Joanne Smedley - not so serious serial killer!

I've moved.

2011-07-08T00:17:00.000-07:00

Moving blogs is a bit like moving house I suppose. You need to redirect the post!

You'll find me here now:

http://www.josmedley.co.uk

With a fully integrated blog and authoring website.

So there'll be no more posts on Blogger. (as to whether there's any more on the new site... well... we'll just have to wait and see I guess!

Strings, bings, blogs, netlogs, linkedIn, libboo, podcasts, facebook, twitter and You-tube...

2011-06-20T23:10:00.000-07:00

Argh! Haven't you found there's just such a plethora of social media these days? Not a day goes by I don't get an email inviting me to watch a podcast, add a string or story to a social media networking storyboarding site.

Question is - is all this media actually helping writers or is it just yet another distraction?

Networking - as I've said before is a must for new writers. Phil Berg said at a business conference I've been to recently: "You don't have to be the best in your field, you just have to know the most people." That's as true for writing as it is for business.

You can be THE best screenwriter there is, but if you aren't known, then how are people going to approach you to give you the contract?

Now I'm not talking about simply "putting yourself about". Everyone hates someone who is just there for themselves and never contributes. As I've said before, it's not enough to just "friend" people on twitter and the like, you need to interact.

So where do you start?

Well, for a start check out my post below on networking for writers.

And with regards to social media, I would suggest all writers have these basics in place and know how to use them effectively.
1) A blog. This should be informative, not just a list of personal acheivements. And don't write and abandon it - point people to your blog on the other social media sites you frequent. e.g. facebook and twitter.
2) LinkedIn - it may seem like a business network (which it is) but if you're taking your writing seriously, then writing is a business, whether you want to believe it is or not. Learn how to make LinkedIn work for you. Grow your connections and then do a search one day in the company field and see if you happen to know, or can get introduced to the person who you need to speak to.
3) Twitter - yes I know everyone likes facebook better - but if it's connections you're after, trust me, Twitter is a) quicker and b) easier. Use twitter to create contacts, not just as a means to itself, and make sure you plug your blog on twitter by creating a link to it! Also - let's not forget, you can make twitter comments post to facebook and linkedIn, so that saves you a lot of time!

What about the rest I hear you ask?

Well...

Facebook. Everyone's on facebook these days... but does it help you make any good writing connections? Probably not. Do you speak to writers on facebook? er... no. I speak to my contacts on twitter and on UKwriters when they happen to drop in.

Never visited UKwriters? Why not?

UKwriters is a joint social media site. You can post blogs, join discussions or just ask for advice. You can email authors in your own field and communicate on a meaningful level. It's gone a bit quiet lately - but that's only because people haven't got their head around how to use it, and I've been too busy to drop in. But why not drop in yourself and start a discussion?

Libboo / Stringsta I've taken a look at both now, and other then "bigging up" their creators I can't honestly see these going anywhere long term. Yes, I agree it's a lovely idea, let's all collaborate, but truthfully? How is it going to help writers earn any money long term?

I agree, it sounds like a great idea that you can create a joint effort book / script / storyboard, but royalty rates for authors are pittance at the best of times, so how exactly is splitting a book royalties 60 different ways going to help? Also... who get's the publicity from the book sale? Er... would that be Libboo or Stringsta themselves? So no. I can't see this taking off long term.

One to watch and put some time into if you've got a lot of spare time perhaps, but if you're busy - just avoid them!

You-Tube For writers... er... No. I can't think of anything more boring then watching me type up a script! But for film makers, or as writers if you can get your short film on there - then YES! Great idea, especially if its good. But don't post any old rubbish. You want something that'll show case your work, not a camcorder video!

As for the rest?

Well, make up your own mind. If you're wasting more then 15 minutes a day on them, ask yourself how many contacts you've made and how useful they are to you. If they're not getting you anywhere then drop them. You've got more important things to do... like write!

Final words...

Competitions As new writers a competition is probably one of the few ways you will actually get noticed from a cold start. However, be wary. Don't pay to enter anything. All you are doing is lining someone elses pockets!

After al, I could set up a great competition to write a new murder mystery game. Prize? Oh... let's see... you could become an author on Red Herring Games (something I'd do anyway if you're good enough). I could charge £2 entry fee, which sounds reasonable... and I'd probably get over 50 entries so I make a straight £100 profit for doing nothing! (Maybe I should try it!!)

Also - stick to entering reputable competitions. The BBCwritersroom is a good place to find out the best ones. They screen all their competitions to make sure they're fair to writers.

Musical murders!

2011-05-14T01:57:00.001-07:00

Ok - I freely admit it - writing a muscial was never something I even remotely thought about when I started out writing! But, well, there's nothing like a challenge!

This week has seen me finish what might be the last (but probably isn't) draft of the musical murder mystery for my local operatic society. They're in the middle of getting a director and it all looks set to take to the stage in Grimsby this autumn!

I must admit, I'm excited! This is a "big" thing, even for me! I may look like a sucessful writer, and I suppose I am in my own field, but having something I've written go on stage is still going to be thrilling, even if it is only in Grimsby!

Still, what I expect everyone wants to know is how do you end up getting a break like this?

Well, like in everything, it's who you know. (yeah, it comes down to networking again - see post below).

A few years ago I was casting for my first murder mystery event locally. I needed some cast and that was how I met two very nice women from the local operatic society. I've kept in touch with them both, either through regular meetings when they act for me, or by me trying to find them contacts of their own (as one is trying to break into the professional acting arena and I do sometimes come into contact with people useful for her to meet.) This regular contact and mutual support has led to them asking me if I'd be interested in writing the society a muscial!

Thankfully I don't have to come up with the music. Instead they've given me a list of songs which could be worked into a plot. I've ammended a few lyrics and voila. Our very first combined effort.

The question is... what to call it?? That's still undecided!

Is networking useful for writers?

2011-05-05T23:56:00.000-07:00

We’ve all heard the saying, “It’s not what you know it’s who you know” and sadly that is true for writing too. How many writer lectures have you been to where the writer was given a “lucky break” by speaking to a friend who knew a producer, publisher or agent? I can think of dozens. It’s a very rare person who get’s an agent from scratch these days – though it is possible!

But is networking a good way of generating contacts or not and where should you go?

Writing conferences and lectures and courses are a great way to meet other writers, but frankly you’re all in the same boat, so unless you happen to meet a lucky writer who has an agent, or develop a relationship with someone who then finds one – it won’t get you very far.

Which means, as well as mixing with unpublished writers you need to be looking further afield.

1) Writer signings

I’m not talking about the famous ones here. If you queue up to get J.K. Rowling to sign a book, she’s hardly going to have the time to give you a contact at bloomsbury!

However – local writers are a different matter altogteher. They generally have shorter queues, are more willing to talk and still interested in helping other new writers “break” into the field as they often had a leg up themselves. Don’t discount them because they aren’t “big”. They've still got further then you have (to that illusive first contract) and so they’re still better connected then you!

Make sure you attend any local readings/lectures they have, get to know them and see if they are willing to help you.

2) Business networking

You might think business networking is a ludicrous way to general contacts – but scoff all you like, I’ve been in a business networking group for 2 years now, and in that time I’ve landed a contract to write e-books for a local entrepreneur, been asked to write custom written games for venues and met a publisher who would actually give me the time of day, and probably help me with contacts should I eventually get a book up to publishable standards.

I’ve also met other writers who visit the group who do copywriting – paid work, and also a story writer who writes people’s biographies – again PAID.

So while business networking may seem a bizzare way to set out – think beyond the people in the room to the contacts they may be willing to share with you and give it a go.

3) Tradeshows

Publishers have tradeshows just like any other companies – sometimes you’ll find them all under one roof. Take a walk, browse the stands and if you can, strike up a conversation – you might get on with someone like a house on fire and they might be willing to look at your work!

4) Work your contacts

As well as our immediate friends we all have people we know through social media like twitter and facebook these days – so speak to them.

Obviously you don’t just want to “follow” them and then pitch straight away – an immediate turn off to anyone who’s busy and managed to work their way up their field.

Instead – get to know them. Chat, don’t pitch. Once you have built up that relationship – THEN speak to them about a project.

5) YOUR BLOG!

Your blog or website is THE singular most important thing you need to maintain as an unpublished author. For many new contacts it’s the first thing they’ll take a look at.

It needs to be:
a) Easy to read
b) Professional
c) Clear – with a list of your achievements in the writing field and also what you’re working on.
d) Personal. By this I mean – a photograph. People deal with people. It’s a known fact. Avatars are all very well, but they aren’t you.

What will sell your work in the end isn’t the work itself but you. It’ll be you that will eventually meet with people to pitch your work, so have a personality, be visible and get noticed.

Further reading:

Launch a freelance writing career via Twitter.

Are writers just good liars who get old?

2011-04-08T14:13:00.000-07:00

That's an interesting question.

One of the first things we learn to do as children is lie.
"It wasn't me.";
"I didn't do it";
"She hit me first";
"It broke all by itself"...
(Is this behaviour learned, or do we just do it instinctively??)

And do the best liars make the best story tellers?

Well, all fiction is just that, fiction, and most fiction writers will admit they "borrow" facts from their experience (personal, newspaper stories, second hand stories) in order to make their fictional stories seem real.

So are writers really just stretching the truth and lying? Is what we do, simply taking lying to a whole new level?

Are we inventing a cover story for life, a lie told instead of reality, a falsehood, a fabrication... And what is it in our psyche that drives us to tell stories so profusely... are we born liars? Is it a predisposition, a genetic or hereditory condition...? Were our parents good story tellers and is it learned behaviour rather than something we were just born with? Who knows...

I think to answer the question above we need to address this one:

Do the best story tellers make the best liars?

Probably not... Well, at least, I hope not. (Certainly not in my case. I can't even keep a secret for long without spilling the beans!)

Writers are able to spin a yarn, yes, but I think over imagination, tends to ruin the lying process in it's simplest form. We tend to go OTT on the excuses, provide a whole reasoning process for why something "is", and this exaggeration gives us away.

And if the best story tellers are not the best liars, then ergo, the best liars are not the best storytellers.

So are we ALL storytellers at heart then?

I would say "yes". Storytelling in it's embryonic form is lying... and I think if I went around canvassing on a street corner I would be hard put to find someone who didn't tell a lie at least once in their life, or, dare I say it, once already this year. Obviously I'm not accusing everyone of perjury or fraud, but I think most of us have said some of these at least once:

"Oh wow... you've had your hair cut... it really suits you."
"No... that doesn't make you look fat..."
"No... it doesn't taste burned..."
or to the tele-sales person:
"I'm afraid she's not in at the moment, can I take a message?"

So think about it next time someone asks you "Does their bum look big." Are you a natural storyteller?

But is a storyteller a writer?

No. Writers are people who put their stories on paper / computer. They actually do something with the lies they make up. Writers aren't necessarily published, but if they are putting stories (or facts - lets not forget journalists here... or is that still storytelling...) on paper, then they are writers.

Writing is something you learn AFTER you learn how to lie. And in that respect, I think writers ARE liars who get old. But they aren't GOOD liars who get old.

GOOD liars you'll find in prison. It's the bad liars you'll find on the bookshelves!

5 top tips for dealing with rejection letters.

2011-03-29T14:48:00.000-07:00

Rejection letters are standard when you're an author. Like it or not, not everyone thinks the same way as you and the things you think are great, just aren't someone else's cup of tea.

If you're a writer then you'll get rejection letters. J.K. Rowling got them, Tom Clancy got them, in fact, you name an author, I expect they all have a drawful of them. But how should you deal with them?

1) Firstly - breath a sigh of relief. The wait is over. You aren't suddenly going to have to put your life on hold while you write your "approved" project. You can keep that holiday date in Spain rather than booking into a residential course, you can take time out to research, you can do whatever it is you do - and most importantly you can revise and resubmit your manuscript again! (Or bin it and start a new one). For places like the BBC writersroom, a rejection letter means the submission process is over and you are eligable to submit a new work. So firstly - Relax!

