Putting things in boxes

Moving out is a much bigger task than I thought it would be. I've started packing a couple days early because I've been staring at a screen writing what *will* be the Edinburgh show for 8 hours without a break. My father has very kindly got me some boxes, 2 large ones, which are 'perfect for CD's' - I've been selective on the CD's that are travelling with me, knowing full well many can be left back here at my parents' place. But then I have to get selective with the 400 or so that is actually making the trip with me, I'm starting to feel like a bit of a bastard towards albums which have been good to me in the past. Like, how did the second Starsailor album make the squad (trip) whilst David Bowie's 'Hunky Dory' is left on the bench (home CD rack), or Bob Marley: Live not coming with me but I still found room for four Undertones albums? It's all a little stressful. And the memories that come from all these albums too, each attached to the CD is a little story about (mostly) a relationship failure, aspiration or just actually a relationship. It would make a great play you know, but I'd be accused of trying to be Nick Hornby, nothing wrong with that but after all these years (all 4 of them) doing festivals I still take bad press very personally.

Normality may be the death of me

Sometimes I just can't please myself. About a year ago I was being told I was losing my job, and that put me on a terrifying (on the more dramatic days, if not, just annoying) road of uncertainty. I know there's the whole 'tortured artist' thing, where the artist has to struggle before finding success, but I'm generally on the side of Kevin Rowland from Dexy's Midnight Runners with this - Old Clothes To Not Make A Tortured Artist. And I rather like having nice clothes, and other nice things - I feel they make me happy, and a happy Paul is a better writer/musician Paul. Now, here we are a year later and things seem to be verging on the happy side of things again. Work are expecting to offer me a contract today, which means suddenly I have a nice, new better paid job, and I can afford to move into the lovely flat in the middle of nowhere. But I've started to realise, with all this security I've gotten a little comfortable. My mate Rachel explained to me on Saturday night it's "what normal people do - they work hard, they relax". And where does this leave my musical life and writing? It's in the same place as before - at the end of the day if I want to do it, I will, it's just weird actually having a day job I like, but I mustn't let the comfort blanket of normal living wrap me up to the extent it smothers me.

On a creative note, I thought I had the Edinburgh Fringe show written, but we had a brief run through it at the weekend and whilst it was very 'nice' it certainly doesn't have hit fringe show written all over it, back to the drawing board - again. But I have a brilliant script idea, if I may say so myself, and a little time off work this week (which was supposed to be for packing/moving house but sod it - I can do that in half a day, surely...) called 'Valentines Day' - it's a comedy, and I think it really works. The problem though is that it really works because a lot of it is a true story. Now, the last time I put my own love life on stage was last year's Edinburgh Fringe show - The Knowledge of Beauty, which structurally is still the best thing I've done. It nearly cost me my relationship. Can I really risk doing it again? Ahhh, but it'll work so well...

In the meantime Brighton is confirmed but the scripts are still only at 1st draft stage. Somebody made an approach for my leading actor the other day regarding the Edinburgh Fringe - he was loyal to me, luckily, but I know I need the right material to keep it that way. And I've just said yes to a slot at the Cambridge Comedy Festival via brilliant comedian Hannah Dunleavy whom I got chatting to at the Fringe last year, although it has to be proper comedy - not the comedy drama I write I think, so need to write a whole new show (probably a sketch show) for that. Should be a doddle?

And this weekend we started work on the first of two short films. This one, Remembrance, is a nice little piece about death and poppys and stuff. I've never made a film before, so it was a bit of an experience, and it's amazing how long everything takes - we were working on it from 10am till 4pm and have barely got 5 minutes worth of footage. We're nowhere near done, but it's a learning curve. Once again it served a reminder as to why I'm not an actor (I simply keep on laughing, like a girl) and why Colin, Vaughan and Heather are the most patient people in the world for not giving up on me when things don't always go to plan. There's a picture attached to this post by the way from the filming, just because I'm chuffed that I know how to. We're finishing off the filming in 2 weeks time, maybe it'll see the light of day at some point, or maybe I should just stick to being a writer. Either way, one thing I am sure of is that nothing in this world makes as much sense to me as drumming does, I love drumming, I do.

Brighton Fringe

So...I've just confirmed Brighton, 3 performances in 2 days, on the 16th/17th May. The venue only agreed to it yesterday, and a lot of the cast don't seem to know about it, but the deadline was creeping up so I either had to jump in or not do the show...am slightly concerned I've registered a show without a production team, but I'm sure we'll sort something out...

