tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4041504749759547262024-03-05T09:53:36.268+00:00writing.paulfitzsimons.comWelcome to my wonderful and highly intellectual blog (I'm my own harshest critic, I really am). The plan is to share the joys, adventures and pitfalls (all part of ‘the process’) that go with writing. You’re intelligent people, you know how blogs work.paulthewriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805870223089454707noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404150474975954726.post-6663324383411147422011-11-11T09:35:00.006+00:002011-11-11T10:06:23.660+00:00Hang on a sec...what's this book about?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbAOFMqXr8vmEcS0fIcQe3iMF8SVydsvmoFn3m0Xarth7ZSYPzARw6n6mJaVlQyJSsk6p_z1R81OTQQFYqhRyHd_9XdeK3kduLi6dQhK_wZXJPQ8A_5wNTRygpDM3ifX-L1UGpTksbutNl/s1600/spreadsheet.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 193px; height: 129px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbAOFMqXr8vmEcS0fIcQe3iMF8SVydsvmoFn3m0Xarth7ZSYPzARw6n6mJaVlQyJSsk6p_z1R81OTQQFYqhRyHd_9XdeK3kduLi6dQhK_wZXJPQ8A_5wNTRygpDM3ifX-L1UGpTksbutNl/s320/spreadsheet.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673676313480262514" border="0" /></a><br />My experiment seems to be back-firing on me.<br /><br />Okay, that might be somewhat melodramatic, but I did recently realise / decide that the novel I was writing without any structure, plan, plot or character development wasn't working. Wow, big surprise, right?<br /><br />As I said, it was an experiment, to see how far into a novel I could get without doing all those preparation steps. The answer, it would seem, (for me anyway) is five chapters.<br />Don't get me wrong, I did really enjoy writing those five and it was somewhat liberating to be writing without any real clue as to where the various journeys of my characters were going. It was the closest I had come to '<a href="http://web.mst.edu/%7Egdoty//classes/concepts-practices/free-writing.html">free-writing</a>' for years.<br /><br />But eventually, and unfortunately much sooner than I expected, all this unbridled 'creativity' had to come to a shuddering halt as I asked myself the question 'Okay, what is this thing actually going to be about?' (well someone else, an industry person, asked me and I was forced to pull a one-line pitch out of the air - luckily, it's still applies...kinda).<br /><br />So yes, I've fallen back into my old ways. The synopsis is done. The characters are drawn. The plotlines are detailed. And pretty soon, the spreadsheet with the detailed chapter headings and descriptions will follow. And then, after much mulling, consideration and deliberation, will I starting writing chapters again.<br /><br />So much for free-writing.paulthewriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805870223089454707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404150474975954726.post-18165443451711373272011-10-11T16:33:00.005+01:002011-10-13T07:47:48.685+01:00Please Welcome to the Show...<span style="font-size:85%;">...writer, publisher and most powerful man in the books-trade, Scott Pack.</span><br /><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> 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</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-ansi-language:EN-US; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt; font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:130%;">Hello folks.</span></p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;"> </span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt; font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:130%;">It is great to be a guest on Paul’s blog today. I have brought cake, who wants a slice?</span></p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;"> </span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt; font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:130%;">While Paul puts the kettle on, here is an extract from my new book, 21<sup>st</sup> Century Dodos. It is a compendium of inanimate objects, cultural icons, traditions and other things that are endangered or recently extinct. In this short excerpt, I look back at a profession that has almost completely vanished.</span></p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;"> </span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt; font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:130%;">Petrol Pump Attendants</span></p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;"> </span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt; font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:130%;">You’d pull up at the petrol station in your Rover 3500, Ford Capri, or perhaps an Austin Allegro [insert your own nostalgia-inducing make and model here], and onto the forecourt would waddle a chap in overalls.</span></p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;"> </span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt; font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:130%;">‘Fill her up’, you would cry cheerfully from behind the wheel. And fill her up he would, as well as checking the oil, water and tyres, while he was at it.</span></p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;"> </span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt; font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:130%;">You may find it hard to believe, but this was how <i>everyone </i>got their petrol until the onset of self-service stations in the 1970s. You didn’t even have to get out of the car to pay. The attendant would take your money, pop back to his kiosk, and return with a fistful of change.</span></p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;"> </span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt; font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:130%;">That, my friends, was proper customer service.</span></p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;"> </span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt; font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:130%;">The idea of the petrol pump attendant actually harks back to a time before the garage forecourt, when fuel would be delivered to the homes of the privileged few who could afford to own a motor vehicle. It seemed natural for that personal service to extend to all customers when cars became more affordable and widely available.</span></p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;"> </span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt; font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:130%;">One of the last attendants in the country, Dudley Oliver of Bentley’s garage in Exmouth, finally hung up his nozzle in 2010, not for lack of business, but rather because the ancient pumps were beginning to fall foul of health and safety laws, and would prove too costly to replace. The garage continues to trade for repairs and, in a nice touch, for free oil, water and tyre checks with Mr Oliver, kept on the payroll to valet cars.</span></p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;"> </span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" lang="EN-US" >So it isn’t all bad news, although for one elderly lady customer it did truly mark the end: ‘I’ve never had to put petrol in my car myself and I’m not going to start now.’</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">Thanks Scott, don't be a stranger!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">And before I leave, here's me reading a piece from '21st Century Dodos', all about my favourite piece of technology from the 80s.