The Write to Know, Issue 7
Recommendations, reviews, randoms and reads
Another Sunday, another rotund newsletter!
This week, I’ve mainly been trying to make sense of Netflix’s 3 Body Problem. In the space of one day, three different friends recommended it to me, adding they’d binged the entire series.
Great, I thought to myself, a new series to keep me occupied while I wait for Colin Farrell’s Sugar to drop.
I do love a bit of science-fiction but have found this show hard going, probably because I’m not au fait with complex astrophysics.
Written by Game of Thrones show runners David Benioff and D.B.Weiss, it’s based on Liu Cixin’s Hugo Award winning novel.
The story spans several generations where Earth encounters a hostile alien civilisation, hailing from a different solar system that has three stars orbiting one another. The title of the show is a reference to the three-body problem in orbital mechanics, exemplified by how this alien civilisation’s system operates.
Righty-o.
I watched the first two episodes and, completely baffled, I did what any person who doesn’t know when to give up would do, I started the series again from the beginning. Only this time, it was accompanied by a lot of frantic Googling. I can’t the only one who did this. Speak up, baffled masses! Here’s more of an explanation.
SPOILER (ish). It finally fell into place for me when I read an article which explained that the VR tech had been sent by aliens and was being used as some kind of recruitment service to find people who would welcome any future invasion.
I’ve almost finished the series - yes reader, she persisted - as I’m curious to see where it goes. They got me hooked! The TV show is very different from the book but I’ll have to take someone else’s word for it.
However, you can read an interview with the writers here, where they talk about the complexity of adapting this challenging book for the small screen.
In the meantime, please enjoy today’s curated bag of goodies.
I’m off to have a 3 body lie-down.
NICK OF TIME FOR NICHOLL
A quick reminder that the Academy’s Nicholl Fellowship screenwriting competition deadline is fast approaching.
You have until May 5th to submit your entry and bag one of the five $35,000 fellowships. Amateurs only, winners are expected to complete at least one original feature film screenplay during their Fellowship year.
This is a solid writing comp, and one that’s dear to my heart as two of my scripts placed in the quarterfinals. It can open doors, so if you have something worth reading, submit now.
CELL THEM IT LIKE IT IS
This quote from Spanish cellist, Pablo Casals, caught my eye because it’s so perfect.
Cellist and writers.
We are one.
THE INSIDE TRACK
Last weekend, I launched INSIDERS, a new series of industry interviews that I hope will help to arm you with all the information you need in order get your work produced or published.
I was thrilled to be able to kickstart this series by talking to Hollywood-based literary manager turned independent media rights specialist, Eddie Gamarra. Eddie signed James Dashner, the author of The Maze Runner books, and then went on to executive produce the movies.
His interview is packed with invaluable nuggets of information so please take a look but clicking on this handy link.
Eddie offers writers a 360 degree perspective on the business of storytelling. He can help you:
find the right agent/manager
develop their original projects
practice their pitches
review their scripts and manuscripts
provide strategic advice on how to navigate both the entertainment and publishing industries.
If you think you could benefit from a consultation, message him at eddiegamarra@gmail.com.
FERN HERE TO ETERNITY
When I was younger, I used to collect old Penguin paperbacks. You used to be able to pick them up for pennies in second hand shops. I was so invested in hunting them down I could write an essay on it.
Which brings me nicely to the Fern Press Academy Prize for essay writing.
According to their website it’s ‘designed to find and nurture emerging non-fiction talent and will be awarded to an essay of literary merit with an international and multicultural interest. The prize encourages essays that shine a light on the universal human experience - and which speak clearly to the times we live in. The prize is open to un-agented and unpublished writers from around the world, writing in the English language’.
Held in partnership with How To Academy and Tortoise Media, first prize is £3,000 plus literary representation by RCW literary agent Laurence Laluyaux, a writing course, and mentorship from a Penguin Random House UK editor. Not too shabby.
GATEWAY TO HELL
If you’re looking for a chunky read today then how about this lengthy tome about the sinking of the OceanGate Titan sub.
The incident, last year, which saw a tragic loss of all life onboard has been in the news again with updates about the tapping noise that was heard during the search for the missing sub.
This is a detailed 35-minute article from The New Yorker, by Ben Taub, that I came across as I was looking for more information about the incident.
It’s mind-blowing that anyone ever felt safe enough to be locked into this vessel that was controlled using gaming equipment. The director of the horror/comedy The Blackening is apparently making a movie about it.
ANOTHER KIND OF SUB
The Titan story reminds me of the time I was invited to watch 17 minutes of Titanic 3D footage, at the Zanuck Theatre, on the Fox lot.
After the screening and Q&A with director James Cameron and John Landau, sandwiches were served in the sunny courtyard.
I somehow found myself in line next to James and we had a nice little chat about the film. Mostly, though, we talked about food; at one point, I passed him a platter of sandwiches, and he handed me a bag of Doritos. It was all very civilised and amusing.
Those are the random moments I miss now I’m no longer in Hollywood. And the screenings! I really miss the screenings. I got very used to the stars of the movie walking out on stage as the credits rolled.
Believe me, you don’t get that at the Southend Odeon.
LOOKING FOR REPRESENTATION?
Noted literary agency Peters Fraser + Dunlop have launched a 12-month mentorship programme.
They’re accepting all adult fiction genres for planned full length novels but you can’t currently be repped. They’re asking for a cover letter, 5,000 word sample and 1-2 page synopsis. You have until May 31st to apply.
WILD AND CRAZY
I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed the Steve Martin documentary, STEVE! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces, on Apple TV.
Because I didn’t grow up in the States, I had no idea he was this rock star stand-up during the Seventies. I thought he was part of the early Saturday Night Live cast. Nope. That never happened, although he has hosted many times.
But I loved Roxanne, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, and more recently Only Murders in the Building, with his old pal Martin Short (who’s in the doc and as a amusing as you’d hope) and new pal, Selena Gomez.
A loner, a thinker and a lover of art, he found huge fame and professional success but only in later life has he found the happiness and family he was looking for.
Chapeau, and balloon animals to all involved. This is well worth your time.
TRAVEL READS AND LISTENS
And finally, I’m currently travelling so if you reply or DM, I almost certainly won’t be able to get back to you for a few days.
Because this is a work trip I doubt I’ll get much time to read anything. I considered bringing Barbara Kingsolver’s The Poisonwood Bible, but it’s got some heft so I left it on my bedside table.
Barbara once very wisely said: “Good writing rises from the ashes of many discarded drafts”.
Another Babs sang “Don’t rain on my parade”. so I won’t. I’ve been listening to Barbra Streisand’s autobiography, My Name is Barbra, on Audible, so will probably finish that over the course of the next week. Her voice is incredibly soporific so I usually listen while I’m out getting my steps in but it could also be perfect plane material.
If historical fiction/women in STEM is your thing you might want to read my current secondary Audible listen, The Other Einstein, Marie Benedict’s 2017 novel about Albert’s extremely intelligent first wife, Mitza Maric.
With a few credits to spare, I’ve also just downloaded Take Six Girls: The Lives of the Mitford Sisters because I’m completely obsessed with this family, their dynamic and various talents (that range from writing bestsellers to dictator-worship).
Mostly though, in whatever downtime I have, I’ll be talking into my Otter app as I try to lay down the bones of my own novel.
More on that when I return!
The Casals quote is wonderful!