Kreativ Blogger Award December 24, 2009

The Lovely Jessica over at Writer’s Little Helper has kindly nominated me for a Kreativ Blogger Award. In her words…

“Katie over at Katie McCullough Talks and Writes – Her writing motivation and chirpiness is inspiring”.

Huzzah!

Well don’t that just warm my cockles and let’s face it they need warming after all this snow. I’m honoured to be given this award not only because it’s nice to get recognised for something AND not only because I’ve only been doing this since April this year BUT because I’m glad someone can make sense of what I write on here. It’s reassuring to say the least. And this award comes with some stipulations that I am to stick by which includes doing the following (I presume in an order of some sort):

* 1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award.
* 2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
* 3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award.
* 4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting.
* 5. Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers.
* 6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
* 7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they have been nominated.

So I feel I can (politely) scrub out the first one after opening with that cracker Jess

As for number two I’m hoping it’ll appear somewhere on this here blog… Let me get my electrical rubber gloves on and root around under the sink and see what I come up with.

Number three shall be done with utmost grace and with my usual subdued manner… … GO CLICK HERE THIS BE JESSICA PATIENT AND SHE’S A WELL GOOD WRITER DON’T YOU KNOW?

Done.

Name 7 Things About Yourself That People (might) Find Interesting

1. Somewhere in a primary school curriculum I feature quite heavily after being asked to write and illustrate a poem in response to Ted Hughes’ ‘The Iron Lady’. I even got to analyse it as part of the submission. I was a crafty sod when I was younger. Not sure what’s happened now.
2. I’ve always wanted to write a musical and am hoping to crack on with that idea at some point whenever. I love my own vagueness at times, so you must adore it.
3. Recently I imparted some desire with school girl glee to a friend that I want to write a part in a play for Peter Capaldi. Now I’ve told you lot as well you can humiliate me at how distant a dream that is. I charge by the laugh just so you know.
4. I’ve not been in the black since the day before I went to university which was 6 or 7 years ago (I forget). And y’know what? I don’t care as long as I spend my monies on theatre, music and film. I’m sure my accountant would beg to differ. And when I say accountant I mean me because I’m self-employed and I still don’t care. I do welcome donations though.
5. I have a crazy aversion to time. Sorry, Time. I don’t wear a watch for this very reason and cannot stand to waste a moment doing nothing therefore work constantly (and I mean pretty much constantly not none of this stopping and then having a sit down to watch TV) which is more than likely not very good for me. But it’s the way I am. And it’s why I’m always early. And I’m thinking that maybe having some form of a relationship would be good for me but when I think about the amount of time I dedicate to my own work I just imagine me screeching “but THIS is important…” Doesn’t bode well. Any takers?
6. When I was twelve my ideal job was to be a receptionist at Abbey Road Studios. Even in my young age I was being realistic, oh no Katie did not want to be a roadie or a groupie, something more practical and within her means. A receptionist. Two years later my first job was to be a receptionist for a property developer. It was a bizarre year of my life which sometimes saw me working in his wife’s hairdressers washing hair dressed as a receptionist (long story). Then a year later I worked in an independent music shop which was to be my best job ever. I’ve yet to merge the two and fulfill my twelve year old dream. I think it’s changed since then.
7. I have to sleep with music on, again it’s to do with the Time thing. It’s a way for me to take note of when I fall asleep. If I put an album on then I kinda know when I’m drifting off. If I put a playlist on then I know I’ve got four hours of which I’ll be lulled into a cosy sleep. More than often I put the radio on if I’m not at home (which I’m not) and I’m semi-conscious when I turn it off if it’s distracting me too much. What can I say, I loves me music and it’s been extremely important to me in my 25 years so far. But that’s a whole other story…

Your Face Will Look At My Face Here December 22, 2009

It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these so thought I’d give you all a festive present of my mug bearing down at you. Tada!
done

Sleeping (for a bit) But My Work’s Not Done. December 14, 2009

So today found me having the cast read out the first draft of which I was very excited (and anxious) about. Not only because I feel extremely proud of what I’ve crafted for the adaptation but because for the first time I’m eager to get on with the next project. Not that this one isn’t exciting, it really is because we’re going to be pushing the traditional setups that the audience around here are used to and it’s a meaty script for the cast to get their teeth into. But it’s because I’m feeling ready and motivated to start and finish a project with the intention of sending it out to the right people. I’ve been extremely good and concentrated on this project and have avoided falling into any competitions that have been hollering in my general direction. Nope. I’ve not fallen for it one bit and it’s because I’m treating this as my career now. Everyone who knows me can acknowledge the relentless drive I have to throw myself at any opportunity to help further my career. And I’m still doing it but I’m playing the slow race and producing work that I don’t cringe at and have a pocket full of pitiful excuses primed to wave in people’s faces. I’m making decisions and sticking with them rather than thinking, ‘sod it, if I don’t do this now the world will cave in and I’ll never get my work seen by anyone, anywhere’. Nope once again.