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">http://youtu.be/L01UK-xKJV0</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/L01UK-xKJV0" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="420"></iframe><br /><p></p>paulthewriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805870223089454707noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404150474975954726.post-56374793083365958962011-10-11T11:14:00.005+01:002011-10-11T11:37:11.497+01:00Be My Guest....<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1QNfPAF-1bavR3eyqcP2WNsDK3HW-GX1yEuelXT6qTaJgZOZdKUzzuu1aGsdFt3sMGT3edKYLvqNXTubnnpXaHXtY9Xefk0M8bJmOzbyQYUxASTQcr92usBBZv7Xa_gYJ1ZaQ5STJA1ai/s1600/invitation.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 218px; height: 195px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1QNfPAF-1bavR3eyqcP2WNsDK3HW-GX1yEuelXT6qTaJgZOZdKUzzuu1aGsdFt3sMGT3edKYLvqNXTubnnpXaHXtY9Xefk0M8bJmOzbyQYUxASTQcr92usBBZv7Xa_gYJ1ZaQ5STJA1ai/s320/invitation.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662180290752110610" border="0" /></a><br />My new favourite thing? The Guest Blog.<br /><br />It's the laziest form of blogging, really. Basically, you invite and warmly welcome a friend / colleague / contemporary to put their blog entry on to your blog for a day. It's normally associated with a particular event or promotion or something like that and gives the guest blogger an extra bit of publicity or the very least a nice little soap-box for them to stand on for the day.<br /><br />And with that, I'd like to announce...<br /><br />Writer, publisher and 'most powerful man in the books-trade' (not my words) Scott Pack - known to many of you on Twitter as @meandmybigmouth - recently published his book '21st Century Dodos - A Collection of Endangered Objects and other stuff' (yes that is what it's called) and this Thursday (13th), his blog will be coming from right here at my beautiful home and will feature a video of lil ol' me reading an extract from the book.<br /><br />So check back here on Thursday for this blogging extravaganza! (Hope I'm not building it up too much).paulthewriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805870223089454707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404150474975954726.post-20940909888182719062011-07-19T17:32:00.005+01:002011-07-19T17:53:04.672+01:00A taste of my new feature film....<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid7yDLITywCj0BgxbQkB4Qm42cheBl-9VqPP3AagJaElzI9ejQ95vlhW01_iYGqDSLvcUFGZcWJ09FG0GYROyo7YWARe5YA-Q086qCPXeNmLdG1FyswRfhcO4p8JrEE5ybQPmj2fK0Heuj/s1600/A+FEW+GOOD+MEN+1.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 264px; height: 202px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid7yDLITywCj0BgxbQkB4Qm42cheBl-9VqPP3AagJaElzI9ejQ95vlhW01_iYGqDSLvcUFGZcWJ09FG0GYROyo7YWARe5YA-Q086qCPXeNmLdG1FyswRfhcO4p8JrEE5ybQPmj2fK0Heuj/s320/A+FEW+GOOD+MEN+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631103740079392610" border="0" /></a><br 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Ever had to make something up and report it as news?</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Cameron: No Sir.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Murdoch:<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>My editors follow orders son. My editors follow orders or people get bored. It's that simple.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Cameron: Mr Murdoch, did you order the Phone Hacking?!!!!</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Nick Clegg: Mr Murdoch, you don’t have to answer the question.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Murdoch: I’ll answer the question. You want answers?</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Cameron: I want the truth.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Murdoch: YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE….I’m sorry, what did you call it? Son, we live in a world that has newspapers. Those newspapers have to be written by people without morals. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Mr. Clegg? I own more newspapers than you can possibly imagine. You weep for Milly Dowler and you curse News International. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know, that tapping those phones, while illegal, probably entertained lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, entertains lives. You don’t want the….the… - the truth, that’s it - because deep down in places you don't talk about parties you want me at those papers. You NEED me at those papers. We use words like ‘JK ROWLING IN ORGY WITH RYAN GIGGS, MAX MOSLEY AND JORDAN’ . we use them as the backbone of a life spent destroying people. You use them as a punchline. (Well actually so do we.) I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of news coverage I provide and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I prefer you just bought a copy of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">The Sun</i> and went on your way. Otherwise I suggest you sit down at a computer and write a bunch of lies about someone who doesn’t deserve it. Either way i don't give a damn what you think I am responsible for.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Cameron:<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Did you order the Phone Hacking?!!!!</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Murdoch: YOU’RE GOD-DAMN RIGHT I DID!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">(Thanks to Marcus Brigstock on Twitter for the idea....and some of the material...and the title.)</p>paulthewriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805870223089454707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404150474975954726.post-34203595961043676022011-06-23T16:47:00.004+01:002011-06-23T17:18:50.457+01:00A good Kick In The Ass.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheAnwohezb3NDfXUcaAI4QAODFv62SPE9gmq8S58yHf4eaLBl_3zCx3lm72L-eQJxRtEXdclmYpfEbuSjswQe63-khIdKwkPh62pz2O3Nw1E_izUxWDeZlV1OXfskZlNVOSGhGO8p3tJBx/s1600/kickass.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 173px; height: 130px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheAnwohezb3NDfXUcaAI4QAODFv62SPE9gmq8S58yHf4eaLBl_3zCx3lm72L-eQJxRtEXdclmYpfEbuSjswQe63-khIdKwkPh62pz2O3Nw1E_izUxWDeZlV1OXfskZlNVOSGhGO8p3tJBx/s320/kickass.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621449878050255842" border="0" /></a><br />It's only today that I realise that's what was required.<br /><br />I have the new novel ready to go, yeh see. It has a plot, beginning middle and end, the characters are taking shape nicely(ish), I'm even accepting the mistakes I made during the first book (Me? Admit I made mistakes? That's not a cloud in the sky, it's a pig.)<br /><br />And yet, for weeks (some would say months), the page has remained blank.<br /><br />My excuse for the last 12 days, 3 hours and 15 minutes (approximately) is that I'm on my holidays and that I shouldn't feel under any real pressure to write unless the mood strikes me. There's a rookie attitude if there ever was one.<br /><br />The other justification has been that, before I even think about writing word-one of chapter-one, some foundations need to be dug. A detailed plot-outline, a chapter-breakdown and, above all else, character biogs are required. Except that, yeah you guessed it, I'm not doing those either.<br /><br />And that aforementioned K-I-T-A? Aptly enough, it was a book. Well a number of books really, but one in particular. No, not the bible.