Becoming the Writing-Dad

Let me explain a little about myself, how I establish myself as a dad and a writer at the same time.

I arrived at University after just turning 20. After learning maybe my acting skills weren't well received, I made a stubborn decision which was 'well, if you don't think I'm good enough, I'll learn to write and write myself into a film'. The only issue was that I had to learn to write.

What I had not expected is I would meet my partner on a lonely night in. Yes, she studied at the University all of a stones throw away from me, but I still only met her online. Nuts. After getting to know how much we had in common, we really started to get close. Romance sparked, the word love was passed about and we had a lot of fun times.

By the end of the year, I had discovered something very clear to me. I do not want to act in my scripts, not because of my content, but because I learned that I was enjoying the writing aspect. My place in performance was always going to be minimal. I learned I needed to grow up, I was still a little immature which some of my classmates would agree. Yet I was in position to grow up, improve as a writer and had the girl, then I was to discover something else new...

Me and my partner were expecting, but we weren't just recently expecting, we were 26 weeks expecting. Wow, where on earth did that come from? Well, there was no walking away from this, I was going to be a dad, ready or not.

Me and my partner had some decision making to do and plenty of planning to do. In 48 hours we had our plans for parenthood, accommodation and finance planned. After a valued discussion with my partners mother, we were told not to give up on University and keep at it.

That discussion was probably the catalyst that I needed for the rest of my life. To this day I still remember her words as I write this. I chose to focus harder at improving by writing and keep striving towards the career I want. Okay, I haven't had a lot of time to focus on the goal, but I was able to share my time as a family member and a writer. Without those words, I may have given writing a second thought, so I have a lot thank my now mother-in-law to be.

Today, I'm a graduate of Bournemouth University, I still write and I am the proud father of a great son. I stuck to my dream, I gave my commitment and love to a new adventure and responsibility. It is all built on basis that parenthood is not an obstacle, it's a blessing. I am grateful for it and live to be the best I can be in every aspect of life.

I hope other parents and parents to be that do get to read this and have curbed a dream to be parents. I hope that, even if the circumstances mean they don't get to keep going never lose sight of what they wish to achieve and see parenthood and success as a complete package.

25 Things a Dad would NEVER say

Following on from my silly writing blog I did the other day, here is a list for parents to feast upon. 25 things you wouldn't catch a Dad saying.

#1 - 3 Hours is just way too much sleep...
#2 - Mmmmmm the smell of a dirty nappy beats that Air Freshner we use
#3 - Hey son, instead of milk today, how about a Jaeger Bomb?
#4 - God I love Cbeebies, so compelling!
#5 - Yeah go ahead, dribble in my dinner gives it the taste I was looking for.
#6 - Guess it's my turn to breast feed...
#7 - What's that sweetheart? Crying at 4am? Fed and changed? Of course it doesn't agitate me at all
#8 - Hey kids, how about this film before bed tonight: JAWS. It's a bit like Finding Nemo...
#9 - Darling/ Partner/ Significant Other, do you think it's time we moved onto the dictionary as bedtime reading? He's mastered the alphabet, it only makes sense
#10 - I know what will be easy listening before you go to bed...SLIPKNOT!
#11 - I can really connect to this Mr. Tumble guy you keep watching. Let's see him live.
#12 - I don't think these noisy toys are noisy enough. Shall we leave the switch on so it goes off unexpected? That won't scare the life out of me at all
#13 - No noisy toy, I love you for going off as my baby was napping.
#14 - Sorry honey, the toilet was occupied so I used your potty instead...I'd give it 5 minutes.
#15 - hmmm...I wonder if I can fit in one of those nappies.
#16 - Go ahead...sing that Nursery Rhyme another 100 times, it never gets old.
#17 - Will the kids mind if I read them '50 Shades of Grey'? Of course not, if my partner likes it, they're bound to love it
#18 - Damn the wet wipes are all gone...guess this fancy shirt will do in the meantime.
#19 - When I wear the baby pouch to carry my baby, all I get are cool looks.
#20 - Just look at yourself, you're 5 days old and you're crying already. GROW UP!
#21 - Holy cow! I didn't wanna' say it, but these baby sick stains make me look so sophisticated
#22 - Gee...small food pots that cost more than the ingredients used to make it...what a steal!
#23 - Why are you taking all the credit for the birth? I did most of the work.
#24 - If my son wears a miniature sports kit the same as mine it WON'T look adorable AT ALL!
#25 - I'm telling you, I'm glad you shared the bed with me. I love that you wee'd in it, it feels so comfortable now.

Got some of your own super one liners? Got some true outrageous things you've said yourself? Go ahead and add a comment.

Thanks!

25 Things a Writer would NEVER say

Let's have a bit of fun before we get down to business. A mock list of 25 Things you can dream a writer may say, but never truly will.

#1 - Sure, I can go a week without alcohol...

#2 - 120 pages? Is that all they need me to write?

#3 - Final Draft? Who needs that, I'm writing this sucker using COMIC SANS!

#4 - Best write the sequel before the first story. Only makes sense when this mother sells.

#5 - What has Spielberg ever written that was great anyway?

#6 - If I procrastinate over this script long enough it WILL write itself.

