Finally, a comment on 'Too Dull to Die' from someone on authonomy.com. The comment really beings home what I've suspected for quite some time now, that I write scripts or plays, and not books, in the sense of the classic 'descriptive narrative'. Re-writing Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream for the kids at school got me thinking that way too, and even when I was directing it, helping them with them with their performances...it all made me think I'm a playwright more than an author. So, still working on 'Rage' script, and have a little of 'Bethlehem Fiasco' in script, too. I must finish all 3 books as scripts/plays sometime...
Anyway, here's the comment :-)
Hi Dani, I like the story, someone who is as lost dead, as he probably
was living. It is easy to read and fast paced, a little too fast paced
perhaps. I think it reads too much like a play, interspersed with a few
stage directions. Which is fine if it is a play! Now, I am not
someone who could be bothered to wade my way through pages and pages of
descriptive rubbish, I mean if a killer has crept in to murder someone
in their shower, who cares what the bathroom looks like? But perhaps a
little view of what 'upstairs' was like, or a bit of back story - how
did he die? Where abouts did he live, to be able to live such a banal
life? At the end of chapter four (as far as I got) it states 'there was
so much detail...' I will read on, of course, just to see what
happens, for despite what I have mentioned, I believe that overall, it
is the story that counts!
Good Luck with it...
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Midsummer Night's Dream Uploaded
Yes, my simple silly light humoured 30 minute version of Midsummer Night's Dream is on the net. I haven't written it in book 'style' yet, but I have uploaded the play's script and any other details up onto a spare site slot at...
http://djcshakespeare.yolasite.com/
...for all those ESL teachers who need a little 'classy' school play for their groups. Nothing better than Shakespeare...except for a little bit of Godot, of course. Now, to simplify that one would be just nonsense :-)
http://djcshakespeare.yolasite.com/
...for all those ESL teachers who need a little 'classy' school play for their groups. Nothing better than Shakespeare...except for a little bit of Godot, of course. Now, to simplify that one would be just nonsense :-)
Saturday, December 8, 2012
1st taste of Publishing...back in 2000 and something...
...I moved from teaching adults to children and noticed instantly that there was a need for more visual tools for learning English. What was on the market was crap, and the best was about 30 years old, an old series from the BBC.
A few months later, an aquaintance (the MD) of a publishing company said they had an idea to teach children English, and needed someone to write some scripts and a book. They wanted to create a short 'TV series' type product, a DVD with matching book, so I got to work, and in a month produced said scripts (with pictures of camera shots), and a rough version of a picture book. They bought the patent off me, and said I should get people together to do it. I found the children, the illustrator for the book, a company who would film the series and the puppets needed for the film and book. We were all ready to go. A few weeks went by and the MD gave the whole thing over to their own Project Manager to control. Months went by without a word. After pushing and calling and e-mailing the hell out of the publishing company, I found that they wanted me to 'proofread' a revised script, which I didn't like. At this point they hadn't paid me yet, and said if I didn't proofread it, I wouldn't get the money. I did as they asked, got the money, but knew something was wrong...
One year later, the Project was scrapped. The children thought I'd let them down, the illustrator was taken on and created the book, but not to my specifications, and looked like shit. The worst to come...a new film company was taken on, with new actors and puppets, and the standard of English pronunciation (this was meant as a learning tool) was WAY BAD, the ESL children would've done it right. They tried to re-dub it with another Englishman, but it just sounded stupid. Plus it was completely the opposite of what it should've been....BRIGHT! The puppeteers played in the dark, not the way I had planned. I finally found out that the Project Manager had given the filming and puppeteering to his FRIENDS, approximately 15,000 dollars (a LOT of money in this country, think in terms of 60,000 dollars in the USA). And HE was the only one who saw it (about 50+ people) who thought the film was good.
Just before the project was scrapped, I made 2 song videos to show what I meant, and the people who worked at the publishing company loved them and wanted to know when I would finish the whole project... the Project Manager hated them, and accused me of doing to him exactly what he'd done to me.