<br /><br /><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/writing-to-get-published-bringing/id429304412?mt=8">'Writing To Get Published - Bringing the Dream Alive'</a>, the new e-book by Vanessa O'Loughlin (Collca e-Publishing) is what it is. Some of you might know Vanessa from <a href="http://www.inkwellwriters.ie/">Inkwell Writers Workshops</a>, her company that runs writing courses, classes and workshops, and offers services to writers like proofreading and critiquing. She also set up <a href="http://www.writing.ie/">www.writing.ie</a>, an excellent website for writers. (And those of you who listen to <a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ptwr">my radio show</a> will know her as my guest on the <a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ptwr/2011/06/11/chatting-with-vanessa-oloughlin-about-inkwell-writersie">11th June</a>.)<br /><br />Anyway, so Vanessa took from her experience from running Inkwell and the website, and from being a writer herself and this gem of a How-to book was born. I'm not going to review it in detail but suffice to say I read it an hour, it was only about two euro, and it got me back in front of the laptop (poor fella was starting to wonder why it was brought on holidays at all).<br /><br />Right, back to deciding what is the 'physiology, sociology and psychology' of Justine Locke.<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-IE</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> 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mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;} </style> <![endif]-->paulthewriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805870223089454707noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404150474975954726.post-15328130006741364712011-03-31T16:59:00.015+01:002011-03-31T19:43:47.868+01:00He's All Talk....<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVRZQ7NclFmd9wSwCLOZh51BTzXeuMeJ4Gjv5sMFq2qF7eHGrPgsmCzt7wNCy_spGfMDKDdemfe8cyeRRpJ3zdoRgMwCPsbgndZTvLNux22Y-2g-089UuN63s12QSrvTYOSKpCdi5yUU7g/s1600/radiomic.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 162px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVRZQ7NclFmd9wSwCLOZh51BTzXeuMeJ4Gjv5sMFq2qF7eHGrPgsmCzt7wNCy_spGfMDKDdemfe8cyeRRpJ3zdoRgMwCPsbgndZTvLNux22Y-2g-089UuN63s12QSrvTYOSKpCdi5yUU7g/s320/radiomic.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590295682403603058" border="0" /></a><br />Oh dear god, do I really sound like that?<br /><br />This is a question I find myself asking every Saturday around noon. Because I'm now on the radio.<br /><br />Internet Radio, to be precise. As of about three weeks ago (first show was on Paddy's Day), I am hosting a half-hour Writing Magazine show on <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogtalkradio.com/ptwr">blogtalkradio.com</a>. The show, aptly called <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogtalkradio.com/ptwr">Paul The Writer Talks To Himself</a>, broadcasts to the internet-airwaves every Saturday.<br /><br />The idea is fairly straight-forward - to provide a <span dir="ltr" class="slicetext">informative (and hopefully entertaining) resource for writers, celebrate all-thing-writing and to give advice</span><span dir="ltr" class="slicetext"> (and not just from me, I hasten to add) </span><span dir="ltr" class="slicetext"> on the practicalities such as getting an agent, writing for Film and TV and the pros and cons of Self-Publishing.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ptwr/2011/04/02/paul-the-writer-talks-to-himself">This week's show</a>, going out on 2nd April at twelve o'clock, is about Writing For Film and I will be talking to Mark O'Connor, writer and director of the critically acclaimed '<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1787054/">Between The Canals</a>' (which you can see in <a href="http://www.onlinecinematickets.com/index.php?s=M-DUNDRUM&p=details&eventCode=6417">Dundrum </a>from tomorrow). He will be chatting with me about how the film came to be, where he gets his ideas from and what motivates him as a writer and film-maker.<br /><br />I would like the show to be as interactive as possible with comments, question, or generally slagging the hell out of me for overuse of the word 'basically'. So feel free to get in touch on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002186663117">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/ptwr">Twitter</a> or <a href="mailto:ptwradio@gmail.com">email</a>. You can also post messages on the show's <a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ptwr/2011/04/02/paul-the-writer-talks-to-himself">messageboard</a>. No bad language or bad grammar please...<br /><br />Yes Paul, you do sound like that. Get used to it.<br /><br />Feel free to listen to previous episodes of the show below. Yep, this is where the 'magic' happens.<br /><span style="font-size:78%;">(Apologies for the dodgy, and ridiculously long, American ads.)<br /><br /><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.adobe.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0" name="M183351" id="M183351" height="270" width="210"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/btrplayer.swf?file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2Fptwr%2Fplay_list.xml%3Fitemcount%3D5&autostart=false&bufferlength=5&volume=80&corner=rounded&callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/flashplayercallback.aspx"> <param name="quality" value="high"> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"> <param name="menu" value="false"> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/BTRPlayer.swf" flashvars="file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2fptwr%2fplay_list.xml%3Fitemcount%3D5&autostart=false&shuffle=false&callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/FlashPlayerCallback.aspx&width=210&height=270&volume=80&corner=rounded" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" quality="high" wmode="transparent" menu="false" allowscriptaccess="always" name="M183351" id="M183351" height="270" width="210"></embed></object><br /></span></span>paulthewriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805870223089454707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404150474975954726.post-52261046020385073402011-03-09T12:37:00.004+00:002011-03-09T13:52:24.508+00:00Am I an optimist? I hope so.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVwb8wsMk0TgEPx8oIupdCDU8gRXMU2-Qs25-OIpwkA8slDTrHRF_6CLb6BAiPP1ICriF0zQ2mK49RndZEuB2CT0u_mI0YpHzx26Ug21IlyVppL7i5gYQ9sfIH4lTocq2nsSfSDxXUuB9E/s1600/borat+thumbs+up.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 168px; height: 217px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVwb8wsMk0TgEPx8oIupdCDU8gRXMU2-Qs25-OIpwkA8slDTrHRF_6CLb6BAiPP1ICriF0zQ2mK49RndZEuB2CT0u_mI0YpHzx26Ug21IlyVppL7i5gYQ9sfIH4lTocq2nsSfSDxXUuB9E/s320/borat+thumbs+up.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582073102663152914" border="0" /></a><br />But yes, a week has passed and I am feeling somewhat more enthusiastic about the whole being-a-writer thing. Seven rejection-free days did help, it has to be said.<br /><br />As did, in no small part, the completion of the aforementioned stage play 'Writing For Brahms', a comedy drama about four 'artistes' all looking for one small thing...to be loved and revered by the world.<br />The rewrite was finally finished yesterday (pancakes helped a lot, thank you Taste Food Company South William Street) after a six-day-marathon effort and at 5.28pm, I was standing in line at the post of office (very 'of-the-people' of me, I know) to dispatch it the Soho Theatre in London for their Verity Bargate Award competition.<br /><br />And now...breathe.<br /><br />Today's chipperness can also be attributed to meeting up with my 'international' writers group last night. Well, international-ish...