2) Deal with the letter. For most, it'll be a standard rejection letter. You know the type. "Many thanks for sending us your manuscript, we've decided at this stage not to take it any further" or "I'm afraid our books are full at present" or words to that effect. The standard rejection letters are the easiest to deal with - you can shred them, burn them, turn them into scrap paper, write on the back of them or file them. It doesn't matter. They don't say why they've rejected you - just that they have!

If on the other hand you are fortunate enough to have actually received feedback in the rejectin letter - then you need to action this. Firstly decide if it's feedback you are willing to accept - you don't have to accept EVERYTHING. After all, your writing style should be unique to you - and your aim is to find someone else who likes your writing for what it is. So don't change things on someone else's whim. Only you can decide if the feedback IS something you want to do something about, and if not - then file, burn, shred etc or actually take the advice and do something about it.

3) Avoid the miry pits of writing depression. Some people (like me) are sneaky. We time our submissions at "certain times of the month", this means, I submit when I'm at a low ebb and I can't feel any worse about myself or my writing, and generally the rejection letters will come back when I'm not at a low ebb and can just fling it to one side nonchalently! (Hey... we all have our tecniques!)

That said - when the rejection letter arrives - don't fall into the trap of thinking you are a terrible writer. Remember all the authors who have gone before you! You aren't the first, you won't be the last! Eat a bar of chocolate, have a hot bath, seek out company. Whatever works for you - do it. Nobody likes being rejected and as most writers write alone, it often helps to go out and find a friend who "likes you" as a person to get over the hump. The rejection isn't a personal slight, but it often feels like that. So do something you enjoy, and get some positive feedback. You are great! Honest!

4) Embark on a new project or revise the original. Rejection letters usually take 6 weeks (at least) to come back. This means you've had 6 weeks to "sit" on your work. So take another look at it again with a fresh head. Was it rubbish? You might well find it was (I know I sometimes do!) Revise it, or bin it and start something new! Learn from experience. Don't just send it out again unless you are supremely confident in the piece. Use the rejection as a prod to take another look. Nothing is ever "finished". I often go back to something after a year and tweek it again.

5)Find a good critic. Rejection letters with feedback are few and far between. If you think you can stand the pain - find someone who will read your work critically and GIVE you that feedback. They might be able to work out why you are getting regular rejections.

March already!

2011-03-29T13:43:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe it's March already! Where did the time go!

Fortunately I went to "using social media" training last night, which has prompted me to get back to the blog! (Long time no see!)

New, New Year's resolution is therefore to blog more regularly!

Still... if it's any excuse there's been a lot going on recently, for example... the charity murder mystery hosted in the middle of March for the M.S. Society and 24+1.

I've also completed several new games one of which was "Riddle at the Racecourse" a custom written game for Doncaster Racecourse which ran on the 25th March and which is now available on Red Herring Games.

Added to that I've written another customer order now known as "Greased" on Red Herring Games - a clue based game.

Those who keep up with the BBC writers room, know that they had a competition running in February called "laughing stock" which I also submitted a piece to - and was duly rejected (again). Oh, the life and times of a writer, it's all rejection letters and polite "not for me"s.

Anyway, added to all the game writing for Red Herring Games, I've also been helping other new authors break into the murder mystery writing genre. Not an easy challenge for them (or for me, as it's quite time consuming to proof work! Sometimes as much as 3-4 hours for each piece, and usually with nothing to show for it at the end but a lot of comments boxes!) Still, it looks as though April will see the first fruits of three month's of labour for many of the authors - the editor has been swamped recently and I've been dreading the formatting work coming through as until I get an admin person here it's me, me and me that does it all! Eeek!

Anyway - Social Media training, sort of explained how to use blogs to best effect... so let's see if I get this right over the next few weeks. Apparently they are supposed to be useful, informative but have a personal stand point too. So far, I don't think my blog is any of those three things... so lets see how I do over the next few months!

If there is anything you want to know about writing games - fire me questions and I'll see what I can answer!

Important information for tables.

2010-12-17T03:23:00.001-08:00

I regularly recieve communications for my husband from the Governors services at the council.

The last email had in the title field "Important information for Chairs" Which got me thinking...

So I drafted this in response:

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR TABLES.

It has come to our attention that there has been much focus on chairs in the recent emails from governor’s services.

As a result – we, the league of conference tables, hope this email will redress some of the balance.

Please note the following key points when recruiting any new tables in schools:

1) Tables should have no fewer than 4 legs, excepting of course when the legs are replaced by wheels. Tables should have no fewer then 2 legs however, as tables with 4 wheels could be accused of being trolleys.

2) Tables with odd numbers of legs should be avoided due to inherent instability issues.

3) Tables should have a horizontal top, excepting when stored vertically. The aforementioned horizontal top should be level, not undulating, or, heaven forbid, at a slope. (Sloping tables should be avoided at all costs due to health and safety concerns regarding hot drink spillages and back injuries caused by retrieval of pens.)

4) Tables can be of any size and shape, however, circular tables are seen to be less useful in the school setting where rectangular tables are preferred. (Circular tables give the feeling of equality – and in schools this must be avoided at ALL COSTS.)

5) Tables can be of any colour, however to achieve the most functionality we suggest wooden veneer. Wooden veneer suits a variety of applications from formal conferences to fundraising evening dinners. They can also of course, be covered with table cloths should the need arise.

6) Tables should be accompanied by chairs, unless of course you are using them for a buffet, in which case chairs just get in the way.

7) Finally, tables are NOT beds. Kindly refrain from allowing governors to sleep on them during meetings.

Warmest regards

Bill Yardtable.

Christmas Concert Conundrums.

2010-12-17T03:19:00.000-08:00

Whilst walking my daughter and her friend to Rainbows the other night I heard a great conversation between the pair of them.

I: We've had our concert today.
E:Ours is tomorrow.
I: Ours was "the first Christmas". What's your concert? "The Second Christmas?"

Well, it made me giggle.

And I suppose it lends itself to creative exploration at some point...

Why is it. when everything calms down, my head goes into overdrive?

2010-12-07T06:58:00.000-08:00

What is it about the creative mind? So far I've been SO busy I've not had time to stop and think about anything... and then the snow hit! Whoosh... things suddenly calm down with a bang (or should I say soft waft) and rather than my brain relaxing, it starts thinking about new screenplay ideas, new books, new murder mysteries...

Not to mention I've had a dream I can remember every night for a week. Yesterday the world was ending, we were all stuck in a tower block in Aberdeen watching a tidal wave come in and I was panicking that my husband wouldn't make it back from Banchory Devnick secondary school (of all places, he only went there for an afternoon visit!) Last night I was dodging Mormons around the local park, trying to avoid them loaning me a car in case it had repercussions...

Needless to say my brain is obviously filled with weird junk!

Anyway... suddenly the creative juices are flowing again and what happens? There just isn't enough time to get it all on paper!

And, while I'm having a rant... why is it, every year, you TEST the fairy lights, they all work, you put them up, you turn them on and NOTHING. After an evening replacing every bulb in 200 on the string around the top of the ceiling to try and find the faulty one, and trying to find the faulty bulb on the 200 Christmas tree lights which are only lit every second bulb, only to remove one and have the whole string plunge into darkness we decided to head off to B&Q and buy some LED lights and replace the whole lot! Needless to say our bin now has 3 sets of faulty fairy lights in it. Goodluck to anyone who decides to do a bin raid and steal them.

Next year, as you can't replace the LED bulbs, if the string doesn't work - its a replace the whole string job rather than spending 2 hours up a ladder or reaching through pine needles to extract a bulb.

Anyway - today, would have been a good day to write, but as it happens it's Christmas time so I've been sorting out the round robin instead. (Yes I know... everyone hates them, nobody reads them, but EVERYBODY expects them!)

Still, maybe I can get back to that elusive book / screenplay over Christmas between mince pie making...

The monthly update...

2010-11-24T06:54:00.000-08:00

Obviously the business must cycle on a monthly basis, as here we are, basically a month on, and I finally have time to update the blog!

Since last visit we've hosted the birthday party for my daughter. "A Mediaeval Mystery" - her request - which she and her friends thoroughly enjoyed.

See castle cake (looking slightly windswept) below:

The house extension rumbles on... but it's so close to being finished now... just the floor to go. Anyone would think we'd added 8 rooms or something...the length of time it's taken, but in reality it's only about 3 foot extra onto the dining room and knocking out the kitchen wall. The problem has been caused by the original constructors of our house in 1901... no lintels...no mortar between the bricks... no damp-proof membrane under the floor. All of which complicated what would otherwise have been a very simple process. Still... the builders have done us proud and we're in the end stages now and the house (against all the odds) hasn't fallen down! Phew!

I've got a new nephew over in the States. Oliver William. Very Cute baby photos - I'm keeping up to date on facebook.

Red Herring Games has gone totally berzerk with orders (which is expected at this time of year) and all writing has had to take a back seat while we're getting orders sent to customers across the globe. I'm beginning to wish I had one of those huge pin board maps so I can put pins in whenever I send an order to an area, just to see where they all end up. But it's probably too late for that now.... But... I still haven't sent one to Tristan DaCuna yet - so if anyone knows anyone there who wants a murder mystery party it'll make my day! :-)

Things are gearing up slowly for the Charity event on the 11th March. Will post more details shortly... keep your eyes pealed...

Otherwise it's just the steady churning of the printer and the rapidly cooling temperatures in Grimsby to contend with.

Fortunately I can think while I pack... so I've got LOADS of ideas for new screenplays, books and murder mysteries. It's just having the time to do them!

Well... quite clearly the one-per-week blog idea failed...

2010-10-23T11:16:00.000-07:00

OK yes... obviously one per week was a hard target to meet given that it's now October the 23rd and I've not been on here for nearly a month!

However, all games have been edited and formatted, I've proofed several new authors work (the first of which is now live on site - well done Lissa) and all the current crop of new games are now listed on Red Herring Games!

Last night was the first outing of "Last Will and Testament" at an event locally, and it went down a storm. The next scheduled event is for a team building day on the 3rd November, and I've got a fair amount of reformatting to do on a game to make it suitable for that occaision. So that's this weeks project.

Oh, and my darling daughter has decided (at nearly age 6) that she wants a "mystery birthday party Mummy" - I should have seen that coming I suppose! I've pursuaded her out of dead bodies... and managed to talk her into using one of the children's games I wrote back in 2008 - so for her birthday (or rather a few days before) we're hunting the illusive vanishing dragon of castle clue. Unfortunately this means she's asked for a repeat of this cake:

Which took me a good day to make in 2008 and was one I was hoping I'd NEVER have to repeat! Botheration! I did try and talk her into a dragon cake (an easy design she had for her 2nd birthday when she couldn't ask me for anything...) but no...

Oh for the days when she couldn't talk! Things were so much easier back then...

Anyway - half term will be spent making up the props we need for this birthday extravaganza as it's going to be hosted on the 13th November, which isn't that far off.

Added to that it's my 10 minutes at BNI on the 3rd, and I've got to plan for that too...

Meanwhile the house is still upside down, and after 2 and a bit weeks with no cooker, I'm hoping that I'll have a working kitchen very soon... hopefully by the 6th as we're hosting "Montague Viper's: Death of Mr Big Nose" that day. Which reminds me, I still need to get the invitations out...

What can I say...

2010-09-23T06:36:00.000-07:00

Er... it's been a while since I posted anything on my blog. Why? Because, quite frankly I've been busy!

Yes I know, both the kids are now at school and I should have 3 hours more per day, but to be quite honest, those hours seem to vanish like dry ice on a hot day, without even a bit of atmospheric smoke to show where they've been!

Why... well, it's start of the Christmas season (yes I know, it's only September... but for some people it DOES start this early and I've already had sales on the website for Christmas and New Year games!). In a desperate bid to meet the needs of the customers I've had to write two new Christmas murder mystery games, one of which is now on site (a fawlty towers themed single room game called A Criminal Christmas Caper) and the other is with the editors (The Brandy Butter Murders - single room clue based game), and before that there was the Monty Python themed mystery to complete - and I might add, draw a picture for, as you just can't find exactly the right thing in the royalty free images (given that it's the first time I've had the watercolours out for 5 years it's not that bad... see below).