A couple more years, I get the copyright back...:-)
A few months later, an aquaintance (the MD) of a publishing company said they had an idea to teach children English, and needed someone to write some scripts and a book. They wanted to create a short 'TV series' type product, a DVD with matching book, so I got to work, and in a month produced said scripts (with pictures of camera shots), and a rough version of a picture book. They bought the patent off me, and said I should get people together to do it. I found the children, the illustrator for the book, a company who would film the series and the puppets needed for the film and book. We were all ready to go. A few weeks went by and the MD gave the whole thing over to their own Project Manager to control. Months went by without a word. After pushing and calling and e-mailing the hell out of the publishing company, I found that they wanted me to 'proofread' a revised script, which I didn't like. At this point they hadn't paid me yet, and said if I didn't proofread it, I wouldn't get the money. I did as they asked, got the money, but knew something was wrong...
One year later, the Project was scrapped. The children thought I'd let them down, the illustrator was taken on and created the book, but not to my specifications, and looked like shit. The worst to come...a new film company was taken on, with new actors and puppets, and the standard of English pronunciation (this was meant as a learning tool) was WAY BAD, the ESL children would've done it right. They tried to re-dub it with another Englishman, but it just sounded stupid. Plus it was completely the opposite of what it should've been....BRIGHT! The puppeteers played in the dark, not the way I had planned. I finally found out that the Project Manager had given the filming and puppeteering to his FRIENDS, approximately 15,000 dollars (a LOT of money in this country, think in terms of 60,000 dollars in the USA). And HE was the only one who saw it (about 50+ people) who thought the film was good.
Just before the project was scrapped, I made 2 song videos to show what I meant, and the people who worked at the publishing company loved them and wanted to know when I would finish the whole project... the Project Manager hated them, and accused me of doing to him exactly what he'd done to me.
A couple more years, I get the copyright back...:-)
Friday, December 7, 2012
Fantastic Shakespeare Performance
Well, 23 twelve year old ESL children did a FANTASTIC job of playing my version of Midsummer Night's Dream. Okay, so it got a bit hairy at the end, one kid almost fainted when he forgot his big line "Go on, moon!", and one overzealous kid speaking their line before the others, but other than that, a very good school play. The audience were mainly quiet, the most laughs and noise came from the sword fight between Demetrius and Lysander, and when Snug played the lion, roaring and biting the 'cloak' (which was a scarf).
There were sniggers and giggles at a few jokes, but it was only at the end when the audience 'erupted' with whistles and applause (as it should be). The 23 kids were buzzing! And so they should, they put a lot of work into it. The performance was exactly 29 minutes (we've got a recording - we had 2 cameras going in 2 very expensive mobile telephones, but one was cut short by the father calling to find out when the performance was on...) and myself and the children received a ton of praise, for something which has never been done before in the school, probably the district, the city and even the country! I'm writing it up in normal DJC-style :-)
There were sniggers and giggles at a few jokes, but it was only at the end when the audience 'erupted' with whistles and applause (as it should be). The 23 kids were buzzing! And so they should, they put a lot of work into it. The performance was exactly 29 minutes (we've got a recording - we had 2 cameras going in 2 very expensive mobile telephones, but one was cut short by the father calling to find out when the performance was on...) and myself and the children received a ton of praise, for something which has never been done before in the school, probably the district, the city and even the country! I'm writing it up in normal DJC-style :-)
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Twitter + Shakespeare
All week I've been using Twitter, slowly adding more people I'm Following and about 50% Follow back, which is nice. So far, not many following at all, but it's a nice community, you can tweet to others, be funny, nice, sympathetic, agree (or disagree and be blocked). Doesn't sell any books, though, rather like this blog...
Tomorrow is the School Play of my version of Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream with the ESL 6th form. Who knows how it will turn out, they have enough props! No matter what, it will be the biggest, longest, hardest, and stupidest English play ever performed in this city by children, probably in this country, and perhaps even this region of Europe! And do my colleagues and bosses recognise what a BIG DEAL this all is? No. I'm trying to get someone to video it, so it won't be lost in history. There's even my immediate English boss trying to upstage me with an 8 minute 'Goldilocks and the 3 Bears'...ridiculous. I'm sure she'll get more praise from my colleagues, too. What a sad little place it is.
Still working on 'Rage' script...slowly...:-) Plus my new 'Caveman' book...