<a href="http://www.inallthewriteplaces.com/category/on-munich/">Eva-in-Berlin-soon-heading-to-Munich</a>, Maria-in-Monkstown-soon-heading-to-Finland..and me, Paul-in-Dublin-not-quite-managing-to-move-to-London. Group also consists of Alena but as she now lives in Melbourne, her attendance at the meetings has dropped off slightly (she didn't even bother showing up last night, the cheek). But, as ever, it was a highly funny, creative and inspirational get-together - I even came up with a fabulous title for a future novel. Gotta love brainstorming, really.<br /><br />Speaking of which, I do now have the enviable task of deciding what my next masterpiece will be. Fellow writer and blogger <a href="http://mscottdarcy.blogspot.com/">MSD </a>did point out that, of everything I've written over the years, my favourites seem to be things in which people aren't actually gruesomely murdered. (And as she's pretty much read everything I've written since Burning Matches - and patiently listened as I waxed lyrical about each and every one - her opinion's got to count for something.) But come on, I love killing off my characters! I'm only human!<br /><br />So...what? A lighthearted comedy drama about two people who meet up once a year on St. Swithin's Day? <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/One-Day-David-Nicholls/dp/0340896981/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1299677820&sr=1-1">No, that's been done.</a> A TV drama about the goings-on in a Dublin restaurant? <a href="http://www.rte.ie/tv/programmes/raw.html">That one sounds vaguely familiar too.</a><br /><br />Or maybe I'll take a few days off and play Xbox. Those zombies won't chop themselves up with chainsaws.<br /><br />I wonder where I get the inspiration to kill off all my characters?paulthewriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805870223089454707noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404150474975954726.post-61196956099903194362011-03-02T09:39:00.007+00:002011-03-02T10:57:04.094+00:00An outcome, an edit, a rewrite, a decision and yet another outcome.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpkrrPjXJsLvWD0ZivWLYzdjpCIQL9RxEBdi8CJUOmJGw9kSHEsXdPYQXvDvwd4Di5-tngMg4pR8cfOYzTlnFA3nOGbx5WCJWfWq4nBJCxoXfjKUbFUNqFOz4ZFmJUiDw5b6MrZQfgn7g1/s1600/checklist.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 201px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpkrrPjXJsLvWD0ZivWLYzdjpCIQL9RxEBdi8CJUOmJGw9kSHEsXdPYQXvDvwd4Di5-tngMg4pR8cfOYzTlnFA3nOGbx5WCJWfWq4nBJCxoXfjKUbFUNqFOz4ZFmJUiDw5b6MrZQfgn7g1/s320/checklist.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579433177460929426" border="0" /></a><br />That's my way of saying that, while I've been heartlessly neglecting you for the last month or so, there's been looooads going on 'behind the scenes'.<br /><br />Which is true...kinda. The two outcomes were, in fact, remarkably similar in that they were both rejections. The most recent was just yesterday when I found out that novel 'Burning Matches' (remember that guy?) didn't win Poolbeg's 'Write-A-Bestseller' competition. Congrats to Siobhan McKenna, author of 'The Lingerie Designer' . The title suggests that it probably won't be my thing but, then again, I wouldn't have thought David Nicholls' 'One Day' was my thing either and I stayed up til three in the morning reading that.<br />The other 'Thanks-but-no-thanks', and one that hit me harder (or maybe the Poolbeg one just hasn't sunk in yet) was from Literary Agency Blake Friedmann on behalf of 'Square One'. I'll be honest, I did think I was at least going to get over the first hurdle on that one, due in no small part to the excellent recommendation it got from Accomplice TV. But hey, it's the 'real' rejections that make us stronger...or something.<br /><br />But, not to worry, it's not all doom and gloom. I am today, after a brief sojourn to do some actual paid work (heaven forbid), starting the rewrite for 'Writing for Brahms', my first attempt at stage-writing. Needless to say, it wasn't quite the masterpiece I had decided it was the day I finished the first draft, but thanks to my ever-honest and pragmatic writers' group, I was shown, in no small detail, the error of my ways. So the re-write starts now, and not a minute too soon - it has to be on the desk of the Soho theatre by Friday week.<br /><br />And lastly, the sad announcement that I have made the momentous decision not to proceed with writing the novel 'Lividity'. Having written the first three chapters, I've kinda 'fallen out of love with it'. It also might have something to do with a large part of it being about a person working in Dublin's new state-of-the-art crime lab...and then the other day, I came across the recently published 'Taboo' by Casey Hill, about a person working in Dublin's new state-of-the-art crime lab. Ouch. Can anyone spell 'Missed-The-Boat'?<br /><br />Not to worry, the next novel is already stewing away in my brain ready to pop out just when I need it. Coz that's how creativity works, right?paulthewriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805870223089454707noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404150474975954726.post-67415109382596882792011-01-27T11:05:00.011+00:002011-02-10T10:42:52.958+00:00Dems fighting words...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR0SkxVvbzVQ0Irg-SfzJbDCNx-pFbuE7SpAeqRajnWs333ogowVLAxGDJVcIHCb_N73R14tlPiBjFHl8xSx182wQ8XcYwO8J0y03KZYtA_dC_XhPkSfYhtSTdFfYZYbeGNxszajknhy0r/s1600/fightingwords.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 231px; height: 154px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR0SkxVvbzVQ0Irg-SfzJbDCNx-pFbuE7SpAeqRajnWs333ogowVLAxGDJVcIHCb_N73R14tlPiBjFHl8xSx182wQ8XcYwO8J0y03KZYtA_dC_XhPkSfYhtSTdFfYZYbeGNxszajknhy0r/s320/fightingwords.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571741556860840354" border="0" /></a><br />As some of my fellow scribes will certain attest to, there is one thing that I love doing more than actual writing. Talking about Writing. I do. A lot.<br /><br />I'm no different from the rest of the world, really. We all have something we're passionate about and we'll talk passionately about it at any opportunity. This is something I learned when researching for Burning Matches . Chefs talk food, climbers talk climbing and pathologists talk, yes you guessed it, pathology. (What the hell is this book about? I hear you ask.) And so, by the same rational, I talk writing.<br /><br />And now, lo and behold, I have found a place, a controlled environment so-to-speak, where I can talk and people listen! I am, in fact, referring to <a href="http://www.fightingwords.ie/">Fighting Words</a>, the creative writing centre in Russell Street, Dublin 1. It was set up by Roddy Doyle and Sean Love to give everyone a place to go to write and to help students develop their writing skills. It was inspired by <a href="http://www.826valencia.org/">826 Valencia</a>, a similar centre in San Francisco.<br />Fighting Words provide story-telling fieldtrips for Primary school groups, creative writing workshops for secondary students, and seminars, workshops and tutoring for adults. All tutoring is free.<br /><br />I'm involved in the secondary student workshops, which start with a brainstorming session in which all aspects of creative writing (plot, character, dialogue etc) are discussed between the group. After that, the students have an opportunity to work on their writing and the volunteers (that's me) are available to offer guidance, answer questions and help the writers create their masterpieces!<br /><br />I've been to two sessions so far and I'm going back for more next week. Tiz great fun!paulthewriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805870223089454707noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404150474975954726.post-39054145588527627092011-01-21T16:36:00.004+00:002011-01-21T17:36:36.974+00:00The Universe Expandeth...