My ticket to an exclusive play performed at our house this Christmas, “Life of the Pokemon”. I hope “Bumper to Bumper” is received as enthusiastically.

I had an email from Slovenia today, saying that production on my radio play ‘Bumper to Bumper’ is complete and it will be broadcast on RTV/Radio Slovenia soon. They are sending me a CD of the production and I’m really looking forward to hearing it. So many questions. What will the characters sound like? What is the pacing like? Did they change any of the music? What will the audience reaction be? Even though I won’t be able to understand the words, hopefully I’ll be able to follow the plot.

When I was young radio was a huge influence on me, and I also spent a long time listening to acts like ‘Instant Sunshine’, ‘Hinge and Bracket’, ‘Monty Python’ and Bob Newhart on tape and LP. Writing for radio is a different discipline and you really have to understand how sound works to do it well. One of the comments we received about our BodyLine webseries, ‘Mind My Brains, Darling!’ was  ”..a radio show with pictures”. That is a huge compliment.

I’m not sure if Radio Slovenia archive their shows, but if they are I will be sure to add a link so you can go and listen. In the meantime I will be writing some new radio plays for them and I’ll let you know more about them soon.

PS I guess I should also say I am HUGELY EXCITED about the fact that my work is being produced professionally by the team at Radio Slovenia! I guess I’m still trying to process the fact that it is actually happening…

Last week Dr Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog: The Book was published that hit a couple of high notes for me:

1. It is the first book about a webseries, and that is definitely something to be happy about since we are in production of our new webseries at the moment.

2. It’s by Joss Whedon and the team he gathered for Dr Horrible – people that I admire and respect.

3. My name and some of my words are in it.

Yes, you read that correctly. I have a whole page in the book!

Next stop – the world?

I admit that I’m pretty happy about having a tiny part in this book’s production. A whole page, in fact. When I wrote to P J Haarsma asking for an interview about the remote control he designed for Dr Horrible I had no idea that two and a half years later parts of that interview would be published. It goes to show that you just never know what happens. You get you head down, get the work done and out there, and sometimes good things come back.

If you are a fan of Joss Whedon then there is plenty to love in this book. I reviewed it over on PinkRayGun.com, so if you decide to buy a copy don’t skip over page 23

Double Rainbow – what does is mean?

I sold a play!

In August last year I received an email that purported to be from a producer at Radio Slovenia asking if I would be interested in selling my radio play “Bumper to Bumper”. To be perfectly honest I nearly binned it as a more sophisticated spam hoax, but it intrigued me enough to reply asking for more information. I have a PDF of “Bumper to Bumper” on this site in my portfolio, so I could see how it possible that it might be for real.

Six months later – profit!

Today, after emails, form-filling and international negotiations the money plonked into my bank account. I’m now a paid playwright! Although I have been paid for writing in the past, this feels different. This is the first major fiction piece I have sold, and it feels…great. When we moved to Canada and I started writing again I spent a huge amount of time on writer’s websites, looking for inspiration, advice and validation. If I spent hours thinking about writing, was I a writer?

Make that several years later – profit?

Although it has taken months for the money to arrive, I actually wrote “Bumper to Bumper” several years ago when I was working in England. I attended a writer’s workshop at the BBC in Manchester and afterwards determined that I was going to break into professional writing. I scoped out new pieces and started to write every day. Before long I had a decent portfolio of ideas and half-written stories. And that’s when it started to get difficult. Ideas are not the problem. Most writers have a billion plot lines, quirky characters and interesting settings up their sleeves. They probably have a number of scribbled openings, shaky climaxes and lots of random notes, too.