And in between that I've been mentoring a new author, answering a barrage of customer queries, sending out brochures and having meetings with various hotels, as well as making bookings, organising cast and sorting out all the rehearsals!

And then there's the print on demand orders, the ebay shop sales, the new products to list, the postage and packaging (and several trips on the push bike to the post office as the crime scene scarves and deluxe kits won't fit in the letter box at Tescos) ordering up new stock ready for christmas (yes, it's that word again)...walking the dog, feeding the kids, keeping on top of the washing and ironing, swimming and dancing (that's the kids not me), and all the business meetings and socialising, it's been a busier month then ever!

Added into all that, I've just had my first stab at a murder mystery screenplay which has just today been printed out to be sent to the BBC writersroom for their usual rejection letter.

And I still haven't mentioned the extension... At home things are in upheaval as various walls come out and new walls go up!

Anyway - that's it for excuses. I will TRY to blog at least once a week... and of course I'll let you know the minute my usual rejection letter comes through.

Couldn't resist having a go.

2010-05-23T13:42:00.000-07:00

So... not content with murder mystery games half way through, the BBC launches a new opportunity (5 days in May) and I get arm twisted into having a go.

"It's only an afternoon's work" says Laurence Timms on Twitter.

Afternoon's work... heck... I have an afternoon, surely I should at least TRY? (I'm easy to brow beat.)

And so... here it is:
THE POLITICS OF DEATH

I don't want to know about any spelling or grammar mistakes. It was a challenge, I rose to it, it's now done.

Good luck everyone with their own entries!

Warmer weather...

2010-05-20T03:42:00.000-07:00

Hurray - summer is finally here, and for the first time this year I decided that it was too hot for trousers and put on a dress.

You can tell how infrequently that happens in my world by what happened next.

As usual I go to pick my eldest up from school (she's 5) and wait by the door.

The door opens, Iona looks around and tells her teacher I'm not there! I wave and call her by name, and a flash of recognition crosses her little face.

As she gets to me she says, in a very condescending manner:

"Mummy, what are you wearing?"

Shucks!

Marathon game formatting

2010-05-11T06:45:00.000-07:00

Today has seen the first of the new round of games go live on the site.

This is the first of four brand new games to hit the site in the current month and my eyes have gone all googly. (Not google, please note, I'm not interested in the search engine rankings, it's googly as it bozz eyed). Writing the games is one thing, but after writing them, they all need formatting ready for sale which takes around 7 -9 hours. Then they have to be married up to the voice over speeches and then uploaded onto the website for sale.

First to get the voice over is The Dangerous Despair of B-List Superheroes, by Mark and Kathy Pitchford. So that went live this morning.

Voice overs are still pending for "An Educational Execution" (one of mine) and "Death of a Dallas Dynasty" (one of Kathy Roberson's), but they are both at least formatted and in the wings, added to them I've still got another two with the editor "Death at Tiffanys" and "Murder at Merkister Hall" - which reminds me I still need to construct a clue map for that last game...

Rehearsals are now underway for the 10th June event, and also the 31st May, Mile of Smiles event for Caxton Theatre on cleethorpes seafront. I'll be down there lurking amongst the crime scene tape that day if anyone fancies a bit of "Jo-spotting". It's the first time I've had two events rehearsing at the same time, fortunately Sara Beasley is overseeing the rehearsals for the Caxton event, so I only have to work on rehearsals for A Midsummer Night's scream, and find a sword and a birthday cake...

Added to all that, I have my 10 minute talk next week at BNI, so I've thrown something together for that. And there seems to be a new competition out there "The Peter Ustinov Award" which kind of takes my fancy... but when I will i get the time to write something for that I wonder...? As it is, the new book has stalled (as expected) at the end of the first section of chapter 1. BUT it WILL get finished as it's looking good.

Husband as OK'd a possible future purchase of a small mini-laptop/notebook thing once the finances have stablised. So come September I'll be properly mobile with a small typing device so I can work away from home without carrying a museum piece laptop (which fits into a suitcase and has only 1 1/2 hours of battery life). Hooray!

Meanwhile... where did I put that scrap of paper. I feel a map calling me...

School Easter Break

2010-04-19T00:08:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a busy couple of weeks with the kids off school. Tomorrow they go back and I recover some writing time.

Not that I haven't been busy. It's just not all been work, work, work. Even so, between trips to the model railway, a day trip to the north york moors (fossil hunting at Robin Hoods bay and a trip to Grosmont), swimming, Scunthorpe Museum, visiting numerous play areas, digging out my daughter's vegetable plot and adding manure (I can't believe I have to pay for it... all those years on the farm when I was younger devalued the price of dung somewhat...) I've roughed out a few new murder mystery plots, written a scavenger hunt for the Caxton Theatre "Mile of Smiles" event in Cleethorpes on the 31st, come up with yet another idea for a novel, and put together half of a new game while travelling to and from a family funeral which will give me a head start ready for this week - so keep your eyes peeled for "Murder at Merkister Hall" which should hopefully be live by June.

We've also had another hotel booking for June 10th - this will be the first event I haven't overseen myself (as I'm at the BNI conference that day). I'm not sure what I'm more nervous about, being there, or not being there... Casting is underway for that as I type - so if you fancied yourself as a 20 something Jane Austin character get in touch.

Anyway - needless to say the spring cleaning still hasn't happened yet - in fact, the house has got so bad there is a big cupboard in the dining room we can't open without making a grab for all the contents to stop them spilling out all over the floor. So today - it's tidy up time for me and the kids.

Giggling monkey - watch this space

2010-03-30T05:50:00.000-07:00

It seems I don't just write murder mysteries now. I've been asked to put together some short children's poems for i-phone aps soon to be launched by Giggling Monkey!

Producing the apps is a slow process, as after my writing it's all down to the illustrators and website coding people to put the app together. The whole process is being masterminded by Steve from Kinetic who had the original idea and I must admit I'm very flattered to have been asked to take a part in it all.

At the moment I'm trying to write one poem a week, which I think will keep them busy enough at the illustration end for this to move forwards at a reasonable pace. I'll keep you all updated on the blog as to when the first app launches.

Murder in the Dark

2010-03-21T13:33:00.000-07:00

Just a few snaps from Murder in the Dark hosted on Friday 17th.
!The FBI don't take no for an answer, Franny dear!" (Yes - it's me in the FBI Catsuit as Tracy Call - the good looking supermodel next to me is Franny Fascinator (aka Sally).
Franny arrived with Miles High the airforce pilot (her husband Sean in real life).
Then we have Dickie Bow (the stripper who did actually manage to get some of his kit off as the night progressed, but only because he'd spilled red wine all over his shirt!), next to him, not looking very impressed is Penny Counter. (alias Si and Ali.)

Last but not least, Chuck De'Ball the american footballer and Dr. Lisa Ning (Tell me about your parents...) - or John and Sarah.
A buffet style menu and a murder mystery totally by candlelight due to a powercut (pre-arranged by the killer). Fortunately the powercut was faked as we did have some electric lighting once we got going otherwise us oldies wouldn't have been able to see our scripts!

Website working

2010-03-19T07:31:00.000-07:00

With the staff murder out of the way, and new gift items arriving in large boxes all week, I've spent the week adding in new catalogue items to Red Herring Games and Red Herring Games dotcom.

Further info on the gifts available, and those soon to be available see the Red Herring Games blog

I've also been helping out a few stressed out maids of honour this week, customising two different games for hen night audiences. One is finished except the invitiations, the other still has a way to go yet.

We're hosting "Murder in the Dark" tonight for the neighbours. I've hired and FBI catsuit from the local fancy dress shop. Photos to follow. (or not, I'll see how bad they look first!!)

Bubble and Squeak

2010-03-05T09:09:00.000-08:00

I always did enjoy eating left overs as a child (and still do as an adult when there are any left). Bubble and Squeak has to be an all time favourite and I abhor waste.

This tendency to reuse leftovers also finds itself in my creative work - just this week I've been revising a custom order I did for Wright Inc, into a murder mystery game for a staff room murder. (We'd had a lot of requests in recently for teaching staff related plots).

Not content with just recycling, I'm also trying to get some non-gender specific characters into the plot. It's not as easy as it sounds. Trust me! You have to avoid using he, she, his, her in the questioning too... still, I like a challenge!

Been a while.

2010-02-28T07:11:00.000-08:00

Once again - it seems like a while since I was on the blog updating my status. I won't bore you with details however... for those who do like to know, the last custom order is all but completed (just the formatting to go). The editing has come back on "Last Will and Testament" and that will go live on Monday, and Mark has fixed Red-herring-games.com so that is all pictured and just waiting for me to tweek here and there to ring some changes between the two sites when I have a few minutes. RHG is also branching out into gifts in 2010, so keep eyes peeled for daft criminal gimmicks which will appear as I find them!

On an entirely different note, my daughter popped the precursor question to "where to babies come from?" on friday, and asked me "Why do women have periods?". Trying to explain the whole process to a five year old without using techical language (and trying to keep away from the "how do the babies get in there" question), is quite hard, and for some reason we got onto the tangent of mouldy bread, and so now I think she's convinced that a) babies eat bread in the womb, and b) mummy's bread goes off pretty quickly. Hey ho. I really need to get my "lift the flap" where do babies come from book illustrated soon.

And shifting topic once again... sitting at lunch today, I suddenly realised once again how age-orientated names are. It seems funny to think that in 60 or so years time, there will be wrinkly old women and cantankerous old men bearing names like Kylie and Beckham being doubly incontinent and littering the beds in old people's homes. I wonder whether the Peggy and William generation thought the same when they were our age...

Oh dear... over two weeks since last blog...

2010-02-19T09:50:00.001-08:00

Er... what can I say? I've been busy....

Still, the spat of event organising finished on Wednesday 17th with a repeat of "A Highland Fling" - for an absolutely fabulous audience from Novartis. Photos below:

On the business front, I've managed to total RHG.com by causing major image problems with the new site, so although it's live, we've lost all the game images, so poor Mark at Crystal Pyramid is in the process of deleting and reuploading a whole new website (which is apparently the only way to fix the problem)... oh dear...

However, my notebooks and pens are now here! Hurrah! Which means RHG is now selling complete accessory kits, which include crime scene tape, notebooks and pens, handcuffs and a fingerprinting kit. Keep an eye out for Evidence Bag wrap which should be available later in the year once I've found a supplier able to print the correct size of bags. (Not an easy task it seems, as I need something non-standard.)

Just had a rejection from the BBCwritersroom for "Quest" this morning which is not a big surprise, however, they still have two scripts from much earlier in the year knocking around in their writersroom submission process somewhere, so is it good news that I've heard nothing for over 5 months, or have they just lost them??? I suppose there is nothing i can do but wait and see.

Youngest son has turned into such a dreadful nightmare child these last two weeks, pushing over his pre-school teacher, sticking stickers into his best friends hair, hitting his sister, breaking several toy boxes, pulling not just the shelves, but the brakets and the wall plugs off the wall and very nearly toppling our TV (as well as a few other things that I won't post on here as they are far too disturbing) that we are jokingly considering sending him to Afghanistan as the solution to the crisis. With him on the loose we figure Osama Bin Laden will walk out with his hands in the air begging to be captured!!

Still, things could be worse I suppose... they could both be playing the role of "bad cop". (why is it when one child is super naughty the other is super good???)

Anyway - I am supposed to be in the middle of a big customisation work for a pharmaceutical company rather than blogging, so I suppose I better get back to work...

Workshop request.

2010-02-01T23:46:00.001-08:00

Had a surprise conversation yesterday. Was asked by Caxton theatre who are hosting the North Eastern Region Theatres Conference this year if I would consider running a couple of workshops for them on murder mystery games.

Apparently last year a group in Sunderland hosted the event and they had Fiona Evans, a writer from Eastenders, Casualty, Doctors, Holby City and a produced and critically reviewed playwrite to deliver a workshop.

This year they wondered whether I'd come instead.

Well, talk about a surprise! Of course I was flattered to be asked, but I'm hardly a "star writer" or anything. Did I accept? Er, yeah. What a networking opportunity...