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLiB69NExkW9Vla6i_dnUzG4Ai4utMsF6OynJzB0Z2ZGCq8PoQW0m-lQto_vi1xlNx_TiZgovan5zA7BRjPtlnrd4Kbv3YWYY_kfdNglzJS7Scc2lMNFXdqHK6SvmYA6r9G4G11lk_3myl/s1600/theatre-faces.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 180px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLiB69NExkW9Vla6i_dnUzG4Ai4utMsF6OynJzB0Z2ZGCq8PoQW0m-lQto_vi1xlNx_TiZgovan5zA7BRjPtlnrd4Kbv3YWYY_kfdNglzJS7Scc2lMNFXdqHK6SvmYA6r9G4G11lk_3myl/s320/theatre-faces.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564693911871386610" border="0" /></a><br />I am simply referring to Paul_The_Writer's writing universe of all-things-writing, not the, yeh know, actual universe. It might have expanded too, I suppose, but I am so self-involved these days that it's likely I wouldn't have noticed. I didn't even realise that Ireland's politico had it's own little melt-down yesterday until my fellow writerbloggertweeter MSD told me about it.<br /><br />Speaking of melt-downs, I had one myself this week. (See? I can even take the imminent destruction of our government and make it about me). But, yes, I did have a melt-down.<br /><br />I should have seen it coming, I suppose. Having started my second novel after Christmas, and telling anyone who asked that I was inspired, motivated, even excited about writing it, how many chapters have I written thus far?<br />One.<br />Yes, that's right. No need to adjust your set. One.<br /><br />And I know why. Because I'm not inspired, motivated or excited about it. Not even a little bit. I like the story, I'm pretty sure it works and, without doubt, it will be an easier book to write than its predecessor. But that's as enthusiastic as I can get.<br /><br />But in the spirit of that whole 'closing-a-door-opening-a-window' thing, I discovered (during one of my many moments of procrastiation) that I have a interesting date in my diary. March 11th.<br />March 11th is the deadline for the Verity Margate Award. <a href="http://sohotheatre.com/">Soho Theatre</a> are looking for a new play that will stand out from the crowd. 'The only limit is your imagination'...apparently.<br /><br />Yes I know, what do I know about writing for the stage? Well do I have an idea for a play? Thank god, yes. First hurdle.<br /><br />Technically, I probably don't know much, but I've seen enough theatre to know the basic rules and I hope that if I apply my own 'process' (there he goes talking about that shit again), the rest will fall into place...with the help of my wide circle of fabulous writing friends and the few thespian-types that I know (CS, you reading this?).<br /><br />And the most important word in that paragraph? 'Deadline'. I realised that that's what I need right now. Writing a novel (or anything) for publication on some indistinct far-off date doesn't exactly lend itself to being desk-side by nine, does it?<br /><br />So, huge sigh of relief right now - I know what I'm doing...until I change my mind tomorrow, that is.paulthewriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805870223089454707noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404150474975954726.post-91907970399480561342011-01-10T13:37:00.006+00:002011-01-14T13:14:17.168+00:00You don't have to follow me. You don't have to follow anybody!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgknB6mJTgDMl-JaWHpH0WnnlFLRWvRff76YCr9oj0thKR6DmFXfxp06CKhKdGKUkIAq_88n45nuC47kPnm4zVFPudXsXwDWqRO_S8HTLo6CArsqbnmQv7G-notpjMa1vmpxDLmnP_JY_gb/s1600/lifeofbrian.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 154px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgknB6mJTgDMl-JaWHpH0WnnlFLRWvRff76YCr9oj0thKR6DmFXfxp06CKhKdGKUkIAq_88n45nuC47kPnm4zVFPudXsXwDWqRO_S8HTLo6CArsqbnmQv7G-notpjMa1vmpxDLmnP_JY_gb/s320/lifeofbrian.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562027833203608754" border="0" /></a><br />Denis Lehane, Aaron Sorkin, Tony Jordan...yes you guessed it, some of my writing heroes. But do I really want to know what's going on inside their heads?<br /><br />The knee-jerk response will of course be 'Yes of course you should'. They have been doing this forever and have managed to make a very successful career of it, so anything they have learned, discovered or invented to make me a good write should be noted and copied with immediate effect. And thanks to Facebook (somewhat), Twitter (big-time) and now websites like bloodsandscripts.com, the brains of these behemoths could not be more accessible.<br /><br />There are two reasons why knowing the processes of other writers, whether you bow to their superior talent or not, is not such a good idea. The first one comes via Monty Python, or more specifically Brian - 'We are all different.' A truism, I will admit, but it is valid. Basically, if I wrote the way a certain horror writer (initials SK) does, I would get nothing done. Not a jot. Because he writes with classical music playing at Volume 11.<br />I would, first-of-all, spend most of my time recovering from the daily beating from my neighbours on the other side of the cardboard walls. But, more importantly, with any music on in the background, my concentration levels would be at minus-11. I have to have silence.<br />Irish romance novelist MB tells us that she does her best work in the pre-dawn hours. Me? Get out of bed while it's still dark? Give me a break.<br />Another successful novelist (the name currently escapes me) writes everything by pen in a notebook and later transcribe to print. No thanks. I need my laptop. I once scribbled a chapter in a notebook while drunk on an Arran island (I forget which one). I then duly forgot what I had written and lost the notebook. I'm still certain that it was the best thing I ever wrote.<br /><br />Which leads me on to sunny point number two. And that is that I'm precious. I'll freely admit that. I have spent the last almost-three years (more like eight if you include my years as a part-timer) creating my own writing process out of a combination of circumstance, habit, technology-addiction, caffeine-addiction and procrastination. I'm not saying it's perfect or that it's etched in stone - it continues to be sculpted and honed on a daily basis - but it's mine.<br /><br />So by all means, hero, write your next masterpiece by dictating while hanging upside-down in a door frame, but don't expect me to follow. I'll be too busy drinking a cappucino.paulthewriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805870223089454707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404150474975954726.post-54678666668311103362010-12-31T10:50:00.014+00:002011-01-02T14:10:29.127+00:00Mirror mirror on the wall...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKlOQfKjtFAyIgYw0In09hrXI0ogTgsw9B5uD9kbR39vPa5rHg2u_D4qtLVYeJrvH1HE735AGGRrO0kl0ZLDPaiIwt3YMILPQYKttIZONK_6EC6tGzu_ZZTomrtc1h3O43SB3eYdDlmPxv/s1600/magicmirror.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 123px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKlOQfKjtFAyIgYw0In09hrXI0ogTgsw9B5uD9kbR39vPa5rHg2u_D4qtLVYeJrvH1HE735AGGRrO0kl0ZLDPaiIwt3YMILPQYKttIZONK_6EC6tGzu_ZZTomrtc1h3O43SB3eYdDlmPxv/s320/magicmirror.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557588542375985778" border="0" /></a><br />It's the New Year and at the risk of being a cliche, time for some reflection.<br /><br />Twenty-ten was a mixed bag of a year and the highlight, it has to be said, was more a decision than it was an event.