Luscious whiteboards a-plenty...

...More luscious whiteboards

An arty shot... because I can.

The readthrough was a blind one which allowed the cast to hear how each other’s characters developed and the director could vision the entirety. Everyone had read snippets from previous rehearsals but since then I’d rejigged them. Hang on, I say rejig, they were in no order and/or finished. They were little exchanges laying flaccid on pieces of A4 paper… This was exciting because I had fleshed out characters, plot and an entire script. It was thrilling to hand them over with the intention they could learn lines. And for the most part the story worked, it clicked and made sense which considering I was clasping at straws at the beginning of this project because I was unclear in my own head of what I wanted to do felt good. I’ve got one section that I need to rework on, that’s one speech and the reaction to it and then it’s done… I’d like to say. Maybe when it’s on its feet properly there may be some tweaking and scrapping of lines, but that’s way in the future now. Hopefully I haven’t jinxed any of it.

Whilst I’m here I thought I’d give a glimpse of what will hopefully be the arena for where we’re staging the piece:

Performance Space?

Performance Space?

It won’t be long till I completely hand over this script for ‘The White Room’ and leave the actors and the director to their own devices. Once they’re in the throes of getting the piece on its feet I can move back to project Simon helped me craft whilst in Shropshire. I’ve been fantastically resolute in not touching it till I’d finished this draft. And I haven’t. So it goes to show that I can be sensible and not all about work 100% of the time*.

Said script.

*with a lot of willpower plus a hospital stay to extract gallbladder and working the money jobs… So you could call it a time collision thing but I really have been good and stuck to my own rules, promise!

Stroke It and It Grows, Surely? December 10, 2009

Things are growing everywhere at the moment. The Christmas tree is slowly but surely sprouting above soil (thanks Teresa!) and I’m gradually getting full movement in my body post-gallbladder removal AND the script for The White Room is getting fuller and fuller every day.

The last rehearsal saw me presenting the group with new scenes that I’d written, one of which being a pivotal scene in the entire setup. It went down well and we discussed more about the piece as a whole and intense nature of the piece. Things are becoming very clear now and I’m not just sitting at my laptop staring at a blank screen wondering if the pressure of having weekly rehearsals would get to me first or the lack of solid performance space. But saying that things are gradually getting there and I’m feeling confident and striving ahead. It’s hard at the moment because I’m not a person to sit still and take the slow paced approach. I’m more than often juggling projects and flitting between competition deadlines and applying for schemes… But I’ve made a conscious effort to steer clear of any distractions and create a strong piece of work and then I can slowly bring in the other projects I want to work on once this is at a stronger state of being. It seems I can’t stop coming up with ideas at the moment and I’m succeeding in telling them to be quiet whilst I stroke the ego of this beast.

Thought I’d take the opportunity to introduce the fellows I be working with.

First up the actors:

Alex and Suzy scribbling

Only so-slightly posed...

And then to the director:

Rosemarie Partridge

And then last but not least, my Christmas tree in the making:

Wannabe Christmas Tree

If this blog post seems a little lucid and lacking usual Katie detail it’s because I’m really cold and can’t move much still. Yeah, c’mon, I want The Sympathies.

The White Room (with yellow wallpaper…) December 3, 2009

This is one of the adaptations I’m working on for Theatrix. If I ever refer to The White Room this is what I mean – I’m adapting The Yellow Wallpaper. We decided to alter the title completely because it’s a modern adaptation and there are several restagings happening around presently so we thought we’d stand out a bit and because it uses the short story as a springboard we thought it best not to take the original title. Agreed? Perfect. Right then on to rehearsals…

We’ve had a fair few but I’ve only just got round to asking the people involved if they’d mind me blogging about it. They said they didn’t mind so here we are now, with me blogging about it.

