Matt Tuckey is a writer from Oldham, England. He covers celebrities, night life, Manchester, fitness, creative writing, social media, psychology and events. Some of this may, in some way, help others. Or maybe it'll just entertain you for a while.
This
week’s Writer’s Connect was held in
Manchester’s Waterhouse, a JD Wetherspoon pub on Princess Street. With its stone
walls separating the venues into smaller and more private rooms, it’s
perfect for a writer’s meeting. The food is awesome too. The group
could be sticking with this venue, so by all means join us there.
For
the exercise this week, we started off with this phrase:
“Once
upon a time, there was a”
This
was the opening phrase of our vignettes.
We
then each took a slip of paper and wrote a noun on this slip. If you
do this, make sure your nouns are countable nouns, like “box”,
“horse”, or “car”, not uncountable nouns like “water”,
“music”, or “love”.
We
each folded up the slip, threw it into a pile, shuffled the pile and
picked a slip back out at random.
This
word was to come after our opening phrase.
We
were to tie up the vignette with this phrase:
“And
they all lived happily ever after.”
With
10 minutes on the clock, we each knocked out a story. My word was
“foot”. Here was my attempt:
Once
upon a time there was a foot. The foot was, for the duration of its
life, a fully functioning part of Fred's body. The foot, along with
his brother, also a foot, allowed Fred to stand and balance. In fact,
he allowed Fred to do many things. Fred was a Mixed Martial Artist,
and the foot, along with the hands, arms, head and torso, all had
roles to play in Fred’s career. The body parts dedicated themselves
to Fred’s cause- winning fights. All, that was, except the foot.
The
foot had a tendency to play up, to annoy Fred. On occasion, the foot
would land in a funny way, or scrunch up its toes during a takedown.
This would result in Fred’s opponent crushing the foot under their
combined body weight. As punishment, Fred would put the foot in a
bucket of ice for minutes on end. Sometimes, the foot thought it
would fall straight off in the searing, numbing cold. But no, the
foot would continue to play up.
Fred
talked to the foot, on occasion. “I can’t afford for you to play
up again this way,” Fred said. “Please don’t let me lose this
fight.”
The
foot, pressured by the rest of the body, begrudgingly agreed.
During
the fight, when the whole body felt pain and tiredness and an
overwhelming desire to stay in one piece, the foot stayed strong and
steadied Fred. But, on the floor, Fred’s opponent took hold of the
foot.
The
foot fought valiantly, but the opponent locked up the foot in a
painful gogoplata, and Fred tapped out.
After
the fight, Fred dunked his whole body into the ice as punishment for
a collective failure. But there were no lasting injuries to Fred. A
few bruises would heal, but he was grateful that there were no
sprains to his feet, hands, arms, legs, head or torso. The body parts
healed over a few days, and they all lived happily ever after.
So. I managed it. I
must point out, though, that where I wrote gogoplata, I actually
meant “toehold”. A toehold looks like this:
Whereas a gogoplata
looks like this:
What
a mistake to make. Now the whole thing seems silly!
Ho
ho.
One
of the drawbacks to timed writing exercises is that you can't
proofread what you write. You've just got to fire it out and see what
you come out with when the timer goes.
I
suppose the main achievement of my week is my first decent night's
sleep in a long while, thanks to largely to this bad boy:
It's
apparently somewhere between Kalms and popstar killer Propofol. It
certainly put me out. I'm not taking one now until I NEED to. They
are, apparently, scarily addictive. That's what I call a balm of hurt
minds.
What
is bizarre is that I've overcome the majority of my problems, so why
can't I sleep now? Work's going good, social life pretty good, I eat
well, including whole bunches of bananas (known for sugar-balancing,
sleep-assisting properties), and more records smashed at the gym. But
apparently, insomnia just happens regardless. So pills it is.
5
gym improvements this week:
10
minute run: up 3 speeds
Abs
machine, 3 discs, 50 reps: up 1 notch
Pulley
pull-ups (lifting the bar from waist to chin): up 1 notch
Anyway.
