It's the Final Countdown

Greetings Carbon-based units,

It doesn't look likely that I'll meet my self-imposed target of finishing the novel today. It's a bit of a cliché but real life has caught up with me in a sudden and upsetting way this week which meant that work ground to a halt Wednesday and Thursday.

I guess there's a chance that I might write the last 9,000 or so words tonight but as I will be away from home for at least part of the weekend it's far more likely that I will finish early next week. There is still plenty of time before the official deadline of November 30th, after all. I was hoping to be able to concentrate exclusively on my Heartlands entry all next week but I do have a couple of days booked off from the day job for that purpose so I'm sure I will still be able to catch up.

If this were a film then we'd be at the part where you keep cutting between the clicking countdown and our hero's herculean efforts to beat it...

Flickchart

Flickchart is really much more fun than it ought to be. The idea is that Flickchart shows you two films and you choose which you prefer. On the basis of your selections Flickchart then starts building a list of your favourite films. The more selections you make, the more accurate your list becomes, in my experience anyway.

There are a lot of films missing at the moment as the site is still pretty new. In particular non US films are currently under represented (which explains why Hell Drivers in uncharacteristically absent from my favourites).

You're also able to look at charts reflecting the choices of all flickchart users. You can view the best films of all time, or even select genre's, directors, decades etc.

I recommend you check it out, better clear an hour or so though as it's fiendishly addictive! More than the charts, or the rankings, I just love being presented with films that I'd forgotten existed (for example Megaforce or Sssssss).

On Target!

No, not 'on target' in terms of personal objectives or anything like that (though I have had a very good week), I'm afraid I'm banging on about Doctor Who. Again.

Eagle-eyed Island visitor Dave spotted my collection of Target Doctor Who novelisations in the previous post which has sparked a bit of conversation.

Knowing that there are more Target book owners out there in the blogosphere (you know who you are!) we thought it might be fun to compare notes in a meme-ish sort of way!

I personally have a collection of 53 books. The first I ever bought was The Keys of Marinus (to this day I've never seen the original TV version - I fear it may not live up to my pre-pubescent imagination) in my local newsagents in the very early eighties. The last one I picked up was Ghostlight off of ebay last year.

Pop over to Dave's place and rediscover the magic!

So come on you lot, own up (Yes I am looking at you Phill, Jase, Paul and Piers)!

Have good weekends everyone...

Scenes from The Island of Dreams (i)

EXT. The Sea - Day

Camera rushing over blue water towards a small desert island. As the island draws nearer music (MUSIC - 'The Island of Dreams' by The Springfields) can be heard, getting louder.

                     THE SPRINGFIELDS
                I wander the streets
                And the gay crowded places
                Trying to forget you
                But somehow it seems
                That my thoughts ever stray
                To our last sweet embraces
                Over the sea on the island of dreams

There is a dense copse of palm trees on one half of the island. The only building is a small wooden hut at the edge of the trees. There are no signs of life on the island. Closing in on the hut.

Inside the hut is a desk with a typewriter and half a cup of tea on it. A corkboard with coloured index cards pinned to it. A book props up a leg of the desk (Elements of Style).

The music is coming from a CD player on the floor behind the door. The repeat light is flashing.

                     THE SPRINGFIELDS
                High in the sky is a bird on the wing
                Please carry me with you
                Far far away from the mad rushing crowd
                Please carry me with you

The camera backs out of the hut. Linger on a post-it fluttering on the hut door, handwritten in black biro, 'BACK IN 5 MINUTES'.

Rushing back now, across the sea, the island receding into the distance. Nothing but blue sea everywhere.

                     THE SPRINGFIELDS
                Again I would wander
                Where memories enfold me
                There on the beautiful island of dreams

                Far far away on the island of dreams

FADE OUT

Back in (the) Black (country)...

We moved out of our house in Worcester last Thursday and are now staying with my endlessly obliging in-laws until we are able to move into our new home in Sedgley. Assuming, that is, that we are able to move in there. The last few days have seen a flurry of calls from my solicitor as we go into 'mad panic' mode and attempt to exchange.

Should there be no further contretemps we should exchange on Monday and complete in just two weeks.

If anyone was in any doubt I can confirm that buying a house is not the sort of thing I was put upon the earth to do. When I was created I'm sure the Flying Spaghetti Monster was thinking more about who was going to listen to beautiful music, read books, smell flowers and think pretty thoughts, than who would take care of buying houses, using urinals, queueing at Tesco's and breaking down on the M5. It's one of those things that reduces you back to how you felt in school when you realised that you just weren't like everyone else. If you're me, which you are probably not.

