Before I plunge into the morass which is my work I thought I would blog a bit to get my brain going- the next door neighbour's car alarm woke us at 3.15am and in the end that and snoring dog meant a severe lack of sleep.

I am also in a quandry about what to do with my next major college assignment. We have to adapt something- upto 6000 words plus commentary. As I am doing a scriptwriting option this year the obvious thing to do seemed to be to adapt a short story to a film short ( 30 mins = 3- pages). I hunted for suitable short stores, rejected 3 because I could see it would be hard to make meaningful adaptations, and plumped for a story about 2 old biddies in a nursing home. It's quite a nice story and brings the plight of the elderly into focus ( and lets face it I am going to be there shortly unless something nasty gets in the way instead), so it's a topic coming closer to home. Also my mother was in a care home for years so its something I am very familiar with. Write what you know and all that.

Well I had a quick discussion with my tutor on Monday night and she thinks there's too much dialogue to suit the visual medium of film. I said I imagined it along the lines of Alan Bennet's Talking Heads. She was not impressed. There are too many characters for radio, so that left a theatre play- or TV I suppose- though I dont have a clue about TV adaptations. I havent done stage plays either. I cant stop thinking about how I could adapt the story to a stage play- there are at least 10 characters, who need to be around at the same time and really, to break it up a bit, at least 3 locations. I can't think my way round how I deal with this all on one stage- especially when the received wisdom seems to be minimum props/bare stage.

Another contribution to a sleepless night.

Oh b*****......think I shall research TV instead?

But first I have to get on with some work....oh b*****...............