I need to stop using the computer before bed. This is, apparently,
part of the problem. 'Scuse me while I take great nature's second
course.
Well,
it was only a matter of time before The Hairy Dieters offered up a
“complicated” recipe. The problem I found with this dish was the
sheer volume of different ingredients- and steps in the process-
required to make the soup. My kitchen just doesn't accommodate that
volume of food! And my brain doesn't accommodate all that
information!
The
process of preparing for this soup took AGES. I cut the tomatoes and
dunked them in boiling water to slip off the skin, but I didn't leave
them in the water long enough. THD says cook it all in a saucepan. A
big fuck-off wok was more appropriate. I don't know whether I got the
water levels wrong, but it came out thick: more like stew than soup.
But I've got to be honest: It tasted better than I thought it was
going to. And at least I've got something to eat for the next few
days.
Having
said that, the process was no more complicated than some of the other
recipes I've cooked. I think when I looked at the ingredients list
and the recipe, I thought, fuck, this looks hard. But it actually
isn't that taxing to do. It just takes time. I'm learning to cook in
order to seek out these revelations. I don't want to be able to just
say, “I learned to make Minestrone.” I want to be able to say, “I
didn't think I'd be able to make Minestrone, but I did anyway. And it
came out good.” And if I can achieve that with Minestrone, I can do
it with anything else, right?
“What
is a good screenplay? I kept asking myself. And pretty soon I started
getting some answers. When you read a good screenplay, you know it—
it's evident from page one, word one. The style, the way the words
are laid out on the page, the way the story is set up, the grasp of
dramatic situation, the introduction of the main character, the basic
premise or problem of the screenplay—it's all set up in the first
few pages of the script: Chinatown, Five Easy Pieces, The Godfather,
The French Connection, Shampoo, and All the President's Men are all
perfect examples.”
It's
also seemingly a minute sector of the online writing community, and
of the creative writing scene in Manchester. Finding people who know
about screenwriting and who ready to share their knowledge is no easy
feat. There's a plethora of fiction feedback groups, both who meet in
person and who meet online, but screenplay writing is nowhere near as
prevalent. Throughout the month, I had to broaden out what I was
looking for.
By
searching for information on screenwriting in general, and asking
around on social media sites, I met a handful of people who work in
the screenwriting / film making industry, and got some valuable
feedback on my synopsis for Once Upon a Time in Manchester, my
political terrorism script. (Let's say it needs a lot of work.) I
found a few websites that looked helpful to those who were at the
first draft stage. I've written a first draft, but I wanted synopsis
feedback first- so I may have to come back to these sites later in
the year to try them out. I found TONS of .pdf resources through a
contact, which has made fascinating reading the last few weeks. But
essentially, I've not been ready to rewrite the script, I've not
actually used the websites and I've not made progress with any other
screenplays, aside digging out the first screenplay I ever wrote.
Diner-
later retitled Restaurant, although I can't find my draft with that
name anywhere- was a script I scribbled out on my lunch breaks in 5th
form. And it shows. The dialogue is weird, all the characters sound
like a zany 15-year-old boy (i.e. a younger me) and the action is a
little jolty as well. It needs a lot of work. But it's got potential.
I've had a quick butchers at it and made a few notes, but when I will
dedicate the time to tweaking it, I don't know.
So-
results? Screenplay info is thin on the ground, but it's out there to
be found with a bit of determined rummaging.
I've
been a member of feedback group Writers Connect for a few years now.
Prior to that, I've visited a number of other, less successful,
creative writing groups that have operated in different ways. The
methods people use in their groups may vary, and the way writers
interact can affect the dynamics of the meeting. It can also affect
the outcome of the finished pieces of writing. I'm no expert, but I
was wondering: what can we do to make sure a group is as productive
as possible? Drawing on experience, here's my ten most-helpful
pointers that could assist you or your writers group.
