Archive for November, 2008

The second edition of the Screamcast is now online!  This month I answer a question about how many Scream Street books there will be, hear feedback from fiendish fans in the north west, and read an exclusive short story – Bone To Be Wild!

Download your copy here!

Tommy

Hippo Bathday!

It’s a double celebration here in the Donbavand household today.  Not only is it my birthday (I’m 41), but it’s also a year to the day since I started this blog.

And how will my blog and I be spending the day?  Working on all things Scream Street!  Great fun!

Tommy

North Liverpool Academy

Thanks to everyone at North Liverpool Academy for taking part in two great days of Scream Street events and workshops!  I love coming back to my home city, but the enthusiasm of pupils and teachers alike made this trip especially memorable.

Here’s to my next visit!

Tommy

Dead Set

I’m a little late posting this as I’ve only just watched the series after taping it a few weeks ago…

Congratulations to Charlie Brooker and everyone involved in the production of Dead Set – the zombie strewn take of Big Brother gone wrong.  Although I do love me some zombies – I don’t normally watch horror on film or TV (the resulting nightmares are unforgiving!), I really enjoyed this tale of the undead.

Top marks to Davina McCall for portraying herself as a zombie on screen (very scary!), along with several of the previous Big Brother contestants.  Praise is also due to Charlie Brooker’s script which manages to fill five episodes of zombie attacks without using the word ‘zombie’ once (it would have been too easy) and for genuinely surprising me with the ending.

I’m not a fan of Big Brother – or, indeed, any reality TV show – but this had me clamouring for more from the housemates, both living and dead!

Tommy

Blog Of The Living Dead

Scream Street 4: Flesh of the Zombie has recently received a great review from the zombie fans over at Blog of the Undead.

You can see what they had to say by clicking here: http://zombie-night.blogspot.com/2008/11/scream-street.html

Thanks for the kind words, guys.  Should the attack ever come, I’ll rescue you first!

Tommy

Y! Live Is Dead

Y! Live, the site from Yahoo! that I use to broadcast my webcam, is going off the air from 3rd December.  I’m going to have to find another way to push images of me hard at work in my office out to the world.  I’ll let you know as soon as I find a replacement service.

In the meantime, please stand by…

Tommy

This Book Is A Scream!

Scream Street 1: Fang of the Vampire has received a great review in the Liverpool Echo…

Blood-curdling capers – this is one of a series of four released this month – from Liverpool author Tommy Donbavand: grisly, gross and great fun.

You can see the full review here: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/views/liverpool-columnists/echo-columnists/2008/11/17/this-book-is-a-scream-100252-22275177/

Tommy

Marden Bridge Middle School

Thanks to everyone at Marden Bridge Middle School for a great day today.  I ran four creative writing workshops, and was amazed at the brilliant ideas which emerged.  Now the task is to turn those ideas into exciting stories!  I can’t wait to read them!

Tommy

My forthcoming educational book, Making A Drama Out Of A Crisis: Drama Techniques for Improving Behaviour Management in the Classroom is now available to pre-order via amazon.co.uk here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Making-Drama-Out-Crisis-Techniques/dp/1855394464/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1227093279&sr=1-11

The book – published by Network Continuum Education – contains dozens of unique drama games and exercises to help with problems such as use of bad language, pushing and shoving, poor attention skills and speaking out of turn.  There is also a complete script for the pantomime, Aladdin, and details on how to make scenery, costumes, cast and direct the show, and much more.

I’ll be posting the cover image as soon as it’s ready – so watch this space for further dramatic details!

Tommy

TV Hits!

Scream Street 2: Blood of the Witch gets a great review at the TV Hits website:

You can read the review by clicking here: http://www.tvhits.co.uk/book_reviews.php

Tommy