Script Writing At Ten

Image: Rupert Neve

Am I struggling to get back into the daily routine or what? Yes, is the short answer. Taking a week off is one thing, getting back on top of day job requirements afterwards is quite something else and may take me another fortnight the way I’m feeling.

A pal from work (hi Annie) commented yesterday how she too had witnessed the growing phenomenon of people picking up cigarette butts from the ground to create a smoke. One thing she mentioned was how it wasn’t even tramps who were responsible but seemingly “normal” people. I may have to use this issue as a firestarter in the up-coming general election campaign. The party that first promises to stamp out this practice gets my vote.

I managed to get a small amount done on GREENER in the evening. I really did not feel like doing anything but I forced myself into it and was delighted that I at least got through a bit. Something is better than nothing, and in last night’s case a minor miracle.

I’ve started reading On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King, the first book he wrote after he was hit by a van in Maine, USA, in 1999. It’s a superb book, and even though it boasts not to be a straight autobiography it remains, nevertheless, a fascinating and humorous insight into the development of one of America’s most popular and best selling writers. There are some fabulous tips for writers, too, which is the real key to this book for me.

One of the things King mentioned really struck home: one has to have “imitation before you can have creation”. I stopped reading and thought about this some more, and I realised that maybe I’m more built to be a writer than I give myself credit for sometimes.

When I was about 10 I used to be able to write the scripts for The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy and Star Wars from memory. And I did. I moved to writing short stories based on these tales and once got into trouble for plagiarism when I included a passage that had clearly been removed from Hitch Hikers in a school project. At the time I thought I was showing off, but I learned a small lesson.

I’d totally forgotten about all of that, so the interesting thing for me was that although most kids could probably recite Star Wars having seen the ultra-popular film so much, I could do Hitch Hikers from memory after constant plays of cassette tapes of the original radio broadcast I had “borrowed” from my Uncle.

The trailer for SILLY POEMS FOR WEE PEOPLE VOL.2 is now up on show over at Blazing Trailers. It’s a great site for those of us addicted to book trailers. Stella was my first on the site, which you can watch here.

My pal, Diane, gave me an award yesterday for being a “Beautiful Blogger” – thanks Diane – go check her site out at – it’s always a great read from a very busy writer.

Until tomorrow, peace and out!

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