Me? Nervous? Nahhh! I’m fine… It’s not like this is my only chance… Honest! I’m fine… Fingernails? What are they…?

Paranoid? Of course not…! Who’s been talking to you?

Of course they haven’t called anyone yet! Why not…? Because ‘They’ said they hadn’t… Well, that’s not ‘exactly’ what they said… But it’s what they meant…

No… I’m fine, honestly… I couldn’t care less…

Excuse me… I need a drink!

Hmmmm - for all of us, "It's All Over Now" by Bob Dylan.

Oh, I'm sorry, I appear to have posted this on the wrong thread.

Or did I ...

*JaysPlays surfs the net for Dylan MP3s*

*Uploads the virtual bar and locks the door*

*Attaches hosepipe to Fosters pump and shoves other end in his gob*

*Adman, who is already melancholy, uncoks the Creme De Cassis and sits in a corner singing quietly to himself ...

Don't cry for me Sonia Friedman
It’s my fault I never impressed you
You read my two plays
But showed resistance
So I’ll keep on writing
And with persistence

Did I write enough?
There's nothing more I could think of to write for you
But all you had to do was read my script
And send me a line or two …

I do wish you two would stop with the countdowns.

I for one am totally relaxed and laid back about the whole thing and I'll smack anyone who says I'm not.

Does that Fosters pipe go as far as Aylesbury Jay?

Definitely the most stressful month of my life ever.

*rocks back and forth*

Seeing as ‘they’ said that if you haven’t heard by 30 Sep 05… And that it’s nearly midday 12 Sep 05… That makes 201 hours to go!

*Jury-rigs hosepipe extension to Aylesbury*

*Opens the port and starts singing sea-shanties*

Even Nelson didn’t have to put up with this! At least he could see where the combined French and Spanish Fleet were coming from! And he knew what they wanted!

201 hours? How much can I drink in 201 hours?

*Hic*

I dunno... But I'm as sure as hell gonna try and find out...

*hic*

You're my best mate! You know that don't you!

I love you Jay. I do. And I love you...and you....and you...not so much you....but you I love...and you.

quote:

201 hours? How much can I drink in 201 hours?

LML - you won't get drunk on what I'm going to be leaving, believe me! But it's not the next 201 hours that worry me ... it's how I'm going to survive what I'll drink in hours 202-226 - either way!

Nope: I've resisted it so far, but (seriously) the only way to live through this now is to adopt the following belief which I think I came to this morning.

It's over. Letters have already gone out. It wasn't me this time.

But I've made some great mates; I'm already working on a collaboration with Jay; we'll have Dramatic Success to think about; and this morning I got sent a really neat PartyLite candle by some good friends!

I'm an independent, modern woman, I have my own drink. Ms Minxy would be proud.

Minxy would probably find some way to get 15% of mine from me and redistribute it to you, Aurora, Miss Cathcart and herself!

Only if we were all "hot".

quote:

Letters have already gone out.

*JaysPlays cries like a baby*

Noooooooooooo...!

Say it isn't so!

*Drops the port and considers hard drugs*

Ok, I could be wrong. But what's worse - 18 days of desperately maintaining hope and a final, crashing realisation at the end that it was in vain, or accept it now, get it over with - and maybe have the best hour of your life at some point in the next 200?

By the way - has anyone EVER come across a comp offering this level of opportunity before?

I wonder, on October 1st, how many struggling UK writers will give up?

quote:

I wonder, on October 1st, how many struggling UK writers will give up?

I didn't give up before TPTT, so I won't be giving up post it... I'll just have to continue the 'conventional' route; pitching to agents, mailing theatres, trying to make contacts...

But most importantly - keep writing!

After all, the biggest critisim of this competition from the 'professionals' has been "what if they only have one play in them"... The collaberation play is nearly complete - and I'm still committed to getting the other two written by Christmas!

*Drops the thought of hard drugs, returns to the Fosters pump and offers everyone a cigar*

I agree - but I bet some won't!

I wonder how many people have vested too many dreams and hopes in this?

When you see an opportunity as huge as this and open to such a broad spectrum... It's hard not to get your hopes up...

But, it's having the courage to dream and the willingness to turn those dreams into reality that shows the difference...

But, I've been trying for a few years - one competition isn't going to stop me... If does stop some, then maybe they didn't want it badly enough...

quote:

By the way - has anyone EVER come across a comp offering this level of opportunity before?

Erm.. the lottery? Hell you could buy your own theatre then and pay people to watch your stuff.

I jest of course - I dont do the lottery because I have a basic grasp of probability. For the same reason I wont be giving up when (yes, I said WHEN) Im not successful in TPTT.

"We are all lying in the gutter - but some of us are looking at the stars."

Sorry - does anyone have a bucket, I think Ive just made myself ill.

The only bucket we've got is full of LML's Cosmo...

But given your latest quote, I think NVAJD has mutated again!

quote:

Originally posted by Adman 1961:
I wonder, on October 1st, how many struggling UK writers will give up?

I'm never going to give up, especially as I've only really just begun on this play writing malarky.

Anyway, I think to be a writer, you must enjoy writing so why give up on something you enjoy?

The unending pain of constant, crushing rejection?

quote:

The unending pain of constant, crushing rejection?

Yeah, but apart from that it's enjoyable isnt it.