I seem to have accidentally slipped into a sidestream of the timeline, and have spent my whole time editing, writing ... and also either procrastinating or doing research - whichever term you feel happier with.
I've joined a writers' group a while back, which for once is compatible and actually works for me - which is nice. They want the same sort of things I do, and we all bring our own unique take and strengths to the table. :) Lovely stuff.
As a result we are bringing out a book of short stories, which I will tell you more about nearer the time. We are now ready to finalise the number of tales and the story order. It's very exciting.
In addition to working on this, I've been reading up on grammar and punctuation (which I was never 100% utterly amazing at, just fairly good and very patient at combing through things, plus the rules keep effing changing!), and I've been helping to edit both other people's work (the mad fools) and my own. I've even managed a bit of writing. Woo hoo!
A newly proofed version of The Grim will be out later this year - hopefully with fewer gaffs and punctuation errors.
The MS has tried to rear its ugly head a few times, but so far I've managed to bash it back down and get it mostly under control - although the exhaustion is something I'm having to learn to work around.
And I've been adoped by a stray cat. She's a black and white lovely, very demanding, but a purrfect companion in many respects. She replaces my Monster, who was killed in a hit & run nearly two years ago. He and the other ghost cats come and visit regularly, and Pushca (not Russian, its short for Pushy Cat) doesn't seem to mind. Although she does stare at Dereck when he visits.
So what else has been going on?
I loved The Hobbit, and The Desolation of Smaug. Also the new series of Sherlock looks like it's going to be fun. The 50 year anniversary of Doctor Who was great. A little disappointed by the change over episode - in the past they have always been hair-raising stuff. This time it seemed to be more of a by-the-numbers, not-really-trying to worry about the cliff-hanger factor, adrenaline-free afair ... or maybe I'm just getting really jaded in my old age. Having said that some of the episodes have been brilliant.
I enjoyed Vicious. And there have been quite a few comedy and police/crime things on that have been great... titles escape me for the moment. I shall blame my MS and the tiredness factor, which is currently kicking in, for the memory lapse. There have been a lot of good films. Again, the titles elude me at present.
And many other things I've enjoyed too, but I have to go and lie down in a darkened corner for a bit and recoup my energy and get my brain working again. Sorry. Please bear with me.
Have a great 2014, I know I will.
Showing posts with label Annual round up. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Annual round up. Show all posts
Friday, 3 January 2014
Monday, 26 December 2011
End of year update
What happened to me this year, you ask? Except you probably didn't. But you're here, so I'm going to do my best to remember, and tell you anyway.
It's a little difficult, as my memory sucks at the best of times, and my computer committed suicide in late September taking most of the useful links and information I had stored with it. - - Thank goodness for external back up drives! So at least I managed to keep the majority of my writing and important documentation safe. Phew! (Heck, I print out the important stuff as soon as I get it. Well, you have to don't you. That's what filing cabinets and recordable CDs are for.)
The highlights as I remember them were:
January - rewrite, rewrite, rewrite.
February get manipulated / bullied into eventually signing (in March) a contract with Paul Dawson, who then proceeded to try to screw over me and the other three people who were intent on making the film trilogy we were talking about. ... Managed to get a day job which lasted all of 5 days - thanks for that. Cheap labour required. I made the mistake of trying to be helpful, since they had me updating their company letterhead with their new version, of pointing out on my first day that they needed to quote their company number and registered address on it in order to comply with Limited Company status regulations. Next thing you know all my office admin training (specific to them) was over and I spent the next 4 days sweeping the floors and tidying the yard. Crap company all over. Sod 'em.
March - finally twigged what was going on with PDs attempted screw job and spent the next several weeks trying to get him to return full rights to me as he had confirmed he had no intention of making the film, so that myself and the other three could get on with trying to find a producer who actually knows the job and go about raising funding. Had to get the union involved before he eventually caved and finally did the decent thing.
April - all rights eventually returned to me. Thank f**k. ... lesson learned: Never sign anything without a solicitor involved, no matter how tempting, or how pressurised the 'it's only an agreement at this stage' may turn out to be. In my opinion, if he wasn't so blinded by the bright lights of Hollywood, he would make an excellent conman, he already has all the tactics and the gift-of-the-gab skills required for such a nefarious trade. ... Landed another day job working in an excellent garden centre, with excellent people, and plenty of green growing things to look at (which is one of the requirements of my cave-dwelling lifestyle) and learn about while I sell them to the general public. Lovely people.
May - rewrite, research then adjust accordingly and rewrite, speak with director, rewrite,
June - rewrite again, tweak, director's notes, rewrite.
