Sorry...

...that it's been a while since my last post. You all missed me, I'm sure! Since I've been "gone", I've read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows twice and so have not been able to write anything, in fear that it would be tainted by that wonderful book that seems to have infiltrated even my dreams at the moment. So I haven't got a lot done.

I've been trying to think of a subject for my monologue for the event we are putting on at Sumo bar on (I think) 1st September, but at the minute, I just can't think of anything. I also need to write a monologue for an actor friend of mine, which I might, in exchange for writing it, get her to perform at Ladyfest for me, that is, if I get it done in time.

But I don't want to leave Harry Potter just yet! Still waiting for my Hogwarts letter. Might go and re-read it a third time now.

Dilemma

I received a letter in the post on Saturday morning letting me know that I'd been shortlisted for the Leicester/Leicestershire Short Story contest and was invited to go to some sort of awards do at Borders on 22nd August. This is really cool, and I would be really excited and ranting about what shoes I should wear, etc, except that this is also the date of the one-day writers' residency for Momentum in Nottingham (yes, and my diamond shoes are too tight!).

I can probably make both, if I leave the Momentum day early (which would mean missing Declan's play), though there's no guarentee that I'll make it there on time to the do, and I'd probably be covered in grass and mud and half eaten pork-bears. Alternatively, I could give the do a miss and stay in Nottingham, as I've got a 50% chase of going home without a prize anyway. But it would be good to go and meet some new people, plus I've never been inside the Borders in Fosse Park before. Oh, decisions, decisions!

Facebook

I have just joined Facebook, after months of receiving 'invitation' emails from pretty much everyone I know. It's not that bad. It's not as chav-tastic as My Space is, and the sad state of affairs is that most of my friends will now only communicate through 'The Wall' rather than through more conventional methods such as texting, calling and emailing. I also think it might be a good way to advertise our up-and-coming writers' events, such as Ladyfest and our showcase, so it's not all bad.

I watched the pilot episode of 'My So-Called Life' last night, as I haven't watched it in years and just remembered thinking 'this is my life' in that teen angsty kinda way when I used to watch it. And it's still great, and Jordan Catolano is still goregous. Sigh. Do I constitute as a 'grown up' now? I mean, some woman in a shop told her three year old to 'mind the lady' when passing me the other day, and I hardly ever get id-ed anymore. I don't feel grown-up. Well, sometimes I do, like when I renew my insurance or budget for groceries, but at other times, I still feel about 19. Weird, huh?

Anyway, I have a dance rehearsal tonight, and I can't wait as we're finally doing 'Dance with the Devil'. Hope you're all going to come and watch the show!

Lucy :-)

(picture from http://www.cafepress.com/opheliasart by the way!)

Momentum 2007

Well, I received my letter from TWP in the post today - no feedback yet, but I've got an invitation to go to a one-day residency which will include a 'script slam' so that some of my work can be performed by professional actors. I wonder how many people will be on this one-day residency, as it will affect the length of the extract and amount of time we can spend on our pieces. I'm looking forward to the festival though, although a few of the sessions look similar from last year. I've just got to try to get some time off work now.

With the letter from TWP firmly stashed in my bag, it's time for a re-write of Hoodies, I think. I'm not happy with the Naomi and Jase storyline, and so need to rewrite that definitely. Also, I think it's a little flat at the minute, so need to add some more conflict/points of tension to make it more dramatic. Not really sure what to do though. Perhaps having the bits I think are the 'best' read by pros will shed some more light into what's not working.

I've decided that I'm going to turn my Munitionettes story into a screenplay. The novel never really took off, but I think there's enough there to make a really good TV drama or something. Maybe even a film.

Lara's story is going nowhere at the minute, so I really need to refocus on that. I think I'm going to write the 'real' story first, and then add the magical/fantasy elements later. At least then I can make sure the heart of the story is strong.

Lucy :-)

Potter-Who

OK, so my brain is a little unfocused at the moment. What I mean by ‘unfocused’ is actually ‘consumed by Doctor Who and Harry Potter’. I’m verging on obsession. It was the last episode of Doctor Who series 3 on Saturday, and I can’t wait until Christmas for my next Who instalment! And Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (which I think is a fancy name for Horcruxes) comes out in (at time of typing) 17 days, 8 hours and 7 minutes. I just can’t wait! I’ve decided now that I’m going to go down to Waterstone’s to collect my precious copy of the last Potter book, although I feel guilty as I’ve already pre-ordered it on Amazon and will have to cancel. I’m hoping it will be an Occasion, rather than a few tired shoppers with hyper-active five year old ‘wizards’. Hopefully I won’t embarrass myself by being the only over-twenty-*cough* person there.

So aside from Harry Potter and the ever sexy David Tennant infiltrating my brain, I have also been busy, theatre-wise. Still no news from TWP about the festival, so I’m starting to think I may have dreamt the whole thing. On Saturday I went to Leeds to watch Amanda’s Bollywood Jane and I really enjoyed it. True, the opening scene was very ‘Taste of Honey’, but I think as a whole it was very good, and looked superb. The West Yorkshire Playhouse is a lovely theatre, really spacious. I was very impressed by the two revolves on the stage as well (yes, it doesn’t take much!). It made me sad to think that Leicester right now doesn’t have a theatre of its own, and I am worried that the new one will be this big white elephant. I mean, I’d have rather they spent all that money on filling the inside with state of the art equipment and using the rest of the money for show budgets and hiring directors, etc, rather than making this big façade with glass walls and no backstage area. The Yorkshire Playhouse isn’t pretty on the outside, but it’s functional, and that’s what you want from a theatre. Anyway, perhaps I’ll be wrong and it’ll be the best theatre in the universe once it is finished. Somehow I doubt it though.

Am going to try to write something to submit to Transmission magazine over the next few days, as I’ve just remembered the deadline is next Monday. Oh well. Inter Vivos is still coming along, though I think I’m going to have to change some information as to what Inter Vivos is and how it works as I’ve realised that even in Sci-Fi, some things just don’t wash! But I’m still optimistic, still trying to get the first draft finished before I’m eighty.

That’s about it really. Sorry I’ve not been posting as often as I should – for some reason I’ve been a bit of a hermit recently.