Sedgley promises to be a lovely home. Set on high ground, for the Midlands at least, it's prone to fog and to snow. Being situated next to some woods and fields should ensure a plentiful supply of both in addition to great opportunities for walks and photos. There are also a number of small villages nearby ready to be explored and pub lunched, and Wolverhampton just down the road for all city needs (special mention for the splendid Forbidden Planet).

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There is no writing going on. I'm sure that some writers can thrive in writing during stressful periods but not me, as soon as I try and focus on any scripts or short story ideas my mind turns back to the labyrinthine business of completing this house purchase.

I have not been idle however, as I have been reading a great deal of Neil Gaiman. Currently I'm roaring through Under the Eagle by Simon Scarrow, very exciting stuff that makes you wish you were serving in the Roman army two thousand years ago. Perhaps even more so when you're living in a relatives spare room.


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Television wise I'm enjoying The Fixer (a sort of 21st century take on The Professionals), Torchwood (let's hear it for Upper Boat. Still not to be taken too seriously, still sometimes more concerned with style than content but bloody great fun and a massive improvement on the patchy first series), He Kills Coppers (lush 1960's cops & gangsters with the excellent Rafe Spall), and the second series of Gavin & Stacey.

I also finally saw Beowulf which I loved, now why don't they use the same techniques to make a Sláine film?

I regret that I didn't enjoying Ashes to Ashes which I stopped watching two episodes before the end. After weeks of saying 'Am I mad, in a coma, or watching Ashes to Ashes' over the tedious intro. It's a heart breaker because I expected, and wanted to love the show having been a huge fan of Life on Mars. The fact is that if there was a vehicle for the continuing adventures of Gene Hunt Ashes to Ashes was not it. The moment may now have passed.

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Oh, one final thing...

Something's coming...



...but it's at the wrong time. If, like Russell T Davies, you feel that 6.20pm is too early for Doctor Who to start you might like to politely let the BBC know how you feel about it.

Books about films...

OK, so Chip memed me ages ago but I'm such a schmuck I'm only now getting around to responding. Yeah, I know; Lame as.

To keep it simple I've only picked three. A lot of good books have already been picked by other, less useless, bloggers. This is what I've come up with...

Film Book Recommendations

An Autobiography by Peter Cushing

Just a very special human being really. I think reading the first chapter of this made me realise that actors were just people like me who liked to play games and make stuff up. A lovely memoir by a remarkable man.



Halliwell's Film Guide by Leslie Halliwell

No, I'm not being facetious (for once). As a wee kid I used to literally read through film guides in general and this one in particular. I'm a little out of touch now as the multiplex pleasers of the last ten years or so have largely turned me off current cinema, there was a time though when if I'd never heard of a film - it probably didn't exist. Thanks Les. One thing though, how does he still churn a new one out every year when he's been dead since 1989?


How to Write a Movie in 21 Days by Viki King

Well it's the classic isn't it. This woman wrote for Hart to Hart for God's sake. And Tim Robbins character in The Player has a copy in his desk drawer. And it was in The Sopranos. This was the first book on writing I ever bought. I know a lot of writers can't stand 'How to' books but I've always found them interesting. There's usually something useful you can take away with you.

Viki managed to get my first screenplay out of me. It was called 'Just Love' and was a gritty action drama about a guy who joined the police after his Dad's murderer was brought to justice but then found it wasn't always that simple and became a vigilante. Actually that sounds pretty good now I write it out. Shame as the script is bollocks but thanks anyway Ms King. Incidentally, she has a website here that also has some useful info.

Thanks for letting me play, Chip. From a quick but exhaustive search of the entire inertweb I have identified the following blogs which have not so far been memed with this one... until now. The Jobbing Scriptwriter, Bloggery Pokery and Jet Packs and Such - you're all it.

Plate of the Daleks

None of your tampering with genetics or harvesting human cadavers for me. When I need a remorseless army of enforcers I reach for the rolling pin. Soon my Dalek cookies will be the supreme power in the universe.

This is not the end. This is only the beginning!

What's Going On

Time for a brief, but well overdue, update. As previously noted the new year resolutions have not had a particularly life changing effect so far. In fact I've managed to be less productive than I was prior to the new year if anything. No mean feat.

