It's like fellwalking

Ever climbed a fell and seen the top. Then you get to the top and find it was just a bump and the real top is still to climb. Then you get to the top and find it was just a bump and the real top is still to climb. Then you get to the ....

Well this first nearly half a year has felt a bit like that.

I've been working hard on my bad habit of overwriting. Having come in from a prose background it has been hard to cut the description and action down to the minimum. I love those vivid phrases and all the detail. But if I want to do that I should be tackling a short story or a novel.

Instead I've had to think of the script as a technical document. Something that will be read and used by both the creative and the technical sides of the industry. That isn't too bad because I write technical reports every day. I've found the toughest part has been mastering the balance. It is still a creative document too and so shouldn't be cold, clinical and formulaic. In other words don't be boring.

I think I've hit the balance now but time will tell.

I've also seemed to be chasing deadlines. Don't know if Spring is usually this hectic or whether I've just become more aware of it this year.

I started with loads of deadlines ahead and thought I'd just see how many I'd hit. I quickly realised I'd have to prioritise. What did I stand a chance on and what would expand my portfolio if I missed. That's kept me pretty busy.

I made about 25% of them which was still a lot more than if I'd ambled along writing specs as the mood took me. I need deadlines. I regret not managing to hit Bruntwood. Yes I know the deadline is still four days away but it has to be posted and I don't want to send off an early draft. The work isn't wasted though. The subject fits into Protect The Human too.

I haven't stopped my spec work though. Three features at different stages, an hour long TV drama and a radio play. Plus I need to get back to every1sacritic because the new deadline is on its way.

So does it ease up? All these deadlines? Or do you crumble into a mess.

Mmmmm. Crumble. Off to get pudding now.

Wasted from Writing

I am shattered. I was off travelling last week. Took my memory stick along so I could work on my every1sacritic submission. Then I got a call from Dave. STOP. Wonderful Robin had shouted the deadline was shifted until August so why not try Comedy College as well.

So I spent the time working on the BBC Comedy College submission after all. Didn't think I'd manage it because my old sitcom script was 4yrs old. Time flies... Reading it again was humiliating and I wanted to get the petrol and burn it.

Too much woodwork in the hotel room so I buried it in a far recess of the computer instead. Somewhere near the Microsoft Works folder that came free with the laptop.

So I took the basic idea and characters then did the old ripping apart and putting together again. I blocked out the first episode and sorted the full series storyline. Just had the first 10 pages to write. One weekend, no problem.

Then disaster struck. A sprog event, a visit from a relative and another from an old school friend I'd not seen since my wedding. So 2 days went down to 6 hours, if I slept.

Well I didn't sleep much. I tried but poor Dave had to endure me turning on the light every half hour to jot down more notes. He'll cut the plug off one day.

I got it done and sent out to a few people with a "pretty please help" and got feedback enough for a terrible trio. Thank to Robin again as one of them.

I did some more rewriting and just sent it off. If this is the pace the rest of you work then I might have to turn to coffee to keep going. Yeugh. Maybe I'll do extra strong chocolate instead.