Keep on keeping on – writing is a long game

When we moved to Canada and I started writing again I spent a huge amount of time on writer’s websites, looking for inspiration, advice and validation. If I spent hours thinking about writing, was I a writer? If I wrote blog posts, was I a writer? If I completed a novel, was I a writer? If I described myself as a writer, was I a writer? There are hundreds of articles and opinions on what actually constitutes a writer. I don’t think you have to have sold anything to call yourself a writer. But you do need to have completed something, preferably a few somethings. Don’t let anyone else put you off. As Larry in “Throw Momma from a Train” remind us: “A writer writes. Always.”

Finish the damned thing…

While I was ‘researching’ I found a hugely pertinent quote from a writer that I think will some day make his mark.

“1. FINISH IT
Actually finishing it is what I’m gonna put in as step one. You may laugh at this, but it’s true. I have so many friends who have written two-thirds of a screenplay, and then re-written it for about three years. Finishing a screenplay is first of all truly difficult, and secondly really liberating. Even if it’s not perfect, even if you know you’re gonna have to go back into it, type to the end. You have to have a little closure….”

That advice, from Joss Whedon on Danny Stack’s blog, is his #1 tip – and I have to agree. Finishing “Bumper to Bumper”, editing it and sending it off to the BBC all those years ago was proof to myself that I could do it. The fact that it came back because it wasn’t the length they were looking for was secondary. I had completed a play!

Next step – production

“Bumper to Bumper” is slated to start production very soon. Since we are in production of our new webseries “Mind My Brains, Darling!“, I understand only too well how hard it is to schedule things with certainty! Radio Slovenia has decades of experience so I’m looking forward to hearing the play, even though it will be in Slovenian. Will they use the same music? What will the actors sound like? Do the jokes translate??

The novel approaches

This also gives more fuel to a fire that is growing. Since co-writing “Mind My Brains, Darling!” with hubby and seeing that come to life on set, we have mapped out two more webseries. But my first novel, “Turning Left at Albuquerque” is sitting on my hard drive and it keeps calling to me. Writing that was a labour of love but although it is written, it is not finished. No. I am not done with it yet. We started podcasting chapters but something happened while we were doing it. A stark realisation. Although I love the book, that was the problem. It needs editing, and editing hard. I’m going to have to kill some darlings. I’m sure Joss would approve.

Oh – and Happy Pi Day!

The cake is a lie

Someone I know is sitting, preparing for his brother to take his final breath.

Through the last months his friends have supported, joked, wished, prayed, shared the journey that has brought them to the hospice. Meanwhile the family have worked and toiled to help their brother fight: supporting, loving and lifting each other. Sharing trials, setbacks, progress and now, finally, facing the fact that their brother is now down to his final days.

The cancer that would not be beaten is seemingly the winner. Often the terms we use against cancer are militaristic: we fight, battle, wage war. And fighting is good. It keeps us going, gives hope, shapes purpose.  When the cancer recedes we feel the victory, are triumphant.

What then, when the cancer will not be vanquished? Is this defeat?

No. A thousand times, no.

As hard as it is to face, the simple truth is not one of us gets out of this alive. We will all die. Some sooner than later. How can we live, knowing this is the case? What is the point?

Love.

There is nothing else that matters. Money, career, objects, vacations, houses – all nothing. Even with a breaking heart, it is everything to be able to sit with the person you love and know that they love you, and that they know that they are loved. To help them enjoy the things they want to do. Support them in their passing.

This is the victory.

If we all lived every day in awareness and acceptance of death then life would be very different. Love is everything.

To my friend: love and peace to you and your family. You are not alone, none of us are alone. Together, we can all share the grief and the victory.

And the love.

Happy times at a family party

My dad would have been 72 today…

…so this is just a little post of remembrance. I’ve spoken to my older brother already and I’ll speak to my mum and younger brother later. They are both in San Francisco at the moment, so we’re on the same time zone for a while, which is great.

Happy birthday, Dad. You are in our thoughts today and every day.

I received an interesting email the other day from a producer at Radio Slovenia. While searching for radio plays they had happened upon “Bumper to Bumper” and they are looking to produce it. I always wanted to hear this play produced and I’m looking forward to that happening. Even though it will be in Slovene (a language I don’t have any knowledge of) it will be an experience to hear, so this is an exciting opportunity.