Although my acceptance came with a few warnings.
a) I talk fast.
b) I have no idea what they want me to talk about, so if they don't give me some guidelines I'm likely to babble nonsense.
c) I talk fast.

Nadine says she'll give me a few guidelines and if I tear off at supersonic she promises me she'll start asking questions to slow me down!

So I have until October the 9th to bite my fingernails down to stubs and see if I can get any sort of writing credentials to my name to sound like I am "somebody".

I don't suppose winning 3rd in the Scottish Young Writers competition at age 15 counts....

Another week rushes by...

2010-01-28T23:36:00.000-08:00

Yet another busy week...

Last Friday saw me at Kenwick Park overseeing the performance of "A Highland Fling" (Photo below of the cast)

Then on Saturday it was the BNI Christmas Social and "The Award's Night Fright" - I had to act for this one, just a bit part with a lot of screaming. The biggest bonus of it all though was that I had to get dressed all fancy as "Meg Tryin". In the run up to the event I bought my first ever makeup - it wasn't a total disaster, fortunately! (See below)

Following the weekend of murdering fun, I submitted an application for the Big Finish Dr Who opporutnity. So that's on the "wait and see" list for Febuary.

On Monday it was a visit to Johnson Hunt for some business advice (not being a businesswoman I figured it was about time I got some help!)

And since then I've been:

- performing site maintence on Red Herring Games - check out the new look: Red Herring Games Website And no, it's not me on the front page. I would scare people away!!

- editing "The Chinese Take-out",

- and working on "Last Will and Testament" the next Halloween themed game for hotels in 2010. I'm about 1/3 of the way into it so far with 3 out of 5 character backgrounds finished.

- Not to mention child care and all the other regular weekly events.

Next weekend I'm helping out with the Compered mystery for Pelham accountants. I'm playing "Dr. Easter Jones". And yes... I've written in a few screams. :-)

It's a dogs life.

2010-01-22T06:26:00.000-08:00

And it's raining here in Grimsby. A fact which didn't escape the MET office who on the radio this morning said (and I quote):

"It's been raining throughout the night, so this morning sees a very wet start..." Yes... well... I could have told them that! Puddles everywhere... not least in the kitchen which means the shower is once again leaking.

Still, I digress... I was going to talk about dogs. In particular OUR dog who informed me today by his look of total contempt that it is FAR too wet for him to even set foot outside the back door.

Oh yes. There he is, first thing in the morning skidding accross the laminate flooring doggy legs spinning, desperate to visit the garden, bark at anything of note and wee on the plants.

I just can't open the door fast enough for him. The keys rattle in the lock - doggy whining, the bolts clatter back, a whimper of excitement, door bangs open (it get's stiff in the wet, you have to pull it HARD) and the dog, rather than burst into the garden in his usual fit of vibrant morning energy just takes one look at the huge drops falling from the sky and then fixes me with those big contempting eyes as if it's all my fault.

Dogs do not go out in the rain Jo. What were you thinking?

Well, I was thinking that he has a nice warm fur coat, freshly shed all over the carpet so that it is maximumly waterproof. But no. Regal dogs do not get their paws wet.

Dog is definately on the mend

2010-01-03T13:43:00.000-08:00

Couldn't leave the doggy "tail" where it was. So decided a follow up was in order.

Tristan removed the bandages this morning so I took a look at the scar tissue. There is the expected amount of puckering, but no inflammations or redness so it seems my indoctrination from all those years reading "Twinkle" paid off.

Scar Tissue:

So - with the bandages off, Dog is feeling and looking a lot more like himself and ready to get up to new tricks. Let's just hope none of them involve lightbulbs...

Of course, like all dogs, this one needs a bath. He smells. There will be no line-pinning this time though, instead he'll get all fluffed up in the tumble drier. I'm sure he'll like that. It's certainly less painful on the ears...

Spring Cleaning 2009

(Did I hear someone say I was barking?...)

A miserable pooch.

2010-01-01T08:15:00.001-08:00

Oh dear. Poor Dog. He really does suffer. Back in May 2009 he was lost for nearly 48 hours (found after 2 days of searching) and before that he lost one eye (it was bitten off by his owner - hence his eye patch), and just yesterday he underwent major surgery following a 4th degree burn to his back leg.

Needless to say the poor little thing is in recovery now, and "nurse Tristan" is doing his best to make up for the fact he left him hanging over the light bulb in his bedside lamp.

This is of course Tristan's bedtime pal - which is why the toy is so moth eaten and has been surgically assisted instead of just simply thrown away.

I must admit, I feel a little like "Nurse Nancy" right now. Did anyone else get "Twinkle" as a child?

Catching up...

2009-12-29T10:12:00.001-08:00

After posting a recent review on the Red Herring Games blog and updating that - I happened to notice I hadn't made it back to my own blog in nearly 3 weeks!! Whoops!

To be honest - I didn't think anyone really followed my little musings on here, (apart from Sally and Emma) but it turns out my Dad reads these too (Hello dad) so I figured I really ought to post something sooner rather than later!

This holiday has seen me take a complete break of...er... 1 day from Red Herring Games. Fortunately there have been no printed orders to keep up with, so I have managed to:

a) spend time with my family (very important)

b) spend time formatting a new game for sale

c) sort out where I am going next - i.e. into supplying all sorts of optional extras for the murder mystery site, handcuffs, fingerprinting equipment, crime scene tape, pens, detective note books, blood... some of which are already up and available to purchase, others are still in the pipeline. Which means sometime in January we'll start offering "deluxe" kits.

d) Finish off episode 1 of "Quest" the latest screenplay to be sent into the writersroom at the BBC (probably in time for a rejection around end of Jan I think...) There is a short excerpt on UKwriters.ning.com under Michelle Goode's really useful post about avoiding expositional dialogue as I realised I had done just that! (Hence my sure rejection in Jan!) You live and learn.

As to the usual festive treats. Is it just me, or was the Radio Times only produced for fire lighting material this year? There is simply NOTHING on! Fortunately we are seeing a lot of friends and in between times benefitting from a good DVD collection.

New Years Resolutions starts by way of a Red Herring must do list:
- Chinese Murder Mystery (small group)
- Pirate Murder Mystery (small group)
- Single room cast based Halloween game
- Single room cast based Christmas game
- Oscars themed game, multi-room and single room
- Something with a windmill protester in it (customer request).

Health Visitors

2009-12-02T23:41:00.001-08:00

Tristan had his 3 year check on Monday. He passed. How could he not when he was bright enough for this:

Health visitor hands him a box of brick style toys. "What can you make with this?"

Tristan tips out the box at his feet. "A mess."

Kids!

Pregnancy from a kids perspective.

2009-12-02T08:19:00.000-08:00

Iona came home yesterday and announced to us that her teacher was having a baby.

"That's great!" said Magnus, "What is she having, a boy or a girl?"

To which Iona replied: "It looked like a teddy bear to me."

Did I enjoy Saturday Night?

2009-12-02T08:06:00.000-08:00

Er... well I think the pictures speak for themselves!!

These are just a few shots from the "Surgical Strike" evening. There were quite a few more... but these are the only ones I think no-one is going to object to me posting...

And off we go again!

2009-11-27T07:58:00.000-08:00

After a hectic week finalising a custom order for Host-party, answering dozens of customer enquiries, printing games and proofing other author's work - I've finally made it back to the blog.

This week (as well as all the above) I've started a new screenplay - it's been a long time coming and has been in several guises in my head and even on my computer as the first chapter of a book - but now it has a name - Quest - and will be a children's TV script.

I haven't yet decided where exactly I'm going to take it yet, as there were several different versions of ideas that seem to have finally coalesced into one, but it'll be interesting to see how it develops.

At present it's just 7 pages long, and I am hoping it won't get stuck at that point, but the opening few pages are good enough to progress with, so I'm fairly hopeful, time allowing, that I can get it past the 10 page mark and head towards a completed 30 minute script aimed at the children's drama slot.

Oddly I also came up with a title for a book. (This isn't normal for me as usually the book comes first and then I agonise over what I'm going to call it!) So... "The Reassurance of Colour" is the title - now I just have to find the book to go with it.

It's lurking in my head somewhere and keeps rearing up now and again hinting at a plot, but so far it's still swirling around in that cauldron of mine. Given that I've started three books in the last couple of months (jottings of first chapters) - I suspect the same thing will happen with this one as has happened with Quest. If I give it all long enough it'll form into something useable.

However - first things first. Tomorrow I'm running a murder mystery evening for some business friends from the BNI - The Surgical Strike (Doctors and Nurses themed). Should be fun!

Leaf Blowing...revisited

2009-11-09T13:03:00.000-08:00

Following my previous post (read a few posts down) - I saw a very annoyed leaf blower today rounding up another batch of leaves in the local park. At the time, I figured his displeasure was probably due to the fact he'd been sent out every day to blow damp, barely moving leaves from one place to another, but it turned out his annoyance was more to do with my daughter, or to be precise her entire class.

It turns out, not fifteen minutes before I walked around the park with the dog, my daughter's class had been out for a morning amble with their class teacher. Seeing a huge pile of leaves and being "that kind of teacher" (by that I mean one who wholly engages the class) she encouraged the class to kick through the autumn leaves, bury her in leaves, and generally mess the piles of leaves around. The kids had a great time apparently.

It was only when the actual leaf blower man turned up with his wheelbarrow to move the freshly piled leaves that the teacher realised her mistake! Oh - just the very idea of it just makes me grin uncontrollably from ear to ear...

Housework

2009-11-06T12:50:00.000-08:00

Aw shucks... after a busy couple of weeks I reached the computer this morning and had no pending work to do for Red Herring Games. Obviously when I say no "pending" work - what I mean is no formatting, no customer service emails, no follow ups and no printing - after all - the writing is always there - but this morning, it was just the writing and so, after nearly 6 weeks of neglect it was the house's turn.

I vaccuumed, I dusted, I swept and mopped, I cleaned the toilets, sinks and kitchen and basically blitzed the place. I even had a hot home cooked meal waiting for Magnus when he got home. (Domestic bliss - for him anyway.)

And so I enter the weekend with a clean house, the desk might still be topsy turvy with paperwork but underneath the cluttered top the carpet is at least free from dropped staples and strips of paper.

So I suppose this weekend I might actually begin work on a new single room cast based game... maybe... but even if I get that started, I'm not sure it will get completed until after the Christmas rush.

And as for the rest of the writing... well, the BBC still has Chasing Thunder - I think that's been with them for three months now, and it also still has Deep Rising, which has been with them around one month. Igloo Films haven't contacted me about any further revisions, but that film is still on-going somewhere in the background, and my brain is churning with ideas - what I need above all else is a little time right now to do some writing that isn't murder mystery related, but I think that will be a new years resolution...

Hotel Halloween Horror.

2009-11-02T13:51:00.000-08:00

Just a few choice pickies from the latest murder mystery game acted locally. We ran Halloween Hotel Horror at Kenwick Park on the 31st October.

Cast left to right are:

Shona Round (Jeannine Ridha), Carrie De'Way (Sara Beasley), Ivan Appetite (David Phillips, Helen Bach (Helen Kent) and Igor Beaver (Dean Wilding).

What is it with men?

2009-11-02T13:26:00.000-08:00

Walking through the park this afternoon I saw what could only be described as a distinctly "male phenomenon" - i.e. something a woman would just never in their right mind decide to do - namely blow leaves.

I've often though of leaf blowers as male toys anyway (you wouldn't catch a woman blowing dirt around the house rather than sucking it up into a vacuum cleaner thereby REMOVING the offending material). And I've never really understood the need men have at this time of year to move leaves from one place to another, only to leave them in piles for the wind to blow back across the paths - but to actually try to BLOW the leaves against the wind?! I ask you!!

I am sure the rake was invented for some reason...

Still - it reminds me of the old tale about the space race. Realising that pens would not work in zero gravity, NASA spent thousands of dollars inventing a pen which WOULD work in space.

And the Russians? They used a pencil.

(Of course that's just an urban legend... or so they claim...)

Hectic... hmmm that just isn't the word

2009-10-09T09:14:00.000-07:00

Well, it seems ages since I managed to make it to this blog and catch up. A lot has happened since last week. So where do I start... Urm.. work I suppose...

