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Tag: blogs

Doppelganger Performance Group

Live performance has many things going for it, not least the ability of the actors taking part to connect with an audience on a truly visceral level. The experience is unique and intimate, and doesn’t rely on special effects to create tension. Doppelganger Performance Group put on an intriguing and entertaining showcase of stage plays at Bournemouth University on Saturday…

Joining the dots

Starting a new screenplay can be a daunting prospect. You’ve had the idea in your head long enough, now’s the time to transfer it to paper. But what about the groundwork – the fleshing out of the bare bones before you begin? I used to think that writing an outline was a waste of energy. Why sit and write a…

The devil is in the detail

Novelists can usually be divided into two camps: those that enjoy research, and those that loathe it. I belong to the former, and spend hours trawling through books and articles for subject-related matter. But how much detail should end up in a novel is open to debate. Too much and you risk the reader’s irritation. Yes, some readers enjoy textbook…

From novelist to screenwriter: Take 4

Making a movie is easy. You just get a bunch of actors, point the camera, and it’s done. Actually, there’s a bit more to it than that. You may also need the following: Script Location Director Editor Bags of cash With these things in place there’s a chance you’ll make good progress. But when the shoot is finished, how do…

Surfing the Edge: a survivor’s guide to bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder affects around one-percent of the population. Its symptoms range from suicidal depression to full-blown mania, where the individual believes him or herself to have godlike powers. Surfing the Edge: a survivor’s guide to bipolar disorder is the testament of three people who’ve experienced the illness first hand and lived to talk about it. The stories are honest and revealing, and…

The art of being someone else

The brain has been described as the world’s most sophisticated computer. Every day we spend hours uploading information and processing new data without pausing to consider how it all works. Unlike other animals, our brains have evolved the capacity to think logically. Rather than exist in a primitive vacuum, this ability has enabled us to transcend our basic nature and assume godlike powers we can then use to good or bad effect.…