Anyone reading this blog who doesn’t know the song that the title is from, there will be…trouble.

Ok, I’m here. In bed. Still. About ten in the morning. Normally this is a very bad thing, but I don’t have Uni until 4 today, so I’m going to enjoy it some more.

So, where do things stand right now. Compartment 9 has another reader for feedback purposes, and I’m hoping she’ll be brutal I certainly need as much feedback on that one as I can get. It’s sitting at first draft and cracking on is definitely necessary.

Al and I had a look at a possible filming location for Lockdown the other day, and I’ve been thinking about that somewhat. I don’t think I want to put a set together, but the room itself may hold some promise – tis a drama studio. I’ll think about it some more as I write the script, still got a good 17 pages to go.

I have decided to hold off all work on Gentlemen from Hell until April. It’s my ScriptFrenzy piece, so I want to save thinking about it for then.

I might revive Secrets of the Machine soon. Maybe under a different title, it sounds far too tacky for my taste as it stands.

Right, I think soon I shall get up and…do stuff. Writing and editing being the more likely at this point.

WHY do I have the sudden urge to get back into Karate?

No idea. Anyway.

No more assignments to hand in this side of christmas! Just a week of Uni to go, then solid work until Christmas Eve. Plenty of writing, gaming, music and general shenanigans to be had then!

Don’t really have much to say tonight. Plenty going on though, hopefully going to be moving in with Kerry for Year 3 (with Coates and Macina) so it should be a fun and chilled out year, with plenty of writing going on. Hopefully this time when music gets blared through the walls it’ll be good music, not like what I hear from upstairs :-p

Anyway, I shall be off. There are long shifts at work to be had!

Just have a listen to that and tell me thats not inspiring.

Yes, I know, I play Modern Warfare 2 a little more than I should. I care not, I shall continue to play it until I get tired of the sight of helicopters falling on America. Might be a while.

The aforementioned quote did, however, drum up some smidgen of inspiration in me. Thinking about it, who does write history? Is it those that make it, or those around them? Would Dubya have been as great a twat had it not been for Cheney or Rumsfeld? Would Hitler have been such a naughty boy without Himmler there to guide him? The list goes on. It kind of reminds me of a quote from Churchill, which I’ll post at the end of this.

If history is indeed as malleable as clay, then that must leave a shedload of opportunity for artistic conjecture. What if the Russian’s hadn’t stopped at Berlin, what if Richard and Saladin had actually met on the field of battle, and what would have happened if the Hindenberg hadn’t gone up in flames? Who knows.

Us creative types might

Anyway, I fancy going to grab a bite to eat, even though I have eaten already. For the end quote I will add this. Think about this quote, and then think about writers. We are generally frowned upon in the wide world. Maligned as malcontents, hermits and perpetual wankers, we take shit from above, below, left and right, and still come back for more. We love writing for different reasons, but love it all the same. So, to all those who would belittle our work. In the words of Churchill:

“History will be kind to me, for I intend to write it.”

Only a short post today, because for all that has gone on I just remembered something that has pushed all else aside.

Two years ago today my friend, Matt Cullen, passed away after a battle with testicular cancer. It wasn’t a long battle, but like I knew him, I imagine he fought it hard and gave the cancer the fight it deserved.

I always knew Matt as a quiet guy. He was respectful, polite, always wearing a beaming smile, and he had a heart of gold. I hate myself for not being there for him while he was going through his treatment, and if I could I’d go back and change it. But I can’t, and sadly the cancer spread to his brain and ended what was a fantastic life.

I’m not really any good with appraisals for the dead, so I’ll simply say this:

Matt, you are sorely missed. You were a brother to me, and I only wish I had the wisdom to be more like you. I’ll see you somewhere along the road.

Credit to Dave ‘F**king’ Coates for the awesome title to this next entry. Apparently those constitute being a screenwriter. I am inclined to a certain extent to agree.

Anyway, I’m still sitting in the library, still working on this sodding essay. The word count is fine. The quotes are not. I want around 4 quotes and a couple of statistics, but do I have energy to look for them? Not a chance. I’d rather be at home, in bed with a cup of tea and someone to watch a film with. Too much to ask? I think not.

DAMN YOU BOTTEN ANNA!!! Just thought I’d get that in. Heard the damn song in Sweden years ago and its crept back into my head and won’t go away. That and “2 x 4″ by Metallica.

Got a rehearsal for ‘Ungry tomorrow, hopefully going to get some of the cast acting and getting used to each other on a set. Might even bring the camera along to get them used to that, as well as trying out some camera angles for the actual shoot. Must remember to take pictures of the cast so they have a particular outfit and stick to it, for purposes of continuity. No haircuts people!