July - Day job contract ends, they tell me to reapply at the end of August for the Christmas contract. Very happy. ... Rewrite, director's notes, rewrite. It's getting there! Hoorah! ... get a day job working in sales - - given lurgy by the boss at the interview near the end of the month. Thanks for that.
August - work through the lurgy, even though all I want to do is curl up and die. Boss then gives all of us another variation on the lurgy-- Which in my case attacks my brain, and -- in the same day that he tells me I'm not aggressive enough for sales, I realise I can't see properly out of one of my eyes, and my balance that has been getting progressively worse over the previous four days sends my foot coordination and spacial awareness to hell in a handcart. So, spent mid August in hospital A&E being poked and prodded and MRI'd, followed by spending the night for observation, knowing that when I get out I have to find a new job as soon as I can function again. Deep joy. On a massive dose of steroids to bring down the brain inflammation so that my own white cells will stop trying to kill me! It worked and stopped the symptoms from getting any worse. Phew! ... Contacted the garden centre, they were very pleased to hear from me and told me to fill in the application form they are posting.
September - Still can't balance properly, still only partial vision in the affected eye. ... Working at the main tills in the garden centre (rather than the plant centre tills which I prefer) as the mad dash to Christmas gradually ramps up, and shoppers start the whole shop-til-you-drop insanity.
October - Manning the tills full-time ... oh, and I've got to get some paperwork ready for the Trilogy plan for the second and third scripts so the director can take them to the American Film Market in November, if he's able to raise enough funding for the trip. - - Eek! Quickly reverse engineer a treatment for the first film, and then spend all my spare time getting the plot, character arcs, new villains and old villains worked out and then written up into treatments for the second and third films. Director seems pleased with the results.
November - Director decides not to go to the AFM after all, but take them to the Berlin festival in February (which will probably be a better fit?) ... So I breath a silent sigh of relief and collapse in a heap and try to recover from this dratted brain malarkey in my spare time away from the day job.
December - still dealing with shop-til-you-drop insanity in the day job, and coming up to Christmas am just about feeling the effects of needing to write or go nuts. Begin to plan my next writing projects - but family and Christmas prevent me from doing anything much beyond mental planning and some research. Realise I haven't been reading the blogs or keeping up to date with what's what since I got the brain thing in mid August. Bum!
Oh yeah - my car committed suicide in August just after my brain did, and my computer committed suicide in late September. Got it up and limping again by early October. Not properly fixed until mid November - when I finally had time to devote to all the updates, and programs, email etc, that I need on it. Er, and my Neurology Consultant thinks I probably have MS, but more tests are needed. Apparently living in the Wild West and having a Scandinavian Grandmother may both be a risk factors; on the plus side: eye involvement, being female, and being relatively young are all positive factors. But then they don't really know anything about MS. We'll find out more about that next year.
Blinking heck! This has been an overly interesting year. (on the plus side, lots of great experiences and perspectives for story) ... And I haven't even mentioned all the family trauma and bollocks that I've had to work through all year. If it's not one of them giving me problems to solve, it's another. - - But then again, I guess that's what family is for. ;)
Hopefully next year will be a little bit easier to deal with? Although I won't hold my breath. ... With a bit of luck the Trilogy will finally get some funding, and if not, well I am starting my next project (a novel and its accompanying screenplay) - I hope to have both done by mid year (unless the joyful happiness of the Trilogy delays things a bit.) Here's hoping!
Despite everything, I've enjoyed 2011. It's been an eye-opener, to say the least. (sick joke included on purpose) Heck, you only need one that actually works. ;)
It's a little difficult, as my memory sucks at the best of times, and my computer committed suicide in late September taking most of the useful links and information I had stored with it. - - Thank goodness for external back up drives! So at least I managed to keep the majority of my writing and important documentation safe. Phew! (Heck, I print out the important stuff as soon as I get it. Well, you have to don't you. That's what filing cabinets and recordable CDs are for.)
The highlights as I remember them were:
January - rewrite, rewrite, rewrite.
February get manipulated / bullied into eventually signing (in March) a contract with Paul Dawson, who then proceeded to try to screw over me and the other three people who were intent on making the film trilogy we were talking about. ... Managed to get a day job which lasted all of 5 days - thanks for that. Cheap labour required. I made the mistake of trying to be helpful, since they had me updating their company letterhead with their new version, of pointing out on my first day that they needed to quote their company number and registered address on it in order to comply with Limited Company status regulations. Next thing you know all my office admin training (specific to them) was over and I spent the next 4 days sweeping the floors and tidying the yard. Crap company all over. Sod 'em.
March - finally twigged what was going on with PDs attempted screw job and spent the next several weeks trying to get him to return full rights to me as he had confirmed he had no intention of making the film, so that myself and the other three could get on with trying to find a producer who actually knows the job and go about raising funding. Had to get the union involved before he eventually caved and finally did the decent thing.