Well, I've just had the edits back on the two games I've co-authored with Paul Fairhall, so they're pending formatting and activation - a job for next week. I've got a new Oscars themed game roughed out and on the way for the clue based section, and RHG has been keeping me busy with printed orders, which are coming in regularly.

Added to all that I volunteered (got flattered into) being membership coordinator for the BNI group I joined in August, and my first week in the hot-seat was this Wednesday. (It wasn't as bad as I was expecting - thankfully!)

On the unpaid-work front:

Igloo Films wanted a new revision on the "With Jane in Mind" script - so that got revised over the weekend and so far I haven't had any feedback one way or the other. They wanted the fish removing... shucks!

Keeping to the fishy theme, I was rejected for the "Northern Writers" competition last Friday so I revised Deep Rising a little and resubmitted that to the writersroom at the start of the week. Obviously it wasn't the drama idea Northern Writers were looking for, but it didn't make it a badly written screenplay so I figured - what the heck - it just needs to land on the right person's desk. Someone somewhere must like fish...

And other than that, it's just been the usual family, friends, and generally frenetic week.

Oddly, despite having Tristan at pre-school every morning I still don't seem to have much more time...

Fundraising Fun!

2009-10-04T08:08:00.000-07:00

The James Bond spoof murder mystery "The Spy Who Killed Me" is over. We ran the event on the 2nd October and raised £606 for the M.S. Society.

It goes without saying that my biggest thanks need to go to all those who took part in the event, our sponsors and of course all the guests who helped make the evening such a success!

Oddly after all enormous amount of work that went into running the murder mystery, the planning, the ton of letters, frantic calls to various people to help advertise the event, organising ticket sales, rehearsals and hours on the telephone - it hasn't actually put me off running another. And I'm hoping to book another charity event in March - planning starting now of course.

The murder mystery went off without a hitch. We had 3 correct answers from 112 guests, which means there were just three out of a hundred with a devious mind like myself! It's good to know I'm in a minority!

The only dissappointment in the evening was the pre-booked buffet which didn't seem to stretch around all the guests as I'd expected. However, having chatted with the Manager of the hotel the morning afterwards, I have every confidence I can fix that problem for March to make that night even better.

Newspaper article.

2009-09-23T05:18:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately I missed the Compass FM interview yesterday, however the Grimsby Telegraph have run a repeat article in the what's on section today about our Charity Bond night. You can find the details below:

The Game's Bond

oooo - a celebrity!

2009-09-21T06:20:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it! Rod Archer from CompassFM has asked to act in our charity murder mystery for the M.S. Society! Rod is now taking the part of "Boris Blastimov" - the Russian general.

Emma Fairhall recorded an interview with Rod last week which will be airing sometime between 2 and 3 on Compass FM.

Tickets are still available for the event. Details are here:

The Spy Who Killed Me!

And the work continues...

2009-09-14T12:06:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy few days. In the last week I've added the editing to "Halloween Hotel Horror" and listed it for sale on RHG, completed "Another one bites the dust" - a joint project with Paul Fairhall, and formatted two other games ready for sale when the voice over recordings arrive.

I've also been busy networking thanks to the BNI. It goes without saying that there are a lot of interesting people out there - but now, at last, I'm getting to meet them all! I seem to be stretching out in all directions. (I just hope my elastic holds!)

And in between doing all of that I'm busy promoting the Charity Murder Mystery at the Oaklands Hotel at the start of October. It started off with some mailshots of past customers, and then progressed to the newspaper article (see posts below this one), then I threatened the BNI with a silenced gun last week, and since then have progressed to putting a banner (an enormous banner thanks to Jeff at HDB signs) on Lovelane corner - you can't miss it - it's 2.5 metres by 1.5 metres, ringing around the local radio stations, emailing colleges, social groups and just today I've been sticking leaflets through people's mail boxes...

Needless to say I've got a bit of a headache right now - it's been a frantic few days. I think I deserve a nice relaxing soak in the tub.

I'm on facebook

2009-09-10T05:25:00.000-07:00

OK - I admit - I'm a luddite at heart... It's only taken me - how long? - to get on facebook.

I think the site has improved itself since i first took the first tentative steps on it and then bunged out in fright, but now that I've re-registered it all makes a lot more sense... I think... That said, it'll take me a while to get my head around it all - so if anyone contacts me through there please bear with me and if you aren't immediate family and I only know you from twitter, blogger or Red Herring Games - please tell me that's where I know you from! I seem to have a lot of requests coming in and a lot of "you might know these people" faces and it's all a blur! I don't want to miss anyone! - if I do - it's not because I'm being rude. Although.... maybe I should try that one day - it could be fun!

Grimsby telegraph - article now in.

2009-09-04T11:24:00.000-07:00

Many thanks to the Grimsby Telegraph for finally putting an article in the paper about the upcoming murder mystery game on the 2nd October - it's great to have some local support for the event and we hope to sell out the tickets and have a full house

Everything is just about set to go for the evening, with the usual last minute acting hitches (presently I'm 1 male down) but that will resolve nearer the time as I'm sure I can find someone to put on a russian accent at short notice.

The telegraph titled the article "The game's Bond" which I thought was kind of catchy... I think I'll use that in my next 60 second BNI speech.

Here is a photo of everyone involved in the evening including Emma Fairhall and Ann and Stan Hunter.

First day of school

2009-09-03T23:52:00.000-07:00

Well, yesterday was the first day of school for my eldest daughter. Did I feel emotional? Well... a little. Certainly when I put her in her uniform and took the requisite "first day" photographs I felt a little tearful, but by the time we arrived at the school all that was behind me.

She was so keen to go it was unbelieveable and to make things better her best friend from pre-school two years ago turned out to be in her class so they went in together and left me and Tristan outside at the fence. Poor little thing, he was distraught losing his big sister...

However - that's all changing today as he has his first settling in session himself at pre-school and his beside himself with excitement. Needless to say the camera has been out again this morning - but they aren't in the mood to pose (grrr) - however - I did manage one good shot of them both.

talk over - phew.

2009-09-01T08:37:00.000-07:00

Well, thankfully, that's the women's fellowship talk finished and concluded, though it seems I might have another booking in the new year to do it again so I've kept everything together.

So - the question you probably want to ask is: Did it go well? The answer to that I think is "yes" - certainly they all seemed to enjoy themselves even though some didn't catch most of my words.

Did I talk fast then? Hmmm... let's just say that one of the ladies asked if I was asthmatic as I seemed to struggle to breathe between sentences!! Shame on me!

However I think I have a few interested in the murder mystery games and who knows, perhaps some will join us at the Oaklands in a month's time, where hopefully I won't be speaking... as if I do get drafted in to cover a part at short notice I think they will probably wave off!!

Just a quick reminder.

2009-08-29T14:08:00.000-07:00

Just a quick reminder for all those Grimbarians and Meggies who read my blog (though I can't think why you do - I'm not that interesting)- I am hosting a Charity Murder Mystery Evening at the Legacy Oaklands Country House Hotel (I have to use the full title otherwise they get cross, even if we all know it as just "The Oaklands") on the 2nd October. Doors open 7pm. Tickets are a bargain price of £19.95 and include a buffet and free drink on arrival. All proceeds are going to the MS society.

You can find more details out about the event and even buy tickets on-line if you want to (though you'll pay more than simply sending me a cheque) here: The Spy Who Killed Me

If you wanted to see what you are letting yourself in for then I've got a picture of the cast here: Photoshoot

Halloween Hotel Horror complete.

2009-08-25T09:42:00.000-07:00

With many, many thanks to Magnus for taking the kids out of my hair repeatedly over the last two weeks I can happily report that "Halloween Hotel Horror" (At least, I think that will be the name of the game...)is finished.

Also - I found out yesterday that Northern Voices will accept my application for Deep Rising. They have decided, this time around at least, that commissions for dinner theatre plays count as "commissioned writer" for the application form. Fabulous! The closing date is 28th August (this Friday). I wonder how the fish will fare...

Where did murder mystery games came from?

2009-08-23T10:10:00.000-07:00

I have been asked to speak at the local Women's contact group in September and, although somewhat daunted by the prospect (I can't imagine I'm that entertaining) I have nonetheless been putting together my talk.

I've been billed as "Jo Smedley talks about her life of crime" - which sounds as if I'm a bit of a jail bird - how dissappointed they are going to be!

Anyway, as part of my talk I've been looking into the history of murder mystery games, as I thought others might like to know where they game from and, finding it interesting myself, I thought I would share it on my blog for everyone else.

And so - a brief history of murder mystery games:

To understand where murder mystery games come from, we need to start at the very beginning and look at where murder mystery fiction came from.

Firstly, and this is worth noting, the murder mystery genre simply didn’t exist until the 1800s.

The first detective in fiction was actually Edgar Allen Poe’s “August Dupin” in “Murder in the Rue Morgue” which was published in 1841, but, strangely enough it wasn’t until 1842 that the London metropolitan police appointed their first detective force consisting of just 8 men.

Charles Dickens brought out a detective work called Bleak House in 1853, but even then murder mystery as a genre still hadn’t really taken off.

What changed everything was, strangely enough, a real murder case which happened in 1860. The murder at Road Hill House was the first murder to be extensively reported in the press and it was this case that turned the good people of the UK into amateur sleuths.

Midnight on the 30th June 1860, Road Hill House was just another elegant family manor set in the rural Kent countryside. But by the morning this typical Victorian manor was the scene of a grisly murder. Saville Kent, aged just 3 years was found with his throat slit in the privy. The only real suspects were the members of the household. Saville’s father and mother, his siblings, the nursemaid, and the household staff.

It would be a disturbing case, even in this day and age, but back then, the murder set the British public on edge, they wanted to know everything. If this could happen in a respectable home then what could go on elsewhere? The press responded to the public’s interest by telling them as much as they wanted, printing hearsay and rumours as well as facts.

When the detectives got involved they left no stone unturned in the investigation. But this invasion of privacy was unheard of in Victorian England, where a man’s home was his castle. Needless to say the general public descended on the investigation like vultures, eager for any bits of juicy gossip and they all had their own ideas as to who killed Saville Kent and how it was done, even to the point of contradicting the police force in the national press.

It was this case, and the detective fever that followed it, that drove all future fiction. This case was the blueprint for all murder mystery novels to come. A manor house, a murder, a seemingly respectable family in which lurked secrets, and a singular detective who leaves no stone unturned.

Wickie Collins released Moonstone in 1868, just 8 years after the Road Hill Murder and it was this book that is considered to be the original fictional murder mystery.

Later on, in 887 one of the UKs best known detectives, Sherlock Holmes arrived. During his career Arthur Conan Doyle wrote 4 Sherlock Holmes novels and 56 short stories and Holmes is still one of the worlds best known detective characters to this day.

The Victorians were lovers of all types of parlour games, many of which have survived until this day in boxed form. And, if we were looking for the true origins of murder mystery games, then it was probably sometime in the late 1800’s, after murder mystery fiction was born, that they originated, starting out in the form of after dinner games such as murder in the dark, wink murder and jury. If anyone has ever played wink murder before, then you’ll know that it is a far cry from the modern murder mystery dinner parties. So what happened?

Well, by the 1920’s murder mysteries were growing in popularity, and it was into this golden age of fiction that Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers stepped in. Agatha Christie is best known for just two fictional sleuths, Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple who are the detectives in approximately two thirds of her novels and short stories.

Since then murder mysteries have become still more popular and have taken over television as well as shelves and shelves in bookshops and libraries with novels for children as well as adults.

But when did murder mystery games hit the scene?

Well, 1935 saw the release of the first murder mystery game known as Jury Box. It’s vastly different from the modern murder mystery games. In Jury Box the players or Jurors are given the scenario of the murder, the evidence presented by the prosecutor and defendant, two photographs of the crime scene and ballot papers. Jurors have to make the decision as to who is guilty and then a real solution is read out.

Cluedo, the first murder mystery board game was released some time later in 1948, and has continued to be popular. However, Cluedo (or Clue) is again, a vastly different game to the modern role playing dinner party mysteries.