I’ll keep you posted on developments, and if anyone who reads this blog is from Slovenia/speaks Slovene, please let me know!

We drove over the mountains to the Okanagan and stayed in Summerland and then drove all around taking in the sights. I’ve never been to desert before and I was glad it was winter – it looked like summer would be roastingly hot. The countryside was beautiful and full of promise for the coming spring. We had a great couple of days and covered nearly 1000 km.

Driving can be very therapuetic

As hubby drove we chatted and soaked up new scenery. I also did some serious writing while we were away –  I stared without thinking, enjoying the unfolding land while my subconscious had free reign. Some of my best writing is done this way – the shower is another favourite place and I know I’m not alone in that. And by that I mean lots of people are inspired in the shower, not that…well…anyway – WRITING! Yes. Because there is writing and then there is the thinking about writing. Both are necessary for success. But what I haven’t been doing enough of is NOT thinking about writing.

Huh?

If you write and have a job (or are looking for one, which takes up about the same amount of time) and have a family, pets, friends…there are so many demands on your time. I often spend time in front of my Mac thinking about writing but not seeing a word appear on the page. I might surf a bit, stare into space and – wow! Lots of time gone and nothing to show for it. Then I’ll shut everything else down, settle in for some writing and – the phone rings. Or the kids come home from school. Or the dog throws up.

Views like these deserve some attention, yo!

Taking a break

No matter that I’m doing, in the background is a constant chatter of characters, the rearranging of formats and ideas for the non-fiction things, and it sometimes feels like I’m never off duty even when I’ve not written a word. So…I need to change that. Even though I know surfing and thinking and idling are all important parts of writing I’m staking steps to do things that are completely unconnected. So when I’m walking the dog I’m looking at the amazing scenery that surrounds me and not getting my protagonist out out his latest scrape. When I’m making the dinner I’m stirring the sauce and not making a new set of bullet points.

The summer is here and my days will soon be filled with kids and lakes and “Mum, I’m bored…”. And I’m determined to have a good summer. I’ll still be writing, but I’ll be making time to be consciously not not-writing, too.

How do you keep it all balanced?

Please share you thoughts!

So, our first Internet Play is complete and posted. Looking back, I’m very proud of what we did. I was going to write a long post all about what Goodnight Princess is about and the writing process we went through to get it from idea to finished product. Instead, though, I’d like to write about the reactions people have had (I am going to write about the process, but I’ll post that next week). Firstly, though, please take the time to watch all three acts (together they last less than 10 minutes):

UPDATE: I’ve added a new page to the site for Goodnight Princess where I’ll keep you up to date with developments.

Act 1

Act 2

Act 3

It’s bittersweet, this life.

The Verve have two songs that often bring me to tears. I can’t listen to “The Drugs Don’t Work” without having a Kleenex to hand and a few minutes to spare so I can swallow down the lump in my throat and compose myself. The lyrics get me EVERY SINGLE TIME and yet I still want to experience it. It brings me back to a time when grief was raw and ragged and consuming. When I’m done with the drugs, “Bittersweet Symphony” is the palate cleanser. Still a mournful song but one that does leave me with hope. [I was just writing this when I saw the first hummingbird of the year!]

When we posted Act 1, I was careful to say it was an ‘Internet Drama’, and different to what I normally do. I love the humour, it’s the part of me that I express the most. On my other blog, I slant most things to the lighter side because that’s the way I see things. “Goodnight Princess” is a counterpoint to that, but is not without intentional (and possibly unintentional) humour. I was nervous about what people might think. Maybe no one would be interested, or they might think it was crap – and I didn’t want anyone to think I was tricking them into watching something they would rather not have seen.