April - all rights eventually returned to me. Thank f**k. ... lesson learned: Never sign anything without a solicitor involved, no matter how tempting, or how pressurised the 'it's only an agreement at this stage' may turn out to be. In my opinion, if he wasn't so blinded by the bright lights of Hollywood, he would make an excellent conman, he already has all the tactics and the gift-of-the-gab skills required for such a nefarious trade. ... Landed another day job working in an excellent garden centre, with excellent people, and plenty of green growing things to look at (which is one of the requirements of my cave-dwelling lifestyle) and learn about while I sell them to the general public. Lovely people.
May - rewrite, research then adjust accordingly and rewrite, speak with director, rewrite,
June - rewrite again, tweak, director's notes, rewrite.
July - Day job contract ends, they tell me to reapply at the end of August for the Christmas contract. Very happy. ... Rewrite, director's notes, rewrite. It's getting there! Hoorah! ... get a day job working in sales - - given lurgy by the boss at the interview near the end of the month. Thanks for that.
August - work through the lurgy, even though all I want to do is curl up and die. Boss then gives all of us another variation on the lurgy-- Which in my case attacks my brain, and -- in the same day that he tells me I'm not aggressive enough for sales, I realise I can't see properly out of one of my eyes, and my balance that has been getting progressively worse over the previous four days sends my foot coordination and spacial awareness to hell in a handcart. So, spent mid August in hospital A&E being poked and prodded and MRI'd, followed by spending the night for observation, knowing that when I get out I have to find a new job as soon as I can function again. Deep joy. On a massive dose of steroids to bring down the brain inflammation so that my own white cells will stop trying to kill me! It worked and stopped the symptoms from getting any worse. Phew! ... Contacted the garden centre, they were very pleased to hear from me and told me to fill in the application form they are posting.
September - Still can't balance properly, still only partial vision in the affected eye. ... Working at the main tills in the garden centre (rather than the plant centre tills which I prefer) as the mad dash to Christmas gradually ramps up, and shoppers start the whole shop-til-you-drop insanity.
October - Manning the tills full-time ... oh, and I've got to get some paperwork ready for the Trilogy plan for the second and third scripts so the director can take them to the American Film Market in November, if he's able to raise enough funding for the trip. - - Eek! Quickly reverse engineer a treatment for the first film, and then spend all my spare time getting the plot, character arcs, new villains and old villains worked out and then written up into treatments for the second and third films. Director seems pleased with the results.
November - Director decides not to go to the AFM after all, but take them to the Berlin festival in February (which will probably be a better fit?) ... So I breath a silent sigh of relief and collapse in a heap and try to recover from this dratted brain malarkey in my spare time away from the day job.
December - still dealing with shop-til-you-drop insanity in the day job, and coming up to Christmas am just about feeling the effects of needing to write or go nuts. Begin to plan my next writing projects - but family and Christmas prevent me from doing anything much beyond mental planning and some research. Realise I haven't been reading the blogs or keeping up to date with what's what since I got the brain thing in mid August. Bum!
Oh yeah - my car committed suicide in August just after my brain did, and my computer committed suicide in late September. Got it up and limping again by early October. Not properly fixed until mid November - when I finally had time to devote to all the updates, and programs, email etc, that I need on it. Er, and my Neurology Consultant thinks I probably have MS, but more tests are needed. Apparently living in the Wild West and having a Scandinavian Grandmother may both be a risk factors; on the plus side: eye involvement, being female, and being relatively young are all positive factors. But then they don't really know anything about MS. We'll find out more about that next year.
Blinking heck! This has been an overly interesting year. (on the plus side, lots of great experiences and perspectives for story) ... And I haven't even mentioned all the family trauma and bollocks that I've had to work through all year. If it's not one of them giving me problems to solve, it's another. - - But then again, I guess that's what family is for. ;)
Hopefully next year will be a little bit easier to deal with? Although I won't hold my breath. ... With a bit of luck the Trilogy will finally get some funding, and if not, well I am starting my next project (a novel and its accompanying screenplay) - I hope to have both done by mid year (unless the joyful happiness of the Trilogy delays things a bit.) Here's hoping!
Despite everything, I've enjoyed 2011. It's been an eye-opener, to say the least. (sick joke included on purpose) Heck, you only need one that actually works. ;)
Tuesday, 5 January 2010
2009, what happened...?
Well, that year just flew by!
Didn't get a lot done that I wanted to do. But got a lot of other things done, and things that are in the process of doing, instead.