<br /><br />The year kicked off on a non-writing relating milestone (yeah I do have some other stuff going on). I was headlong into my Project Management studies and at the end of January I sat (and thankfully passed) my exams. Only to quickly realise that that there was still no jobs out there, no matter how well qualified I was.<br /><br />So the decision to be a professional writer was an easy one to make then? Yeah, probably.<br /><br />It may have looked like I was already being a professional writer since I started writing 'Burning Matches' in 2008, but I quickly realised that one cannot make a career out of just writing novels, even published ones. Not at the start anyway. So certain priorities had to change and actions taken.....and more about that when I have something definitive to report. (But thanks to a certain TV producer - you know who you are - for getting the ball rolling).<br /><br />The same producer was also very generous in writing me a letter of recommendation on the back of my other pride-and-joy, the TV Drama Series 'Square One'. That went through a bit of a face-lift during 2010 and is now sitting on the desks of a literary agent and a production company (with recommendation letter attached), hopefully with representation and a commission on the horizon.<br /><br />There were, needless to say, other moments of stress as well, most of them in relation to the aforementioned novel. A chance meeting with another agent brought about a frenetic flurry of a rewrite during the summer. But, if I do say so myself, the book is much better for having gone through it. (Even if the agent wasn't keen and ultimately said 'No Thanks').<br />I'm confident that it was worthy of the Poolbeg 'Write A Bestseller' competition in which it was entered last week. Which leads me on to the other subject of high stress....that damn synopsis. Two weeks to write one page! One word of advice, people...write the synopsis before you write the book!<br /><br />So 2010 might be summed up as the 'no-more-messin-around' year. 2011...the 'Rich-and-Famous' year, perhaps? Actually, I'll just settle for 'Rich'...paulthewriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805870223089454707noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404150474975954726.post-46686146225267530852010-12-20T10:23:00.013+00:002010-12-20T11:04:47.992+00:00Nothing wrong with a bit of healthy (Writing) Competition... (Part 2).<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjGOlNAVzvSgMIQv2EwhJDHfReaBY8_2nTJbf44gQbnVGql9d2oG8LdB4DomQOa-LuiL4l8W8X5lymqT28oTbA3UDQZly6F2cDQ2Gyg_HkL2BI7LqN6Hv1QP2TJEwZYL7a6QKlWXbvMQW-/s1600/Poolbeg+competition3.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 168px; height: 151px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjGOlNAVzvSgMIQv2EwhJDHfReaBY8_2nTJbf44gQbnVGql9d2oG8LdB4DomQOa-LuiL4l8W8X5lymqT28oTbA3UDQZly6F2cDQ2Gyg_HkL2BI7LqN6Hv1QP2TJEwZYL7a6QKlWXbvMQW-/s200/Poolbeg+competition3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552718704489503362" border="0" /></a><br />As I'm sure you're well aware, the deadline for the Poolbeg / TV3 'Write A Bestseller' competition was last Friday...<br /><br />And 'Burning Matches' is in!<br /><br />Yes indeed, the 'masterpiece' was handed in on Thursday after a 10-day nightmare of trying to perfect....the synopsis. Yes indeed, having written and rewritten 460-ish pages of the novel over the last two years or so, I haven't had so much heartache as I had trying to write a 'simple' one-page synopsis. To say I finally nailed it...would be a slight exageration - still not happy with it but, suffice to say, it is definitely better than it was a week and half ago.<br /><br />Anyway, look, it's done and more importantly, is sitting, with the novel, on the desk of the fabulous, gifted and sexy decision-maker at Poolbeg Publishing (who might be reading this) ...with the 200 or so other novels that I'm reliably informed have also entered. I guess it'll make all the sweeter when I win...<br /><br />By the way, huuuuge thanks to Margaret, Hugh and Ger for all their help with the previously mentioned synopsis...cheers guys.paulthewriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805870223089454707noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404150474975954726.post-68795297584739404682010-12-03T10:18:00.006+00:002010-12-03T10:29:48.899+00:00Tweet!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinDfYVz-J1aL4RF440sDuTFLkSmwFMThnci9GhDdtSK1akEEopQK-Qm-yRG-Kn3D6WyE5EP579rQ0PXas6T4GId2q1rEoMU-uK2UD5q4WLfR4JRzjfc_fyfS7ocf33YEUeh5qY96ISjbsT/s1600/tweet.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 168px; height: 155px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinDfYVz-J1aL4RF440sDuTFLkSmwFMThnci9GhDdtSK1akEEopQK-Qm-yRG-Kn3D6WyE5EP579rQ0PXas6T4GId2q1rEoMU-uK2UD5q4WLfR4JRzjfc_fyfS7ocf33YEUeh5qY96ISjbsT/s320/tweet.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546400136403896226" border="0" /></a><br />Yes, it's true, I'm tweeting. So between Facebook, the website, the blog and now Twitter, I pretty much don't need to speak to a living soul ever again. I'm going to become one of those really annoying people who, when asked any question, gives the same answer.<br />'Hi Paul, how are you?' 'How am I? Haven't you seen my tweet?'paulthewriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805870223089454707noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404150474975954726.post-43011847512732616852010-12-01T15:59:00.004+00:002010-12-01T16:47:24.290+00:00Okay folks, this isn't funny anymore.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibFWAkgJefDnRRG4kjRVLDwJnUiCT7PshvGyrLmb2NNnS6_kkivo0fl_NlukKu6oJ0aLKVjAI1l_yDgWNIDnBz2MHpWri2QEPfey9xeImxmGSuQ47JzK17KkgdxPxQ75PpcV7Zxb2vQebo/s1600/snow1.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 100px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibFWAkgJefDnRRG4kjRVLDwJnUiCT7PshvGyrLmb2NNnS6_kkivo0fl_NlukKu6oJ0aLKVjAI1l_yDgWNIDnBz2MHpWri2QEPfey9xeImxmGSuQ47JzK17KkgdxPxQ75PpcV7Zxb2vQebo/s200/snow1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545749316974812674" border="0" /></a><br />Yes, this is a writing blog but I do occasionally pause to, well, <a href="http://paulfitzsimons.blogspot.com/2010/06/raining-cats-and-dogs.html">talk about the weather</a>. And to reference the person who is best at defining the funny/not funny status of any situation (Dad), this week's 'cold snap' crossed that line at 2.35 this afternoon.<br /><br />So, when I was stuck in, what in normal conditions would be an average pothole, I stopped being smug and got down the basic goal of survival. I managed to free myself of the chasm (how much does a new clutch for a Honda Prelude cost, I wonder?) only to be faced with the thought 'How am going to get up the hill into Parkwest?' Half an hour (that's how long it took to travel a quarter of a mile) of considering my options - Do I sleep in my car or battle the elements? Is it really okay to drink your own urine? How long before I resort to cannibalism? - I found myself.....well, at home, to be honest. So much for all that paranoia.<br /><br />But that's it though, I am not leaving the warm and food-enhanced sanctuary of my apartment until the weather stops being so mean. I wonder how long I can make that half-pint of milk last.<br /><br />Thanks for lunch Catherine, by the way.paulthewriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805870223089454707noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404150474975954726.post-64355120465778058182010-11-12T13:57:00.010+00:002010-11-22T17:24:44.017+00:00Life's a Pitch...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEise96l4EX6LzTcoB2kkSdTyixl2GTAAw8VKZxhwA6SY6uRo0yZ1q5qppR_HTmoml-Sk-e4ZwBcjJWY8bZUBKOT4oG86w1y3L3GRstkRNprkCaQ199GdOrqMSPhRssXdtfUc0QDM9Fyu5fy/s1600/dragons+den.