Pick
a venue with a reasonable noise level. You'll be reading out work to
a good number of people, so not a library. But also, avoid bars with
blaring music, high walls or too much background chatter. Perhaps a
coffee shop?
Your
venue should have tables that can accommodate you all; where you can
sit around as a group and still hear each other.
Start
the meeting with a warm-up writing exercise. Have a look through
this blog for examples. Before you set the timer, suggest everyone
writes double-spaced so each person can fill in ideas as they go
along, or cross out and replace words. After the timer has gone, let
the group members read out their pieces.
Whether
reading out the results of the exercise, or a piece they have
brought in for critique, remind readers to project their voice. Each
reader should speaking loud enough for the person in the group sat
furthest away from them to comfortably hear them.
Relax
when reading. Reading out your work to a group of unknowns can be
uncomfortable the first few times, but remember that everyone at the
group has been there- some may still be. I find it helps to go into
the world of the story- forget you're sat at the table at the venue
in town, surrounded by readers. Be with your characters.
Our
group organiser allows us to email our stories to her if we have
printer problems. That way she can print them and bring them to the
meet-up for us. If you're a kind organiser, suggest this to the
group (but only bring it up when someone says they have had printer
problems).
If
you use a website like Facebook or Meet-ups to organise the group,
it's up to each person to update their activities on the site. If
you plan to attend the meeting, let the group know- then turn up. If
you realise you can't make it, update people. In our group, we find
that a lot of people confirm their attendance online but fail to
show on the day. It's fair enough that problems arise and that you
might not be able to attend, but in an era with mobile internet, it
shouldn't be too hard to correct your plans online.
You
might find the opening moments of the meeting are a good time to
share any writing-related information people might have- any
publications people have achieved, any resources found like feedback
websites or good advice books, or any events that might be running
like fiction or poetry nights in the area. Or, to save time at the
meeting, you might want to encourage members to post these findings
on the website.
Turn
up on time. If you're late, you might have less time to perform the
exercise, and if you miss that totally, you may miss the beginning
of the first story. How effective could your feedback be if you
don't know as much as everyone else?
Get
a good night's sleep before the meeting. Our meet-ups are on Sunday
afternoons. There has been a few times where I'd been out the night
before, woken up in time for the meeting and thought, “well, I'm
awake. I might as well go.” I've then been drifting off in the
middle of the meeting and people have had to turn over the pages of
the printed stories for me. Embarrassing.
Some
of these pointers may seem obvious, but mistakes do happen on
occasion. Get on top of these ten and you'll have an effective,
enjoyable and powerful writing group. Can you suggest other ideas?
Episodes
2 and 3 of BBC3's scientific matchmaking show The Year of Making Love
were just as entertaining as the first. I was part of this show. So
far, the majority of my filming hasn't aired, although I was shown
for the second time last night- for one epic second again.
I'm
really surprised how engaging the show is- I normally shun television
unless it's South Park or Family Guy, but I've really got into YOML.
The show normally trends on Twitter during airing, so get online to
see what the public reaction is. Presumably, I'm one of the subjects
in the next three shows...
When
people want to know what screenwriting is all about, I have a
stock
answer: It's simple- it's telling exciting stories about exciting
people
in
an exciting form. That's all there is to it.
-The
Tools of Screenwriting, David Howard and Edward Mabley
Things
are coming together. My work hours have changed. I'm now doing more
full days. Less travelling. More working with public. More time to
fill on other days. Happier.
I've
spent the week reading up on screenplay advice and searching
websites. I've rewritten a synopsis. My self-imposed deadline for my
Screenplay Month
is Thursday. I think a bit more reading is all I'm going to manage.
Full details to follow.
I've
started on the protein shakes!
This
is the vanilla flavour Magnum. I've been taking it after every gym
session. If you want to give it a shot, Magnum is the best value.
I've found it tastes better mixed with milk as opposed to water. I'd
also suggest you clean out your protein shaker straight away after
drinking, before it stinks out your house.