Let The Voting Commence! November 27, 2009

Hallo everyone, my you look super nice today…

That’s right, I’m after something. As some of you will know I took part in the 48 Hour Film Challenge over in Jersey a few months back. Now the time has come to call in backup and get people voting for the film so we can win jubilation and slap each other on the back (oh, and win some cash as well which is always nice). The setup is teams arrived in the same place on the same day, picked a title and genre from a hat at random… and then had 48hrs in which to write, shoot, edit and finalise a short film. We picked ‘crime’ and ‘Morning Mist’.

ACTION!

So after a little lag of delay all the films created on the Vauxhall 48 Hour Film Challenge have been put up for the mercy of viewers to vote. And this is where you come in, yes you. I’m looking at you, you’re looking at me. We’ve got this eye contact thing nailed.

All the films are over here: (click here and vote for ‘Morning Mist’)

What a bunch of filmmakers...

And all the films are great but this is where I have to draw the line in this so-called free-loving atmosphere. I want you to vote for my film because I’m proud of it and hey, we made it in 48 hours. This is where you tell me that the others were too, seeing as it’s called the 48 Hour Film Challenge, but ignore that. Eyes on me, go click on the ol’ 5 stars bit on ‘Morning Mist’. And I’m sorry if you’ve already heard this spiel on Facebook or Twitter. It just means I love you a little bit more than the rest, just a little mind you. People talk.

I will love you all that little bit more than is allowed.

Thank you, love you, I’m afraid I can’t do that I’m not allowed anymore.

Much love,

Kx.

p.s. I forgot to mention you do have to join which only takes a few seconds but once you’re on there you can download short films for pittance and what’s more you can download them, burn them and keep them all for yourself. You do not have to pay to join. Good? Great.

p.p.s. Plus all the films will be screened as part of the London Short Film Festival (y’know, the projector with teeth?) at the Roxy in London Bridge area. If you’re around that time and want to see some films and the people behind it… why not come along. I’ll be there, hope that doesn’t dissuade you.

Pay It Forward To The Nice Folk November 13, 2009

A while ago the rather Lovely Teresa blogged a simple humbling idea that I was lucky to be part of which was the idea of paying it forward. Over at Teresa’s blog she asked for people to leave a comment and the first three people would receive such unpredictable gubbins through the post. See, I told you the idea was Lovely didn’t I?

And after my emotional return from Shropshire I found the parcel Teresa had sent me filled with stuff to warm my cockles. I promised I’d blog the gradual ascension of the goods she gave me so without further a do I now have photographs:

I would like to be addressed like this forthwith

Inside of which was a Lovely card:

Polite Demands Were Held Inside

Of which asked of me to share the Lovely things I’d been given and of course I shook my head vigorously (even though there was no one in the house to see). Then to the delights I had in store…

TA DA!

In time for Christmas I have my own dinky Grow Your Own Christmas Tree of which the progression of my mini beast will be well documented on here. Here’s hoping it will not grow too tall. Then some bouncing putty which I LOVE! I’ve bought this as a gift many a-time for other people but never had some to myself. YES! It’s fun, that much I know is true. And then last but not least I have miniature clay of wonderous colours. It’s called Toy Clay but I like to call it MY Toy Clay. I’ve decided that after finding out my impending surgery date for gallbladder extraction is 4th December I will keep this close to hand to while away the quiet time I’ll have to be stuck in bed. Oh right, I know how to recuperate!

So my paying it forward time has arrived. Come one, come all… the first three people to leave a comment (preferably a nice one, I don’t want my happy bubble burst just yet) will get some small Loveliness sent their way. On the condition that, as I have just shown and stuck to, you must spread it on to people too. Share the Lovely things!

Ladies And Gentlemen We Were Floating In Shropshire November 8, 2009

I’ve been extremely zen like since I got back and I seem to float around with the biggest lump in my throat. I feel physically sick when I think back to the week just gone and whenever someone asks me how it went I start to cry. This is a good thing, it was magnificently perfect. I couldn’t have asked for more, I’m just in mourning for what has been an emotional and enlightening week of self discovery of not only my writing but my attitudes to work and my drive.

I’d intended to work on one of the two plays I have lying around aching for re-writing but Simon threw me a curveball whilst having a smoke on the Monday night. “Why don’t you try writing something new whilst you’re here?” I baulked, I panicked. But I couldn’t stop thinking about it because he was right. My plays are at a stage where I just need to write them and not dwell on development anymore. So I started looking at a four paragraph monologue I had banging around on my laptop that I’d done as a writing exercise rather than anything; I’ve never written a proper monologue for performance before.

