New home, new garden, same shed

We've moved house.  We haven't actually told very many people about this.  But, what with e-mail and postal re-direction services, who really needs to know where we actually live?

But this has meant that I have been ousted from my shed-like garden office since way before Christmas.  Some very nice men came and tore it down (as gently as they could) and took it away into storage. 

Anyway, it's now been returned and reconstructed.  Electricity and telecommunications have been restored.  Fresh coat of paint on the outside, new carpet inside.  And here it is, in situ...

So, I'm back at my desk.  But it feels a bit strange.  This is how The Doctor must feel.  Inside it's much the same, but the view out the window is wrong.

Same old procrastination though.  Here I am, at my desk, ready to get started.  And what's the first thing I write in my new shed-like office...  a blog post.  Not that I've blogged about anything other than upcoming episodes of Doctors for a very long time.

Maybe I should do a quick update...

Er...

Well, we've moved.  Like I said.

I've been writing lots of Doctors episodes.  Currently on my seventeenth.  Fingers crossed, I'll get many more.

And I'm working on a new thing.  Well, it's been around for a while, actually, but it's building up a head of steam of sorts.  It's a spec TV drama set in Bethlem Hospital in the 1850's.  I got some money from the wonderful Wellcome Trust to do loads of historical research, and now I'm working up a first draft of a first ep.  All I have to do now is write it.  And sell it.

Nice speaking to you all again.  Do pop round for a cup of tea, anytime you like.  If you can find us.

Wise words.

I've never really given much advice on how to be a screenwriter. I've never really felt qualified.

But I do now have a very useful tip for anyone reading this who is, or who wants to be, a professional writer. Or an amateur. Or, actually, anyone who might not want to be a writer at all. In fact, everyone.

And my tip is...







... read Phill Barron's blog post on The Road to Happiness.

He has wise words to say. Which is more than I ever manage.

Newsflash !

News just in from Campbell Mansions...


...I've sprained my ankle.

Did it playing badminton at the local Adult Education College. It made a lovely "crack" as I went over. They insisted on calling an ambulance (never been in one before, apart from for research purposes). Nearly three hours in Casualty. Three-minute examination from bored doctor and advice to take Nurofen.

I think that's enough excitement for one day.

That was fun.

I ever so slightly enjoyed last night.

Thank you to those intrepid writers who ventured into south London's leafy suburbs to join me in my self-indulgent viewing. Wot a lark!

Nothing to do with scriptwriting...

As part of my daily routine of procrastination I usually check out The Astronomy Picture of the Day.

A new picture each day. Stunning stuff. Awe-inspiring, in the true sense of the word. And huge - images of entire galaxies, or starscapes showing whole clusters of galaxies. Wonderful. And really helps put any minor problems I might have into perspective. All in all, I treat it as my own personal Total Perspective Vortex.

Anyway, today's image is not on quite the same scale. It's relatively close to home. This picture shows barchan sand dunes on the surface of Mars. I just think it's beautiful.

The Dover Castle

It's a pub. An ordinary London pub.

Who would have guessed that some of Britain's finest scriptwriting minds gather there from time to time? And that so much wisdom is shared so selflessly within its unassuming walls?

Honestly, if the controllers, commissioners, producers, directors, script editors and critics of this world could only have access to the collective insights we shared last night, then British (nay, global) television would truly enter a Golden Age.

Who's the Daddy?

No blogging for the last month or so.

And no writing either (so much for February being "Spec Script Month"!)

I've been Daddy instead. Carolyn went back to work for a few weeks to remind herself of what it's like, and to remind the Department that she still exists and will be with them again in November.

So, I stayed at home, did the school run, looked after the little-un, etc. It was fun, but quite exhausting in its own way. And I'm quite relieved to be back at the keyboard this morning.

Now, where was I...?

Next month...

I have nothing lined up for next month. No work. No commissions. No nothing.