I'm up to my eyeballs in ongoing stuff at the moment - which makes it a bit difficult to comment on 2009 properly, and specifically so with regard to a certain project I'm involved with that just keeps dragging on and on. *gnashing of teeth*
HOPE! - - dashed - - HOPE! - - dashed - - HOPE(kinda).... and on, and on, and on.
It's getting annoying now. GRRR!
My goals for 2009 were to:
* Find a new job
* Complete the American Collaboration Rewrite for Producer no#2
* Finalise the sale/option of the supernatural horror screenplay
* Complete at least one more spec and get a producer seriously interested/sold
* Earn some money from my writing
I said, "F*ck it! This is the year I make it happen!"
Did I? Jury is still out.
* I did get the new job.
* Producer no#2 rewrite is ... well ... stay tuned in 2010!
* Finalise sale/option ... Producer no#1 was last seen stalking funding, stay tuned.
* Complete at least one more spec ... erm ... Got interrupted. (which is no excuse! ARGH!)
* Earn some money ... 2010 may be the year for that?
I made some things happen. - - On the one hand, meh; and on the other hand, I did a shit load of work (during the few moments when my brain was functioning), which was mainly rewriting (including the tarot books), and which is in the process of building a partial foundation for the future.
Okay, so 2009 ...
January. My day job notified me of potential redundancy from my work as a telephone monkey, but then said they would retrain me to work as a telephone technical monkey, and teach me about how (not) to blow up computers, which incidentally came with a minuscule pay rise, so hooray!
I also casually toyed with the idea of investigating e-publishing for my tarot books....
I spent February doing computer homework, surrounded by men (hee!). Got a bit stressed about living in chaos, and by my car threatening to fall apart. Writing didn't really happen this month. Blech.
March, I bought a new car ... well a secondhand runabout that was as cheap as chips, but it gets the job done. :) Bargain. ....Was that it? Blogged about villains - - oh yes, I was intermittently rewriting the fantasy. But didn't have the proper time to devote myself to it, what with the day job. (Brain power exhausted by the end of the day... *shakes head at self* Light weight!)
In April I tried to boost my self confidence by bragging. Never works. *rolls eyes*
The NEED to write started hitting home big time - that itch at the back of your brain that tells you insanity beckons if the writing can't get out! - and realised I'd already lost 1/3rd of the year to other distractions. Grr.
Also failed basic math. ;)
May was a month of "No." LOL. Producer no#3 liked The Grim (A.K.A. The Legend Of The Beast) a lot, but not enough to option it. And yet another publishing company turned down the tarot book (the one that came within a whisker of being published in 2008).
June was spent concentrating on horror - both watching it, and rewriting story for The American Collaboration. I also experienced a weird combination of insecurity and "Ha! Ha! I'm a genius!" this month. Conflicted? Yep. Looking for reasons to worry? Yep. Pointless? Yep. Effectively told myself to "Get on with it!"
July was a month of plague. I caught Swine Flu. Blech. Still, I lived. But the after effects dragged on and on. Grr.
August - my body tried to kill me. On my birthday, no less! I had a full bore asthma attack. First properly serious one ever. If my inhaler hadn't been nearby I might have died. - Terrified my sister, who was on the verge of calling an ambulance when the inhaler started working its magic and I began to actually be able to take in air again. The landlord had the builder putting in double glazing, I went to offer him a drink, and the dust from the work nearly took me out for good. Very, very blech.
If you have asthma, even if you think it's only mild, please for goodness sake carry your inhaler. Asthma is an allergic reaction to a factor in the environment that your body doesn't like - and is liable to zap you when you least expect it. (Like on your birthday. Grr.) Asthma may only be a mild annoyance usually, but it can turn around and whack you for six at a moments notice.
CARRY YOUR INHALER!
What else happened? Philip Morton updated his blog, briefly. I spent half the month doing social type things, away from the cave. Writing didn't really get a chance to happen, I may have mulled a bit, and jotted down some new story ideas, but no actual typing as such.
September ... another month of plague.
Early in the month, my Step-Mother's body decided to try to kill her: she was diagnosed with grade 3 breast cancer (she's receiving treatment and seems to be doing well).
And later in the month, not yet fully recovered from the dreaded Swine Flu, I came down with a temperature for two days and ended up mostly dead for the rest of the year. I'm still mostly dead now. *sigh* Combination of stress and fatigue, and generally feeling totally crap. I have more bad days than good days, but it's beginning to even out. ... I think part of it may be 2008 finally catching up with me? Grr. Anyhow, it ain't fun.
October ... there must have been an October...?
Oh yes! In between being mostly dead, I decided to self-publish my tarot book and finish writing my other tarot book. So I was finishing the second book and sorting out the self-publishing thing with Authors OnLine for all of October.