Since
11/2 I've continued to improve at the gym.
10-minute
run up 4 speeds
Abs
machine, doing 50 reps with three discs in addition to the weight
plates- I've set a good personal best and then beaten it.
So
these things are moving forward. Aside from a complete absence of
nights out and a terrible bout of insomnia, all is well in the
Tuckeyverse...
Last
week's Writers Connect meeting was at The Moon Under The Waterpub on Deansgate, Manchester. We changed from Costa Coffeein the Arndle's Waterstones after the manager kicked up a fuss about
us moving the tables. We're quite a burgeoning group now, with around
15 attendees turning up each session, so we looked at other places to
accommodate us. I suggested the Wetherspoons pub as it was once the
largest in Britain, and we'd be sure to find an area we could all
work in.
Unfortunately,
because of the venue's high roof, and because the pub is basically
one rarge room on 2 levels, it wasn't the best place for a reading
group. Too much background noise, too much echo and too much leaning
forward to be able to hear people reading their pieces made this hard
work.
Never
mind- we'll keep our eyes peeled for a better venue for a group of
aspiring writers. Any suggestions? I was thinking perhaps Brew Dog on Peter Street...?
Anyway.
For the writing exercise, organiser Oz brought in an opaque bag
filled with random objects. We each “lucky dipped” and pulled out
one of these items. We then had 15 minutes to write a vignette based
on that object. Here's mine:
Of
course, when you're touring a new city in the heat of summer and
you're glancing upwards at the glassy, reflective metropolis, you
don't wear Wayfarers. The lenses might be protective enough to block
out the rays, but when you're turning from street to street, checking
out one landmark or some other street drama troupe, you're still
going to be dazzled, and not necessarily by the talent.
That's
why I'm wearing wraparounds, much to my wife's bemusement. They're
for teens, she says, in hopefully mock self pity.
It
could be the next tiny blow to our marriage, and this trip to the
city is a vain attempt to glue us back together as a couple. It isn't
working, though. I'm no longer looking at the buildings. These
wraparounds are turning me into a total perv.
She'd
always say she couldn't see things from my perspective- fitting, now
that my eyes are totally covered and I can glance whichever way that
I want.
The
next building is covered in scaffolding, which is surprising as it
doesn't look that old.
“Look
at that,” I say. “They didn't plan that well, did they? It's
crumbling already.”
She
raises her eyebrows. “Well, some things are just badly planned from
the start, aren't they?” She says.
We've
been playing this charade all holiday. That's when I notice the loose
scaffold pole drop from the next floor up. I hesitate.
I
had a quick butchers' at Trigger Street Labs,
an online screenwriting resource. The site offers an opportunity to
upload your screenplay to be read and critiqued by other site
members. It also allows filmmakers to upload finished short films by
embedding their Youtube videos onto the site. There was a third
subheading on the opening page for short stories.
It
sounded like just the webpage I was looking for, but alas- each
uploaded screenplay must be no less than 90 pages. At roughly 45,
mine is way too short. Also, uploaded scripts must be converted to
.pdf. Admittedly, I've no idea how to do that.
Regardless,
I was looking for feedback on the structure, the synopsis, so I could
redraft that stage. I wanted to tighten the plot before hammering
into another draft of the script. But Trigger Street Labs doesn't
seem to offer feedback for that stage. It's a very strange site- the
page is designed with large symbols for each section of the site, but
these symbols don't represent links to other pages.
To
the site's credit, the scripts and ideas portrayed in them look good.
There are a few original ideas knocking about here. I'd need more
time to sit and read the full scripts though- giving screenwriting
feedback takes more dedication than reviewing a short story or poem
does. I've received feedback on my synopsis elsewhere, so after I've
rewritten that stage and then rewritten the script itself, I might
throw it up on Trigger Street Labs.
Have
you dabbled in this site? What were your thoughts?
So,
what have we here? Tinned ham, tinned peas, and omelette. You've
prepared a feast, Jones.
