• Life of the Mind

    No Doubt

    As a writer, there’s lots of stuff you’ll doubt. On that list will be doubts … if your story works if the structure is sound if the plot/content is coherent if the characters are compelling if the prose is engaging if anybody will like it if everybody (who likes it) is humouring you if you’re any good. There’s other stuff. But that’s a shortlist. You try to control as much of it as you can. You do this through revision, by getting opinions from alpha readers, and – most of all – by being honest with yourself. Doubt’s a good thing, though. Well, in some ways at least. It forces…

  • Inside Entertainment,  Life of the Mind,  Little Diva Rising

    September Housekeeping

    Okay, lots of little things happening this week. So this won’t be your typical overlong blog, but a blog in four parts.   Little Diva Rising This weekend, we filmed a new opening (because the original opening became too impractical), and refilmed one small scene that had begun to nag at me. We had a slate of outdoor scenes planned, but Melbourne had other ideas. Rain pounded down through the morning and early afternoon. Once we called it a day, packed up, and went to lunch, Melbourne decided to stop the rain. Hmmm. Shooting of those outdoor scenes has been rescheduled. As we near the end of filming, I find…