November, pretty much a page-one rewrite of the first tarot book at speed. Followed by sorting out artwork for the covers, and starting to edit both books....
Producer no#2 also circled back and made very encouraging noises (my co-writer is no longer on the job, and he wants me to rewrite it solo. Okay, can do.) - so I started some serious work on planning the rewrite, as well as putting an initial pen to paper - - And then put it on hold when promises were not fulfilled.
I also touched base with Producer no#1, who is actively tracking down funding (*fingers crossed*) for a couple of projects including The Grim.
And I discovered one of my favourite bands has got back together and started touring again. - - And I couldn't go see them because of me being mostly dead. *SOB!*
Busy month, November.
December, continued the edit (panicked when I discovered there were some gaps in the first half of the second book - from way back when - that needed sorting; sorted them), final approval on artwork for second book.
Producer no#2 discovered I wasn't going to cave, and sent a Deal Memo proposal which we are currently negotiating over....
Which brings us in to 2010.
And it's part way through January already!
And it's snowing.
And I'm still mostly dead.
Theoretically, later this month, both tarot books should finally be approved for publication. Probably some time in the next two weeks - if the weather doesn't delay things.
And screenplay negotiations continue....
Things are looking up! ... Or it could all just be smoke and mirrors ... or a hallucination from my lurgified brain.
Goals for 2010.
* get well again before too much more time passes!
* nail down the contract for the American Collaboration Rewrite, and then get the script finished so that Producer no#2 can go work some writer-producery magic.
* finish writing the science fiction screenplay.
* finish the fantasy screenplay rewrite.
* try to earn enough money from the two tarot books to cover the cost of getting them published. Or any money at all, really.
* take a look at some of my old story ideas to see if anything jumps out, or get at least one other project written (or mostly written) ... I want to keep this one a bit loose, I think things may stir later in the year, but I'm not sure in what way....
Onwards! *whip-crack!*
Didn't get a lot done that I wanted to do. But got a lot of other things done, and things that are in the process of doing, instead.
I'm up to my eyeballs in ongoing stuff at the moment - which makes it a bit difficult to comment on 2009 properly, and specifically so with regard to a certain project I'm involved with that just keeps dragging on and on. *gnashing of teeth*
HOPE! - - dashed - - HOPE! - - dashed - - HOPE(kinda).... and on, and on, and on.
It's getting annoying now. GRRR!
My goals for 2009 were to:
* Find a new job
* Complete the American Collaboration Rewrite for Producer no#2
* Finalise the sale/option of the supernatural horror screenplay
* Complete at least one more spec and get a producer seriously interested/sold
* Earn some money from my writing
I said, "F*ck it! This is the year I make it happen!"
Did I? Jury is still out.
* I did get the new job.
* Producer no#2 rewrite is ... well ... stay tuned in 2010!
* Finalise sale/option ... Producer no#1 was last seen stalking funding, stay tuned.
* Complete at least one more spec ... erm ... Got interrupted. (which is no excuse! ARGH!)
* Earn some money ... 2010 may be the year for that?
I made some things happen. - - On the one hand, meh; and on the other hand, I did a shit load of work (during the few moments when my brain was functioning), which was mainly rewriting (including the tarot books), and which is in the process of building a partial foundation for the future.
Okay, so 2009 ...
January. My day job notified me of potential redundancy from my work as a telephone monkey, but then said they would retrain me to work as a telephone technical monkey, and teach me about how (not) to blow up computers, which incidentally came with a minuscule pay rise, so hooray!
I also casually toyed with the idea of investigating e-publishing for my tarot books....
I spent February doing computer homework, surrounded by men (hee!). Got a bit stressed about living in chaos, and by my car threatening to fall apart. Writing didn't really happen this month. Blech.
March, I bought a new car ... well a secondhand runabout that was as cheap as chips, but it gets the job done. :) Bargain. ....Was that it? Blogged about villains - - oh yes, I was intermittently rewriting the fantasy. But didn't have the proper time to devote myself to it, what with the day job. (Brain power exhausted by the end of the day... *shakes head at self* Light weight!)
In April I tried to boost my self confidence by bragging. Never works. *rolls eyes*
The NEED to write started hitting home big time - that itch at the back of your brain that tells you insanity beckons if the writing can't get out! - and realised I'd already lost 1/3rd of the year to other distractions. Grr.
Also failed basic math. ;)
May was a month of "No." LOL. Producer no#3 liked The Grim (A.K.A. The Legend Of The Beast) a lot, but not enough to option it. And yet another publishing company turned down the tarot book (the one that came within a whisker of being published in 2008).
June was spent concentrating on horror - both watching it, and rewriting story for The American Collaboration. I also experienced a weird combination of insecurity and "Ha! Ha! I'm a genius!" this month. Conflicted? Yep. Looking for reasons to worry? Yep. Pointless? Yep. Effectively told myself to "Get on with it!"
