now. Today I read that something very similar has been signed up for Channel 4. The moral of the lesson of course is not to faff around and get your finger out or else someone will beat you to it. Ah well. Tis all part of the game. *Rip rip rip*

London Screenwriters' Festival

I thought I'd pass on this info for the upcoming London Screenwriters' Festival. It certainly is worth checking out. 


Get an Agent with Circalit and the London Screenwriters’ Festival!

The London Screenwriters’ Festival have teamed up with Circalit to offer screenwriters a chance to get representation. Screenwriters are encouraged to enter the free competition at www.circalit.com. The winning writer will meet with a top London agent, get £100 and free tickets to the London Screenwriters’ Festival! The competition will be judged by the executive team at the London Screenwriters’ Festival and is free to enter.  The deadline for submissions is October 15th. 

Creative director of the festival and Oscar shortlisted film director Chris Jones commented, “We’re very excited about this competition with Circalit. Circalit’s unique style of competitions don’t just give writers the chance to win prizes, but also to share their work, gain valuable feedback and make industry connections. Circalit are doing the screenwriting community a great service with their free online social network and we’re very pleased to be able to do a competition with them.”

For more information or to enter your script please visit www.circalit.com

Between the Lines

Cast your peepers on this is a wonderful short by the very talented Scottish film maker, Graeme Buchan. I'm even more excited about this because he is about to start filming one of my shorts 'Terms & Conditions'. So pop it up to full screen, settle back, put your sound up and enjoy!

Check, Double Check and Check Again.

I made the error of looking over my Red Planet entry the other day. I was horrified at how many glaringly obvious mistakes there were. HORRIFIED!
In spite of having gone through it thoroughly (or so I thought) several times - it was only after it had been sent off that I realised just how many stupid, blatant mistakes there were.
You'd have thought I'd have learned from previous errors to really check it properly this time. (The last dire error I made was when I'd just got some new software and failed to notice that it hadn't imported to PDF as I'd thought it would  (lesson learned - make sure you know how to use your software correctly!)
What I should have done was to print it off and then go over it again. It's amazing how mistakes are easily overlooked on the screen stand yet stand out like throbbing sore thumbs on an actual physical page.
Better still, get someone else to read it - fresh pairs of eyes that have never seen the script before will have a better chance of noticing anything out of place/errors/spelling mistakes etc.
I must now, obviously go a stand in a corner and hang my head in shame for several weeks.

So before you send anything off remember - check, double check, leave it for a couple of days then check it several more times!

Then check it again!

Treatments, Adaptations and Rewrites.

Been quite busy recently. Just finished working on a treatment for an adaptation of a graphic novel. The night after I'd finished and sent it off, I woke up about 4am in a panic convinced that I'd done the whole thing in the wrong font. (I hadn't - I checked.)

I'm now about to start another adaptation of a short story which will hopefully be produced soon by a local Indie filmaker. More on that to come.

Exciting stuff.

I put in my entry for the Red Planet Prize too, but on hindsight it's a bit rubbish. Ah well. Something else to grind through the re-write mill! Publish Post

Origin Screening

Wednesday 21st July saw me merrily  making my way down to London for the Cast and Crew screening of Origin, Danny Stack's fantastic short film.

It's been about ten years since I've been to the Big City and I was just a wee bit nervous.

I  discovered that there is a weird time somewhere in the middle of the night/early morning called 5am and not really knowing what to do with it, I found myself still asleep for the first part of the journey. As soon as I opened the front door, a torrential downpour of rain began but  I courageously managed to fight my way to the bus stop. I  grabbed some supplies and a book from somewhere and found myself on the correct train,
happily drifting to a semi-aware state of consciousness just in time for the first visit of the refreshment trolley somewhere around Arbroath.

Arriving at Kings Cross around 3pm, I somehow managed to blunder in all the right directions and got to my hotel.

The screening itself was just brilliant. Taking place at Working Title Films, Danny and his wife Jo had organised lovely food and drinks and made everyone feel so welcome.

After everyone had arrived and relaxed, we went into the screening where Danny did an excellent job of thanking everyone and introducing the film.

The film was splendid, moving, and a joy to watch. If you ever get the chance to see it an upcoming festival – please do.

I met some fab people to whom I wibbled senselessly at (including James Moran and Jason Arnopp, Sam Morrison) as well as loads of other lovely folks too including Robert Yates and Hilary Wright. 

I have no idea how I got back to the hotel that evening – I was buzzing so much. Luckily the Gods of Transport and Blundering Idiots must have been looking favourably upon me that night and took pity on me.

Next day, I had a Tweetup with Jason, a jolly nice and smashing chap who not only let me play with his iPad, but bought me lunch too! It was lovely to finally meet up with him.

The rest of the day was filled with gaping happily out of the train window and trying to guess when the next trolley run would be.  By the time I got back at about 9:15pm – I was so tired I was even more incoherent than usual and basically fell into bed as soon as I got home.