Then my journey began. I’d wake up at 6am then work on the piece, have the group session at 10am and hand work to Simon. One-on-one tutorials were in the afternoon and after mine I’d work on it again before dinner, then our evenings were planned with readings or a guest speaker and then after the frolics and copious amounts of alcohol I’ll go back and work on my piece till wee hours of the morning. I did this every day I was there so no wonder I was an emotional wreck by the time I got back home after the 3 hour drive. It was a routine, my routine that worked and I stuck to; something that doesn’t happen when I’m here, back in the real world with jobs and events and stresses.

More importantly I was making decisions for myself. It’s great having a mentor to guide you through and pick you up and point out the great bits to you but when you’re capable of being able to be self-aware of those decisions it’s so much more poignant. I told Simon that I was fucking proud of my piece of work because I had made the decisions and realised when they were right. Everyone was at varying degrees of their career in writing but I did feel a little out of my depth and once again was the youngest. But to be honest we all shared the same ambition so I felt more at ease once I felt like I knew what I was doing.

To have someone out there in the profession whose just as eager and prone to the pitfalls of the commissioning process say they’re excited about your work is just something I wanted to write on my forehead so I could see it every time I looked in the mirror. There was so much Simon said to me but for fear of sounding like I’m gloating and because a lot of them were personal I won’t splash them on here. All I will say is that it felt like I had an enthusiastic tutor who was also a mate. Admittedly on the first tutorial I felt a little intimidated but he’s such an easy going, extremely fucking funny, guy that you forget where you are and your half hour tutorial has whizzed by in a fury of energy, ecstatic words and a bundle of motivation.

The last night of the week we were all encouraged to read out some of the pieces we’d been working on in the week. Simon was eager for me to read the entire monologue out and it was true that I wanted to hear it but I wasn’t too sure about me being the one to do so. Throughout the week Simon had been reading us samples of his work that had never been read before and it was electric. He also has a great aptitude to sight read and give it full meaning and resonance. I voiced my concern at reading the piece myself and when I asked him if he’d read it on behalf of me he jumped at it. Not only did it help that I’d hear it back but it was brilliant to hear it for the voice it was intended for, male. As Simon read the piece and gave it his full attention and brought every nuance to light I sat and held my breath. This piece had just been born when I arrived at the Hurst so both Simon and I had seen this develop and grow as the week had gone on. What was evident as the monologue silenced the room is that I really had done a lot of work on it and Simon could see that and stressed how strong and clear it was. He knew this piece as well as I did.

There are so many things to take away from this trip and I still can’t get my thoughts into order so that I don’t well up every time I think back to the lasting effect. Don’t get me wrong I wasn’t hunched over my laptop sobbing every night I was there. It was the idea that I had to carry on this motivation when I returned back to home. It was the big realisation when I had to leave the last morning that the rest was now up to me. I knew several of the Lovely people I had met whilst there had already left at 6am or thereabouts. I got up early and sat and had breakfast with myself but I couldn’t shake this melancholic feeling. I sat in silence and was adamant that I wouldn’t leave until I shook myself out of this slump and realise my achievement. There was no way I wanted to make the 3 hour drive back with my mind cluttered with clashing thoughts. So I went and stood looking over the hills in the morning sunshine. Then Ewan appeared and we had a laugh over breakfast and instantly my mood lifted. Simon soon followed and then the laughter continued and it was like mates saying goodbye rather than the end of a long week. My head and my heart were in the right place and as we hugged our goodbyes and kissed cheeks I knew my drive home would be a determined one. By the time I’d reached the other end I was inspired to calm down, slow down and realise my potential. Whilst I’m focused on what I want to achieve I more than often get tangled in too many projects and spend my time trying to rely on retreats like this to write when I should be doing it regardless.

I met some cracking people up in Craven Arms most of which I’ll keep in contact with and that includes Simon. Too many things to try and tell you about that were amazing and great and funny but it’s bound to end up being many of those ‘you-had-to-be-there’ moments. But I’ll leave you with this; drinking whiskey neat by candlelight till 3am listening to Mark Eitzel with Mister Stephens is going to stay with me for a long time. That and being mistaken for Lenny Henry multiple times.