Tomorrow is the School Play of my version of Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream with the ESL 6th form. Who knows how it will turn out, they have enough props! No matter what, it will be the biggest, longest, hardest, and stupidest English play ever performed in this city by children, probably in this country, and perhaps even this region of Europe! And do my colleagues and bosses recognise what a BIG DEAL this all is? No. I'm trying to get someone to video it, so it won't be lost in history. There's even my immediate English boss trying to upstage me with an 8 minute 'Goldilocks and the 3 Bears'...ridiculous. I'm sure she'll get more praise from my colleagues, too. What a sad little place it is.
Still working on 'Rage' script...slowly...:-) Plus my new 'Caveman' book...
Monday, December 3, 2012
Swearing and the Swear Free Zone
I think I got called a 'dopey cunt' by a Christian Celeb on twitter, though I'm not sure because he didn't @ me. How completely Christian of him to attack someone (maybe not me, maybe someone else) who has different views to him. Plus he said 'whoever' writes 'anti-religious stuff', which if he was pointing at me, then he's wrong on that count, too. Religions, or the faith they can create are good for you, but the organisations which control them and the followers are corrupt and always will be. 'Anti-establishment stuff', yes.
I have a 'Swear Free Zone' label on all my books, not because I'm against swearing, I swear all the time, but because the books don't need swearing in them. They might also make other people with strong beliefs attack my books just for those words. There's enough in the books to attack, let alone on that count. But wouldn't the world be a better place without the NEED to swear. Unfortunately, there are idiots everywhere (including ourselves) and there are always situations in which people swear.
I have a 'Swear Free Zone' label on all my books, not because I'm against swearing, I swear all the time, but because the books don't need swearing in them. They might also make other people with strong beliefs attack my books just for those words. There's enough in the books to attack, let alone on that count. But wouldn't the world be a better place without the NEED to swear. Unfortunately, there are idiots everywhere (including ourselves) and there are always situations in which people swear.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Script - Rage of Atlantis Scene 1
Amazon has a 'Amazon Studio' who will look at your scripts and decide whether to buy the license or not, so I've started on my 3rd book 1st, then 2nd, then 1st. 10,000 dollars if they take it up, and MUCH more if they actually decide to make it into a movie. I'll try anything once...twice...thrice :-)
Here's the 1st scene...
Here's the 1st scene...
SCENE 1: RUNNING
TELAUSIS being
chased by a dark figure (IOLUS) through a moving crowd of people celebrating an
election victory, with flags, balloons, drinks, dancing, happy faces. TELAUSIS
looking back, stumbling, moves through a city square towards a building with
large wooden doors, the City Library.
TELAUSIS
Get out of my way!
TELAUSIS pushes his way to the doors
and moves the large ancient knocker on the City Library’s doors.(Bang bang
bang) A few seconds of silence from inside.
LEUS
We’re closed!
TELAUSIS
You think I don’t
know that?! Open up!
TELAUSIS looks
back, searching for the dark figure (IOLUS).
LEUS
Is that you, Tela?
LEUS moves the bolts back behind the doors and one side
creaks open. TELAUSIS drops through the crack, falling at LEUS’s slippered
feet.
LEUS
What the…?
TELAUSIS
Leus?
LEUS
Yes?
TELAUSIS
Close the door.
LEUS pushes the door closed, keeping out the noises from
outside.
TELAUSIS
Now, Leus?
LEUS
Yes?
TELAUSIS
Do you happen to have
a copy of ‘The Fool’s Guide to defusing bombs’, by any chance? Preferably by
Ivor Tickonme or Arthur Greenwire?
LEUS thinks and shuffles around in his slippers.
LEUS
Mmm, I don’t recall
that particular edition, no…I can do a search for you on the system? Could take
a while, it’s been playing up recently.
TELAUSIS
Well, then, no, I
don’t think there’s…apologies, my old friend, but run. Please run.
TELAUSIS falls unconscious, his cloak opens, revealing a
small pool of blood seeping from his body, and the broken head of a barbed
fishing spear penetrating his frogged blazer, On the remains of the shaft is a
small timebomb and explosive. Two minutes and twenty four seconds shows on the
counter. TELAUSIS opens his eyes for the last time.
TELAUSIS
And if you can’t run,
shuffle.
TELAUSIS dies,
LEUS is in shock, then starts to shuffle away into the City Library, away from
TELAUSIS’s dead body.
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