So when did these murder mystery dinner party games first start?

Well the earliest mention I have found of these role playing murder mystery games in their present format is in the 1980s when they were thought to be a bit of a one year wonder in the game shops. Back then the scenarios were simple. The acting directions minimal and the games relied on the guests being comfortable ad-libbing responses to each other’s questions.

However, this one hit wonder clearly didn’t fall entirely flat, and in the last 20 years those basic games have increased in complexity into the more complex role playing dinner party games we have today.

Off Cut festival closes - no luck. (no surprise)

2009-08-19T08:50:00.000-07:00

Another rejection. But I'm not really worried. It was a last minute submission of something I found funny and I figured only a few would too. I'm not a comedy writer. As I was explaining to @laurencetimms on ukwriters just the other day, my humour is usually in written form and what makes me laugh doesn't always tickle anyone else. It's one of the reasons I'm not entering the BBCwritersroom sitcom competition.

Still - no time to ponder anything else - I'm too busy with mystery game writing right now to consider another screenplay. For now...

Current project

2009-08-17T13:41:00.000-07:00

Red Herring Events has had a new commision for a murder mystery performance on the 31st october, Halloween themed, so I am now smack bang in the middle of writing a new game so I can get it to the cast as soon as possible!

The current game is titled "The Transylvanian Trap" for the hotel, but as I already have a game called that on RHG I will be renaming it for general release. My only problem is what do I call it?

Halloween Horror? Dead on arrival? Transylvanian Terror/trouble? Hallo-scream? Horrible happenings at Halloween? Done in at Dunnem Inn? Any preferences???

Oddly, because it's a commission I've actually written the blurb for the game first (as they needed it for the hotel website ASAP) so to give you a flavour of the game, this is what is to come...

Set attractively in the Transylvanian hills of Romania, Dunnem Inn is a grand and elegant hotel with stunning medieval architecture

Sited centrally for the most important cultural attractions, Dunnem Inn is the perfect choice for tourists wishing to make the most of their stay in Romania.

With regular coach tours departing from the hotel every day and themed murder mystery evenings every weekend, Dunnem Inn aims to make any visit to Romania both comfortable and unforgettable.

Guests are always encouraged to join in with the festivities of Halloween during their stay at Dunnem Inn and this evening is no exception. Surrounded by ghosts, vampires, witches and zombies the staff hope to engage you in a lively Halloween themed murder mystery.

The problem is, tonight it’s a REAL body they discover; that of Seymour Vistas, one of the visiting guests.

Photo shoot last night for "The Spy Who Killed Me!"

2009-08-14T23:25:00.000-07:00

I think I brush up rather well...

Left to right: Back row: Jeanine Ridher (M), Sara Beasley (Diane Otherday), Me (Just getting in on the photo), Jonathan Parrot (Boris Blastimov), Front Row: Gary Swan (Franco Scaryminger), Ann (Emma's Mother), Matt Storey (Des truct), Helen Kent (Lettica Bomb).

The two cast who couldn't make the photo as they were on holiday are: Heath Johnson (Walter P. Peekay) and Christina Reynolds (Golden Eyes).

Keep an eye on the Grimsby Evening telegraph this wednesday. We should make the "What's On?" Guide.

Deep Rising - log line and synopsis.

2009-08-13T23:19:00.000-07:00

For those who are interested in what Deep Rising is actually all about, part of the competition application form asked for a one sentence logline and a one page synopsis.

The logline

Deep rising explores one of man’s last frontiers, the ocean, and the small group of marine specialists who are drafted in to deal with the latest threat to come from the depths.

The one page synopsis

Dr Julia Taylor, an eminent marine biologist, is recruited by the military to investigate a series of unexplained and possible threatening behaviours exhibited by marine life around the UK.

Feisty and distrustful of the military Dr Taylor is coerced into reviewing the reported phenomenon, but what she fully expects to be a pointless research project suddenly becomes extremely serious when her husband is killed repairing the Flannan Islands Lighthouse by an enormous and previously unrecorded sea anemone-like creature.

With the mounting threats posed by previously passive sea life, further specialists are called in and SMRT, the SubMarine Research Team is born. Its remit: to uncover the cause of the danger now posed by sea life around the UK, and if possible to stop it.

With new incidents occurring all the time and worrying reports of the sea anemones working southwards time is pressing and Julia finds it hard to reconcile her relationship with the lone survivor of the sea-anemone attack, Steven with whom she had had an affair before her husband’s death.

Meanwhile the rest of SMRT form close working bonds through repeated adversity and all of them pull together as a family to support Nat, a divorced mother struggling to raise her family single handed.

Over a series of exploratory dives, and while following up new incident reports, Steven and other members of the team, all now dear to Julia, are placed continually in jeopardy, yet despite this SMRT manage to identify the epicentre of the new problem: the North Atlantic oil fields west of Shetland.

Using innovative techniques SMRT construct countermeasures for the marine threat and decide to dive directly to the sea bed in the epicentre to uncover the exact nature of the threat.

In a daring attempt Steven joins Mac, SMRT’s stoic dive expert, in a mini-submersible. Realising that Steven might not return Julia finds herself finally able to admit something she knew all along, that she loves Steven, regardless of the guilt she feels that he survived when her husband died.

As the mini-submersible’s lights finally fix on what might be the cause of all the difficulties the mini-submersible is itself attacked and the visual and audio feed is lost.

Cue series two!

The fish have commenced battle

2009-08-13T13:05:00.000-07:00

Finally, at long last "Deep rising" is finished. The fish have had their say, and what remains to be seen now is whether the critiques at the writersroom like their long tails or whether the drag of "over large sea anemones" proves too much and the screenplay is consigned back to the depths where it belongs...

The closing date on the "Northern Writers" is 28th of August and the script will be in the post tomorrow. So what can I say but... watch this space.

Back from hols and back to work!

2009-08-08T12:54:00.001-07:00

Arrived home yesterday from a "nearly" two week break to see our folks back home. Had a wonderfully relaxing time away from work, recharged the old batteries and rested up, and have now come back raring to go. - Which is just as well really, as I've returned to a complicated customisation order on Red Herring Games and two other contacts to follow up over the next week.

This week also sees me launch the marketing in earnest for "the Spy Who Killed Me" which is running in aid of the MS society on the 2nd October.

As well as joining BNI and getting involved in the whole "Give as Gain" ethos of that.

Of course, on top of all that, I've still got "Deep rising" to finish, a project deadline for that having been fixed as 20th August as that is the deadline for Northern Voices entries and although I am not, as yet, sure if I qualify for that scheme, I might as well aim for that until I hear otherwise. Either way the fish need to get their own back before I begin eating and sleeping them...

I also can't wait to catch up with Kerry Dewery this week to find out how she got on at the BBC masterclass. She's been away on holiday the same time as me, but boy is she going to be snowploughed with questions the minute I see her on Thursday!

Sample scripts

2009-07-20T10:37:00.000-07:00

I see no point in blogging in two places, so this is just a quickie to writing folk who read this blog who don't already know about or read UKwriters to tell you that I've posted two links to some very rough draft screenplays. Both were originally written for the local camera club, one I've blogged on here about before "With Jane in Mind" the other was the original proof draft for the same club which they decided not to take further and which, if time allows, I might rework for the latest competition.

so if you do fancy a look at some "work in progress" just mosey on down to UKwriters.

Back to work

2009-07-18T14:43:00.000-07:00

Heck. What a busy couple of days...

UKwriters seems to have taken off, which is great, if a little embarressing for me, as my picture is on the side bar as starting it all off and I can't remove it. However, I've been posting on there my notes from past courses I've attended, namely ABBA roadshow and the Screen Yorkshire meeting about the Page One competition. I've also been answering the odd question (odd as in infrequent rather than peculiar) about mystery writing. So if you want to check that out, then follow the link above, whether you live in the UK or not, as we seem to have a few "honorary" UKwriters who are from Australia and the States. It's great to have everything in one place at last, and I'm hopeful someone from the BBC will join us eventually...

Now that we are all together the competition opportunities are easier to see and I've found one for new mysteries, which you could say was right up my street. the problem is the closing date is Aug 30th, which doesn't give me much time, so I need to find that first draft of the Camera Club script somewhere in my documents archive, dig it out and do some major work on it.

Taking time to look through everyone's posts again has also made me realise the stuff I KNOW and that I'm not actually APPLYING the stuff I know to my work (slap wrists) so, given that I have the technical formatting side sorted now, I really need to concentrate on the other stuff to give any new script the edge it needs to get me past the first 10 page read.

Oh, and find some time....

New networking opportunity for UK writers.

2009-07-17T10:47:00.000-07:00

After a couple of months on twitter, meeting loads of new writers with some really interesting blogs (much more interesting than my basic affair), and after reading someone else's tweet about a social networking site called "ning" I figured - what the heck - I'll set a "ning" account up for UKwriters and see what happens.

If you want to join us it's here: http://ukwriters.ning.com/

Never been one for lengthy posts, I would ordinarily stop this one here, but given that the last post on the UKwriters site contained a link to my own blog and my last post was about "poo" I figured I better get a different header post up quickly, lest all these new people visiting my blog think I'm totally derranged... which probably isn't far from the truth anyway!!

Michelle Goode or @Sofluid if you track her on twitter has already posted some fab writing reports from various conferences she's been to, as well as a list of up to date competitions - one of which is a murder mystery writing one... which means I really should rethink my schedule again and try and piece together a plot for something. (incidentally she was also the lovely woman who linked my blog to her post which dragged all of the newbies to my "poo" post! Friends - who needs enemies eh?)

You can tell you're a mum when...

2009-07-15T09:41:00.000-07:00

You get presented with a potty of poo - and what is more - you are delighted!

I must say, six years ago before children were even "on" the agenda I would never have believed I would drop to this level, but it's true! Forget flowers, chocolates or even a romantic meal - this potty of poo was a true delight to me last night as it intimated to me that my son was finally "getting" the whole potty training idea!

With Tristan finally coming out of nappies I feel I can close the door on the whole "baby" chapter in my life. My young man is finally growing up!

Obviously we've still got a long way to go yet, certainly if the dining room floor is anything to go by today, he isn't perfect by a long shot, but we are getting there, and I do happen to know a thoroughly decent carpet cleaner (Thanks Heath!) who will "take the piss out of my carpet" (which is his advertising slogen - funnily enough!).

One of those moments...

2009-07-12T14:33:00.000-07:00

Kids. The things they say cause endless amusement. For instance...

One day after a lot of rain I happen to say something like "Where did all this rain come from?" And from behind me a little voice pipes up: "The Sky Mummy!"

Or, as a friend happened to mention to me tonight, they were in a wedding service with their 3 year old niece and when the minister reached the part in the sermon about "if anyone knows of any reason why these two people should not be joined in holy matrimony let them say so now." And the niece piped up with "Mummy, do you have a pen?"

I tell you, things like that just call for writing into a screenplay...

The problem with a creative (overactive) mind...

2009-07-10T10:33:00.000-07:00

My problem (if you can call it that) is that my brain just won't stop thinking about ideas. This morning, it's reverted back to my novel "Sinus Rhythm". I'm now considering yet another major redraft, but this one, I feel sure, will give it "that thing" it seems to be missing. I mean, it has story and plot, which means what it lacks is that immediate tug thing it needs for the agents to select it.

The question is - when will I actually get time to write it? Any ideas anyone....?

Meanwhile the fish continue to lurk in the background, I'm sure they would be calling to me if they could...

Progress (or lack of) update.

2009-07-09T05:22:00.000-07:00

I'll start by saying the formatting is NEARLY complete. It's all sat there just waiting to PDF, (except the recipes which sometimes take me an evening to find just the right ones....).

However I did manage to edit, format and list a new game on RHG this week too, so I'm not a total time waster!

Next job is co-authoring a couple of murder mystery games with Paul Fairhall. He's given me everything required (character backgrounds and inspector parts and plot) - now it's up to me to make it into two coherant mystery games.

And after that, it's back to the blogging mystery unless something else crops up.

So much for that idea...

