Election Night, Quarter-Finals & The Watercooler #2
It’s been a while since the last update - and a fair few things have happened! Let’s start with my new book, Election Night: Hopefully Not Based On True Events!
Election Night: Hopefully Not Based On True Events
Yes! I’m excited to be bringing out another book and especially excited that it’s a comedy….sort of.
It’s Election Night. Prime Minister Harry McDonagh is expecting a landslide whilst the media predict an avalanche. Meanwhile, Tony and Veronica are in their flat in Springburn ready to spend an all-nighter watching the results roll in and the fate of the country be decided.
However, when the exit poll is released, shit hits the fan at No.10 Downing Street and the world descends into chaos due to the Prime Minister’s actions, the external conflict also starts to bleed inside Tony and Veronica’s flat. Tony and Veronica are caught between keeping up with the action on the Internet and TV, getting out of the UK or phoning in another Chinese.
Election Night is a political-comedy-thriller, which is told via the perspective of Tony and Veronica as they watch the narrative of the election results unfold on Twitter, TV, podcasts and a live blog from inside the office of the Prime Minister.
The story takes place over just a few hours and switches between different writing styles to mimic the different medium that Tony and Veronica are using to keep up to date with what’s happening with the election. It’s through Tony and Veronica that we meet the other characters in the story and the hope is that reading Election Night will share similarities of experiencing an actual election night.
As the night rolls on and events become increasingly out of control, the election comes to a surprisingly violent and bloody conclusion. However, the damage may already be done.
After the last general election, I had the idea (and originally intended to write a play, still might) and since then the world of politics has just become, well, bonkers. With the impending general election in the UK, I thought it might be the best time to release this.
You can pre-order your digital copy now!
Election Night: Hopefully Not Based On True Events https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0814W8LT8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_OZZYDb5JS6VXG
Quarter-Finalist - Woo Hoo!
Earlier this year, I decided to enter the Shore Scripts TV Pilot Contest, with my script Small Town. I wrote this pilot a number of years ago, and never really done anything with it and decided to submit it. To my genuine surprise and delighted, the script made it into the Quarter-Finals!
As any other writer will know, the success/encouraging “Congratulations” moments like these don’t come along as much as the “Unfortunately” moments, so to have progressed and become a quarter-finalist has been amazing. Congrats to all those who made the semi-finals.
In other news, and the even more genuinely surprising and delighting, is that Small Town made the coveted Red List on Coverfly. Huge thanks to those who read the script and gave it such positive reports, contributing to this placement on The Red List. It’s currently (at the time of writing) #11 on the Fantasy Television One Hour list for the month and #19 for the year.
Every now and then moments come along just to keep you going down this path and encouraging you to keep writing. Savour them. They’re sometimes the only currency we have.
BBC The Social Comedy Page
For all the sketches that I’ve made that has featured on BBC The Social, they’re all together in this handy page on the BBC The Social website - the only one missing so far is The Outrage Brigade.
This is very cool for me. As someone who grew up watching BBC comedy (and drama) to have work that I’ve written featured on a BBC page is amazing. Check them out! And keep your eyes peeled for more.
And be sure to check out the other contributors on the site!
The Watercooler #2
I was lucky enough to get away for a wee holiday last month and catch up on some reading/listening/watching!
I highly recommend The Colorado Kid by Stephen King. It’s a short novel from publishers Hard Case Crime and is a compelling read - you’ll find you can’t quite put it down. Richly drawn characters and a fascinating mystery at its core, it’s a story about the very nature of stories. I also love the ethos behind Hard Case Crime - they want great stories that you can fit in your pocket.
I also binge listened (is that a thing?) to the That Peter Crouch Podcast, a great podcast about football and life. It’s feels like your in the pub with your friends and listening to them having a chat. Such an easy listen and will keep you in high spirits.
There are two main shows that are dominating my TV this month. First up, Apple TV+ launch series The Morning Show the addictive, high end and bold new drama with shades of Sorkin that have been sorely missing from TV, with powerhouse performances from Aniston, Witherspoon and co, with great turns from Mark Duplass, Steve Carell and a gleeful Billy Crudup, to name but a few. And secondly, Watchmen. Lindelof is one of my favourite writers and he’s crafted a world and a story that holds a mirror up to our own. Hugely compelling characters and a world you want to spend time in (from a safe distance) it’s a big comic book adaptation that crucially checks itself with the raw, emotional human story at the centre. Lindelof has carried on where he left off with The Leftovers. It’s great to have his writing back on screen.
Other top picks are Jack Ryan (yay Krasinski!), Living With Yourself (razor sharp writing, full of heart and life and, yes, Rudd - comedy of the year), The Good Place (still great), El Camino (lives up to expectations and feels so good to be back in the Breaking Bad world) and Yesterday (funny, moving and a love letter to the greatest band of all time).
The Quest For Perfection (Is A Damn Fine Thing)
More chapters have been released from the book. Have you been keeping up to date? What do you think is going on!?
Anyway, I think that’s enough for now. Thanks for stopping by.
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