All things Italian

Well Italy is becoming the place I thought it would be. The weather is beginning to resolve itself and the temperature has got to an exciting 17 degrees! I've been here for 4 months now and it has rained, a lot, but still the commentators for Andy's game on the weekend said the torrential rain was 'Cosi British'! They had a good old chuckle about it but really our rain may be consistent but it's consistently pathetic at least. Here the rain really has its say, as it probably doesn't know when it'll be popping in again!

In any case yesterday was beautiful and I really felt fab driving in the car back from the gym, a glow on my face and my window down. I met the girls there for an acqua class. No that doesn't mean we were surrounded by OAP's, in fact here acqua classes are no easy ride (as I was hoping my first time!). The girls and I shared a few 'ohh that's a bit hard' moments with one another. I wonder if they felt as bad as I did last night though crawling into bed at 9 pm, much to Andy's amusement....must ask them. Or not, it could be humiliating!

I had a dreadful nights sleep too. God knows if it's all that exercise giving me energy frankly my body could cash in on, given the exhaustion. It's not really what you want though is it, extra energy during the rest times, why can't my extra energy come during the day or when I want to stay up late and watch Peak Practice? Why do they put my favorite programs after 'Bed-time'! Takes me back to being 12 and wanting to watch 'Bottom', I sneaked it occasionally...only when Mum thought I'd already gone to bed! Anyway, it was therefore a necessity that I start my morning with reading my new book in a steaming hot bath, that my muscles were craving for. Seriously I was dreaming of suds and massages all night.

And this morning feeling slightly refreshed but still hankering to be horizontal I am committing to page the two ideas for shorts I had last night as I tried to doze off, always my most creative hour!

Ciao

writing competitions

Well while literally contemplating the inept self motivation I have and wondering if I'll ever get up to the 7 am alarm-clock to dive into writing, I received an email from Gordy Hoffman. Well, not personally for me, I signed up for a newsletter but still. In Gordy's post he speaks of how important writing competitions are. Now after having spoken with Andy questioning their use, (as it seems to me they buy your script for you entrance fee and then can do what they like with it afterwards!), Gordy had some well needed advice. 

Writing is a lonely business, in the real world at least. When you do get that fabulous idea you are obviously not alone but accompanied by the characters you build up and the world you are creating. which can be an amazing experience. My only finished short I did in one day!

Writing can be lonely and it is difficult, I find, to be your own boss. I tend to be the boss I had always wished for, I have tea breaks when I want, my lunch hours can be whole afternoons and if I need to pop out to do my weekly shop that's fine too! But it shouldn't be, if you are to get writing done, you need to be disciplined and that means being the boss you hate, the one that is always right and makes you feel guilty when you want to dash home to catch that spin class or the one who agrees you can make your important appointment but reminds you the work is still due in tomorrow!! 

OR......you can do what Gordy Hoffman suggests - enter writing competitions. Okay so you have to pay to enter and then the terms and conditions must read well enough you don't feel you are being shafted.  But it is a fabulous idea, there is your new boss.

He has terms and conditions that are clear, he wants the work in at a deadline, but you can hand it in at a later deadline but you'll pay for it. Simply he'll help you get things done. Now it is 5 days until the first BlueCat competition deadline. I go to Dubai to watch Andy play in the Sevens world cup in 6 days....so if I can write an 18 minute short in one day I can finish a feature length in 5, just have to decide if I'm going to go with the thriller or the drama?! hmmmmmm!

ash x

Italy here we come!

So there must be a whole remit of the reasons one moves to Italy in their mid 20's:

But no one would ever think that for a fair few of us we end up in Italy following our men there who play rugby. So come December 2008 I will no longer reside in her Majesty's country but over yonder seas, to Italy.

I admit it is not so tough. I mean living in a beautiful, sunny, warm, friendly and elegantly spoken place -it's hell! The best part about living abroad is that you always feel like you are on holiday; well expect the cleaning and changing bed linen part - okay so like you are on a self catering holiday, but it still beats Blighty!

And I am very lucky to have now been given the chance to give up the corporate high speed job and follow my dream; writing.

Even since I can remember my imagination has been overactive to say the least. I started to build a dream in my tender years of becoming 'someone', probably fuelled by all those Disney movies. And amidst my role play interviews with Terry Wogan in the mirror (those were the days!) and living room West end reproductions for my family, I sowed an invisible seed that has never stopped growing. And now, I think it is time for it to flourish.

In a world where money spins you round like the fairground waltzer man there is little encouragement to follow your creative, potentially non-funding, dreams and share with the world what makes you, you. But if you are as lucky as I am you have someone that has shown you how important it is to chance your desires and live without regrets. So as of December 2008 I will begin my journey to bring to life the ideas I hold in my head and start my writing in Italy.