On the one hand, this is a bad thing. Work is good. Not having any is not so good.

On the other hand, I haven't written anything of my own for a very long time. You won't catch me complaining about the Writers' Academy, but I have been immersed in Doctors, Casualty, Holby City and EastEnders for a year and a half now. It's been great, but I do miss having the freedom to just write whatever I want.

February is still a few weeks away, and you never know what might turn up. But a part of me is hoping that nothing does. I feel the need for a Spec script...

Thanks for all the fish.

Something's been bothering me.

You might have noticed that I didn't have much to say about my EastEnders experiences. And that I got through an episode of Holby City with scarcely a single blog entry.

In fact, I've said nothing much of any interest for a while.

There is a reason for this.

It isn't that my experiences on those two shows were so awful that I couldn't write about them. Far from it.

It's because I'm beginning to think it's no longer appropriate. Maybe even that it's not very "professional". There, I said it.

This Blog has been all about me - my attempts to break into the industry. And hopefully it has been useful reading for others in the same boat.

But this isn't a private discussion over a beer in The Dover Castle. It's a public blog. And, increasingly, I'm finding that I have a wider readership than I ever expected to get. I'll introduce myself to someone in the industry and they'll say "Ah, Scriptuality". Or "I like your shed". Or "how are the kids?"

Well, I don't mind that. It's quite fun. And it raises my profile as a writer (though not always in a positive light).

But sometimes I put myself in the position of a script editor asked to work with a writer who's a blogger. How happy would I be at the idea that all the ups and downs in the relationship, all the inevitable frustrations of hammering out a TV script are put up on the web for all to see?

OK, so I don't name names. But everyone else who works with them knows who they are.

And, genuinely, I have been extremely lucky to have had a succession of lovely, wonderful script editors on the shows I've worked on so far. And not one of them has ever complained about my blogging. Thank you, one and all. From time to time I might have disagreed with a note or two, but you have taught me so much.

I don't know whether blogging about the work we've done together has always been entirely fair. If it ever felt awkward, thank you for hiding it so well. And, I'm sorry.

But one of these days I'm going to be unlucky. I'm going to get a script editor who I just don't get on with. Or someone who takes every comment I might make personally.

So, I have come to a decision - no more running commentary.

I'll still pop up from time to time to let anyone who's still interested know what I'm up to. And I might comment on general writing issues. But no more heart-on-my-sleeve descriptions of the inner workings of TV scriptwriting. Sorry.

It's been fun.

Er...

Nothing much to say.

Just checking in, really.

Busy, busy, busy on that Holby script for the last few months. Draft #5 is currently with the head honcho. Fingers crossed.

Looks as though I should have entered the Red Planet competition this year - they seem to have given free passes to almost every blogger who applied*. So, they're all into the next round, and the knives will come out. Now we'll really see just how supportive the blogosphere is when the chips are really down! There can be only one.


I told you there wasn't much to say.


* Rapid edit and grovelling apology to anyone who might conceivably have taken this the wrong way - I wouldn't want to suggest in any way or form that those who successfully got through didn't do so entirely on their merits. I'm delighted for all of them and share in their excitement. Really, I do. Honest Injun.

Paul has a brand new toy...

Isn't it lovely?!

Click here for groovy pictures and a funky soundtrack.

Feeling Sociable?

Are you a writer? Within reach of the South Bank? Not doing anything on Monday night?

Then why not come along to the Writers' Guild drinks party? No need to be a member (but you might get your ear bent if you're not)

Where: Royal Festival Hall Bar, on the South Bank (or outside if it's sunny)

When: From 6.30pm on Monday 15th September

If you fancy coming along, drop a quick note to Erik at the Guild to give him an idea of numbers. That's erik at writersguild dot org dot uk

My Very Own Casualty - nearly

OK. Been a bit quiet here on Scriptuality recently. Let's just say that when I'm doing really well I like to crow about it. Well, why not?