Anyway, must get back to this bastard essay and get it done, I don’t want to be thinking about this tonight.

Meh, seems melodramatic, but its a line from an Iron Maiden song, and thus rules.

Right, after 5 hours on the road I am back in Southampton and straight into the library. Met Macina, Coates and The Man Who Would Be Will to plough through this sodding essay. Count so far? Almost 1100 words, need 2000. I think we’ll be here a while.

I think once this fucker is out of the way I shall be sleeping for 12 hours. Social Capital may be relevant and it may even be mildly interesting to those who are inclined to think that deeply about social structure, but I just don’t have the patience for it. Hell, I miss the little psychotic release that Modern Warfare 2 provides when needed. I think, after this session in the library, a session on the 360 will be necessary.

Rehearsal for ‘Ungry on Wednesday. Time to get serious with this stuff.

Lockdown still on the backburner, but I’m thinking that once I crack on with my second draft of Compartment 9 I’ll be back in the mood and ready to thrash some more of that out.

2012 – shit.

Narratives, narratives everywhere, but not a stop to think.

Honestly, 2012 is a pretty film. It’s got lots of flashy effects that, aside from the masses of water effects (especially the stuff of water crashing over the tops of the Himalayas, god was that crap) look relatively realistic if nothing else. Not that they were put to any purposeful use, aside from looking like bringing John Cusack’s character closer to being dropped down the next 500 ft hole. Visually impressive, but otherwise really nothing to write home about. Avoid if you’re a fan of real dramatic cinema.

Elsewhere, Shrewsbury was looking pretty murky. Had a look at the Severn from a bridge, and that river is not far from bursting its banks and turning Shrewsbury into a swimming pool. It’s getting dangerous up here.

Still not finished that goddamn essay. Should really get on that.

…never let one of your parents try and imitate a Bee Gees song when you’re in a car and there is no opportunity for immediate escape. Don’t ask me why, just take my word for it.

Right, so I am at last back in Wales, back for the weekend to rest, relax, and finish an essay. Damn you Social Capital for stealing my weekend!

Alas, this means that writing any screenplays must take a reluctant backseat in my schedule, at least until I get this thing done. Should have it done by the end of the weekend, then I can relax and let the Wednesday deadline arrive while I sit and get stuck into Lockdown, whilst turning an ‘Ungry shooting script into a scribble-laden mess with my shot notes. I must admit I’ve been rather productive in the actual screenwriting way of things of late. I’m thinking its because Mourners and the Opera are off my shoulders. I need some time away from them before a revisit and an undoubted rethink. Hell, I had another damn idea today, about an old unit of the USAF during WWII, known as the ‘Gentlemen from Hell’. Bad Ad, so many ideas and so little time!

Right, I really should get an early night, off to Manchester airport early in the morning to pick up elder sibling for a brotherly social. T’will be interesting.

Anyway, back to blocking out the voice of the balls!!

How I missed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles…a categorically rubbish movie, but to quote Macina, ‘one of the most quotable films around, alongside Withnail & I’.

So, still no feedback on Compartment 9, but bless Morris, he probably digresses everywhere. I imagine even putting the key in his front door somehow leads back to a random story involving Irish midget hookers and cocaine. Maybe someone should tell him the Glade Plug-In in his living room isn’t exactly spewing out vanilla. Still, the guy is awesome, and I am really looking forward to next term when we have him for Writing Single Drama.

A short digression – I really want to film a short piece when the title phrase is uttered, and a room full of Screenwriters just speeds out of a room in about 5 seconds. I think it’d just be hilarious.

Anyway, finally in bed at half 2. It’s been an interesting day, certainly a funny one with regards to digression, vanishing writers and, it must be mentioned, South African porn (do NOT ask).

Tomorrow is Robocop 1, 2 and 3. Looking forward to that, as one of my earliest cinematic memories is of Robocop 3. Before that however is the group workshop with what we hope is the complete cast (minus Sara, Marc and Mike for obvious reasons), so we’re hoping to have Sarah, Penny and the rest along for what may be our final read-through before we start putting this thing together. I might actually ask everyone to give me a timetable as to what days they are free, so we can organise the shooting days around that. Should make life simpler.

Oh, and Magnus is going well. Had a good chat with Mike and eventually decided to keep all the colourful Primarchs in the Nikaea scene, just have most of them not talking. They all have to be there in person at the very least, and I think I almost bit his ear off trying to nail that one down.

Right, that be me done for the eve. Up bright and early in the morning.