Sunday, March 29, 2009

The play that I'm about to write


So there was I, having just completed the scriptwriting course and wondering what the next writing challenge I should undertake. With a few ideas knocking around (that I planned to turn into something over the summer) I was expecting April and my planned week off work next week to be a leisurely time doing a few bits here and there. Well that was the plan until Friday night.

One event that had caught my eye was an email that I received a few weeks earlier but in everything else that has been going on of late I had neglected. As per usual I was spending a leisurely Friday clearing out my emails and decided to take a closer look of the one that I had received from Scriptfrenzy. I had signed up for their email list a few months back but for some reason I had mistaken it for another contest - one that insisted on a payment of $50.

Having looked at Scriptfrenzy’s website I thought that this would an ideal way of getting another script written so soon after my first. I planned to sign up the next day once I had had a well earned nights sleep. Well that’s what I hoped; unfortunately my sleep was disturbed by the antics of my increasingly annoying neighbours. Instead of staring at the ceiling waiting for time to tick by until the soundtrack of crap techno abated, I put on my iPod and explored the website further. On closer inspection I decided to commit myself to the task of writing 100 pages of script over the course of the month of April.

The concept is similar to other writing contests such as NANOWRIMO, which I had previously toyed with doing, but November is always a busy month for me so I haven’t managed to take part in that. That said, April is also a busy month for me, what with the marking that comes with the end of term, but on the plus side teaching is winding down, oh and it’s also the Easter holidays. So there is some free time that could be put to good use…well that’s the hope anyway.

On further inspection of the website I realised that there are a number of communities of writers who had signed up for April’s writing challenge. One was my hometown of Liverpool, which has been chosen as a regional hub for this event - Liverpool for these American sponsored events, is normally geographically lumped in with Manchester. I spotted a post on the forum that the Liverpool writers would be meeting that day in the Everyman Bistro and would gratefully be welcoming new members to meet up. Coincidentally, I was planning to be in the Everyman at later that night, to catch up with a mate from University who I hadn’t seen since he moved back down south. So with no great changes to my plans I decided to meet up with the writers' a couple of hours before I planned to meet my mate.

I was glad that I did, as the other writers seem to be a good bunch. They all knew each from other writing contests and recounted tales of their struggles to successfully complete the other writing contests. Instead of feeling intimidated by the challenge, the steely resolve of the group convinced me I was doing the right thing. It was a shame to be drawn away for my other plans (though that was enjoyable in its own right). There are other meetings planned, there is a ‘fade-in’ event on Wednesday that I hope to attend.

Here’s to April and the task of completing 100 pages of script!

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Red Riding

There is seldom anything of interest on the television these days, let alone anything that could have been previously classified as 'event tv'. What with the range of channels available and the endless rafts of cuts in the industry this type of show is seemingly at a premium.

So when something as striking as Red Riding comes along, it deserves more than a cursory glance. The trilogy is based on a series of four books (that I have not read as yet) 1974, 1977, 1980, 1983 by author David Peace, the author of the Damned United (a book that I have read and soon to be released as a movie).

I finally finished watching the trilogy over the weekend and like many of the reviews I had seen; I was baffled, bemused and beguiled by all three episodes. It was a good watch in the context of it being a scheduled network programme - but I think it is something that may need to be watched again when it is released on dvd in the next few months. It will also be worth watching again without the blaring comparethemarket.com adverts that tried to ruin the proceedings.

On the whole despite it being intriguing and challenging it is good to see this type of programme being produced. Well done Channel 4.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

All good things come to an end

Last night was the last session of the scriptwriting course that I started last September, after twenty weeks that has now sadly finished.

Having never written a script before, I have to say that it has been a worthwhile and rewarding process. It was also a good opportunity to meet a number of interesting and talented writers. We have exchanged emails and hopefully we can get together to see how we are all progressing - hopefully one of us go on to make something of our efforts on the course.

I hope to complete my play in the next few weeks and see where I can get with that.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Sunny Manchester!