So, a silent Blog speaks volumes. Casualty is proving a tough nut to crack.


But enough of that. Let me tell you about what happened to me today (because a bit of procrastination never did anyone any harm).

I had a Casualty script meeting here in Bromley because my lovely script editor kindly agreed to come here instead of me going all the way down to Bristol again. Twenty minutes after our intriguing discussions about the need for a completely new B story came to a conclusion, I was walking home through the leafy suburban streets of Bromley when I heard an enormous bang. Actually, make that an enormous BANG ! ! !

I looked up to see a car cartwheeling down the middle of the street. The underside was facing me - you know, the bit that's meant to be right down there near the road. It was vertical. And bouncing. And sort of twisting. And coming in my direction.

Well, OK, maybe not directly my direction. And I could see that the extra energy it had got from bouncing off that tree was beginning to run out. It was never going to get as far as me. Probably. Right before it fell, exhausted, back down onto what was left of its wheels, it kinked a tad to the right and ended up ten yards from me in the middle of the road, a write-off. The other car, also written off, was 30 yards ahead of me where the driver had been trying to pull out before she was hit.

Everyone was OK. Minor bruise for the cartwheeler, abrasions on face and arm from the airbag for the girl in the other car. But she was well shaken up. He was too, but he put on a good show. And there's me, first on the scene, running from one to the other checking them out, doing the reassuring bit while others called emergency services etc. We ended up with three fire engines, two ambulances and a police car. All very exciting.

For a brief moment I thought I had a brand new B story. But, truth to tell, it wouldn't have cut the mustard. Just like the rest of my stories.

This Year

I'm keeping things simple for 2008.

1. I will write my commissioned episodes of Casualty, EastEnders and Holby City.

2. I will do them as well as I can.

3. I will get commissioned to do more of the same in 2009.

4. If possible, I will also write a spec screenplay, probably a feature.

5. I will eat sensibly.

6. I will drink plenty of fluids.

7. I will commence and maintain some kind of exercise regime.

8. I will be a good husband and father.

9. I will be happy.


So, here's to you all, and here's to a fun 2008!

Last Year

2007 was a good year.

My first ever TV drama broadcast (an episode of Doctors). My second episode commissioned, written, produced and broadcast. And I get in to the BBC Writers' Academy.

Now for the official tally against my 2007 objectives...

1. Inundate the BBC with story ideas for Doctors, so that they have no excuse for not giving me more commissions. Not exactly an inundation... 0.25 points.

2. ... get at least three more commissions for Doctors over the course of the year. Well, I got one. 0.33 points

3. Apply for (and be accepted into) the BBC Writers' Academy. Yep. 1 point

4. ... and, as a result, get at least one commission for Eastenders, Holby City or Casualty.Yep. All three. 3 points.

5. Get my radio play commissioned by BBC 4 for The Afternoon Play. Nope. 0 points.

6. Get at least half a dozen TV series ideas to my agent, and have her hawk them around the industry. Pathetic. One idea sent to BBC. 0.16 points.

7. ... and get at least one meeting out of the process. Nope. 0 points.

8. Go to the Cheltenham Screenwriting Festival again. Not exactly difficult, this one. 1 easy point.

9. If the Film Council ever get around to running another 25 Words or Less, apply for it and (this time) win the £10,000 (rather than just getting within sniffing distance*). They did, but I didn't get around to entering (I was busy). 0 points.

10. If the UKFC don't run the scheme again, work up at least one feature film concept, write the opening ten pages and get my agent to hawk it around (including to the Film Council). Errr... well, OK. Guilty as charged. A resounding 0 points.

11. Make some money from writing. Yep. Not a fortune, but enough to get by for the moment whilst waiting for better things. 1 point.

12. Have fun. I could really cheat here and give myself buckets of points. I think it's worth at least three. 3 points.


Which gives me a grand total of NINE AND THREE QUARTERS out of TWELVE.

Hurrah!

