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| JANUARY 2010 - Happy New Year to you all! Hope you can all get the car off the drive and get to work in the snow! (not!) A big thanks to all those who sent in details of their performances to date, particularly of 'Christmas - Why do we do that?' It's great to hear how people are using the material and some of the photos of the performances looked great (especially some of the hats!) There is a new featured 'playlet' (baby play) this month (below) with a 'right on' environmental theme. I am busy writing and testing out some more material which will rear its ugly head soon. Emailing me should be a lot easier now as you don't have to fill in the official form (unless you want to on the 'contact Sid page' - it allows for 'market analysis', whatever that is!) You can just click on the email link below to send a bog standard email. Cheers Sid (Here's some more brackets)
FEBRUARY 2010 - Ah, the month of romance, more snow, rain, no leftover Christmas cake and continuing dark nights (Big up to all SAD sufferers, your therapy starts here!) If you want romance with a twist, check out 'Rodney 'n' Jools - a modern scene from a balcony (short but sweeeeet!) One of Shakespeare's lesser know plays that he wrote in collaboration with the Two Ronnies. I haven't changed the featured play because it still has some energy left in it but I have added a new play called "Eureka! Eureka! - Inventions and discoveries through the ages!". It's in a 'beta' format (that's a geek's way of saying that it might have a few errors that I have not thoroughly checked yet!) but I wanted to get it on quickly. I will check it for next week! Happy drama time! MARCH 2010 - Apparently, before the year 1752, March was the first month of the year. So in honour of this, I have made and am eating another Christmas cake. Also, on this month in history (this is beginning to sound like a bad radio show) Julius Caesar was murdered and the football league was invented by Aston Villa, although the two events are unlikely to be connected. Alexander Graham Bell (known affectionately as 'Ding-dong to his closest friends - see "Eureka! Eureka! - Inventions and discoveries through the ages!") invented the telephone. If he had invented a second telephone at the same time, his invention would have taken off a lot sooner! Can you tell I don't have much to write about!!! The featured play is a Sherlock Holmes mystery which should have them rolling about in the aisles, especially if you play the Crossroads theme at the end. I am adding a play soon about evacuated children in WWII. Be seeing you. APRIL 2010 Golly gosh, months come round quickly when you have to write a news blog. Just as you're letting the printer ink dry on the one for March then its 'All Fools day' and hundreds of kids keep telling you your laces are undone and think its funny and clever. WELL IT'S NOT, OK! If only I could outwit them! I would like to write a play about April Fools but I can't imagine that there would be many windows of opportunity for a performance. Anyway, there's a new playlet (featured download below) about children evacuated during WWII called 'Goodnight Mr Hitler' which is quite fun if you want a historical sketch or two. Thanks to people who are letting me know about their performances. I am setting up a links page soon to list all those other site who have been kind enough to feature bytheriverside.co.uk on their pages. If you have any thoughts or suggestions about the website, then please email me with them. There's no prize but I might write back and say 'Thank you' or 'Don't be silly' or 'Visit a doctor immediately' May 2010 - Instead of gathering nuts, why not download a few and try a taster of 'Riddle in the dark - a hobbit adventure' in the studio or classroom. Only 3 parts but good fun for small groups to read as a radio play (you could get others to add really cool sound effects like Gollum blowing his nose or the sound of Bilbo's foot hair growing!) Thanks again to people giving me feedback on use of the plays and performances - even some from the other side of the world (Cool!) I am busy sending my first children's comic novel, "King Cody's Clocks" off to publishers at the moment. No luck yet though, I'm up to about 12 rejections (I'm aiming for at least 35!!) and am finishing off my second children's novel, 'The Grandad Conspiracy', which is taking up all my spare time and causing me to grow facial hair. I have added a links page for, amazingly, 'links' to other sites for teaching resources that have kindly featured www.bytheriverside.co.uk on their pages. It is still being constructed so there are plenty of 'missing links' at the moment. Anyway, must go and make a tenth cup of tea for today! May the fourth be with you next Tuesday! (childish joke!!!) June 2010 So sorry for being late with this, don't know what came over me! Been very busy! Too busy to write in sentences! Sound like Yoda, I do. Or is that Yozzer! Anyway, I've written a sketch based on the programme 'Dragon's Den' which I am using in a show now (right this minute in fact) so I will post it next month probably. Still had no takers on my first 'novelette'! Might just have to put it up here for free! I can't remember whether 'Girl in da Hoodie' has been a featured download before, but I have put it in again as it seems really popular at the moment. Must do another traditinal tale. Maybe 3 little pigs? Anyway, going to sleep now til July and turn into a winged insect! July news - The world cup is nearly over. England are out. So are slacks and a tank top. However, my second team, Holland are in the final so I'm hoping to go Dutch this weekend. I found out today that when a publisher contacts you and asks to see the complete manuscript