Round up of 2010

Really?

It's the end of the year already? They get faster every year. So fast it's tought to remember what I've done.
So, to round up here's my writing highlights from this year.

1. Murky Depths Commission

After meeting Terry Martin from Murky Depths at Wales Comic Con in April i just had to buy the stunning Issue 7 just for the cover artwork. WOW. After reading the issue I thought I had a story that would fit, it was just unfortunate that it was in the format of a short film screenplay, and a celebrated screenplay at that which had recieved praise from the Welsh Film council and been shortlisted for the Golden Brad Awards, but on both occasions there had been mention that the script was unfilmable, so it came to me that the only way to pull this story off visually was in the format of a comic strip.
Transferring the screenplay into a comic strip script was difficult but also one of the most creativly rewarding things I've ever done, and after it was accepted by Murky Depths you'll be able to see the stunning finished product in Issue 15 of Murky Depths coming out in February.

2. Shortlisted scripts

As mentioned above my short film script Susie Pepper's Teeth got shortlisted for the Golden Brad awards. And in the second half of the year my TV drama script 'The Dole' got shortlisted for the Red Planet Prize. Both of these gave me great confidence in my writing.

3. The Fear of Living

My proudest achievment of the year, a short script I've written being made into a short film. Hopefully it'll show at some festivals next year, particularly Frightfest my personal favourite film festival. Leigh Jones directed this creepy little story to perfection and I hope we'll create some more films together in 2011.
More info on the Fear of Living can be found at the films blog http://www.thefearofliving.blogspot.com/

4. Funny Bones

Most of my paid writing work so far has come from academic writing upon film with articles on The Dark Knight, Superman, Thai horror film Phobia, Michael Haneke's Hidden and this year my favourite piece on my all time favourite film which you should all see, Funny Bones. I've always wanted to write upon the film and last year I got to.

5. Doctor Who

If you know me at all you know that I love Doctor Who, and this year i got to write some stuff for it. An upcoming article in Vworp Vworp meant i had to interview Gareth Roberts, I look forward to seeing that article as the first issue was great so I'm excited to see what my contribution will look like in this stunning magazine. I also had a Ninth Doctor story published in fanzine Blue Box, and have a Second Doctor story appearing in the next issue.

6. My scripts

This year I've realised that I write good scripts. The first draft of the recent feature film script I've wrote is my best first draft yet, bustling with ideas throughout and my first typically genre script as well. The dole is now also finely tuned as a good pilot script. i just need to master a comedy script, which I'm working on.

Going through that, it's been quite a good year, but as always next year can be better.

Treat Ten: The Top Ten of 2010

WOW, looks at all those ten's in the title. It's time for the top 10 films of 2010. Go to my IN/OUT blog to see my choices for the best 10 films of the year.

http://www.inoutmagazine.co.uk/blogsdetailnew.php?blogAuthor=robinbell

Please come back here and leave comments to discuss the top 10.

Treat Nine: Red Planet Prize, Lessons & Pictures, Christmas approaches

Last Friday saw the announcement of the Red Planet Prize, unfortunately my script didn’t make it, I thought this would hurt a lot as I held out a LOT of hope for the script, but after my initial sulk, I gathered my thoughts and remembered I’ve just finished a first draft of a feature script which is the funniest, most concise piece of writing I’ve managed yet with a first draft, I have plenty of scripts at different stages of preparation and a notebook brimming with ideas. And now I’ve been writing a sufficient amount of time that I have enough confidence in my own writing to nurture these ideas and know which ones to take further.

Two of the largest lessons learnt so far are:
1. How to handle rejection- if you want to be a writer this is the first thing you have learn because for most assume that there will be plenty.
2. How devastating it is to have a script that just isn’t working. This happened to me with my first feature.

Or has it?

I’ve thought it for a long time, then a few ideas to rescue it came to me, it still didn’t work, but then a few more ideas came. Now someone else is looking at it for me and who knows where that will lead. The other script which I’m not sure what to do with is a comedy/sci-fi hybrid that I think is very good, but maybe just not that funny. This can be redeemed I believe, but the new year asks many questions about my writing, over which projects to commence with. I have a fast paced drama series which i have some script notes on to look over, I have my all new feature script first draft, and there is also the BBC Laughing Stock opportunity which I have a glorious new idea for. There are also a few comic scripts and a really great radio script that I’m working on, and let’s not forget The Fear of Living, the short script I wrote that should hopefully be playing some festivals next year. There will hopefully also be a couple more projects in development, but more on that when they actually happen.
This shows that both rejection and realising that scripts aren’t working can both be used to motivate you as a writer. Actually you have to use them to motivate yourself, they provide the fire in your belly for writing, well, that and food, of which i will eat plenty over Christmas, keeping me fully stocked for the new year.

I'm sorry for a generic blog post for treat 9 but I was missing doing a normal blog. Hopefully the last three treats will make up for it. Keep your eye out for them.

Treat Eight- Payback

Here's the logline and the first few lines of the synopsis, anymore would give too much away, for what I thought was going to be my first produced short movie. It didn't turn out to be, that was The Fear of Living in the end, but this one is still bubbling away. Let's hope next year it gets made, and that this whets your appetite.

Logline- Once you miss the repayments who knows what you’ll have to payback.

Synopsis- Payback

A shady office contains a suited, shadowy figure, a man of mystery, and a mysterious package.

Less a man of mystery, Chris, 33, a recent divorcee, discusses his overdraft with a friend Andy, who gives him a number for someone he knows can help. Chris calls the number and arranges an unbelievable deal with the robotic voiced Jeremy, with Chris’ promotion coming up the repayments will be easily made.

Unfortunately for Chris, the promotion is delayed, but when he calls to inform Jeremy that he can’t adhere to the repayment plan Chris realises that the deal really was too good to be true.

Treat Seven: The Fucking Vampires

Something a bit different for Treat Seven.

A few months ago me and Jim, who you can find on the blog http://www.thereisspaceshipsoverdeeside.blogspot.com
well, we met up and over the course of a few hours recorded some really lo fi noisy tunes.

3 in fact.

And they are all up on soundcloud for you to listen to.

So go here and have a listen.

http://soundcloud.com/thefuckingvampires

Treat Six: Fear of Living Trailer

Here's the link to the Fear of Living blog, where there is a trailer for the film. There me be a new Transformers trailer and a new Thor trailer but this is where it's at, The Fear of Living trailer. Have a look and please spread it for us on the twitter and all those other sites.

Thanks.

www.thefearofliving.blogspot.com/2010/12/trailer.html

Treat Five: Disturbing image

Saw this in Wrexham the other day in one of those cheapo nasty shops that I never know the name of. Hope no one gets this for Christmas.