(106) Updated profile, writing update and scripts

Updated my profile here and at http://www.myspace.com/sheikspear. Hope it looks more Writery. What do you think? All Comments welcome. How's your writing going? Mine's going well, thanks for asking, trying to finish/polish my 2008 Red Planet spec, but wouldn't you know, another brand new "blinding" spec idea keeps barging it's way to front of the muddled mind maze to crave development.

Different genre. Different era. So can't even sneak it in past the first ten pages already sent. Have to save it, on the usual scribbled bits of scrap paper*, for later. Unless the original protag falls into a time vortex or becomes a time traveller...Maybe he walks into this old fashioned Police telephone box and...

So, talking of time travel...

Here's something special to inspire you all:-

http://www. thewriterstale. com/scr. html Six scripts from the great Sir Russell T. Davies, OBE, including "Midnight" a true Master class (pardon the pun) in tight, gripping writing. Pure Class. Top education.
Read them!

* Anyone else do that? Use the blank back of letters/old scripts etc as notepads?
No? Well, you should now we're all supposed to be green!**
**That's green as in recycling, save the planet, roll the whale back into the sea, green. Not green with envy at those scripts...

Cheers, Sheiky

P.S. Just scene (seen-geddit?) Sir Daniel's gone all time travelly over at his "e" gaff too...http://dannystack.blogspot.com/2008/10/time-travelling-writers.html

(105) URGENT LATE NOTICE

Hi gang!

Hope this might be good for somebody "out there"...

Only just got this- I know it's really LATE notice but some of you might have something to go and if not it's only a 100 word pitch on something you might have... The panel are mainly Doc makers but it does say drama or ANYTHING
I've sent 2 - it's free no postage so why not? You never know.
Good Luck,
Sheiky

Pitch it here:-
http://stellarnetworkuk.camp7.org/Default.aspx?pageId=70744&eventId=28252&EventViewMode=EventDetails



"Euroscript News
Pitch Up 2008
Pitch Your Idea to Channel 4
Urgent Deadline: this Friday 10th October
Just in from Stellar Network - it's a very tight deadline but we wanted you to see it:

Do you have an incredible new TV idea that you would love to pitch to the people who REALLY matter- the commissioners and executives? Stellar is teaming up with Channel Four for a major new TV pitching event which will allow you to do just that. "

(104) Maybe...

Maybe I'll get the call from Red Planet...

Maybe not.

The great Russel T Davies tells us about another maybe, "The Maybe"...

"by the time I come to write, a lot has been decided. Also, a lot hasn't been decided, but I trust myself, and scare myself, that it'll happen in the actual writing. It all exists in my head, but in this soup. It's like the ideas are fluctuating in this great big quantum state of Maybe. The choices look easy when recounted later, but that's hindsight. When nothing is real and nothing is fixed, it can go anywhere. The Maybe is a hell of a place to live. As well as being the best place in the world"

Sounds familiar, does it not?

The great Paul Campbell, one of my "all you need to know" (UK) scribes, has a brilliant post about the doubts, triumphs and maybes of pro screenwriting here

Sums up why we do it. Or rather strive to do it. Maybe.

(103) The Stages of Red Planet Fever...

All over now 'til big Tone phones up...
Good luck to one and all; let's hope one of us Scribospherists wrote the winning script!

As you're all my bestest friends, I thought I'd share my Red Planet 2008 writing diary with you.

The stages of Red Planet Fever.
As acted out by the Andrew Lloyd Webber Players...


1/ "Coupla Months to write 10 pages..?"

EASY...NO PROBLEM...




2/ "Yeah, yeah, PO3 showed up a few plot holes to sort out..."

STILL TIME, IT'S ONLY 10 PAGES...SHOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM...



3/ "Deadline's getting close, where'd the time go?"

NO WORRIES...I CAN DO IT...IT'S ONLY 10 BLOODY PAGES...



4/ "What? You're unclear about the protag and the conflict, but it's the funniest thing you've read?"

IT'S NOT A COMEDY! CAN I FIX THIS? THERE'S ONLY 3 DAYS LEFT!



5/ "Done. Polished. Shining. Best multi protag experimental flashback/flash forward multi million pound special effects 60 minute comedy drama ever written. Jordan would be a fool to pass on this..."

I HAVEN'T SLEPT IN DAYS! IT WAS ONLY 10 PAGES! CHRIST KNOWS HOW I'LL TURN IN AN HOURS WORTH! BLOODY HELL, FORGOT TO ADD MY NAME AND ADDRESS...

(102) Song Me-me

The effervescent Rachael me-me'd er, me, with the following...

“Find a song that sums up what you think it means to be a writer and post the lyrics on your blog and why you've chosen it. NB: It doesn't have to be your favourite song, it just has to express how you feel about writing and/or being a writer. It can be literal, metaphorical, about a particular form or aspect of writing - whatever you want. Then tag 5 others to do the same (reprint these instructions).”

So, with apologies to Mr Lennon and Mr McCartney, here's the song lyrics that always remind me of writing and inspire me to lovingly splash the ink across the parchment in the vain hope that one day my mad musings may be committed to celluloid...

Scriptwriter (Paperback writer amended)

Dear sir or madam, will you read my script?
It took me years to write, and should be green lit
Based on a novel by a man named Lear
And I need a job, so I want to be a scriptwriter,
Scriptwriter.