-Henry
(Christopher Eccleston) makes the best of a bad situation (namely an
outbreak of psychotic zombies) in 28 Days Later.
My
minted pea and feta omelette was far superior to Jones', mostly
because I had fresh ingredients. Oh, and I didn't have to defend
myself against swathes of undead whilst cooking (unless you count the
preceding trip to Tesco to buy the ingredients).
This
was pretty simple and pretty tasty. The only problem I faced was that
my scales were made for measurements much larger than those needed in
this recipe, so pouring out 30-40 grams of food wasn't easy.
The
Hairy Dieters cookbook is making me wonder why I slogged my guts out
on Keda Black's Classics. THD is so easy in comparison, and so much
tastier as well. The amount of effort I put into the first few meals
from the first cookbook was ridiculous. The majority of recipes in
the THD are high in protein, so they're perfect for people like me
who are trying to boost strength.
Wowsers.
I was on TV this week. I took part in The Year of Making Love last
year, a TV show for BBC3. Details here. I could be on again in more detail in some of the subsequent
episodes. So stay tuned! Mondays, 9pm.
I'm
making steady progress on my scriptwriting challenge.
I've got the new ink cartidge in the printer and printed off a
synopsis I wrote for a feature film. Today I took it to feedback
group Writers Connect,
and the group gave me a few handy pointers. I've also got hold of a
lot of written advice in PDF form. If I'm required to sit and read,
that's what I'll do!
Django
Unchained. Pretty good. Not keen on the use of rap music in a film
set in the 1800s. Nor was I keen on Tarantino's terrible aussie (?)
accent. Christoph Waltz (Col. Hanz Landa in Inglourious Basterds)
shines again as Dr. King Schultz. I noticed a few stylistic nods to
other films (The “n***** on a horse” idea was explored in Blazing
Saddles, and the dual-gun shootout scene was no doubt a hat tip to
John Woo's movies). Worth watching. Tarantino's characterisations are
becoming more diverse, but his actual storytelling has reached a
plateau. I've said this before- he needs to go back to simple,
hard-boiled gangster movies.
This
week I bought a huge bag of Magnum protein shake from XXL Supplies
in Stockport. I've been looking around for a good deal on shakes, and
this place seems to have the best offers according to my Facebook
friends. (A lot are MMA fighters, so they know what they're talking
about.) I start on it tomorrow!
I'm
still sharpening up at the gym. Abdominal machine is up 1 notch. I've
been stuck at this weight since September last year, and I've finally
smashed it. Persistance is key. (I allow myself infinite strikes on
abs movements, as I'm so obsessed with getting this mythical six-pack
back.) My 10-minute run is up 3 speeds. This should shave off the fat
in enough time, getting me the physique I once had.
-Wikus
(Sharlto Copley) referring to the prawn-like aliens who have taken up
residence in his home town in District 9 (2009).
The
first one-pan dish in the Hairy Dieters cookbook is Prawn and Chive
Omlette. I used real prawns from Tesco's fish counter, as opposed to
fictional aliens.
This
was a pretty simple meal to start off with, so kudos to the authors /
editors for putting this at the beginning of the section.
I
made a few errors due to my ridiculous memory- I listed out
everything I needed, but not the quantities. So, at the fish counter
in Tesco, I guessed at about 80g of prawns. The recipe lists 100g.
Also, the instructions end with “serve with salad”. There was no
mention of salad in the ingredients. I tend not to think outside the
box when it comes to cooking- I just do what it says so I don't get
it wrong. I didn't have any salad in at that point. Oh well!
It
was nice though, and I surprised myself again with what I achieved.
It wasn't that difficult at all. Small steps.
Online
literature resource Duotrope, once a free haven to find markets for your poem or short story, has
now gone subscription-only. There's now a $5 monthly fee to get
access to the thousands of magazines looking for submissions.
The
site has been surviving for many years through donations, but a
circular went out explaining that these targets had not been hit for
a number of months, and the site admins had no choice but to start to
charge users.