July was a month of plague. I caught Swine Flu. Blech. Still, I lived. But the after effects dragged on and on. Grr.
August - my body tried to kill me. On my birthday, no less! I had a full bore asthma attack. First properly serious one ever. If my inhaler hadn't been nearby I might have died. - Terrified my sister, who was on the verge of calling an ambulance when the inhaler started working its magic and I began to actually be able to take in air again. The landlord had the builder putting in double glazing, I went to offer him a drink, and the dust from the work nearly took me out for good. Very, very blech.
If you have asthma, even if you think it's only mild, please for goodness sake carry your inhaler. Asthma is an allergic reaction to a factor in the environment that your body doesn't like - and is liable to zap you when you least expect it. (Like on your birthday. Grr.) Asthma may only be a mild annoyance usually, but it can turn around and whack you for six at a moments notice.
CARRY YOUR INHALER!
What else happened? Philip Morton updated his blog, briefly. I spent half the month doing social type things, away from the cave. Writing didn't really get a chance to happen, I may have mulled a bit, and jotted down some new story ideas, but no actual typing as such.
September ... another month of plague.
Early in the month, my Step-Mother's body decided to try to kill her: she was diagnosed with grade 3 breast cancer (she's receiving treatment and seems to be doing well).
And later in the month, not yet fully recovered from the dreaded Swine Flu, I came down with a temperature for two days and ended up mostly dead for the rest of the year. I'm still mostly dead now. *sigh* Combination of stress and fatigue, and generally feeling totally crap. I have more bad days than good days, but it's beginning to even out. ... I think part of it may be 2008 finally catching up with me? Grr. Anyhow, it ain't fun.
October ... there must have been an October...?
Oh yes! In between being mostly dead, I decided to self-publish my tarot book and finish writing my other tarot book. So I was finishing the second book and sorting out the self-publishing thing with Authors OnLine for all of October.
November, pretty much a page-one rewrite of the first tarot book at speed. Followed by sorting out artwork for the covers, and starting to edit both books....
Producer no#2 also circled back and made very encouraging noises (my co-writer is no longer on the job, and he wants me to rewrite it solo. Okay, can do.) - so I started some serious work on planning the rewrite, as well as putting an initial pen to paper - - And then put it on hold when promises were not fulfilled.
I also touched base with Producer no#1, who is actively tracking down funding (*fingers crossed*) for a couple of projects including The Grim.
And I discovered one of my favourite bands has got back together and started touring again. - - And I couldn't go see them because of me being mostly dead. *SOB!*
Busy month, November.
December, continued the edit (panicked when I discovered there were some gaps in the first half of the second book - from way back when - that needed sorting; sorted them), final approval on artwork for second book.
Producer no#2 discovered I wasn't going to cave, and sent a Deal Memo proposal which we are currently negotiating over....
Which brings us in to 2010.
And it's part way through January already!
And it's snowing.
And I'm still mostly dead.
Theoretically, later this month, both tarot books should finally be approved for publication. Probably some time in the next two weeks - if the weather doesn't delay things.
And screenplay negotiations continue....
Things are looking up! ... Or it could all just be smoke and mirrors ... or a hallucination from my lurgified brain.
Goals for 2010.
* get well again before too much more time passes!
* nail down the contract for the American Collaboration Rewrite, and then get the script finished so that Producer no#2 can go work some writer-producery magic.
* finish writing the science fiction screenplay.
* finish the fantasy screenplay rewrite.
* try to earn enough money from the two tarot books to cover the cost of getting them published. Or any money at all, really.
* take a look at some of my old story ideas to see if anything jumps out, or get at least one other project written (or mostly written) ... I want to keep this one a bit loose, I think things may stir later in the year, but I'm not sure in what way....
Onwards! *whip-crack!*
Saturday, 17 January 2009
2008, what happened ...?
As we all do, I started the year with good intentions, I had a writing regime in place ... I even managed to stick to it for about 9 months, more or less. After that the year was pretty much lost to the chaos of the day jobs taking over, although I did still manage a fair bit of writing despite that.
So writing regime, failed. Darn.
I was going to rewrite my fantasy screenplay - failed. Did a bit on it, but then life got in the way, so NOT GOOD. I shall add it to the list for 2009.
I was going to apply for a grant from The Film Council. Never got around to that either. I think I'm going to take that one off the list of stuff to do for the time being.
I blogged a bit about procrastination and writer's block, amongst other things. Still working on the whole good procrastination thing....
Nearly sold a tarot book: first they said they were going to publish me, YAY! ... And then they changed their minds in September ... B*ST*RDS!