Myspace

I'm not entirely sure how I haven't managed to realise this before; but the World Wide Web is a very powerful place. A couple weeks back I set up a Myspace page for myself as a playwright (simply titled 'Paul Richards: Playwright') - the plan being that there is direct links on there to my published work and hopefully if I add something like 30,000-odd friends just one or two of them might be tempted to buy it. You never know - if they do it could mean I double my royalties and receive £20 in my next cheque from my poor struggling indie publishers. Anyway - during my FIRST EVER bout of writers block, which I'm starting to realise is all a myth anyway - and it's just laziness, I've been adding friends the last couple of days, basically just working through the list of people who are friends with the Edinburgh Fringe. The chances are, if they're friends with the fringe, they're probably not tossers, like a good percentage of the world. The reception I've been getting has been really positive, and supportive, and even a little flattering. I've had a couple of messages tonight from people wishing me 'good luck' as a playwright, and emphasising on what a difficult industry it must be, a random girl saying how much she wished she'd seen my show at the Fringe last year and now, even more random-er, some American chap telling me this story idea he has and asking for advice on whether I think it's got legs for a full theatre script. He's asking me like I'm some kind of expert, suddenly I feel a little out of my depth, but oddly addicted to this whole Myspace thing - I'm started to feel ever so slightly respected, without having really achieved much as a writer apart from a couple self-produced Fringe shows, a couple smalltown publishing contracts and a hell of a lot of rejection from the beeb. It's all great, and exciting, because suddenly I feel like the world is willing to listen to my ideas. I CAN'T WAIT to have a new production, just because I can broadcast it to the world. It's just a shame that creatively I'm at a real weak point at the mo, everything I write seems to turn into either a pathetically over-written farce, or just a flat rom com with innuendo in place of genuine substance.

Anyway, that exciting new world known as the Internet aside, I am losing my mind slightly, but in a lazy, putting it aside for a couple days kinda way. I'm trying too hard to be a 'genius', my current ideas just aren't working. Even my latest completed show, 'Undemanding Lunchtime Theatre' stems from material which I started working on years ago. My very new play, 'Top Fella' is absolute rubbish. Bugger.

Tomorrow it's the deadline for the Brighton Fringe. I still don't know if I have a cast, and I'm awaiting times from my venue for performance. It's all a little tight - the show will be 'Undemanding Lunchtime Theatre', although under the title of 'A Little Undemanding Theatre' as it's going to be performed at night. Heather, Vaughan and Colin haven't got back to me just yet about their availability (Colin's excused as he's in Mexico), but Victoria and director Sarah have both replied enthusiastically which is enough for me to suggest it can be done. I'll book the show anyway (if I can fill out the form in time) and take it from there...

Impatience

It's snowing here in Histon, that's fun, and exciting, and potentially inspiring, but I'm just getting a little impatient with things. I think it's the fact that it's February, already, and things haven't generally gone to plan so far for 2009. Last night we had a reading of my new material with Edinburgh in mind - the 'Undemanding Lunchtime Theatre' scripts seem to have got the thumbs up from those who could make it (Heather, Sarah, Victoria, Alan), but then again I'd always sensed this would be the safe option; nice plays, nicely written, ends on a positive note. So, that's show one covered, which will probably go to some other places too - like Brighton, Buxton and Southend. My second proposal for Edinburgh though, 'The Man Who Loved His Car Far Too Much' died on it's theatrical arse. We went through the whole show, even acting it a little on the tiny stage of CB2, and it was met with much confusion. The thing is, I have a vision for it - a very clear vision, and I didn't explain it to the guys beforehand, in fact, even worse - I cheaply tried to justify it's random nature by chuckling and saying "it'll be good to give the audience a bit of a head fuck" - which didn't really do it's chances of production any favours recently. I was supposed to mention the need to entertain the audience without challenging them - a lively comedy with poetry, music, a good old fashioned romance...instead it looks like the Boy Richards is trying too hard. That's cool - one Edinburgh show in the bag, the second? Well, it's back to the drawing board I guess, I still have time to write something completely new...

Generally, I'm getting very impatient with a lot of things. At work there's still no contract offered - just general extensions to my temp contract, and I'm starting to feel a bit messed around by it all. It's not like work is the main priority - but if I don't have a job I can't move in to the lovely (if tiny) flat I looked at over the weekend (it's in the middle of nowhere, which is why I love it...), and I can't afford to even take one show to Edinburgh. It's all getting a bit silly, I should probably be looking for other jobs - yep, if I get sent home from work today early because of the snow (it's being talked about) that's what I'll do. But it's just so time consuming - I've got a million plays I want to write, I've got some song ideas I'm working on with my old mucker (and genius) Kerry. I probably am just being impatient, but you know - I'm in bands which just don't rehearse, I have a job which is always likely to be permanent but isn't, I have a faithful bunch of actors under my wing who are so talented and positive but my current material isn't doing them justice. Probably time for a few changes before this year slips away me thinks - I've been enjoying the non-drumming, non-writing space over the last week a little too much (courtesy of a rather addictive PC football game), I've made that mistake before and suddenly months disappear. Time for a change, even if I did finish a very respectable 4th in the league in my first season in charge of Blackburn Rovers.