UTOPIA

Conspiracy is on, in and around each corner; every man, woman, child and even possibly their pets are watching you. They can access your dental records, your medical records, even recreate your DNA to make it look like you've been eating chips when you've told everyone else you ate salad in the work's canteen.....and because of them you've put on three pounds instead of losing two like you had promised to (or is it just me they're doing that to?)

UTOPIA (C4 Tuesdays 10.00pm) was one of the most intriguing opening episode of a series I have seen for a considerable time; well when I say saw, at one point I had to turn my head but  continued to listen as the worlds worst bag of ready steady cook ingredients were placed in uber-paranoid Wilson Wilsons eyes.

Created by the same script writer as BBC 3's 'Pulling'and co-writer of Broadway bound 'Matilda', Dennis Kelly, I found it both fresh and unpredictable in its approach to, at what appears on the surface to be a less than original basic conspiracy storyline.

After ninety minutes not too many clues were revealed indicating which direction the remaining five episodes were likely to take, whatever route has been decided its obvious that its not going to be comfortable viewing.

The brash colours reminded me of Oliver Stone's cult series 'Wild Palms'  and in parts it was reminiscent of C5's much neglected and underrated 'Person of Interest', but this is going to be a much, much darker experience.

If anyone this week asks you 'Who Killed Laura Palmer?' Sorry 'Where's Jessica Hyde?' be worried, very worried, they are out to get you.

Targets For 2013

It was my intention to update this blog at least once a week throughout 2013 (I'll never become a daily poster, I've read posts from way too many bloggers who insist on telling me every aspect of their lives in such minute detail I seem to know them better than close relatives). The weekly 'state of play' declaration, so I thought, would act as a constant reminder of the progress I'm making (or lack of), towards my target of finishing two writing projects this year; hey guess what? It's January 21st and this is my first post of the year...so, off to a flying start then!

However it's not all been procrastination. I've spent many hours reading, re-reading and reviewing reams of hand written notes collected over what seems to be a very long period of time.

Whilst one of my projects 'The Calling Caves of Thalassica' (teenage fantasy), is almost complete, it's become a jigsaw puzzle where I've lost the lid of the box, that all-important lid with the picture on it. Some of the pieces have become a bit dog-chewed whilst others have slipped down the side of the sofa or possibly between the floorboards, but I have convinced myself that all the pieces are there, somewhere, it's just a matter of finding them. To misquote Morecombe and Wise...I've got all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order.

A second project 'Someone's Son' (very much a working title and a much darker tale of small-town ambition, retribution and sibling rivalry, aimed at an adult readership) in terms of word count is trailing 'Calling Caves...'; by more than a few furlongs, however it's in a much better physical shape. I've learnt from my 'Calling Caves...' meanderings, have fewer unstructured notes and feel considerably more focused when I'm working on this one.

So the major target for 2013 is to finish both of these novels:-

Word Counts as of 21st Jan 2013:-

The Calling Caves of Thalassica approx 75,000.

Someone's Son approx 25,000.

In addition to this I'm continuing with short stories; one is on its way to a local competition whilst others, I intend to tidy up and post on here (or possibly set up an authors web site rather than post them on a blog...but a new web site, whilst fun, would be yet another diversion).