The reason, or the excuse if you're feeling charitable, is that another move looms. Unexpectedly we spotted a likely home over the holiday season and we're in the process of sorting out all the endless gubbins involved in buying a house.

Without intending any offence to the picturesque City of Worcester we will not be staying on in these parts. Whether because it was such a trial finding somewhere to live here, or because the place we found was not really adequate for our purposes I can't say. Whatever the reason we've not been very comfortable during our stay. I think we may be regular visitors in the future however as I am very fond of the Cathedral, the river and The Swan with Two Nicks.

I don't want to jinx the new home so I'll not go into too many details yet. I will reveal that I already have a writey room (or study as I believe more professional persons describe them) earmarked (and a shopping list for kitting it out Cork board - check, multi-coloured post it notes - check, flip chart - check, one of those little basketball hoops to clip on to the bin - check...). This will be a vast improvement on the situation in our current home where I balance the laptop on my knee.

We're not likely to move before April so I've revised my writing objetives somewhat. As long as I complete the one project I've been working on by the time of the move then I'll be happy. I can then start off in the new place with all fresh projects. That'll feel good. I still believe 2008 is going to be a make or break year for me - and I oddly feel more and more positive about the future. In the mean time I've been reading and viewing extensively.

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In other news I've been enjoying some quality drama over the last month. I've watched the first series of Survivors, which has agressively asserted itself amongst my favourite television programmes ever (Abby Grant is my new hero). We've also been watching the first three series of Dad's Army. When a series is repeated so often, and usually the same episodes over and over, it's easy to forget what great scripts they had, and what a brilliant cast they had. I recommend settling in with a Dad's Army DVD as an excellent way to spend an evening and a masterclass in television comedy.

Similarly, having received the complete Blackadder collection for Christmas I scoffed the lot in a couple of weeks (well, apart from Back and Forth. I'm going to leave a bit of a gap before I watch that - about ten years I think). I may not have watched the potato episode for fifteen years but I still remembered every line, to the endless delight of my wife.

The redoubtable Torchwood is back and, as expected, better than last year. If I'm totally honest I found the first episode slightly overcooked but the last two have been very, very good (particularly the one by Mr Moran of this parish). I also guess it should lead straight into series four of Who so yee-harr!

I've also been very much enjoying the second series of Primeval, just as fresh and fun as the first series was, but a bit dafter!

All this and Ashes to Ashes starts next Thursday. Not completely sure it needed to be made but I am sure I'll enjoy it. I certainly like the Radio Times covers!

I'm sure I'll have more to say about Survivors, Torchie and Ashes soon.

Until then...

Still in Sedgley...

Don't want to curse anything (again) but it seems likely we will finally have a home of our own from next weekend. It hasn't been the easiest process finding a place to live in Worcester but Sedgley has proved a pleasant place to pass a month and we have had the most hospitable of hosts.

As a consequence of having all my worldly possessions in boxes and no desk to call my own it can hardly be said that I've been at my most productive in terms of writing. Somehow balancing my laptop on my knee while I sit in the spare room hasn't been as conducive to the creative faculties as I might have hoped.

Once we're safely installed in Worcester I hope normal service will resume both in terms of the work I have outstanding and keeping this blog up to date.

As long as nothing goes wrong...

Room 133

Quick update as I'm wantonly hemorrhaging money via BTOpenworld's Wireless Broadband scheme (which apparently offer "great flexibility with low-cost vouchers" - unfortunately I could only find the £6 an hour ones!).


The week is going well. Yesterday was a bit hectic and got off to a bad start thanks to my nervous energy. Today the new job was starting to make some sense and I feel less like I'm about to be rumbled and led back to my old job due to some administration error.


The hotel is very pucker. Just enjoyed Mushroom Risotto for dinner - followed up by two for £2 cookies from M&S (Stem Ginger and Fruity Flapjack fact fans). Had a Mushroom & Cheese burger at The Marlborough Head last night - top pub incidentally - so stopped at the hotel this evening.


Absolutely no writey work done so far. My brain is absorbing so much new information it's busting at it's seems by the time evening comes. This is becoming a source of stress in itself.


Meeting with friends for a drink in Soho tomorrow night so that should offer an opportunity to recharge and let my hair down a little. Despite missing Emma terribly it is nice to be in London, even for dull work type reasons.

Right, must dash - I think I hear BT emptying my wallet out of the window.