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

We have a beautiful new garden office sitting on the patio.

For those of you in the know, it's a Henley (the Waverley model). In green.



This is just a picture from their catalogue, I'm afraid - not the real glorious thing standing in our garden.

It's 2m by 3.2m, insulated, carpeted, lights, power sockets, double-glazed windows, security locks on the door. Tis a thing of beauty, much to be admired. No electricity yet, but that gets added shortly. The IT equipment should be here within a fortnight. Only the furniture yet to order.

So, have I been doing much writing during this week? This week that is designated by the Academy folk as a "writing week"? What do you think? I've been watching the workmen, making them cups of tea, checking up on them, talking to DELL and putting in my order for a new PC and printer, raiding Staples on-line for a significant stationery order, browsing internet sites looking for office furniture, measuring up the space, and spending far too much time just admiring this wonderous new creation. One day soon, I'll be doing all my writing in there.

In the meantime, back in the corner of the bedroom where my existing workspace is, I'm meant to be writing a "dry run" episode of Doctors. It's getting there, but it's difficult to put all your heart and soul into something you know will definitely never be made.

We're at Week 7 of the Academy. Halfway through. According to the theory, that means we've reached the innermost cave and found the elixir. Now all we have to do is learn how to use it and return to the tribe triumphant in time for the final battle (I think we die and get reborn somewhere along the way too).

Red Planet

I've been a bit tied up recently.

With this Academy thing starting soon, I'm trying to fill the coffers by working as much as I can at the FSA until then. I'm actually working a full-time, five days a week stint. I can't remember the last time I turned up at an office for five days in a row! Frightening.

Anyway, not much writing getting done as a result. But this weekend I did polish up the first ten pages of my old friend 'Obadiah Morgan' as my entry for Tony Jordan's Red Planet competition. Entries had to be in my the end of this month.

Good luck to anyone else out there who's entered. May you come second!

Shrek the Third

I can't actually remember the last time I went to the cinema. What with the girls, the baby and the campaign to get into the Writers' Academy, what little time I seem to get for "viewing" gets invested in TV not cinema.

So taking Emma and Lorna to see Shrek the Third was a bit of a treat all round. And a bit of a disappointment. The girls loved it, of course. And, at a micro level it was great - some fantastic acting, writing, jokes, skits, characterisation etc etc.

But I was expecting more. At the macro level, it was pap. The whole thing was very clever, but totally insubstantial.

Unlike EastEnders, of course...

Holiday

The annual Campbell treck to the beaches begins tomorrow (Saturday). Two weeks in North Devon. Can't wait.

But this year, it's going to be interrupted. On Wednesday night I come back to London to prepare myself for the Big Interview on Thursday. Then back down to Devon for the rest of the holiday.

I really hate the idea of breaking into my holiday for anything work-related. But, then I really want this job.

If I go to all this effort, and then miss out, boy will I be one unhappy bunny.

Deadlines, deadlines, deadlines

So, the Doctors episode is finally put to bed (last minute hitch when they realised it was too long and I had to spend yesterday cutting it down to size).

So, "What's next?", I say to myself.

And then I panic. July is jam-packed full of deadlines. I've known about them for ages, but then they sort of disappeared into the background. But now they're looming.

• ASAP. Now (like, right now) would be a good time to get more Doctors ideas submitted while they still remember how much they like my work.
• 5 July. Cheltenham Screenwriters Festival. Not a deadline exactly, but it would be good to have a few treatments in my bag when I get there (all that networking, you know).
• 9 July. First interviews for the BBC Writers' Academy. I probably won't be called, but there's no point applying unless you're ready when the time comes. So that means spending a bit of time thinking about continuing drama, and preparing for the inquisition.
• 13 July. UK Film Council "25 Words or Less" deadline. One page summary and ten pages of script. Oh, yes, and I need a story.

And I have 8 "writing days" between now and 5 July.

Hmm. Discipline and dedication required.