of your novel, but then rejects it, it's know as a 'rave rejection'. Well I had one of those, to go with the other 14 instant rejections that I have accumulated for 'King Cody's Clocks'. Only another 83 to go! Still, it give one hope! If you are bored, why not cut your hair with an unsightly nasel hair remover. Slow but satisfying. Better still, download and perform 'A brief History of nits' if you have a spare 15 minutes and clean hair. August news - If you are a teacher, then this is the best month ever! A whole month off. My neighbour gets really irritated and can't stop referring to the fact that I will be spending 6 weeks sipping Pina coladas in the garden and fanning myself. What he doesn't understand is that for an unpublished author, this is the busiest time of the year when I get the most free time to write and send off manuscripts to be rejected. I have just finished my second novel for children entitled 'The Grandad conspiracy' which I shall begin sending off as soon as I have edited the speiling and grandma. It's a comedy thriller with a bit of sci-fi thrown in. Sounds good eh? I may take a copy round to my neighbour to help calm his blood pressure. A few weeks ago, I met the children's author Eammon Reily. A really nice bloke and talented to boot! He kindly offered to look at my work and give me some advice. What a top chap! The featured download is a sketch based on the programme 'Dragon's Den' (mysteriously called 'Den of Dragons'!!!) and is quite a hoot for kids to perform. Why not download it and give it a go? Some of the characters in it will appear in my next story. I think I'm rambling now so I'm just going to go and lie down on my next-door neighbour's lawn with a black Russian! September news - He stalks past the racks of magazines to the end of the aisle, looking both ways, then scampers across to the checkout shielding his face from view. He fumbles for money, looking down at the floor, then mumbles his thanks and turns grimly towards the exit. Then it hits him. Large red letters on a white back ground scream at him from the front, the side, the rear. Thers is no escape. He crumples into a heap, the words burn't into his brain like a steaming fire brand. Back to school. BACK to school! BACK TO SCHOOL!! Oh, well, at least I get to do some more drama with the kids, although I could really do with another six weeks to finish my next novel. Your heart bleeds for me eh? So here's to teachers all over the land. Screw your courage to the sicking place and make it a year of dramatic fun with a few plays from the download page. October 2010 news - Late again! What's a mother to do? What's a mother to do?!! (See "What on Earth is the matter" for inadequate explanation.) Dark days are upon us Frodo. A heavy cloud is approaching from the East! At least, here in the UK, the clocks go back an hour in October (quaint!) so that we spend every minute outside working hours in complete darkness. Still, it's hunky dorey for wheat farmers and postmen/women. I think I am living with the realisation that 'King Cody's Clocks' in not of interest to any publisher at the moment (All publishers put your hand up and email me for a copy! Please!!) so I will have to redouble my efforts with 'The Grandad Conspiracy', my recently finished full length novel for children. I am planning to upload some new stuff soon, as well as a synopsis for King Cody and maybe TGC. Many thanks for more positive comments about the plays, especially some nice emails from the Eastern Plains Players (Colarado) and the Digital Media Club (St Helens), and even the Navarro family who recite the plays on long journeys in their car (EXcellent fun!) Hopefully, A new Christmas play in in the pipeline. Meanwhile, try "Christmas - Why do we do that?" below for festive fun! November 2010 news Remember, Remember, the fifth of November, wet leaves and darkness and fog, I see no reason, at this time of the season, for Sid to get out of his blog. Pathetic, isn't it? Im not that keen on fireworks, in fact as a child, I would hide under the table in the dining room until thay had gone away. Those and brass bands and clowns, although thankfully the latter two were less regular in our street. I wonder what would have happened to me had all three elements combined in some way, say at a millenium new year's eve party for Yorkshire-based circus professionals. Shudder! A clown burst into my classroom once when I was teaching a lesson on (custard) pie charts in a mobile. I went into instant anaphalactic shock and was just about to punch him hard on the nose when the head popped her head round the door and explained that he was there to promote a travelling Polish circus that was in town. I punched the head hard on the nose instead. He gave me two tickets for the show, both of which I ate as part of my resulting therapy. Anyway, as well as the featured play below that is real Hootenanny, you could try my re-telling of the Scrooge story (sort of) recently re-titled 'Twas the fright before Christmas'. It comes highly recommended by a well known melo-pyra-coulrophobic. Cheers Sid December 2010 How embarrassing, to write a blog for December on the 18th of the said month, when there are only seven days before Christmas. But it wasn't my fault Miss! A donkey ate my blog on the way to the theatre! Still, depressingly, no progress with getting my novel(s) published but lots of people liking the plays and sending me some great feedback about performances. When I write in January, I will definitely think of something worthwhile to write about. In the meanwhilst 'A merry Christmas to you all, and do you all wear tights?' (something like that!) Cheers Sid PS (Please Santa) I've just added the info below about King Cody's Clocks. Please read and enjoy.
