What's Going On

So I read somewhere that “badgers love sweetcorn!” Seemed highly improbable to me, but to test, I left a cob out last night on the usual badger plinth. This was the result this morning – case closed! They sure had a good party last night...
PXL_20250810_110531810.jpg
PXL_20250805_195609802.NIGHT~2.png
Two nights ago, she's found my peanut stash. I suspect she may be pregnant...?
Don’t judge me, but I’m bunking off work now (3pm) to tidy up the badgers’ part of the wood...
badger_2025-07-01.png
First contact, about an hour ago :)
Freddie Forsyth is dead. Author of The Day of the Jackal and more of that ilk. As dodgy a character in real life as any in his books. Like Jeffrey Archer, wrote thrillers for the home county set. End of an era – end of a profitable genre too, perhaps.
Woke up to find a Chinese company who I’ve dealt with previously has successfully billed my credit card four times for goods not ordered. It’s a lot of money. Credit card company says – “wait for the good to arrive, then see if you can return them for a refund”. This is so wrong! All my morning will now be devoted to sorting this out :(
anaximander
anaximander
Yeah, had the same thing happen to this unknown company charging my creditcard via PayPal. Google the company and you get a lot of complaints of scams. Their website has a contact form that doesn't work. I disabled the automatic payment and hope that'll be the end of it.
AgentPete
AgentPete
I’m pretty shocked at how unhelpful Mastercard have been. Four large payments, exactly the same sum, to a Chinese company, over the space of a few hours? Smells like fraud to me! But card company didn’t challenge even once. We’ll see how this turns out.
Bloo
Bloo
Not fair at all. My Visa suspected fraud last time I renewed Litopia.

Hope you get it sorted.
I entered my first-ever screenplay of my first-ever adaptation of my first-ever novel (The Panopticon). I didn't get into the finals, but I did get a lovely letter:

"We’re so sorry to tell you that your script was not selected for the final shortlist.

However, it remained after several stages of top choice votes and was then on the long list of the top 42 in this category so please be assured that your script was highly rated by our screenplay literary committee.

We really appreciate the high standard of your scriptwriting and wish you luck with this and all your future projects."

I doubled checked with a few screenwriting teachers and they told me that I can be very pleased. So that's what I'm going with today. :D
PS Given the quality of the writing of this rejection letter, maybe they don't know what they're talking about ;) LOL
Hannah Faoileán
Hannah Faoileán
Congratulations, firstly on completing a screenplay of your book (no mean feat!), and secondly on garnering such a positive review! :clinking-glasses:
Sarit
Sarit
I'm also a screenwriter and went through all of the comps, labs, residencies. All these comps going away I think is a good thing. I placed twice on the Nicholl and now it's been 'sold' to the BL and other partners because they can't be bothered and Hollywood doesn't need our spec scripts---they got plenty of optioned books and writer/directors. What does that mean for you as a screenwriter? I don't know. This is why I am here and turned to novels. Your best bet is to query managers and network with other filmmakers. Or, learn the skill so when your book needs adapting you can write the screenplay yourself :)
Rachel Caldecott
Rachel Caldecott
I agree. Screenwriting is in a precarious state, and I know of several successful screenwriters who are now writing novels. But, wow to you! To get placed on the Nicholl twice is impressive.
This script of mine is actually an adaptation of my own novel, and I intend to continue to write both.
Good luck to you on your new path. Litopia is the place to be.
  • Like
Reactions: Sarit
Back
Top