This week sees the last session of the scriptwriting course that I have been attending since October. With only a few minor alterations to see to and I will have completed the assignment. Here's to sending it off and seeing where it gets me.

With this in mind, I have been looking for other similar creative writing courses. I had previously been recommended one by a friend in Manchester calledPaper Planes. Other things had always got in the way of attending and this week was looking to follow a similar pattern. I woke up Saturday morning after a fitful sleepless night I was contemplating not going. Given that it was a lovely springlike day thankfully I overcame this feeling and got in the car and drove to Manchester.

It was a enjoyable and productive experience, I have a few ideas that can be polished into something more substantial in time. It was also good to meet other writers, as well as catch with a couple of people I had met on a similar course last year. The group meets on the second Saturday of each month, in the Fuel Cafebar, Withington - a venue in the heart of the student district of Manchester. I think I might be making this a regular event in my diary.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

The play that I wrote

Having had the good fortune to work as a journalist, the discipline of writing is something that I am used to. Even now that I have moved from being a full-time practitioner to being a teacher I still enjoy the idea of writing (well more the completion of the task than actually sitting down to do it). The want to write is still there and to satisfy this desire the occasional freelance gig as a football reporter and the aborted attempts at blogging have had to suffice.

As the first post in my born again blog alluded to the last few years have been slightly frustrating in a creative sense as they have been taken up with having to complete a post-graduate qualification for my job – something that was a contractual obligation. This thankfully has now been completed and I can concentrate on the extra-curricular activities that I enjoy away from my job.

So since October, I have been attending a night school class at the University of Liverpool, the course has been for the Writing for the Stage and Radio course. Time has flown by and that sadly that has two more weeks to run after this week.

This course is organised by the Workers Education Association who have a long standing and good reputation for the many courses they run. I have previous experience of their courses, as I completed a songwriting course in 1997, which was fulfilling and enjoyable. So I had a good feeling that this course would also be of a similar standard, which has been the case.

I had never written a play before, but I have an interest in the theatre so this prompted me to sign up for it. I also thought the course would be a easier way of getting something completed (note when I say easier, I don’t mean easy). I, like many a journalist have a novel awaiting completion on my hard drive - the resolution for 2009 says that will be completed by the end of the year…hmmm we’ll see! But I thought a play should be manageable, which given that I'm on my way to completing the course I think is the case.

The assignment set was to write a 30 minute play for the stage, a draft had to be completed by the end of January on which feedback was given from the course tutors. This was great for a novice like myself and gave me a few pointers as to what I had to do to transform the first draft, which though it's a complete play, is in no shape completed.

Tonight saw the next stage in the assignment to have 5 minutes performed by a group of local actors. Previously in the sessions, the class had performed each other's works but tonight was great as we got to have our work professionally read. This was again a first for me, seeing my words performed before an audience. My intial embarassment subsided and I quite enjoyed the delivery of the performance. It also gave me a few pointers as to what I should change.

It was certainly a highlight in a course that has already delivered so many. Given the inspirational nature of the course I already have a few ideas for my next play - here's to finishing this one first.

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Blog 2.0

So where was I? Having decided to set up a blog a few years ago, I then decided to take said blog down and join the ranks of the numerous ex-bloggers out there. Mainly because I was busy with extracurricular stuff in work (which I won’t bore anyone with, but that is now behind me).

Then feeling decidedly guilty (given that I talk about blogging in the course of my teaching), I have decided I should have some sort of blog presence. So the New Year resolution was to start blogging again. Being not one to rush things here we are some two months later - a post (well of sorts)!

So why have I started now? Given that I set out to write something else at my computer today (which I will explain in due course), it is obvious that the reason to do so this will be for the usual reasons of procrastination – to avoid doing the job at hand. I must admit I quite missed the inane jottings that tended to be posted here and part of me wishes I had kept it up given that last year would have been a good year to have a blog - especially with the events of Liverpool's City of Culture.

In due course, I will add more posts and try to add the old stuff that I had taken down.