I’m busy at the moment, very busy. Work is piling up, which is great, and I keep looking for (which is sensible) and accepting (which is very stupid) more.
Does that sentence make sense?
It does to me, but then I’ve been up since bastard early yesterday morning.
I had a lot planned for today, I’ve got a load of odds and ends to tie up before I start work on ‘Kapital‘, which is the new working title for the action/thriller feature ‘K-Past’.
I started off by writing up a report on a feature script I read last night. One of the questions the producer asked was: What could I do to make it better?
The answer is simple: I could burn the screenplay, that would improve it 150%.
To be fair, it wasn’t that bad and there were a number of things (apart from a good fire) which could improve it immeasurably.
Like wiping my arse on it.
No, it wasn’t that bad – it’s all fixable. Honest. Pay me enough and I can fix anything.
Next up was writing the elusive sixth segment of ‘The Summoning’. Producer Jonathan Sothcott and I came up with the idea at our last meeting on Tuesday. It’s a voodoo tale, so the first half of the morning was research; then it was down to work.
I tend to start with a two page outline, nailing down the salient points of the plot and odd bits of dialogue. I was about halfway through when I poured a can of Diet Coke into the keyboard of my spanky new(ish) laptop.
Funnily enough, my dad always warned me about the dangers of having a drink next to the computer; but I never believed him.
He was right. Sorry, dad.
After feverishly mopping things up with handfuls of wadded toilet paper, I was able to assess the damage.
It’s still working. Hasn’t gone ‘bang’ or ‘fizz’ or anything. I suppose I should have unplugged it and let it dry out, but I haven’t got time. Onwards!
Now, I have a complicated system of typing where I press twice as many keys and then delete the ones which aren’t needed.
Don’t ask me why, I don’t know.
The backspace key is the most used key on both my computers, I hit it almost every other keystroke. Which is a shame, because that’s exactly where I poured the Diet Coke. Two letters in, I hit backspace and watch in horror as it deletes the last letter and just keeps on going.
All the way back, to the top of the page.
Meanwhile I’m shouting NO! a lot and trying to find a spoon to prise the key up.
Why a spoon? No idea, what can I say, I’m complicated. Suffice it to say, there was no spoon in the vicinity of my laptop and I lost all of the text.
All of it, every single last paragraph, sentence, word and character.
I think ‘deeply miffed’ covers how I felt.
But wait! The ‘redo’ button! That beautiful little right facing arrow of joy.
Nope. Doesn’t do fuck all.
Start again.
Oh, and I’ve just realised I’ve got a spoon in my back pocket which has been there since breakfast. Joy beyond measure.
I prise the button up, hoping it won’t break. Clean it all out, then panic because I can’t get it back in. It’s an incredibly complicated affair with springs and clips and little plastic things which fly out when you look at them.
But I persevere and I prevail. Oh yes, no computer will ever best me.
Except now it’s shut down.
Why has it shut down? Shit! Is it death by Diet Coke?
Nope, there’s a power cut and has been for hours – the batteries have died.
I’m going to have to do this the old fashioned way – pen and paper at the ready. Can I even remember how to use a pen? It’s been a while.
Fortunately, the power came back on and stayed back on; and apart from one little backspace mishap (two lines!) I was able to finish the outline without incident.
Next comes the script which flows out beautifully – even if it is a little on the long side – 19 pages as opposed to an average of 14 for the other 5 shorts.
A little trimming is probably in order; but after a read through, I decide against it. I think it reads well, but I’ll have to wait until tomorrow for the official verdict.
I’ve even managed to invent a new language for the ‘voodoo curses’. It’s got a solid grammar, logical rules and is almost pronounceable. I just hope no one works out what it says – it’s not very voodoo.
I’d arranged to meet people for dinner, and I finished the script at four minutes to. How’s that for timing?
If anyone cares, dinner was Thai and it was very nice.
Oh, and I almost forgot – it looks like I’ve had another screenplay optioned. The contract has been agreed; I haven’t signed it yet, but since the details have appeared on the company website, I guess I can mention it. It’s a twenty-something comedy called ‘Geeked’, optioned by Black and Blue Entertainment.
That means I’ve got seven features in development now.
Seven!
That’s one for every dwarf!
I’m a little worried that having one of my scripts in development is becoming a fashion accessory, are people even reading these things? Will I fall out of fashion next month? Who knows? I don’t, but it’s going to be fun finding out.
The Jobbing Scriptwriter 