It’s been a week! Yesterday, I was so tired I went to let someone out and flipped the windscreen wipers on instead of giving a headlight flash. But I’ve been getting some things done (like admitting I might spend too much time on certain social media sites) and appreciating how I could change up my routine (thanks to some of those social media creators) to fit in more time creating a script. But, obviously, I’m not going to let anything interfere with the latest shows and movies I want to watch (like Shogun).
Tax Breaks for Indies
Making an Indie movie in the UK could have a Tax relief. Now, I’ll admit to not knowing a whole lot about how this stuff works, but I do think more movies should be made in the UK, and I believe that Tax breaks, which will help facilitate that, are a good thing. So if you’re planning on making an independent movie in the UK, that’s got a budget up to £15M, you could be eligible for these Tax Credits. You do (or at least your movie does) have to pass a test to get the tax credit, but when do we not have to pass a test for things? Want to read more?
Shogun
Have you started watching Shogun on Disney? Took me far too long to realise who John Blackthorne was and where I’d seen him before (The Mist, if you’re wondering). I’m really enjoying it, even the part where I have to watch the screen so I don’t miss what anyone is saying. It’s moody and dark, and yet fresh. Right now, I can’t quite see how our hero is going to end up a Samurai but the chemistry between characters is great given the differing cultural backgrounds. And although it’s a remake of the 1980s series of the same name, both series are actually based on the real exploits of a ship’s pilot who was shipwrecked in the 1600s.
Writing with the Celtx App
I’ve had the app on my iPad for ages but because of the age of my iPad (and it’s inability to hold a charge for very long anymore) it’s become more of an ebook reading device. I usually have it open to John Truby’s Anatomy of Story whilst I’m plotting. And I’ve certainly used it on my computer for years, but the time I have available to sit at the computer and write uninterrupted has become slim, so I don’t write at my computer nearly as often as I should. Which means scripts and stories often get left unfinished. And if you’re wondering why that’s the case, I had a change of jobs which, whilst it gives me a routine, is exhausting for my brain and I have no desire when I get home to turn the computer on and write.
Enter the Celtx phone app! I’ve put off putting this on my phone for so long, I didn’t want to be constantly on my phone. But I’m constantly on my phone, anyway. Absorbing things from other people, whiling away boring hours, and looking for things to take my mind off other things. So, why not make at least some of that phone time productive? And I love the app, so simple to use, quick to open and get back to where I was, and lots of tips. I’ve managed to write around 6 scenes this week so far, and that’s purely because I can have the idea, let it percolate in my brain for just a little while before opening the app and getting it down before I forget all about it or can only remember the gist of what I wanted to write when I finally get to my computer. If I have an idea when I’m driving, I can work on it in my head until I get to my destination and then just spend a couple of minutes in the car writing a scene before I go in. I pretty much get everywhere at least ten minutes early.
I think the only downside (maybe it’s better to look at it as a way to focus on one script at a time) is the fact that I can only have one script on the free version. Obviously, there’s a paid version that gives you more scripts, but I don’t think I need that right now (I’m sure it used to be 3 free scripts though). Anyway, if you’re supposed to be working on a script and can’t seem to find the time, maybe you should download the phone version of your usual screenwriting platform and scroll on social a little less in favour of finishing it 🙂
Horror and Fantasy Author – Also writing as K.T. McQueen. Love Western Horror, cowboy boots, my cactus Collin, & my Demon Cat.
Moths – I hate moths, the way they flutter at your face!