It's
been great having the site to find markets for stories, and I owe a
hat-tip to Duotrope with regards to the majority of my published
work. It was also a good place to search for free short literature,
if you had a spare half hour. I used the site sporadically to find
markets so a $5 monthly fee wouldn't really work for me now.
I've
found a small closed group on Facebook that is sharing information
about publishing markets, but I'm keen to see what else there is out
there to help the struggling scribe. Can you advise?
Manchester's
ailing night life scene received a shot in the arm last year with the
opening of 2 branches of The Alchemist,
ran by Living Ventures who brought you the upmarket Living Room
franchise.
I
went on a date there last week (go me!). Of course, I went to the
wrong branch and ended up legging it across the city centre from The
Spinning fields area to New York Street (off Portland St at the top
of Piccadilly Gardens). But I still got there on time, just as Dustin
Hoffman classic The Graduate was silently starting via
projector on one wall and the bar staff were firing up various
cocktails using what looked like Bunsen burners and other metallic
utensils. Chilled out house music set the mood.
I
asked one of the girls behind the bar about drinks, and was surprised
by her knowledge of scotch whiskies and American imports. She picked
me out a good U.S brand that made a good alternative to Jack Daniels
or Southern Comfort. Prices were competitive to upmarket venues,
shall we say.
Unfortunately
the toilets spoiled what could have been an outstanding venue. The
restrooms can frequently be the Achilles Heel of many a fine bar, and
the gents' in the New York Street venue were no exeption: the
overflowing bin and broken hand dryer put a damper on what could have
been a top-notch venue. I was there on Thursday- perhaps at the
weekend they'd have a toilet assistant keeping an eye on things.
The
Alchemist brings a new science to the bar scene. Despite being there
on a date, though, the only chemistry I experienced was being served
up in liquid form by the staff.
Did
all of you see my one second of fame on BBC3 last night? They showed
me walking through the entrance hall into the building. The scenes in
Oldham and the behind-the-scenes shots weren't shown... not in last
night's episode, at least. But BBC3 are running more episodes over
the next few days, with a repeat of last night's show on tonight at
8pm. Don't miss it. It's surprisingly entertaining TV, even without
me.
Okay,
people. There's a small possibility that I could be on TV tonight.
The Year of Making Love is a mass-scale matchmaking programme on
BBC3, filmed nearly a year ago that I've been keeping quiet about
(aside from about 20 Facebook statuses.)
I'm
struggling to remember where I saw the advert for this, calling for
contributors- somewhere on the internet; probably Twitter. But
anyway. I applied a year ago.
I
got the phone call from
Fever
Media, who were making the show for the BBC,
and gave a telephone interview about
my sparse and bunny-boiler-laiden dating history. They loved me. They
asked me to audition, so I went down to MediaCity at Salford Quays
for more questioning. I think the fact that I've dated so many
nutters was one of the things that drew them in, along with the
memory difficulties I have that I feel makes me a little different,
shall we say. They chose me as a “subject”- one of the people the
program would focus on throughout the year.
I
filled out a questionnaire about the kind of person I am in
relationships, this being the “science” by which we were being
paired up. This took some guesswork on my part.
Fever
met me again to film a few segments- spending time with friends at my
house (we couldn't get clearance for any bars), me updating this
blog, which potentially could get me THOUSANDS of hits (the most
exciting part of the whole process), me walking into work (we
couldn't get clearance from my employer to film inside) and me for
some reason making a sandwich. It will be gloriously horrific
television.
A
week later, they put me on a coach full of northern participants to
Bedford, to a giant function-hall that could house the 500 men and
500 women. It was an awesome day. I got VIP treatment as the cameras
followed me off the coach into the building, jumping the signing-in
queue. I gave an interview before the event started, telling of how I
hoped everything was going to work out, and then the mass-scale
matching began, with numbers being read out for hours, and
participants meeting on stage to walk down the isle to the back of
the stadium- a scientifically matched “couple.” I was fortunate
enough to be called up after an hour or so of matches.
