I’ve never been one of those people who worries about age; getting older doesn’t bother me, and I don’t go round saying ‘It’s only a number’, or ‘You’re only as old as you feel!’

I did things in my thirties that I never would have done in my twenties, and my forties look set to be just as exciting with the publication of my new series.

So, happy birthday to me – and I’ll see you at 50!

Tommy

Have a great Christmas, and I’ll see you all soon!

Tommy

Now, however, as the turkey finally settles, it’s time to get back to work. I finished the third draft of the first book in the Scream Street series (SS1) on Christmas Eve, so now I’m back to the first draft of SS4. I’ve still got the second draft of SS3 sitting on my desk, but I’ll get to that after these two are submitted in the new year.

I’m also tentatively putting together notes for what I hope will be my next series. For obvious reasons I can’t talk about that at the moment, but it’s a break from what I’ve been writing over the past couple of years. I have an idea for a standalone novel for older readers, too. I’ll be getting to that at some point in 2008.

Also in 2008, I’ll be writing a book of drama games and exercises for teachers to use. A bit of a break from the fiction, but back to the non-fiction stuff I started out writing. I’m looking forward to it, and I’ve got a team of teachers poised around the country, ready to test out the content and report back. I’ll be able to say more once the contract’s signed.

Right, I’d better get back to Scream Street. these books won’t write themselves, unlike those written by a certain Mr Skipstone…

Tommy

2008 is going to be a big year for me, with the publication of my new series, Scream Street in October. Halloween still seems a long way off but, with all the work still to do on perfecting the books, I’m sure it’s going to fly by.

I’m also going to be writing an educational book this year, and I’m working on ideas for a new series and a standalone novel for older children. Pah – who needs sleep?!

we’re already 11 hours into the new year – I’d better get to work!

Tommy

Today’s topic is fan fiction – the stories written by fans of a particular book, film or TV series that features their favourite characters. Innocent enough, you might think – or is it?

Put simply, writers spend years developing their settings and characters. The books or scripts they write are their lives; it’s certainly how I earn my living and feed my family. So, should someone be able to simply come along and take what I’ve created for their own use? Is it any different to illegally downloading an album or movie?

Hollywood writer, Lee Goldberg – http://leegoldberg.typepad.com/ – falls very much on the fan fiction is copyright theft side of the fence and, sadly, is often berated by his own blog visitors for his staunch views on he subject. Lee writes novelisations of series such as Monk and Diagnosis Murder – the difference between his work and fan fiction being that he is commissioned to author those books by the owners of the original series.

JK Rowling has stated that she doesn’t mind Harry Potter fan fiction, so long as it doesn’t cross the line into pornographic material (a darker side of fan fiction). She sees it as evidence that her fans have taken to her characters so much that they want to explore new adventures for themselves. That’s OK, says Goldberg – the copyright owner has given you permission to do so.

But what if a fan fiction writer crosses that invisible line and tries to profit from their work? Lori Jareo wrote a full-length star wars novel called Another Hope, and offered it for sale via the publish-on-demand facility provided by both the Amazon and Barnes & Noble websites. Once discovered, the book was quickly removed (a lawsuit from George Lucas won’t do anyone any good), yet Jareo was incensed by the decision. “If it’s not a commercial project, I don’t see any problem,” she said. Sorry, Lori – if you sell it, it’s commercial.

Where does that leave me? What if, when my Scream Street books are published, fans write their own stories featuring the main characters? I’m still undecided, and would probably have to see what form they take. I do know that I have already spent well over a year writing these books and there’s at least another years’ work to do. Would you like somebody to come along, uninvited, and steal two years of your life from you?

Tommy

Uncle Rock is the ultimate performer for the child in all of us, with incredible songs such as Like A Pirate, Disco Nap and, my personal favourite, Sugar talkin’, Uncle Rock’s CDs are packed with great tunes and laugh out loud lyrics that’ll have you wishing you were six so you could rock out with your air guitar again!

But, hey – don’t take my word for it – go to www.unclerock.com and check it out for yourself!

Tommy

There’s no secret formula. I did it the hard way.

So, in case it may help other writers who read this blog, here’s how I did it…

I started writing while still at school, eschewing the teenage norm of hanging out on street corners to sit home and practice my art. Thankfully, I hit the library (no Internet back then…) and knew enough about how books were made not to send off my first ever attempts (although I did send some sketches out to Spitting Image, Stephen Fry and Ben Elton, getting very kind ‘keep it up’ letters in return.)

As you will know if you’ve read my biography, I then went into the world of acting (the only known industry more precarious than writing!) and fought my way through jobs entertaining kids at holiday camps and on Russian cruise liners to a role in a West End musical. Even that was part luck and part metal balls – I went to see the show with my parents, saw a part I thought I’d be good at, wrote to the producer to ask for an audition, got the audition where they saw me for a different part, stopped halfway through and said I wanted the original role for which they reluctantly let me read. Eight years later, I was still there (no, not at the audition! In the show!)

While I was in Buddy, I kept on writing, turning to the age-old phrase, ‘write what you know’. I’d worked with kids for years, so why not put together all the games and activities I’d been using, and pitch them as a book. It worked, and Quick Fixes For Bored Kids was published soon after. I went on to write three more titles for the same publisher, all packed with things to do for bored kids. Not what I wanted to write, but a foot in the door, nonetheless.

Then the door shut over my foot.

Buddy closed, I left London, and the book worked dried up. I worked for a few months on a computer tech support line, then auditioned for a role in a very small, touring schools and clubs panto. I did the tour, and stayed with the production company in order to write some of their shows. I still toured in them and often found myself playing a part in show ‘A’ while writing show ‘B’. Hard work, but great fun.

I was still writing in what little spare time I had, sending off my work to publishers and agents, and amassing an impressive collection of rejection letters in return. Still, I kept refining my work, and creating new projects. Eventually, I was given the chance to write a sample chapter for Egmont Books – they were looking for new writers for their 2Heads range, and I was offered three titles in their Too Ghoul For School series (I’ve since written a further two).

That gave me enough fiction publishing credit on my CV to get a meeting with an agent. I’d sent her a novel I’d written, but it wasn’t what she was looking for. Fortunately, I had a back-up plan and pitched her another idea I’d been developing. Scream Street was born…

It took me almost a year of various drafts to get Scream Street ready for submission (my agent assured me it was worth the extra effort to get it right before we found a publisher), and the series found a home with Walker Books.

So, it’s taken me almost 20 years to be an overnight success. I’m 40 years old and considered a new writer! And the reason is, I stuck at it, took criticism of my work and, most of all, kept writing! You do the same, and you can do it, too.

Tommy

I think the new look is very fitting for the style of books I write and, within time, I’ll be able to incorporate elements of the Scream Street books themselves.

So, have a look around, and let me know what you think!

Tommy

As part of the workshop, I was demonstrating how to brainstorm new stories and stumbled across an idea about a toilet that sucks the insides out of anyone who sits on it! I’m now resisting all temptation to write it!

Tommy

Congratulations to the writers and to actor Bill Tarmy as long-suffering husband, Jack. The final scene where he talked to his beloved pigeons was beautifully under-played and brought a lump to the throat.

Tommy