Space Virus Attacks

I have admitted defeat in my battle with the evil space virus that has been trying to break through my defences for the past week, and called in sick. The work will just have to pile up.

This could be an opportunity to write but I'm not sure I'm up to it. Maybe a page or two this afternoon from my notes and index cards. I have a deadline of the first of April to finish this draft, so I've got plenty of time.

Later

*cough* *sneeze* *urrrrrghhhhhhhh*

Chris Parr (ukscriptwriter)

Modern Times

I am now bringing myself up to date by blogging from my mobile.

I vow never to do anything when I'm old like call my children to come round and set the clock on my new whatsit in the livingroom.

[www.twitter.com/ukscriptwriter]

Screenplay Request

Hi,

Can anyone send me the screenplay for My Big Fat Greek Wedding?

I've looked in all the usual places (that I am aware of) online and can't seem to find it.

Thanks in advance

Chris Parr (ukscriptwriter)

About that act one pile

I often wonder how good my screenwriting is.

It's reassuring when I look back at random scripts in my act one pile, because at least I can say: 'It's better than it was back then!'

Frankly, some attempts are earth-shatteringly awful.

Case in point is some type of underwater epic. Scene descriptions that are fit for a novel and enough 'we see' to keep the world stocked up forever *shudder*.

Help me, I need irony!

Okay, forget the "dark conflict driven" screenplay I talked about in my last post. Before I could start I stumbled across and old script in my rather large 'act one pile' (we all have those right?).

Anyway, the short version is I've taken it into the midpoint of act two and *BLAM!!!* writers block.

Now the help part:

I need as many ironies, or ironic situations as you can come up with for a hit man. Anything, no matter how absurd.

Please, please, pretty please with sugar on top.

Thanks in advance

Chris Parr (ukscriptwriter)

New Screenplay

I think I'll change tack with my next screenplay and write a dark conflict (of the mind) driven screenplay that I wrote a basic outline for 18 months ago.

It shows how a career long soldier's view of war changes over the years, and how that impacts a hostile situation he is thrown into. It may not sound very exciting, but if I can pull off on paper what I've got running around my head, it should be really good.

As usual, time will tell.

'Casualty of War' is the current title.

Where's the sofa

I have finally bitten the bullet and sent Only in Dreams off for review.

I am not expecting good news, so you will find me cowering behind the sofa until some time next week.

Definition

By reading this you are taking the role of my virtual shrink.

I think I lack definition.

Who am I and what do I do?

If you go by my job title I'm a Software Engineer.... no, Software Development Team Manager (got a promotion; w00t!), but that isn't what I mean.

I could say; husband, father, carer, lover.... but I don't go in for that romantic crap. I want to be defined as something beyond my day job and family (and let me get this in up front before people complain; I adore my family), but I want to be defined as something else. If it's going to be my job title, I want a different job.

What do I do, what have I done, or at least had a go at doing?

- I used to play the guitar (perhaps that's a matter of opinion)
- I've written songs
- I'm constantly trying to learn French
- I've raced sailing boats
- I've played volleyball and hockey for my university
- Written screenplays
- Started to write books (never finished one though)
- DIY (does that count?)
- Tinkered with cars (just put a written off car back on the road)
- I blog (on and off)
- I now tweet
- And last night looked into the process of making enhanced podcasts
- plus lots I've probably forgotten

With the exception of one or two on that list you can conclude the theme is 'creativity with a pinch of competitiveness'. I will override that conclusion slightly (because I know me) and say "Creativity with the desire to achieve".

Given the above list can I define myself as a creative person? I really don't know.

Anyway, if you are still reading this, I thank you for putting up with my raving nothingness. In years to come, perhaps this will manifest itself as a mid life crisis. As you may have guessed, I'm in a bit of a funny place at the moment, and this may be nothing more than frustration at myself for not putting enough effort into writing. After all, that is what I want to do for a living (alongside other things).

words of encouragement are welcome but not expected.

I promise the next post will be a lot more light hearted.

Regards

Chris Parr (ukscriptwriter)

Where on google am I?

I'm drawn to post today for a strange, nay, probably sad reason.

I typed my name into google to see if I came up. The first reference to my name was around result 40, and that was my linkedin profile. 40! I must have put enough random mess on the interwebnet to be worth a better position that that.

So I restrict the results to searching the UK only. Even worse (in fact I gave up looking around rank 150)! I found that a bit strange as I live in the UK, but I suppose the world of the Internet has no borders.