2009-07-03T00:47:00.000-07:00

Oh well, so much for clearing the decks with formatting. I still haven't managed it yet. With the voice overs still a week a way at least before they get back to me, I just don't have that sense of urgency required, which means I do other things...

In this case I tinkered around a little more with the RHG site adding a few more info pages and pictures, completed a children's book and this morning made a carrot and courgette cake for toddler group!

That said however - now I really have NO excuse! Finishing the formatting MUST be the next job on my "to-do" list.

On another note, the closing date for the CBBC script competition was two days ago. I'm not expecting to get anywhere, but it's another iron in the fire, and good practise for deadlines.

Rapid cramming proves successful!

2009-06-30T12:19:00.000-07:00

Well - what can I say? Between blogspot and my friend Mark I've managed to learn how to insert images into php files, create new box menus and rapidly get RHG up to speed this week!

I say "up to speed" - what I really mean, is I've got it ALL working, haven't ballsed up the site, and have slots ready for me to write more stuff into as the mood takes me!

Regardless - it's done and I can move a weighty tome of printout "how to"s off my desk into a dark corner somewhere for the next time I try anything drastic!

Tomorrow's job is clearing the decks of formatting work ready to begin work on another couple of plots and crack on with the blogging mystery.

Book Review - The Thirteenth Tale

2009-06-29T00:19:00.000-07:00

All I can say is "wow"! What a book. It's really hard to believe this is Diane Setterfield's first novel. It smacks of professional storytelling and is so well crafted I really can't fault it at all!

The book came my way as the result of a reccomendation by @woodychapel on twitter. (Many thanks Dennis!!)

I'm sure he was biting his nails wondering how his reccomendation went down, as it's a hard thing to reccommend a book to someone you don't know all that well - but this is a book I'd reccomend to anyone who likes a well crafted read.

The language was brilliant. It had the right balance of external description and internal motive, there were really three stories on the go in the book and all three were handled exceptionally well and all reached fruition together.

If I could write a novel like this I'd be more than happy.

Book synopses are remarkably hard to find on Amazon these days, so I'll copy the back of the book here for you so you can make up your own mind

Margaret Lea exists in the small world of her Father's antiquarian bookshop and her biographical researches. She also has a secret sorrow. When a letter from the famous author Vida Winter arrives, inviting her to travel to the author's remote home with a view to writing her biography, Margaret is nsared by the words. she knows little of the star writer, but she soon finds out that Vida Winter's past is a story she has been at pains not to tell. So why now? And why Margaret?

And more than that I am NOT going to give away. However anyone that has enjoyed books like "The Time Traveller's Wife" or "The book theif" will love this book!

Sunday off.

2009-06-28T10:04:00.000-07:00

Every week I take sunday off from mystery game writing. Mystery games are, after all, my business, and so I spend time doing other things, or even other writing work on Sundays.

Today has been a "no work" day. I've not even looked at a screenplay or novel today. Instead I've been in the garden with friends most of the afternoon and am heading back to church soon for the evening service.

It's great to have a new pastor who is a little more computer literate, as it means his weekly sermons go on his blog so you can catch up if you miss one. My only problem is that I still don't have any speakers that work with my PC. My suspicion is the soundcard is absent from the main box - so my task for this week (should I choose to accept it) is to take the cover off my old CPU to see if there is anything in there that might helpfully be labelled "Sound card" or something and then see if I can work out how to fit it into the new CPU so that I can actually listen to Graham's sermons amongst other things!

The lack of working speakers has certainly made things quiet - there are no insistent "beeps" when things crash, and no irritating "bongs" when other windows pop up out of the blue. But when videos from Google arrive to help me make the most of my pay-per-click advertising it can get a bit annoying listening to them. In fact - the last feedback I gave to google on their self-help video was "can we have some subtitles next time?" I suspect they filed that comment amongst the other "cranks".

Other task pending over the next week is to locate an "idiots guide" to HTML coding. I really need to brush up on stuff if I'm going to make a go of my on-line business.

CBBC entry

2009-06-26T00:31:00.000-07:00

As I've mentioned before - my CBBC entry has already been sent to the competition which closes next week (the first of July). I know for a FACT I won't get selected as I can't make the masterclass and I must admit because of that it wasn't my "best" screenplay. After all, what was the point in sweating blood and tears over something that was NEVER going to get anywhere?

All that said however, I did work at it to bring it up to submission standard, and so, just so my time isn't entirely wasted - here it is in all it's glory for others to take a peak at and hopefully feel encouraged that their entry stands a much better chance!!:
THE LAST DRAGON KEEPER

With the benefit of hindsight (too late as always) - I'd shift the "I'm not your mum" scene until after the belongings have been collected and have the car broken into at the services, but hey - it's too late now! (Isn't it always!)

Smashed Hits - a cracking night!

2009-06-25T15:32:00.001-07:00

Just a quick blog on my return to show you what fun we had at our "girls night out". Ten of us got together at a local hotel (Healing Manor) to have a great meal and a murder mystery night. We all enjoyed ourselves (as you can see). Some people made a real effort with the dressing up! And I think we'll be doing it again.

I went as Whitney Housedown, but somehow I think I chose the wrong colour face paint!

Progress... or lack of it!

2009-06-24T11:26:00.001-07:00

Well, between three hours of formating work on Monday, Tuesday evening at the ironing board and today working out how to insert images into RHG pages I've taken five minutes out to blog.

Work is progressing slowly on Kathy's play. (Sorry Kathy - I will get there in the end), partly I think due to brain freeze - it's just refusing to cooperate with me!! My mind is wandering off on "novel" tangents again, which is a bad idea for me, as I can time-waste quite happily writing books which never sell!!! Not to mention hearing the call of Deep Rising which has been sat wasting away on the back burner for nearly two months. Poor fish!

And that's it - five minutes up! Housegroup calls!

Are we nearly there yet?

2009-06-22T05:37:00.001-07:00

A five hour car journey on Saturday sparked the expected "are we nearly there yet"s my my two. Fortunately they managed to hold off until Birmingham which is almost half way. However, what I didn't expect was that Iona would bring her own CD collection to "keep us amused".

And so, June 20th, one day before the summer solstice saw us hairing down the M42 with the kids singing along at the top of their voices to "jingle bells"! We then endured another fifteen minutes of " The Greatest Children's Christmas Party hits ever" before I decided I'd had enough of the "tish tish tish" of the background christmas bells and switched back to adult CDs again.

The rest of the journey was uneventful, although we got lost entering Bristol, leaving Bristol, finding the Christening venue, finding our way back from the venue to Bristol... as you might gather, getting lost was a frequent event of the weekend, but against all odds we did make it there in time to do my "Godmother" bit, and the christening was lovely.

Now two edits back!

2009-06-19T05:26:00.000-07:00

So much for the editors drowning under work! What goes around comes around! I am now swamped with formatting! It'll take me at least a week to get on top of all the current crop of new games. But I can't start today. Today is for packing. I'm being God Mother this weekend to my nephew! I'm so excited!

Rats... the editors have caught up!

2009-06-18T05:43:00.000-07:00

Oh well, so much with cracking on with new material, it looks as though I'll be formatting and releasing new games for the next few weeks. I've had the first edited game back today, so keep your eyes pealed for "Mayhem at the Movies" hitting the site.

Midsummer Night's scream is complete

2009-06-16T14:18:00.001-07:00

So... let's see that's three games and a screen play in the last two months! Oh the poor editors!

All the questions and answers, and the blurb is finished for A Midsummer Night's Scream! Hurrah!

What next I hear you ask?

Well, for a start there is Kathy's little skit to write. I will focus on that first. And after that... well, it has to be the on-line blogging mystery. Is anyone interested in playing host to some clues? It'll drive some traffic to your blog.

Nearly completed "A Midsumer Night's Scream!"

2009-06-15T14:36:00.001-07:00

Five question and answer sections to write and then "A Midsummer Night's Scream" is finished! The scripted sections were finished off this evening, and I know they "hit the mark" as Magnus decided (unusually) to read them and creased laughing - so I think I have that about right.

I'm still waiting for the new date for the murder mystery at Healing Manor, but I have girl's night out planned there for the 25th of this month, my first trial of the popular "Smashed hits" which is a little odd for me as it's RHG's best seller, and I've never actually played the game!

Tomorrow the guest list will be finalised and I'll get to find out if I'm playing May Donna (With the 80's cones) or Whitney Housedown (I'll need to black myself up I think), or perhaps Tanya Wilsox (ginger wig and make-up). Whoever I end up playing I'll enjoy myself. I have no other option!

Barcoded children... whatever next?

2009-06-13T11:11:00.000-07:00

I know I'm often posting comments my daughter Iona makes, but this is another good one.

Today Iona's rabbitting on, unabated in the back of the car about this, about that, about the next, loudly (she doesn't seem to have a volume control... shame). Finally having enough, Magnus declares that if she doesn't keep quiet he will sell her.

"You can't do that Daddy."

"Why not Iona?"

"I don't have a barcode."

You can't fault her logic!

on-line blogging mystery

2009-06-12T14:03:00.000-07:00

OK - I admit, one night off and my mind is buzzing with things that still have to be done.

This week coming I simply HAVE to finished off "A midsummer Night's scream" - regardless of how I feel about it. (It's just been sitting too long. I'm no longer excited by it, even though it's a good game. Such a shame...)

The next thing on the list, after formatting the three games currently with the editor, will be the creation of the on-line blogging mystery... the name of which is yet to be decided, but after my blunder early on with blogs perhaps "Deleted" might be the best title! :-)

and breathe out.... ah!

2009-06-11T09:22:00.001-07:00

After nearly a month of deadlines, I've just realised there is no work pending with a deadline attached to it! (Plenty of work let me say, but nothing with a "do it now or else" post-it note attached to it!)

So, for the first time in a month I can relax and do something for myself and a friend.

The friend being Kathy, who's asked me to write her a short skit for a reunion dinner.

Innuendo and daftness is wanted, brill...

Murder mystery night postponed.

2009-06-10T13:55:00.001-07:00

Following the tragic death of Claire Wilson in Grimsby, Healing Manor and myself have made the decision to postpone the murder mystery night on the 16th June. We felt it would have been in very bad taste.

At the moment I am waiting for Healing Manor to come back to me with another date to run the event there.

It's hard to believe that someone could be so brutally stabbed in broad daylight so close to the town centre. More unbelieveable still is that it is a random attack.

My thoughts and prayers are with the friends and family of Claire Wilson.

"The Last Dragon Keeper" is away.

2009-06-09T12:54:00.000-07:00

That's it. Done. Finished. My CBBC script entry has been duly sealed in brown, BBC addressed envelope and is now just waiting for a trip to the not-so-local-these-days Post Office for a stamp of the right value.

I'm not pinning any hopes on the competition as I know I am away for the masterclass date, but, as the BBC seemed to think it was worth entering anyway, just to get my work infront of the judges, then who am I to question? And it's all experience!

Finished! ( As if!!)

2009-06-09T00:37:00.000-07:00

Finally - "Dead on time", or "murder in the office", or as I'm now calling it "A Corporate Murder" is finished and away to the editors. NOTE TO SELF: NEVER leave custom work that long ever again before revising it!!

However, with that revision out of the way, that makes three small group dinner party games in the process of being edited, which means I know my next few weeks will be stacked out with formatting work!!

So what now? Well, I've proofed Kathy's latest game -well done Kathy - great work!! So all that is left to get done today is reviewing my CBBC competition entry "Scalygreen".

And as I seem to be on a "name changing" day, I've elected to change the name of this one too, to "the last dragon keeper" which I think describes the plot a bit better and sounds slightly more interesting for a children's TV program.

The revision continues.

2009-06-08T02:30:00.001-07:00

By the end of today I hope to be able to report that my office based murder mystery will be finished. It's proved harder than I thought to bring the 19 player game originally written for a large entertainments company (I'll mention no company names for obvious reasons) down to a regular 6,8,10 and 12 player game. I hadn't realised the game was so entwined. Next time I'll remember not to procrastinate for over a year before I revise a custom game!

After that, I guess it's back to reviewing "Scalygreen" for the CBBC competition, and then on with "A midsummer Night's scream" which has sat untouched for over a month!