SPARKS and Shropshire November 2, 2009

First of all I’m going to be loving you, patting your head, whispering semi-sweet nothings in your earholes and then sodding off to Shropshire. But I thought I’d at least stop by here and tell you that I possibly love you and offer something in this awkward relationship we have going on. I know I keep flitting here, there and everywhere (else) but it’s the way it goes. Look, don’t cry… I bought you flowers. But the dog ate them. I bought you chocolates. I ate them. You can have my friendship for another year? Oh… you thought it was something else. Umm… I can still warrant hugs. Everyone likes and needs a good ol’ hug. Too tight you say? But you said you liked them tight. Right, I was doing them so tight that you couldn’t breathe let alone express that they were too tight. Maybe hugs aren’t universal as I first thought. Have a handshake.

That there was a small splice of my brain smothered on the computer screen, it’s slightly grey matter but from my world. So therefore ergo it’s a little warped. Anywho it’s true; I’m off to Shropshire tomorrow and yet again I’ve been too busy to even think of anything further than 4 hours ahead of what I have planned. I’ve just packed and I still haven’t read my own script. Therefore ergo I fail. I wish I was getting the train so I can read but I will be driving and listening to the Tom Tom yell at me that I should have turned some directions behind. But I come bearing good news! One of my pieces is going to be read out at the great night called SPARKS in Brighton. It’s a neat setup with photographers and writers being each others’ stimulus and I’m truly gutted that I’m not there to read my own work and be in the company of Lovely folk. The night is run by Jo Mortimer and more information can be found out for the event over yonder:

Sparks

Other works on the bill that night include:

Vanessa Gebbie
Wendy Greenhalgh
Jac Cattaneo
Jon Pinnock
Katie McCullough (that’s moi)
Yeu-Ing Mo
Vanessa Gellard

Once again, I’m gutted that I can’t be there as I was well up for not only reading my own work but catching up on Brighton, it’s been too long.

(Brief Judo Interlude)

I walked the other way

So yes Shropshire is next on the cards. As much as I’ll be in a Lovely part of En-ger-land I won’t have time to rest. It’s a week one-on-one intensive with Simon Stephens and from what I hear there’s nine of us mentees waiting to get elbow deep in our work. The script I’ve picked is a highly emotional piece and I really want to come out the other end clutching a strong next draft with the intention of it being what I send to agents. Pie in the sky stuff? I dunno, there’s only one way of seeing if it works.

The reason I picked this piece as opposed to my other one is because I feel it’s in the same vein as Simon’s work, in fact it has echoes of Harper Regan, but it’s not a carbon copy (I’d not read the play until after I’d concocted my own) and I’m hoping this’ll make me knuckle down to work. I’m feeling extremely lack-lustre after being so busy but not actually working on my own stuff that I know is just sitting around doing nothing. I’ve missed writing my theatre and it’s been nagging at me for such a long time that I can’t wait to fall out with it again spectacularly and then start a passionate affair with it all over again. In all honesty I just want something finished so I can actually pimp myself out. I spend so much time prepping others and dishing out advice that I’ve forgotten how to do it myself so come the end of the week I’ll have either lost several stones and gained a full theatre script or kick and scream at how I didn’t want to be a writer anyway.

Not that I’m heaping on the pressure or anything.

But it’ll be nice to have a concentrated wedge of time to put aside for one project because recently my head’s been swimming with lots of different ones and in different mediums which doesn’t exactly help the ol’ noggin.

Oh, and phone signal doesn’t work there (it’s like Kilcreggan all over again!) and they don’t have Internet either. So it’s radio silence from me and technology cleansing from her.

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Fancy a hug? I won’t squeeze you too tight, I promise. Actually I can’t, I’m too busy to promise. Don’t run away, please… hallo?

Branchage Part Three October 30, 2009

This is the bit where I blog about the film I helped make. We picked CRIME and MORNING MIST and then we made a little film. To be honest the whole process wasn’t as hectic as I thought it would be. Maybe it’s because we took an overly sensible approach and sat down for a long time to plan what our plot would be but to be critical about it, we were still crafting the story as we were shooting. I think it went through two note-form drafts, seven verbal drafts and ended up with the actors thinking one thing, the director another and the scriptwriter wondering where communication had broken down. But the result is something I’m proud of, extremely proud of. As I’ve mentioned in a previous post I’ve skirted around short film and got my hands dirty writing them and promoting them but have never actually made any. And it seems to have opened another door for me. I know they make no money but they’re a showcase for all involved and a collaborative effort which can be a springboard for something greater. And it’s from my time in Jersey where I’ve made strong contacts and have several ideas in pipelines and more ideas brewing. But here I am blathering. Rather than talk you through the different photographs I’m going to smother this page with them. So enjoy…