I have so many projects on the go at the moment but I love
being busy and creative.
Streetwise
Logline
In a dark world of unimaginable tragedy and paid, angels and heroes emerge as shining beacons of hope. All is not lost.
Description
Life’s path can change at the blink of an eye or detonation of a bomb.
In Leeds, Rob Kennedy should have been planning a wedding not a funeral. Consumed
with guilt and grief, suicide seems his only option to end the perpetual
nightmare. A single act of kindness saves him from himself. In Birmingham,
Georgina Harding escapes the paedophile ring she had become imprisoned in by her
mother’s boyfriend. At sixteen, living on the streets is a safer option. Coleen
Green is hiding a dark, violent past living with a new identity until her worst
nightmare re-appears. Three lives worth saving yet their paths are about to
cross with potentially lethal consequences.
I wrote the first draft of this in four weeks and two days –
I know this as I was two days over the deadline I gave myself! This is the
first script I have written so I have had to learn the trade whilst writing. It
has been really hard work but I have thoroughly enjoyed doing it and I am
really proud of the outcome. I’ve had very constructive feedback from industry experts
and now I feel I am almost ready to let the big wide world see it. Only almost
though.
I don’t know how other writers feel but I dread writing the
synopsis especially as it is for agents and publishers. It is the only time I
struggle to get words down on paper. I know it is psychological and that makes
it worse! I have taken my time with this synopsis, in fact I am still working
on it. In all honesty I have spent more time on the damn summary than on
writing the piece of work. I defy anyone to say writing a summary of the work
is easy when you have invested so much in the detail of the work.
There’s quite a few plots
intertwining. It is essentially a story of homelessness and how changes in
fortune can shape your life for better or worse. The marketing starts in
earnest once I have completed the synopsis. IT WILL NOT BEAT ME!
The Nanny
Be careful what lies
hidden in the past of the people you trust.
Description
Sometimes the past
cannot be laid to rest without direct intervention. John and Martha O’Grady
were victims of the conflict in Ireland. They may have survived but witnessing
the death of their parents and grandparents at the hands of the IRA had left
indelible horror on their young minds. Orphaned, they were split up. Martha was
sent to a convent and John adopted and moved to Manchester. Thirty years on
they are about to be reunited only to find the horrors of their past re-appear.
After struggling with the
synopsis for Streetwise, I thought I do this differently so I wrote the
synopsis first! BIG MISTAKE. I do plan the storylines but I like to have the
freedom to develop and change. Writing the synopsis first meant the structure
was too rigid – so, I changed the synopsis!!
I woke up this morning and had a
brain wave!!! YES, me – fancy that! If I change this story around a little, the
suspense at the beginning will be even greater. So that is my next job. I
suppose my favourite part of writing, other than making up new characters, is
the flexibility and creativity it allows me. I am a flexible person trying to cultivate a
new career. I’m not perfect and I make lots of mistakes but I won’t ever give
up.
So, over the last few months I have learned to trust my
instinct, keep an open mind, remain flexible and never be too afraid to admit
you’re wrong and start again. WRITE! WRITE! WRITE! As in any new career, unless
you are super human, you will not be perfect at your first attempt. TRY! TRY! And
TRY! Again!
Beyond the Past
Converting this to a script is fascinating as now I can see
why adaptations from books to screen are different. Books have so much more
written detail. Doing this project is giving me a greater appreciation and
understanding of the whole creative industry. Why oh why did I take this long
to follow my dreams??
Have you had the chance to read it yet? Would you like to
review it for me? Read the first three chapters FREE on my website
Available from:
Pegasus Publishers
Amazon UK
Kindle
Amazon US
Or you can order from your local bookshop. The ISBN number is : 978-1-84386-789-0
Beyond the Lies
I know there are lots of you waiting for the sequel and it
is written but after working on these other projects and improving my knowledge
in the industry, I see many changes to the first manuscript, more than I would
have made twelve months ago. I promise you the wait will be worth it. This is
my Christmas holiday project when I don’t have to break off for the school run
and sports events. I can get up at 5am and work through until the boys appear
from their pits at around lunchtime – I kid you not! We have a very laid back
approach to the Christmas holidays - we
as in the boys! I still work. Our Christmas is probably not like ‘traditional’
Christmas – no over indulgence and no structure. It is a time when the boys
recharge their batteries and CHILL.
2016 promises to be a busy year and that is just how I like
it. I keep breaking off these projects when a new idea springs in my mind BUT
once they are written down, they are left. Now I have about twenty potential
ideas and only one pair of hands. Maybe 2016 will see a lucrative deal that
will enable me to hire a marketing assistant. We shall see but you can rest
assured I won’t be taking anyone on until I can pay them a decent living wage!
Right, you’re up to date with what I am up to. I’d be
interested to hear any other writers’ opinions of the dreaded ‘S’ word –
synopsis I mean. Actually, feel free to send me any comments – clean of
course!!
Enjoy the rest of this week and the weekend. It’s nearly
Christmas!!! AGAIN!
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