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 148px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEise96l4EX6LzTcoB2kkSdTyixl2GTAAw8VKZxhwA6SY6uRo0yZ1q5qppR_HTmoml-Sk-e4ZwBcjJWY8bZUBKOT4oG86w1y3L3GRstkRNprkCaQ199GdOrqMSPhRssXdtfUc0QDM9Fyu5fy/s200/dragons+den.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542426254834181234" border="0" /></a><br /><br />That's the problem with blogging - at least with me - when there's loads going on and, therefore, loads to blog about, is when I don't have time to do it.<br /><br />Well that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. I've actually had some paid design work going on which has, admittedly, been taking up most of my time and concentration. But the last few weeks have also been somewhat eventful in my life as a trying-to-be-professional-writer. And, as so often is the case, with the good came the bad.<br /><br />The 'bad' (let's get out the way first, shall we?) was that, heart-break of heart-breaks, the novel Burning Matches was rejected by the previously-eluded-to literary agent. To say that I had my hopes very much pinned to this possibility is an understatement and so I was...well, gutted .<br />Yes I know rejection is a part of any creative process blah blah blah but hey, it still hurts when it happens.<br /><br />And now I'm going to stop talking about it now before I get depressed all over again.<br /><br />And now the 'good' ...I finally gave myself a 'this-problem-isn't-going-to-fix-itself' talking-to and went and learned how to pitch. Pitching was the one area of my life as a writer in which I had little confidence. Don't get me wrong, I really have no issue with speaking in public. And, of course, I like to think that I know my projects fairly intimately at this stage....but bringing these two together to essentially be able to sell my writing (and essentially myself) to producers / commissioners / agents etc was, to be honest, evading me.<br /><br />Until I met Sibylle Kurz. With over 20 years experience of being a pitcher, a 'pitchee' and now a tutor, she pretty much knows all the skills, tricks, psychology and pitfalls of standing up in front of a room full of frowning people and convincing them to believe in you, or at least, invest in you.<br /><br />The 2-day course was very interactive - I had to stand up and pitch to the rest of the group my project (I went for my TV drama Square One). A somewhat terrifying experience, but the reaction I got from Sibylle and from the others was excellent. This, of course, led me to believe that my pitch was 'perfect', which needless to say, in my one-to-one with Sibylle afterwards, I found that it wasn't. But thankfully, she was able to guide me as to where I went wrong and what to do to fix it. Most importantly, I gained the confidence to now be able to face those frowning faces.<br /><br />Good evening Dragons....paulthewriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805870223089454707noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404150474975954726.post-69711986322847348312010-11-03T09:59:00.004+00:002010-11-03T10:52:41.235+00:00Sometimes it's okay to meet your hero.Okay, I admit, I didn't realise that Tony Jordan was my hero before I attended his seminar at the <a href="http://www.londonscreenwritersfestival.com/">London Screenwriters' Festival</a> at the weekend, but I know now. Apart from creating one of favourite shows 'Hustle' (no Paddy, Hustle is not 'shit') as well as 'Life on Mars', he is completely pragmatic, funny, down-to-earth and hardworking. And, crucially, he realises how hard it is for new writers to break into the industry and acts on this realisation, running <a href="http://www.redplanetpictures.co.uk/prize.php">The Red Planet Prize</a> for new writers through his production company Red Planet Productions.<br /><br />Anyway, enough gushing. As I said, I was at the LSF at the weekend and it was fabulous (okay, maybe a bit more gushing). A brilliantly-organised and -executed three-day event in the picturesque setting of Regent's Park (Regent's College to be precise). As with all good conferences, there were so many events I wanted to attend that I had to make some sacrifices. But the seminars I did get to were excellent, loads of advice, insight into the various sides of the film and TV industries and, most importantly, encouragement to a) keep writing and b) be bold when it comes to trying to get work produced .<br /><br />One excellent feature of the festival was the 'Scriptchat' events, at which the speakers at the seminars were available for a 'round-table' casual chat, which were nearly as informative as the seminars themselves.<br /><br />I did have one scare when, attending the 'Getting an Agent and beyond' event, Katie Williams from Julian Friedmann's agency announced that they would really only consider representing writers located in the UK. Oh no! But, thankfully, at the 'scriptchat' later on, she did concede that this was for purely practical reasons (attending meetings at short notice etc.) and that Irish writers would definitely be considered. Phew!<br /><br />Speaking of Irish writers, it was disappointing to see the lack of attendance from here (I only met one other Irish person all weekend and you know how we attract each other). Such an event is a crucial opportunity to meet fellow writers and industry professional and to do what all writers love to do...talk about writing! So many doors are slamming shut for us these days (depletion of funding etc.) that we need to take advantage of evvvvery opportunity that comes up.<br /><br />Right, I'll get off my soapbox now. Damn, I should have put a handrail on this thing.paulthewriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805870223089454707noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404150474975954726.post-19384390001369192202010-10-07T09:49:00.005+01:002010-10-07T12:21:16.134+01:00Sometimes 'Creative Differences' isn't a euphemism.The entry for the <a href="http://paulfitzsimons.blogspot.com/2010/09/long-time-ago-in-land-of-story.html">Storyland competition </a>was submitted to RTE yesterday after a very interesting few weeks of development. After abandoning the first concept (an okay idea but not at all suitable for this), we went with a parody of a dating show. The submission will now be considered by RTE and hopefully will be commissioned for the first 6-minute episode to be filmed in the new year.<br /><br />However, I have decided that, due to significant creative differences between myself and the director, I will no longer be involved with the project.<br /><br />I'd like to take this opportunity to wish Ann Marie and her cast and crew the best of luck with the competition.paulthewriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805870223089454707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404150474975954726.post-83871004986192609032010-09-29T14:17:00.006+01:002010-09-29T14:40:33.746+01:00Have Rich Teas got weaker?I only ask because I pride myself in knowing the magic dunking time for most biscuits. But (and it's doing terrible things for my self-esteem), twice in as many days have I lost a signficant portion of a rich tea into my cup of hot brown. Granted these are the Spar own-brand variety as opposed to the Rich Tea standard that is McVities, but I assumed that, like computers, shampoo and cars, they're all pretty much made in the same factory anyway.<br /><br />So the question is, have the universal Rich Tea manufacturer (lets call him God) changed the recipe so that the O.D.T. (Optimal Dunking Time) has been radically altered?<br /><br />Or could the fact that thes ones I have are half-chocolate-covered and that's what's making the difference? Damn, that's a whole new calculation.