So,
the big question is, how was the match?
Well,
she seemed like a nice girl and everything, but I just didn't fancy
her. This was massively annoying as, looking around the stadium, I
could see plenty of girls I'd have loved to be put with. We walked to
the back of the stadium where we were greeted with champagne, and my
cameraman / wingman filmed us having a very awkward
getting-to-know-you conversation, and I desparately- DESPARATELY-
tried to come across as a normal, likeable guy. But when I know, I
know. I'm black-and-white about women. We didn't meet up after that.
Over
the next few days Fever were asking me if I fancied “just giving it
a shot”, but I'm not that fame hungry to lead someone on in that
way.
I've
not been allowed to talk about it, but I suppose it's late enough
now.
I
must make one thing clear, though: despite me doing all of this, I
might not even be on the show at all. There was another advert on
Facebook for contributors some months later, as if they were trying
to brush over the whole first attempt at the show and start afresh.
Which was weird. The organisation and the man power and the time and-
of course- the EXPENSE of putting a show like this together must have
been gargantuan. What production company would want to go through all
of that again for a series?
My
guess is that there were so few people that stayed with their matches
that they needed to film it again in an attempt to find couples who
might stay together. From the Facebook group I gathered that most
“couples” weren't good matches and that the “science” hadn't
just failed me- it had failed most of us.
So,
here's the trailer. I was definitely there on the day of the
matching. I specifically remember the lesbian in the tux. I have no
idea whether there was a second event, but the video footage is
exactly as I remember it. It was a very memorable, enjoyable day and
I've no regrets.
So
who knows. Maybe I'm on it. Maybe I'm not. Either way, it's BBC 3,
9pm, Tonight. It's a series as well, so I might not be on the first
episode.
Get
this: American Psycho author Bret Easton Ellis has scripted a new
movie The Canyons, which IMDB is describing as “Youth, glamor, sex
and Los Angeles”- a fitting summary of Ellis' style and genre of
choice. I can't wait for it. Taxi Driver screenwriter Paul Schrader
is directing, in an interesting switch of their traditional roles. I'm
looking forward to it. The point of me mentioning this is that the
cinematographer, John DeFazio, was briefly following me on Twitter.
I
know, I know. That is the shittest claim to fame in the history of
anything. I've seen people do this before- they're promoting
something they're doing, maybe a film or a book, or they're releasing
a new album. So these flash-in-the-pan wannabes jump onto Twitter and
follow thousands of people in one splurge, then unfollow them all a
few days later. Out of all of these people, a good portion will
follow back- and that's how they promote what they're doing to their
audience. I'm already following Bret Easton Ellis, so I'm guessing
DeFazio raided Ellis' follower list to choose his own temporary
followings.
Go
on then, DeFazio. I'll follow you for what it's worth. You seem
pretty funny.
On
the subject of humour, I wrote “the wittiest thing on the internet”
this week:
On
a more serious note, I'm spending this month investigating
screenwriting.
Screenwriting
resources are generally a little thin on the ground to begin with, no
matter where you live, but in my area there's particularly little.
However, I did find out that my local theatre, Oldham Coliseum,
runs a script reading service. I'm interested to know what they think
of my terrorism-in-Manchester screenplay, although I'm tempted to
have another bash at the actual text first. I wrote it a while ago
and my own abilities have sharpened up since then.
I've
managed to make a few screenwriting connections over Facebook by
asking around, and I've received some helpful feedback on the updated
synopsis. I've also been advised to check a few websites that I'll be
reviewing here.
Oh,
and I got 5 new personal bests out of 3 gym sessions.
Floor
to chin pull-ups up 1 notch
10-minute
run up 2 speeds
Pulley
jab up 2 notches
So
mix all of this in with a Christening, a date, the construction of a
shelving unit and a couple more nights out and you'll be as busy as
me.