In May, I got a second job, working part-time in a ceramics factory, and in addition I hired some heroes to move my shit to a cheaper dwelling. Went very well. Both of these things have helped solve my crippling financial problems. :)
In June I decided to give up on learning 3 act structure on the basis that I already know it, I just don't know that I know it, and constantly trying to learn about it was getting in the way of my writing.
In July I started getting depressed about my lack of progress with screenwriting ... but then at the end of August producer no#1 requested a supernatural horror. I frantically did the rewrite I'd been putting off for almost a year and sent it to him. He read it and loved it. Thanks are due to Lucy and everyone else who gave me notes on this one! :) [The plot thickens on this one which I will be blogging about in a couple of weeks ... but that's a post for the 2009 category.]
September, I spent a week in Scotland on holiday. Had a lot of fun! Go visit Aberdeen!!! :)
Got the bad news about the tarot book. Grr.
Days later in October, producer no#2 saw my screenplay on TriggerStreet.com and said he wanted to option it, and also asked me to work with him and another writer on rewriting one of his projects. The option never materialised (although I didn't chase it as I was already working closely with producer no#1 on a rewrite of the script in question), however the rewrite of producer no#2's project is progressing. :) [More on the American collaboration screenplay in 2009]
Beginning of December I got credit crunched. The factory job said my services were no longer required. I heaved a sigh of relief as I was beginning to go slightly nuts from all work and no play ... had enough saved that it wouldn't be a disaster until end of January ...
...
except....
So writing regime, failed. Darn.
I was going to rewrite my fantasy screenplay - failed. Did a bit on it, but then life got in the way, so NOT GOOD. I shall add it to the list for 2009.
I was going to apply for a grant from The Film Council. Never got around to that either. I think I'm going to take that one off the list of stuff to do for the time being.
I blogged a bit about procrastination and writer's block, amongst other things. Still working on the whole good procrastination thing....
Nearly sold a tarot book: first they said they were going to publish me, YAY! ... And then they changed their minds in September ... B*ST*RDS!
In May, I got a second job, working part-time in a ceramics factory, and in addition I hired some heroes to move my shit to a cheaper dwelling. Went very well. Both of these things have helped solve my crippling financial problems. :)
In June I decided to give up on learning 3 act structure on the basis that I already know it, I just don't know that I know it, and constantly trying to learn about it was getting in the way of my writing.
In July I started getting depressed about my lack of progress with screenwriting ... but then at the end of August producer no#1 requested a supernatural horror. I frantically did the rewrite I'd been putting off for almost a year and sent it to him. He read it and loved it. Thanks are due to Lucy and everyone else who gave me notes on this one! :) [The plot thickens on this one which I will be blogging about in a couple of weeks ... but that's a post for the 2009 category.]
September, I spent a week in Scotland on holiday. Had a lot of fun! Go visit Aberdeen!!! :)
Got the bad news about the tarot book. Grr.
Days later in October, producer no#2 saw my screenplay on TriggerStreet.com and said he wanted to option it, and also asked me to work with him and another writer on rewriting one of his projects. The option never materialised (although I didn't chase it as I was already working closely with producer no#1 on a rewrite of the script in question), however the rewrite of producer no#2's project is progressing. :) [More on the American collaboration screenplay in 2009]
Beginning of December I got credit crunched. The factory job said my services were no longer required. I heaved a sigh of relief as I was beginning to go slightly nuts from all work and no play ... had enough saved that it wouldn't be a disaster until end of January ...
...
except....
Monday, 31 December 2007
2007 ... What happened?
Erm, I procrastinated a lot?
Actually, I procrastinated a lot less than usual. Which is progress of a sort. :) Well that's my story, and I'm sticking to it.
I actually managed to finish a screenplay, which is something I haven't done for a few years now. Mainly because I decided to get off my arse and actually write one, rather than just fanny about with ideas, and characters, and scenes.
I wrote my first outline this year. Which probably explains why I managed to actually write a screenplay; rather than getting part way through, discovering a bunch of problems and putting it aside to deal with later -- after a suitably long period of contemplation ... usually somewhere between years and never.
I have stacks of these. *rolls eyes* You'd think I'd have cottoned on earlier.
I started this blog as part of an effort to force myself to finish the screenplay. -- It worked! Success! :)
I entered South West Screen's writer development competition on purpose, and didn't place as a winner or runner up. They kind of liked it but said it needs a tonne of work before it will be filmable.
I put the script on TriggerStreet for some feedback, and accidentally found myself nominated as a runner up for the Script Of The Month competition in October! The professional coverage I won as a result of that basically slapped me about for having the audacity to enter a first draft for feedback, and said it needs a tonne of work before it will be filmable. I'm noticing a common theme here. :)
I decided to put together an application to the UK Film Council for funding ... that hasn't happened yet, so that's moved on to my list of things to do for 2008.
