Fictional Skies

It's all well and good when you discover a passion for storytelling but at some point you have to face up to the reality of your ambition. Time isn't infinite and no one is going to do the work for you. You must get real and put the time in. What this means is that I'm unable to commit to the upkeep of the blog and make it as resourceful and interesting as I would like. I've reached the stage where I just want to focus on writing and learning offline. The culture of writing something and reporting back is a bit of an old hat and counter productive. I find myself heading into a new direction of writing, research and learning this year. That demands more time and focus. It's the stories themselves leading the way. However, I'm glad to be trying new things and exploring what I thought I would be doing much later on in life. I have some unpublished blog posts and aim to see those through for this year. It has been an enjoyable learning curve, although,...

It's not easy embarking on any ambition but screenwriting offers the newcomer a new level of difficult. Today the aspiring markets are more flooded than ever and so competition is fierce. Anyone can write by sitting down to write but not everyone can write well. Even less are willing to put the time in to improve and do their homework. Then there's the art of selling it; and yourself. As well as facing numerous rejections and disappointments that are commonplace in the creative industries. It's a long journey that requires more than discipline, passion and resilience to survive. The Art of Dreaming To constantly dream of an ambition and desirable state of being will get us nowhere. In the beginning, this is all we had once the dream was discovered . And so, compelled and obsessed as we were we turned up to write and dream. We put in years of creative efforts in order excite, thrill, feel and escape. To role play in fictional worlds. Then we come of cre...

So you choose to stay in for the weekend instead of being social. Those who go out or invite you out don't understand why you chose to stay in, or when you do venture out, may avoid alcohol. It's difficult for some non-writers to understand (and respect) what goes into living a creative life and ambition. They think taking a random day or weekend off is no big deal, drinking a beer or two; doing this or that. But if we're serious about writing and our commitment - and enjoy it - then these are big deals to us. The Long Road  A writing ambition is a long road and requires a daily effort. There are times to relax and have fun, but productivity and momentum are the main stay. If the wrong fuel is going into the train then it's not going to work properly, or at all. Things must always be moving. If they're not - then we fall behind. To achieve that ideal, sacrifices have to be made. We can try to explain and help others to understand our actions and passion ...

If only it was that easy.  Almost a year ago (and the rest)  I drafted a blog post, which I never published. I do this often. This particular one was entitled " The Mentor and The Apprentice ."  Again this new draft (re-imagining) is an old one but now I feel is important to mention.  The original post began...  " Some time ago the new and improved  The Scriptwriter's Life  diagram went live and it featured a specific point that got my attention. It was something that I hadn't been conscious of until it was spelt out right in front of me.  So I realise that within  my great passion for writing, a small unknown frustration and longing had started to materialise..."  However, I realised that the then approaching dark cloud wasn't something that I should beat myself up over or view as a weakness in my ambition or resolve. But that it was perfectly natural to feel that way.  I just had a lacking element in t...

During the process of writing a script, new things are learnt, new layers and ways of doing things are found. Upon completion, each draft, revision, and finished script brings you closer to identifying and employing the various elements that a script comprises of and to creating a well executed story, plot and characters. But just as important for new writers is the friction created between ourselves and the outside forces, and importantly what is learnt in the ensuing conflict, before and after embarking on a script.  With the first draft of an overdue and long  TV Drama Spec  complete ( the follow up script is well under way ) and the process and writing experience faded somewhat from my memory. Fortunately I had pre-assembled a list of the main self-development points that I encountered and rediscovered along my journey in the beginning stages of this project. 1) Putting Things Off For sometime early into 2010 I he...