Search for ukscriptwriter and I'm all over the place, but I have a name goddammit! My name is Chris Parr, and do you know what? There are about 3 other Chris Parrs' that have made it in the world of screenwriting! Is that somehow ironic, or just a slap in the face?

I am now on a mission to get me up the google rankings, but I have no idea how. I've changed my blogger profile from Chris (ukscriptwriter), to Chris Parr (ukscriptwriter), and I'm hoping writing "Chris Parr" enough in this post will help ("Chris Parr", "Chris Parr", "Chris Parr", "Chris Parr"), but I doubt it.

I have a vague recollection that link text will help, so I would be grateful if you could all create a link in a blog post, or on your web page to this one using the following snippet:

<a href="http://ukscriptwriter.blogspot.com/">Chris Parr</a>

Let google index away and pull me up the rankings.

Any other suggestions are welcome.

Help me people!

Regards

CHRIS PARR

Where's the light switch

I thought I'd stop by here to see if I can remember what it looks like.

I'm in one of those places where I haven't written for a very long time, but I'm thinking about doing so more and more each day.

I wonder if I'll actually manage to put finger to keyboard with my screenwriting software open.

Time will tell :)

That good old screenwriting mindset

I was thinking about sitting down to continue with my script frenzy screenplay, and I started getting into that screenwriting mindset that I'm sure most are familiar with:

"I need to churn out a few more pages. Hmmm, first I think I'll reorganise my CD collection for the third time today, but this time I'll make sure all the CDs are orientated correctly inside the case."

I'd written enough pages to on the first day to cover the day's progress, so I played Guitar Hero all evening with a big grin on my face. I'd taken it up to the next level and for 20 minutes I couldn't play anything, but after a bit of practice, I still rock!

There is a down side to all of this; I was tempted to go onto iTunes and download seventies rock music (on dear!).

I'll have to be more disciplined tonight and churn out my 3.33 pages :)

Later

C

And they're off!

As well as today (or is it just this morning) being April fools day, it is also the first day of Script Frenzy 2008.

That means I have 30 days to write a 100 page script. I'm not sure why the rules say 100 pages, but as a result that translates to 3.33 pages a day for the next 30 days. I have a rather unpolished outline to work from, which isn't ideal, but it's all I have at the moment.

Currently I'm sitting on the train to london, so with the journey down there this morning, and the trip back this evening, I should be able to get quite a head start.

Otherwise, all the above is an April fools joke :)

Later

C

I Rock!

It's true. The Nintendo Wii told me so.

I watched an episode of South Park the other week, where they were playing this game called Guitar Hero. I never thought anything of it until in town the other day when I was in a shop selling it. I read the box and it looked like it may be fun. It was bonus month at work (not a big one but better than a kick up the arse), so I bought it.

Now, I'm 33 - no scratch that, 34 (there proof I'm getting old), but prancing around the room attempting to play a pathetic plastic guitar type thing, made me feel like a kid again.

I highly recommend it :)

Regards

Chris

Script Frenzy 2008

Almost too late I've found out about Script Frenzy when reading Lianne's blog.

I don't usually have the time for things like this, but this time I thought "Why not?"

Now, I don't have an outline ready, and I feel using one of the drafts I have on the go would be cheating, so I've got two days to come up with one. I have no idea if I'll be able to finish, but I only have to manage 3.333 (recurring) pages a night.

Three and a third pages a night doesn't sound much, but when you're dragging a script kicking an screaming through the doldrums of act two, it can be as painful as pulling your own teeth with a pair of rusty pliers and no anesthetic.

Is anyone else out there having a go?

Chris

Earth Hour

So I turned on my Macbook this morning to take a trip around the good old interwebnet, and Firefox informed me it was installing a new version and would start in a moment or two.

It did.

google.co.uk came up (I've got it set as my home page), and I was presented with a negative version of the search engine (white text on black).

"Oh Bugger!" I thought. Firefox has screwed up. Then I realised I was being a bit slow (I'm ill and it was 06:30), and Google had put it that way for a reason. On closer inspection I found the following link:

Earth Hour

Now I know tree hugging has become a bit 'main stream' nowadays, and stuff like this may be considered a little 'passé' by some, but I think it's a good idea.

If you can't be bothered to follow the link, the idea is to turn off all the lights in your house between 20:00 and 21:00 tonight in a collective bid to save energy (doesn't matter about time zones, just flick the switches wherever you are when the clock ticks 8).

Come on, join in. Don't worry about the dark, the light from your 57 inch LCD TV should provide more than enough illumination ;)

Later

C