#7 - Story? This needs no story! Enough explosions will fill the film up

#8 - How can nobody understand what David Lynch's films mean? They're crystal clear!
#9 - A party with producers around? Like I'm gonna' talk to those schmucks!
#10 - I didn't want you to read the last page so I've got it written on my belly. You'll have to pay me before you get to read it
#11 - What? Star Wars? Never heard of it...is it a Comedy?
#12 - Vogler really doesn't know what a 'hero's journey' is, does he?
#13 - This script is too good to read, best put it in Wingdings font so only the smart know how good I am
#14 - I'm not drinking, when do I ever drink?
#15 - Who the heck is Stephen Moffat anyway?
#16 - So now you've bought my script you are going to cast me in this right? There's no way Meryl Streep could do this role justice
#17 - Television really is short of murder mystery series
#18 - Like I'd ever write my Zombie Apocalypse survival plan...
#19 - No, there's absolutely no whiskey in this coffee...
#20 - If I just copy and paste the Argo script, they'll never know I didn't write it
#21 - Charlie Kaufman is talentless, pure talentless at writing
#22 - If my TV series sells I'm never going to get work again...EVER!
#23 - NO! I don't want a stupid OSCAR for my work!
#24 - How does it NOT make sense? I wrote the whole thing backwards! It's BENJAMIN BUTTON INSPIRED!
#25 - If Doctor Who isn't a documentary I'm going to post my eyelids to the BBC! In a Hello Kitty Purse!

If you have any of your own you'd like to contribute...or know that a write has said one of these lines, go ahead and post it in the comment section.

Thanks!

The Week in Writing #1

Since the beginning of the week two MAJOR things happened for me.

Firstly, I finally finished my three year Scriptwriting course (which actually took me four years). Handing the final essay in early was a huge relief. The journey was somewhat overwhelming, it really made me realise that I'd overcome my biggest challenge to date. I was somewhat woeful that the journey was over, but how can I ever become a fully fledged writer unless I complete my course?

The second of all was... well this blog! I set it up on the Wednesday along with my first post. Now I have a blog I have a responsibility to write as often as possible. What makes it even better is, it's casual. There is little authority on how I write and what I post. It's all part of my creative control.

I've certainly learned some things about my son as this week has dragged along. My son really has a taste for music. His guitar obsession and sudden love for bands like: Nirvana, Reuben and McFly has caused a ripple in most peoples lives. For instance, his nursery set up a week dedicated to teaching the toddler group about music and live events. They made posters for the music and made it out to be like a festival. This was all on the fact that he DEMANDED to play with a guitar.
For this reason, I'm super proud of him. His spoilt, rock star attitude got him what he really wanted and not only that, the workers expressed how well he behaved. I now know he behaves best when playing music.

In the scriptwriting realm, I took it upon myself to attempt to write a script for a 48 hour film challenge. The goal was write, shoot and edit a 2-3 minute film based on the chosen word "Tippet-Panda". The team of three, including the soon mum-to-be Loti chose to include free running in the story.
The script took a very swift 1 and a half hours. Mostly because, the time we all had was inundated with our jobs, so they'd started filming before the script was finished.
Needless to say, we handed in our final piece on time. We stuck around to watch the other entries and the awards ceremony. Sadly, no awards. I was a bit salty about it, but the quality of most of the entries were very good. However, we made a short film in 48 hours! Of the 16 that entered, only 10 turned up. To do that much is still pretty sweet. Afterwards, there were talks about a possible project on the horizon. I shall inform you of any progress asap.

So, though most days were filled with work and the realisation that I'm no longer a student. I did a fairly eventful week.

THINGS TO TAKE AWAY FROM MY BLOG:

Kids do have a secret passion that is both inspirational and saves them tearing the walls down. They'll let you know soon enough.

Always take pride in something you've been able to finish, no matter if it's your first project or you eight hundred and seventy seventh. If you enjoyed the experience and would do it again, keep at it.

That was the week in writing!

Introduction

Welcome everyone and hello. 

My name is Scott and I'm writing this first blog to introduce myself as a new blog writer here at blogspot.

I shall be posting as writing-dad, the reason being is because this blog will consist of two things: Writing and Parenting. Yep, you read that right. I'm a writer attempting to break into the screenwriting world at 23 years old (subject to change) whilst raising a 2 and a half year old (subject to change) monster, we call him Max.

The reason I'm blogging is to give me a chance to talk about scriptwriting and parenting in a smart/ casual way. As a recent graduate of a Scriptwriting for Film and Television course, I've had the chance to learn and master a scriptwriting ability. With this knowledge, I want to give other people who have considered scriptwriting a few tips and tricks, but also a chance for experienced screenwriters to brush over a few things. There's no shame in looking up things you're unsure of and there's certainly no harm in trying out scriptwriting.

The big catch to this blog is...well, I'm not all knowing. No writer is, trust me. So, I can't sit here and preach to you legitimate facts day in, day out. That for you and for me would be boring. What I can do and what I want to do is have a little fun with scriptwriting. Let's face it, having to sit down and writer scripts that are 30 - 120 pages long is gruelling. Why read another blog about more information you can pick up from another blog or a book? Why not debate on what makes for good scriptwriting? Why not laugh at the way a writers mind thinks? Why not procrastinate by reading another writers excuse for procrastinating?...Is this what this is?...Pants!

I digress. The writing part of this blog is not the only segment of this two flavour ice-cream. Oh no, not only am I a young writer attempting to break into a difficult business, I have another responsibility to harness. My role as a father. As a young parent, I feel passionate about young parenthood. It's a lifestyle that sparks a lot of controversy and also, as a dad, it's not easy finding many dad bloggers. What I wanted to do is welcome you into my daily victories and struggles raising a little boy with a BIG bad-ass attitude. By keeping my posts casual and less of a diary, hopefully I can intrigue people into realising that young fatherhood is not such a bad thing and also...my son is CRAZY!

With a little luck and perseverance, this blog can interest you enough to take 5 minutes off of whatever you're doing to learn and enjoy the aspects of life through my P.O.V. The blogs will be as fairly balanced as I can make them, I will take requests if I feel comfortable writing about them.

Thanks for taking the time to hit me up. Have yourselves a good day.

Writing-Dad (that's my sign off, until I can think of a cool catchphrase)

(Courtesy of maxandmummy.blogspot.com)