In the middle of all this, it looks as though I'll be reviewing the SEO issues with Red Herring Games which, for no explicable reason, has fallen from page 3 to below page 12 in the Google rankings overnight!

First rehearsal and some new contact ideas.

2009-06-06T09:44:00.000-07:00

The first rehearsal is now over for Murder at the Manor, with the main rehearsal taking place on the evening of the 11th. What I really need to do now is gather the rest of the props together ready for the evening, after all, time is marching on, and it's on the 16th! (Which means I have just under 2 weeks to get everything in one box ready to go!)

Thoroughly enjoyed meeting Jeannine Ridher for the first time. Jeannine is a professional actress and has done screen and radio work as well as being involved in the local operatics society for 45 years. What a fantastic voice and personality! She's making a great Agatha Crusty for the evening too!

Jeannine also happens to know some local radio contacts and so perhaps that might give me a lead in to radio script writing... who knows?

Kids - and the things they say!

2009-06-05T00:53:00.000-07:00

Oh, I must admit, Iona tickled me this morning. We were hanging out the washing, and she, at age 4, insisted on helping. She decided to tackle the socks. Reaching the last four brown socks belonging to my son she holds them aloft and says (in a very derisory tone), "Mummy - you've made a mistake with the washing!"

"Oh", says me, "What's that?"

"These socks are meant to have stripes! You've washed them completely out!"

Kids!! Honestly - you'd think I dyed absolutely everything that went in the washer!

progressing nicely.

2009-06-03T00:48:00.001-07:00

Just finished formating the latest custom order game and dispatched it to the customer yesterday. Kathy Roberson did a brilliant job on the game and I hope the customer will be pleased with her work.

Mobsters, Mols and Murder is now the next up to be formatted so hopefully that will hit RHG sometime later today.

I'm also in the middle of reformating an old custom order at the moment and hope to have that concluded by next week.

All that said - it's Tristan's 3rd Birthday today! Where has the time gone! I now have a little man in the house!

First draft complete!

2009-05-30T07:51:00.000-07:00

Huge thanks must go to Magnus for looking after the kids for a couple of hours for the last two days while I get Scalygreen into some semblance of order for the CBBC competition. The first draft is now finished. Which means I have just under a month to get it up to speed ready for submission.

Lots to do... nothing unusual there!

2009-05-30T02:45:00.000-07:00

Well... let's see... I've got a script to write, a game to finish, a game to revise and a game to format and what have I done this morning?

I've made my son's birthday cake!

For those who can't tell who it is: it's Hector the Horrible, a new troublesome truck from Thomas the Tank Engine.

Next year it is my fervent hope that Tristan will have grown out of Thomas, and I won't have to make yet another engine. So far in the last three years I've made:

Boulder (for Tristan's 2nd birthday)

Thomas the Tank Engine - (For Tristan's 1st birthday)

Unfortunately, that year, Iona was so impressed with Thomas she wanted one for her birthday! Realising what a nightmare the Thomas shape was to make I encouraged her to settle for Diesal:

Diesal (for Iona's 3rd birthday)

And with Iona firmly growing out of Thomas last year I thought my luck was in! Especially as she asked for a "round chocolate cake" all the way through the summer. And then, woe betide, just before her birthday we attended another girl's party and they had commissioned a fairy castle cake and Iona changed her mind entirely! Of course, being a mother who likes to give my child what they want (at least some of the time, and within reason) I ended up slaving over this:

One day I am hoping for a "Mummy - please can I have a square cake this year?"!!!

Scalygreen progress...

2009-05-28T11:34:00.000-07:00

Well - for a start I have totally revised the intro. And i mean totally! After all, while it might be OK in a film to have a granny die on you, it probably isn't cricket for a children's BBC slot.

Instead I've started in Africa, rather than in some suburban street, and then travel off to Hull of all places to recieve the packing crate which contains a few more surprises than Alison expected...

But is it right? Probably not, and is it finished - not a chance. Don't forget, this is the first redraft of what was a 90 page film script into a 30 page pilot episode - can I do it by July 1st? - hmmmm... that remains to be seen...

BNI - just visiting again.

2009-05-28T11:28:00.000-07:00

Oh - I just can't wait until Tristan goes to pre-school in September! Suddenly, I'll have 2 1/2 hours a day sans-children! What will I accomplish in that time???

One thing is for certain, I'll be using that free time to join up with my local BNI meeting. I know that will give me the kick start, and training I need to grab Red Herring Games by the horns and get my teeth into the business.

I was at a start-up group meeting in Cleethorpes just this morning as a visitor. (I can do the odd meeting in school holidays.) And i must say it really brought into focus again just how important it is to network with other business people. It really is the only way to grow.

Finished adapting one game

2009-05-26T02:29:00.000-07:00

Magnus (my husband) has taken the children off my hands for the morning so I can get on with some writing. What a star!

So, here I am, at 10.30am having revised one of the custom orders already! With one game under my belt, I plan to crack on with "Scalygreen" my script for the CBBC competition.

New competition.

2009-05-25T00:02:00.001-07:00

Getting fired up ready to enter the BBC's latest script writing competition. This one is for Children's BBC. See link: CBBC writing competition

I have a script that might suit with drastic rewriting, and after thrashing through several ideas, all quite varied, I think that one might well be the best of the bunch. Which means, given the closing date is 1st July - I really need to get cracking on it ASAP!

An early night ahead.

2009-05-22T06:01:00.000-07:00

After four late nights I think it will be time to turn in early with a good book this evening.

The Healing Manor game is complete, the props are coming together, the actor rehearsals are set and it's basically as far as I can take it for now.

Red Herring Games site has been upgraded and, in terms of writing, although I still have 3 on-going games, the editors are all away this bank holiday weekend, so even if I rush to finish them they aren't going anywhere for a while.

So basically I can put my feet up this evening, after I've cooked some more stuff out of the freezer of course!!!

Food was 5 star!

2009-05-21T12:56:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful free night out at Healing Manor on Tuesday night. And if the food I ate is anything to go by, then the murder mystery evening we have planned there on the 16th will be amazing!

In the past, at another venue (which shall remain nameless) the hotel has always let us down, either with quality or quantity of the food, or suddenly changing rooms on us at the last minute. I have no such worries with Healing Manor. And with the cast line-up that I have for the event, it is going to be a roaring success.

As to the compared dinner party games which Healing Manor are going to start running (and were the reason we gathered for a meal), well - I'm no salesperson - that much was very evident, but it mattered little as the game concept sold itself!

Obviously I need to work on my marketing skills - but that is in hand. Magnus and I have worked out how I can make the early BNI meeting locally, starting in August, and I feel sure that I will get the support I need to really move forward with the business.

It surprises a lot of people that I have had NO business training whatsoever. After all, I originally began life as an OT (Occupational Therapist), left to have children just over 4 years ago, and set up Red Herring Games just two years ago.

Obviously, with two preschoolers still in the house, it makes attending any training exceedingly difficult, and not only that, but every free moment of every day is taken up with something, whether it's playing snakes and ladders, killing another fictional victim, murdering a cake, or cleaning the house.

Having just worked all this out - I can tell you, that in the last fours years I've written 56 murder mystery games, four different books (all totally rubbish I've since decided and all of them need a lot of work), and about 8-9 screenplays (some good, some bad).

Someone once said if you find a job you love you'll never work again. I think they were right. My challenge is to make this new career pay enough so I don't have to go back to the other paid employment!

Meal out - on the business!

2009-05-19T05:23:00.001-07:00

Oh - this doesn't happen too often! So it HAS to be newsworthy! I've been given a three course meal at Healing Manor to showcase a sample murder mystery dinner party game tonight. It should be a great evening (my games usually are) even if we'll be discussing business over the meal as well. The only problem I face is accidentally type casting the guests I've never met. I hope no one takes offence!

And so - on with the show!

2009-05-18T10:20:00.000-07:00

Well - yesterday saw me finish casting for the murder mystery night at Healing Manor. Cast details are all on the Red Herring Games blog (casting completed).

I also took the opportunity to review my latest screenplay Deep Rising as it was my day off from real work - and hadn't realise how far I had actually got with those pesky fish! I only need to write another 10 pages and it's a 45 min pilot! Which means I really have no excuse... except that I'm too busy writing to write!

Oh - and I've managed to attract over 200 followers on twitter... which begs the question: who is more foolish - the fool or the fool that follows them?

Feeling almost biblical - looking for 3 wize-cracking men

2009-05-16T03:25:00.000-07:00

I'm on a roll today. Added the edits to three of the Healing Manor scripts, updated the custom order to have 5 additional characters (as requested) and have already filled the three female roles in the murder mystery, and two male parts - which means just 3 men to go and it's a wrap!

I may yet find time to start ammending the previous custom games to a regular 12 player version. - Then again - maybe not. I have to have something to do on Monday night and my adorable little son has managed to defrost the (full) freezer which means I have a LOT of cooking to do today to keep everything edible!!

A well earned rest.

2009-05-15T13:42:00.000-07:00

After a two weeks of custom orders and frantic scrabbling to write games I declared today a day of rest. (Or at least, less frantic work than normal :-) )

Tomorrow it's on with ammending Movie Mayhem which now needs to have 5 additional characters (customer request), and adding all the edits to the first half of Murder at the Manor, so I can send it to the three people I have so far cast into roles.

And after all that, it's a few phone calls looking for those ellusive male actors which lurk in the dark recesses of Grimsby.

Ironing finished early - reluctantly started accounts.

2009-05-14T23:46:00.000-07:00

Oh blast! The ironing didn't last the full length of Pride and Prejudice last night, which meant I had to resort to the accounts.

(Yes the film was as bad as that!)

After an evening with the paperwork I have decided that the accountant more than earns her money. Figures just aren't my thing. I suspect I need a system (or an assistant!).

Maybe those unfinished games will be started sooner than I thought...

And for my next trick!

2009-05-14T05:05:00.000-07:00

Well! How about that! I've written a multi-room game in under 2 weeks - impressed?

I'm sure my husband isn't - poor neglected man.

However - on reviewing progress so far I've just realised I have three games in process - two of which were custom orders from last year that need reworking for resale, and the third is a new project. So which to start first?

Answer: The IRONING!!! - Yep - I may have written an entirely new cast based game in under two weeks - but in that time my house has turned into a dust heap and the ironing has piled up into a mountain.

But - that is good news as it happens, as I actually enjoy ironing (sad aren't I?). And not only that, but I have (have) to watch pride and prejudice to get me in the right frame of mind for a period murder mystery currently underway (Midsummer Night's Scream!), so I can kill two bird with one stone! How is that for multi-tasking?

Busy Casting.

2009-05-13T00:33:00.000-07:00

What a day! Writing, casting, posing for a photo for the grimsby telegraph, and going to see Star Trek.

Where do I start... Well, as there are no spoilers here, I'll skip the writing and move directly on with the casting report. (OK, I know I've already told you there are no goldish, but that's as far as I'm prepared to say... after all, if I kept on giving things away, then who knows I might tell you there's been a murder - Duh! There I go again... )

Anyway, onto casting...I think, as of this morning, I've cast all the female parts and one of the male parts too, but am still looking for three more.

The photo for the telegraph has me in the most ghastly brown dress you have ever seen, but it's all in the aid of promoting the game, so I'm not going argue! (Besides, there was an even worse green one...)

As to Star Trek. Well, it isn't often I come away from a film without many criticisms, so it must be good! It certainly ticked all my trekkie boxes, and that's even with the brand new cast (some of which were....well, not quite what I imagined) - however, the actual lines were great, the action was good and the special effects were fantastic - and the plot was a good old time travel paradox, and I just love those. So do I reccomend it - heartily.

Writing, casting, murdering... it's all go with me.

2009-05-11T05:58:00.000-07:00

A busy week ahead of me, casting actors for the murder mystery evening at Healing Manor, and finishing up the actual plot itself. I hope to have it all "in the bag" by the end of the week, as I'm over half way there now.

Oddly there are no goldfish in the game...

- OH NO! I've given away a spoiler... and there was me saying there'd be no spoilers on the blog!! Forget I said anything.