Warming Up

Third day of record, but again two actors missing, so we got through everything that we possibly could: about half of scripts four and five and doing a bit more of six. We might be able to finish everything off with one more (quite long) day, but we don’t know when that will be yet.  To be honest it’s surprising we’ve always managed to make the schedule work before, because you’re expect this cast to be busy. But we will get it done one way or another. And it means I have time to do a mini rewrite - as well as trying to get the plot together I had to write the scripts with the fact that two of the main actors might not have too much recording time together - but with a bit of luck we’ll find a day when they’r both available so I can now put them back into scenes together.

I am extremely pleased with how things turned out. I am delighted to say that there were very few bits of script that made me feel embarrassed or awkward at all, and we only had to do minimal rejigging as we went along. I think part of the pain of writing is that I am increasingly perfectionist about what I am doing. 

It’s definitely not perfect. But I think it might be good.

I still can’t quite see how I managed to write it in time. And though the script I spent four months on is better than the one I did in four days, there’s really not that much difference in quality. 

Can I get more efficient and do it quicker? Maybe, but I think a big part of something like this is the thinking time, even if the finality of a deadline might prove to be the biggest inspiration. That Simpsons writer is still right, but I am not sure that’s quit the method for me. But if I can shift my perfectionism til later in the process then I might adapt. Which is sort of his point, I guess.

I was home by just after 4pm, which was a treat and I got a nice fire going in the living room and enjoyed some bonus time with my own family, rather than the fake one that I had just ben recording about. The Jim Carrey Disparity (the balance between family and work and how family is more important/your family is fucked if you don’t work) was on full display. 

It’s great to have this one out of the way (the writing anyway) and to be able to think about other stuff a little bit more (though I have less than 3 months to write my next book, so will be pretty much back straight into it - who am I kidding? I’ll do all that in the last week of January).

Can’t quite relax as I am running a half marathon on Sunday, but there’s not much I can do about that, apart from not get injured or ill.

We’ve topped £20,000 on the Knobworth Half Marathon fund. Still a little way to go to the target (and I’d love to go beyond that) so donate this weekend if you want to encourage my little legs to run)

Retro RHLSTP with Mark Gatiss went up today. It’s a lovely one. Listen here or wherever you get your pods.