It’s the dirty story of a dirty man
And his clinging wife doesn’t understand.
His son is working for the daily mail,
It’s a steady job but he wants to be a scriptwriter,
Scriptwriter.

Scriptwriter

It’s a thousand pages, give or take a few,
I’ll be writing more in a week or two.
I can make it longer if you like the style,
I can change it round and I want to be a scriptwriter,
Scriptwriter.

If you really like it you can have the rights,
It could make a million for you overnight.
If you must return it, you can send it here
But I need a break and I want to be a scriptwriter,
Scriptwriter.

Scriptwriter

Scriptwriter - scriptwriter
Scriptwriter - scriptwriter

My turn!

First of all, I me-me everyone to reply to this me-me here and Rach's Dave, Lord Moran, Young Arnopp, Paul "Eastenders" Campbell and Sir Robin Kelly for this one...

As a small reward for your efforts, here for your delectation is the original, unamended version by some little known sixties band, in apparently one of the first ever promo videos ever made...

(101) BLOG 101

We're back from Hols, and Wow 101st blog!

To think when I started I didn't know what I was blogging about, but, hey baby,look at me now...

Sorry, went a bit Austin Powers then...

So, how's it all going?

Yeah, deadlines are looming fast, so writing time's precious.

But...

If you wanted a bit of procrastination or just as a cunning plan (Cripes! gone all Baldrick now...) to jolt the little grey writing cells (now I'm Hercule Poirot!) outa a blockage...


How's about,( oh no! Jimmy Saville!) in honour of this 101st blog, a writers "room 101" open me-me for now then, now then...(Jim again, what's wrong with me today?)

So, my pet writing hates for room 101:-

1/ Writers block (ha! ha! it be banned forever now, I tell ye!) - bloody hell - now I'm all piratey...

2/ House hold chores as set by the wife or significant other "before you play on the computer" - I mean, chores, really, surely that's why we have non writing partners...(Dunno what Dave and Rachael do!)

3/ Any type of repair man coming round "on your day off"

4/ Computer Viruses ( especially those devious window crashes deliberately set as electronic time bombs by you Mr Gates, the ones that magically happen just as you type that final Oscar winning line and yet just before you hit the "save" button...)

5/ Procrastination!!!

Over to you now my Scribo-pals...

(100) Where it all happens...

Got me-me'd a while back by Michelle...

So here it is...

At a secret Oasis deep in the desert...Uncle Sheiky's great canvas writing palace of a tent...



OK.
By now, most of you have probably guessed I'm not really a Sheik...

So here's me at my office...



OK.
Just a jest...

Here's mine and I me-me every one else who's left to show theirs!

(99) Hi World, I'm still here!

Sincerest apologies to my fan who emailed and asked if I was OK!

Fear ye not fellow Scribes, Ol' Sheiky is still in the game...



Sorry for leaving the blog floating all alone in cyberspace for a while...

But...

I have been very busy lately!
Don't worry, I've still checked in to sneak a peek at your gaffs to make sure you're all still OK (although quite a few of you have been a bit blog slack too...).

Glad you're all well and writing!

Moi?

Well, busy, busy, busy with family, work and domestic projects...
...and, oh yeah, yer actual writing!

Been tiding my files and scraps of paper to sort out an order of sustained attack to move things up a gear, and build the portfolio into a professional agents/producers pack.

I really feel I have improved and have a greater understanding of scriptwriting than I did last year, and want to try to reflect that in a slight change of direction for the blog...

Totally script orientated only from now on. (Alright, maybe the odd funny!)

Writing wise, things are moving on a pace...

Had a few proper - yer actual writer - meetings!

Two turned out to be time wasters who had great huge pies in the sky, but one is ongoing and gives me the chance to be really writer-ery and tease you with the news that I'm involved in a secret TV project!

Yeah, me!
But my lips must remain sealed until the time's right (just before it goes on air??)

RP project 2 is going well, and will be entered on time!
Brand new show for this year although last year's entry is out in someone's inbox as we squeak! (and, no, that's not the secret TV project...yet!)

My film script is in it's tightening up stage and should be flying off to the RISE summer challenge soon.
You're all entering that one as well right? Right?

Anyway, must go, lovely talking to all again!

p.s. I orf on Holiday again to get Mrs S some Sun (she works hard, bless her) so I'll see you all again in just over a week!

TTFN

Sheiky

(98) I'd like to teach the world to dance...

Check this out!

A facebook friend,Susan Fourtane, sent me this.
Friendly, happy peeps all over the world. If only this was the norm...

The song says "I'd like to teach the world to sing" but this guy, Matt Harding prefers to dance...

Simple, but heart warmningly brilliant!

Full story of the Youtube phenomenon here (3 million plays!) and Matt's website here

(97) ITV's commissioning wishlist

ITV spells out commissioning wishlist:-
Now new director of television Peter Fincham has briefed his team, Broadcast reveals what ITV's commissioners want, don't want and can't go without.

"ITV spells out commissioning wishlist" from the "Broadcast" website. See if your project is what they're looking for or if theeir wants inspire you. Check it out here:-
http://www. broadcastnow. co. uk/itvcommissioning_wishlist
or, of course via your favorite Spec Monkey's blog here:-
http://www.myspace.com/sheikspear