A New Hope

I am immensely thankful to all the people who have watched so far. Many are people I’ve known for a long time on the interwebs through the various communities, message boards and social media sites I’m a part of. Some are new people who stumbled on the videos and stayed to watch. Comments have been really positive, but it’s clear people are interpreting events in different ways – AND THAT IS JUST FINE!

Back to School

Remember in English Literature classes, when you had to write an essay about what the author meant in the poem/play/book you were reading? And how disappointing it was when your teacher told you, in front of the whole class, that you were completely wrong and how stupid you were for thinking that a sunset might be, you know, a sunset? This graphic demonstrates the phenomenon exactly.

My Dad used to quote T S Eliot to me: “Great poetry communicates before it is understood.” I think that’s right, and doesn’t just apply to poetry (great or otherwise). I love imagery, word play and subtlety. Songs, films, pictures, TV shows, webseries – all can have meanings beyond what is placed in front of us. Sometimes an avatar is just an avatar. And sometimes it is something very different.

I am not T S Eliot

I don’t think “Goodnight Princess” is all that (radculture reference), but we did write it to have meaning beyond the words spoken. What that meaning might be is clear to us, but we left it open enough for people to bring their own experiences and interpretations to it. This was a labour of love, and a gamble. Shortform online drama is not any sort of recognised genre for webseries and though I have looked for other examples, I’ve yet to find them. The fact that people have watched all the episodes and cared enough to comment about it means a great deal. It has moved people, maybe even made them think a bit. Job done.

Thank you.

Over to you

So, what do you think? Were you confused by Goodnight Princess? Do you like to know what things are about from the writer/creator, or are you happy to keep your own interpretations?

Happy Mother’s Day!

Had a great day with the kids today. Walked in the park, had ice creams, didn’t cook and watched “Up” together. It was a lovely family day. I spoke to my  Mum, too. It’s not Mother’s Day in England, but it was good to talk. I would have rung her anyway, but especially since today marks eighteen years since my Dad died.

Eighteen years is a long time.

Grief is a howling beast, a whimpering cur and a familiar blanket. Seven weeks after my Dad had walked me down the aisle I followed his coffin down the same aisle. A packed church filled with current and ex-pupils, staff, friends and our family, all mourning his passing. The sunny graveyard, the moist earth and tears swallowed down hard, all remembered in snapshots.

But his shadow is longer.

Eighteen years later and I still know his face and hands, his comforting smell and his last breath. I miss you Dad, everyday, but you are in everything I do and think and feel and know. Rest in peace.

Can Short Form Drama work on the Internet?

As I said in my last post, I’ve been following the fortunes of various webseries for over two years now. I decided to create my second webseries two weeks ago after a conversation with hubby, who had had a great idea. We transformed the original idea into “Goodnight Princess” and produced this three act Internet Play. Act 1 was posted on Monday:

Working with what you have

When we launched I posted on ‘the last geek bus home‘, my everyday geek blog, about the process and rational behind the series. Partly because I wanted people to know about the series and partly to indicate that this was departure from what I’m more known for – the lighter side of life. Comedy is often more accessible to viewers than drama. Even if you are not sure you will find something funny you are more likely give it a try because comedy is seen as ‘quick entertainment’ that requires little effort on behalf of the person watching it (that isn’t to say that comedy is easy to produce – far from it).

Why an “Internet Play”?

We were looking at ways to describe Goodnight Princess. We talked about it a great deal because it is important to be able to give people an idea about what it is you are doing. Years ago, when we were in a band, we angsted for days about how to describe our music. With hindsight we should have just said “Indie-rock” and had done with it because at least it would have given people some kind of handle, however inaccurate. “Internet Play” seemed like a good way to describe this webseries because of the way it is written and filmed.

So far the feedback has been amazingly positive with comments on YouTube, Twitter, Tumblr and Direct Messages. Act 2 will be out on Monday 10th May. I hope you take the time (3 mins per Act!) to watch them and tell me what you think. This is only the beginning.