What else did I achieve this year?
Well, one of the problems with moving back to the West Country and deciding you need a job that will allow you time to write ... is that jobs like that in the wilds of Devon are not that easy to come by, or any job for that matter. Heck just getting an interview in the wilds of Devon is an achievement all by itself! -- After you've applied for a job you have over 7 years experience in and are pretty darned good at thank you very much, for the umpteenth time, and have been pipped to the post by someone with more experience than you, for the umpteenth time, aside from the obvious question: Where are all these other over qualified F**KERS coming from?, you tend to get a little dispirited.
But next year looks promising: After a succession of temporary part time jobs, I finally landed one in a field I'm actually qualified for (from my early forays into the job market, way back when), and which I have been informed will become a permanent full time job in mid to late January. The wage isn't the suckiest wage out there, but it's close, and it's gonna be difficult to live on. However, 4 days on, 3 days off, means that I will at least get some proper time for writing. Hooray!
So, you ask, why am I trying to work in a field that isn't writing related? Hey, I've got to keep a roof over my head and eat. If I could get a writing related job, I would, but they just aren't available where I am. And right now I need to be here, surrounded by greenery and wholesome country goodness. It's a deep inner need, the same way writing is a deep inner need.
But you can write for people who live a long way off, and post in your work.
Yeah, right.
If you can track those employers down and get a steady income from it, good for you. I haven't managed to conquer that part of the writing field yet. I keep trying, but so far nothing regular, or well paid enough, to actually live off.
But next year, next year looks promising. And it starts tomorrow!
Guess I'd better get off my arse and get a proper writing regime up and running.
So, what are your plans for 2008?
Actually, I procrastinated a lot less than usual. Which is progress of a sort. :) Well that's my story, and I'm sticking to it.
I actually managed to finish a screenplay, which is something I haven't done for a few years now. Mainly because I decided to get off my arse and actually write one, rather than just fanny about with ideas, and characters, and scenes.
I wrote my first outline this year. Which probably explains why I managed to actually write a screenplay; rather than getting part way through, discovering a bunch of problems and putting it aside to deal with later -- after a suitably long period of contemplation ... usually somewhere between years and never.
I have stacks of these. *rolls eyes* You'd think I'd have cottoned on earlier.
I started this blog as part of an effort to force myself to finish the screenplay. -- It worked! Success! :)
I entered South West Screen's writer development competition on purpose, and didn't place as a winner or runner up. They kind of liked it but said it needs a tonne of work before it will be filmable.
I put the script on TriggerStreet for some feedback, and accidentally found myself nominated as a runner up for the Script Of The Month competition in October! The professional coverage I won as a result of that basically slapped me about for having the audacity to enter a first draft for feedback, and said it needs a tonne of work before it will be filmable. I'm noticing a common theme here. :)
I decided to put together an application to the UK Film Council for funding ... that hasn't happened yet, so that's moved on to my list of things to do for 2008.
What else did I achieve this year?
Well, one of the problems with moving back to the West Country and deciding you need a job that will allow you time to write ... is that jobs like that in the wilds of Devon are not that easy to come by, or any job for that matter. Heck just getting an interview in the wilds of Devon is an achievement all by itself! -- After you've applied for a job you have over 7 years experience in and are pretty darned good at thank you very much, for the umpteenth time, and have been pipped to the post by someone with more experience than you, for the umpteenth time, aside from the obvious question: Where are all these other over qualified F**KERS coming from?, you tend to get a little dispirited.
But next year looks promising: After a succession of temporary part time jobs, I finally landed one in a field I'm actually qualified for (from my early forays into the job market, way back when), and which I have been informed will become a permanent full time job in mid to late January. The wage isn't the suckiest wage out there, but it's close, and it's gonna be difficult to live on. However, 4 days on, 3 days off, means that I will at least get some proper time for writing. Hooray!
So, you ask, why am I trying to work in a field that isn't writing related? Hey, I've got to keep a roof over my head and eat. If I could get a writing related job, I would, but they just aren't available where I am. And right now I need to be here, surrounded by greenery and wholesome country goodness. It's a deep inner need, the same way writing is a deep inner need.
But you can write for people who live a long way off, and post in your work.
Yeah, right.
If you can track those employers down and get a steady income from it, good for you. I haven't managed to conquer that part of the writing field yet. I keep trying, but so far nothing regular, or well paid enough, to actually live off.
But next year, next year looks promising. And it starts tomorrow!
Guess I'd better get off my arse and get a proper writing regime up and running.
So, what are your plans for 2008?
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