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O61siVLAVAo&feature=related">And to prove that I'm not the only one worrying about this life-changing issue...</a>paulthewriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805870223089454707noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404150474975954726.post-66244023003016376202010-09-13T11:45:00.007+01:002010-09-13T16:44:00.372+01:00Nothing wrong with a bit of healthy (Writing) Competition...Yes, an actual opportunity to get your novel on the shelves (so now you've absolutely no excuse).<br /><br />Poolbeg Press are running a competition with the TV3 Morning Show, the prize being a 1-book publishing deal. They are looking for fiction or non-fiction books and full manuscripts must be submitted with, yes, you guessed it...a Synopsis.<br /><br />Those of you who have been following my fledging career will know that the synopsis is the one aspect of writing I have struggled with since forever. The synopsis for Burning Matches has been re-written a few dozen times over the last two years and was scrapped-and-restarted at least twice in that time.<br /><br />The most recent one, I will admit, is good...it would want to be, it was recently submitted to a literary agent but, it being me, I'm looking at it now and saying 'That could sooooo be better'.<br /><br />Aaaanyway, back to the competition, you can find all the details on <a href="http://www.tv3.ie/article.php?article_id=43992">The Morning Show's website</a> and you can watch <a href="http://www.tv3.ie/shows.php?request=themorningshow&tv3_preview=&video=26753">the interview with Poolbeg Press's Paula Campbell</a> (about 25 minutes into the show).<br />The deadline for submission is 17 December so if you have even the slimmest chance of getting a novel (and synopsis) finished in the next few months, this should be the push you need to really get cracking! Opportunities like this come up so rarely, especially these days when the publishers are taking on fewer new writers than ever.<br /><br />3 months and 4 days to deadline...get writing!<br /><br />P.S. Thanks to my fabulous friend Y-And-Bump for bringing this to my attention.paulthewriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805870223089454707noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404150474975954726.post-14830505784499000922010-09-09T13:22:00.001+01:002010-09-09T13:40:56.387+01:00CV or not CV, that is the question.Yes indeed, another procrastination conquered.<br /><br />I finally wrote my writing CV and, surprise surprise, it doesn't look that bad. I had this terrible fear that it would be half a page of sparce commentary and would include mentions of essays that I wrote in Sixth-Year English.<br />But it is, in fact, two pages (yes, two WHOLE pages, my dears...well they might be double-spaced) and it includes...well, the usual stuff you see on a CV - experience, achievements (there have been some), on-going projects and even an academic accolade or two.<br /><br />Right, I must give it another re-read now to see if any of it is actually...yeh know...true.paulthewriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805870223089454707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404150474975954726.post-17422197646463863512010-09-05T13:52:00.002+01:002010-09-05T14:10:30.248+01:00A long time ago, in the Land of Story...I am delighted to announce that , in collaboration with film director <a href="http://www.sdgi.ie/members/member1.php?DirectorID=272">Ann Marie Brennan</a>, I will be submitting an entry to <a href="http://www.rte.ie/storyland/">Storyland </a><a href="http://www.rte.ie/storyland/">III</a>, RTE's internet-based drama series competition.<br /><br />The show will be in the form of four 6-minutes episodes (I refuse to call them 'webisodes') and after each episode airs, the public vote on whether the show should continue on to the next episode and vote on who wins the competition of the entries who are left at the end.<br /><br />As we are in the verrrry early stages of development, I won't go into to detail as to what the show is about. Suffice to say it will be fabulous.<br /><br />Lots more details to follow...paulthewriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805870223089454707noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404150474975954726.post-68616184811069132442010-08-18T17:54:00.006+01:002010-08-18T18:13:46.301+01:00The importance of a title? (Part 2)So does a blog where I tell you that I have nothing to blog about count as a blog? No, not really. If I'm honest, I am actually working on something at the moment which, as much as I'd love to be going on about it, I'm sworn to secrecy...for the time being anyway.<br /><br />Not to worry, if and when it all becomes official, you'll be sick of me talking about it.<br /><br />On a completely different subject (I can't even think how to segway to it), I might actually go and see 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid'. I'm sure it's brutal, but it's a great title.paulthewriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805870223089454707noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404150474975954726.post-27988474165674635972010-08-10T10:11:00.005+01:002010-08-10T10:39:00.821+01:00I'm a criminal!..or a pathological blunderer at least.<br /><br />Writers' Digest has just shared with us the '<a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/article/Beyond_Basic_Blunders/">8 Basic Writing Blunders</a>' and, yes, over the course of the novel, I have pretty much committed them all. Most, thankfully, have been washed out in the course of re-writing but I can still see one or two sitting in there, getting nice and comfortable within the non-cliched chapters. But hey, I think I've managed to make them work.<br /><br />But however paradoxical my book might be, at least my blog is gaining in popularity. It's even got an <a href="http://www.writeinberlin.com/2010/08/09/favourite-sins-and-favourite-blogs/">honorable mention </a>from my fellow blogger and all-round-fabulous-person Eva (<a href="http://www.writeinberlin.com/">www.writeinberlin.com</a>) . What can I say, I'm blushing over here. Thank you daaahling!paulthewriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805870223089454707noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-404150474975954726.post-45380473641802335442010-08-04T12:12:00.004+01:002010-08-04T12:36:27.935+01:00Well where would I find such a man? Why am I asking you?(That, by the way, is a quote from Blazing Saddles, not my subtle and original way of coming out of the closet.)<br /><br />What it does refer to is one of the many sanity-retaining exercises I adopted during the last few weeks when I was holed up in my apartment and cabin-fever was setting in - and that is...Talking To Myself In The Mirror (or any reflective surface).<br /><br />On more than one occasion, I found myself with a plot-hole to fill, an unrealistic piece of dialogue that needed fixing, or even an entire chapter which was possibly not needed at all. (I was looking at myself in the under-side of a biscuit-tin lid for that one - and yes, I ended up deleting the chapter.)<br /><br />I'm not quite sure what the moral of this blog is...maybe that it's okay, on occasion, to go off the deep end. As long as no-one else sees it, you have completely regained all sanity by the time you leave the house and you don't end up as crazy and dysfunctional as the characters you have created.<br /><br />And now back to swatting imaginary flies.paulthewriterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805870223089454707noreply@blogger.com0