January 2011 Here's a writing tip for the new year: Put some atmospheric music on in the back ground (I prefer film soundtracks, particularly those by Hans Zimmer) to create the right mood in your imagination. I find this really helps if you are trying to write something spooky or scary. It's amazing how the movement and changes in the music really sync to the scene in your head, although I did once make the mistake once of just letting my ipod play on continuously, and as the hero was about to finish off the evil zombie-king with his hammer of vengeful smiting, the music suddenly changed to the theme to 'The Fanny Craddock Show' and they ended up sharing a chicken casserole and a glass or two of Blue nun. I'm sure that you could use this technique successfully in the classroom as long as you steer clear of the theme music to 'The X Factor'! Anyway, Happy New Year's resolutions, for what they're worth, and Don't forget to download and read King Cody's Clocks Cheers Sid
March 2011 What's a mother to do!!!??? I'm a little down at the moment because I read a book called 'How to get published' by Harry Bingham and, although it was really useful and full of great advice on improving your chances in the world of bookish wonderment, the overall impression I got was that to get a book published, and actually make a living from it (my aim somewhere over the rainbow) you either had to be a current bestseller with a great track record, or a celebrity cook. I don't have any track record as yet, and I burn toast. Doh! Still, one can but try. If anyone knows any agents or publishers . . . . . .
I know I've been a bit mean on the new free play front lately but I will try to rectify this in the next couple of months. I am on facebook now, so if you want to increase my number of friends beyond single figures, then be my guest.Thanks for all the feedback from people about performances. Don't forget to send your loved one a red rose and a copy of "Rodney 'n' Jules' for valentines day.
March 21st 2011 - I believe that we have reached the Autumn Equinox, where daylight equals darkness and we are all delicately balanced between sleeping and waking, working and resting, S.A.D. and hayfever, The Shire and Mordor etc. What am I talking about? Oh, the inner world of a would-be writer – what’s it all about eh? I have been clever and used a specific date for this blog so that I am not tied down to one per month ( And because I find that I have increasingly less to say that is original). Can you tell that I have writer’s block at the moment? I think that there is some cream that you can get for it to rub in somewhere. I am writing a scene from Macbeth, and planning a short play about Greek myths (And Mythsters) so watch this space. I had a review from a friend recently about King Cody’s Clocks that was very blunt and made me want to eat the manuscript. Oh well, back to the drawing board.
May 8th 2011 - After spending the last month hiding from my word processor in the garden shed, unable to write anything except a brief poem about bananas (yes, really) I have suddenly been plucked from the depths of writer's block despair by requests from two agents for the full manuscript to my novel 'The Grandad Conspiracy'. This just goes to show that there are really people out there who care (until they reject it that is). It has encouraged me to get back up on the writing stool and pedal around the block a few times. April was quiet around the website. Too many Easter holidays and Royal weddings. Anyway, must go out now to burn down the shed and write a bestseller. June 30th 2011 Congratulations to the Digital Media Club in St Helens who produced some short films based on some of my scripts. Its always great to get feedback on how they are used. I am just about to upload a new script, it's an Ancient Greek epic called "Heaven, Earth, and a horse made of wood". Amazingly it is quite long and copuld almost constitute a complete play by itself (Oooh Sid, you are bold! Isn't he bold!) I would love to know what you think of it when I upload it next week. In the meantime, I am just going to singe the hairs off my legs with my new fire pit bbq. Happy cheesburgers all.
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