Kobyashi Maru and the Great Mind Fruit.

Who said Smallville was in Kansas? View from the Edinburgh to London train, south of Berwick UponTweed.

We're finally off on our hols! God knows, my wife needs and deserves it, supporting this layabout...ahem, screenwriter. On the train down on London as I type (beautiful countryside on a beautiful day)and we fly out tomorrow to sunny (hopefully) Malta. And so, in order that I might take some time off myself, I've brought my laptop and notebooks. No sooner am I away than I want to get on with things. I'm unable to switch my brain off from the whole writing thing so I'm resigned to maybe starting on some other story ideas whilst away.

Completed screenplay-wise, the waiting game is in play at the moment. It's in the hands of folks who are able to help significantly or not and so I must strike a Yoda-esque pose and remain patient. I'm told following up too early can be destructive to good will so I'll have to sit still for a wee while and get on with other ideas.

It's odd; one tries to combat the distractions of other ideas when working on one particular script but when the time comes tohand that over and work on those other ideas, that particular script starts to bark and compete for attention amongst the newer ideas. Life is not like a box of chocolates. It's more like the Kobyashi Maru at times. And that keeps it from being boring.

Anyway, looking forward to some time away and then I'll be eager to get back to it once the creatives juices are re-squeezed from the Great Mind Fruit when we return.

Of Paris and Broken Toes...

I've been skiving.

For the non-Scots out there, it means playing hooky or slacking off.

Well, from the blog at any rate. As life still goes on in non-blog form. But I'm here to blog again and bore you with more film and writing meanderings.

A little bit to catch up on. There has been a welcome development with the screenplay I was commissioned to write. It has attracted some significant interest here but that's all I can say right now, out of professional courtesy and a desire not to jinx it all by blurting things out and tempting fate. But it's one of those things that reminds you that there is a point to all that slogging at the keyboard in a small room surrounded by copious notes and reference books.

Other opportunities have presented themselves, forcing me to try and get more organised in order to keep the small outboard engine which is the beginning of what I hope is a career running. Unlike the small engine in my lawnmower which kept cutting out a few weeks back, leading my frustration to kick into overdrive, resulting in a broken toe. I'm not so stupid as to kick a metal petrol engine wearing flimsy trainers. It was the hopper, which was full of damp and therefore heavy grass.

Entirely my own fault. A few weeks of limping have led to it healing quicker than expected, but I still won't be near the gym for a few weeks at least.

Also had my first experience of Paris a month ago, with a nice little weekend away with my wife. Fantastic city and the cleanest I've ever been to on mainland Europe - this is not a slur on the other beautiful European cities I've been to, although a trip down the "Beautiful Blue Danube" while in Vienna stands as one of the biggest disappointments I've ever experienced. I recommend folks avoid that when in Vienna - there are much nicer things to see and hear there. But, Paris was just...so clean. I may post some pictures soon. A proper holiday in Malta is lined up next. Hell, my hard working, wonderful wife deserves it, putting up with and supporting this fledgling screenwriter.

In all, not a bad couple of weeks or so. I just have to keep the snowball going down the hill.