New Blog alert!

With the 29 challenge now complete a few people have said that I should keep on blogging, and that’s what I’m going to do. However the 29 challenge is now a bit redundant as I’m now 30. So I’ve set up a new blog called Five Score and Five.

The blog will be about continuing with the favourite parts of the 29 challenge and a couple of new things as well.

The 29 challenge blog will still be online in case you want to relive all my adventures.

So thank you for reading the 29 challenge blog, I hope you’ve enjoyed it. And hopefully you’ll start to read Five Score and Five.

See you there!

The Challenge: What I’ve learnt and looking back

In the challenge I've learnt; how to cook 29 new recipes, say 29 phrases in different languages, stone pitching, jump starting a car and how to finish a screenplay.

Picking my favourite part of the challenge was hard, but I've whittled it down to 9 things (and out of 300 odd that’s not bad.) These are; Chessboxing, reconnecting with Jo, reconnecting with Hannah, Sevens in the City, reconnecting with the marathon, reconnecting with Neighbours, going to Rome, doing a pole photo shoot and writing a film in week.

It’s been a few weeks since I've finished  and it’s only when I look back at my trusty spreadsheet I can see exactly how much I've done in a year, and it’s a lot! Here’s the thing when I have an idea, I think it’s going to be quite small, but with further planning it actually turns out to be quite big.
There’s been a fair amount of change over the past year; not having a contract extended at work, temping again, then finding another job, financial troubles, falling in love and getting heartbroken and then trying to move on. Although these are all little things in the grand scheme of life, they can add up and for quite a few months of the challenge I was very lost, felt very alone and very low. But as crazy as it sounds the challenge kept me going through those lost dark times. I kept thinking if I finish this big challenge then at least I've achieved something this year. I won’t look back and think what a failure it was; I can look back and think if I say I'm going to do something, I can actually do it!

The thing with a challenges is, once you set your mind on it you become focused and depending on how big the challenge is, you can be very one track minded and sometimes become quite boring as its all you talk about. And there were times throughout the year when I was a challenge bore. Especially in the last month or so. I can only imagine Charlotte wished the challenge would finish as it was all I talked about and in the last couple of weeks I was so focused on the screenwriting and comedy part of the challenge I just shut myself in my room until those parts were complete. So apologies to my friends and family if I was a challenge bore.

Quite early on one of my sisters said to my dad that they wished I’d shut up about my challenge and not make a big deal about it and turning 30. I guess that’s one of the hardest elements, to keep on going when people don’t believe in you or have lost interest. Matt who I was seeing for 6 months didn't believe in the challenge. He listened to the idea of the challenge when I first met him, but after that took no real interest and when people who are important to you don’t support something you believe in, it can hurt a little. Just like when the believers stop believing. I know towards the end of the challenge there were only a handful of people that were still asking me about my progress. I think others forgot, had lost interest or didn't think I could complete it. And they wouldn't be wrong in thinking the latter, with one month to go I think I had 44 things still to do. It was a massive mountain to climb but I did it. Although you shouldn't do a challenge to please people, it's nice to have support through the tough times to keep you going.

Looking back on the list I don’t think normally I would experience such a high level of variety. It would probably be the amount of stuff I would do over a few years, let alone one. In what challenge would you see; chessboxing, a one direction concert at the cinema, learn how to stone pitch, cook crème brulee, listen to Chas and Dave, catch up with a neighbour you haven’t seen in 20 years, try locus, see Fifty shades of Grey and Gone with the Wind, learn insults in multiple languages, see your old teacher do stand-up comedy, read Miley Cyrus’s autobiography, jump start a car and write a 2 hour film in a week?!

Oh and do a pole photo shoot, go to Rome, meet someone who gives you a life trick for the theatre, read American classics, meet baking royalty and a cricketing legend, take part in a parade and music festival, get autographs from the other side of the world, go to a rugby festival and see Cool Runnings on an ice rink? Tough Mudder you may have your electric eels, stinging nettles and your mud mile but the 29 Challenge can pack a punch as well. Just at the end of it, it won’t take 15 minutes to get all the mud out of my hair!

Doing this challenge has definitely made me stronger and it’s only now that I've finished the challenge that I can hold my head up high. It’s actually surprising to hear what people think of the whole thing. Since putting it on facebook that I finished, one of my work colleagues is currently working his way through the blog entries. My Auntie Benita said that the post I wrote about my sister Gemma was very touching, and my friend Carmella even made a whole birthday card about my challenge which was the best. People have asked if I will carry on blogging, and I have a few ideas of what to do next. So watch this space.

I don’t want to end on a low or end on an Oprah Winfrey motivational high. I’ll just end it by being me. Challenges aren't meant to be easy, they’re meant to test you and quite often there are parts of challenges you do on your own. You’re lucky if whatever challenges you set yourself; you've got someone to do it with. But whatever challenges you set out to do, whether it’s physical, mental or emotional, stick with it, stay focused and plan ahead. If you plan ahead then if you start to worry about reaching the end, you've got it all figured out anyway.

To the non-believers and the ones that got bored I thank you as you made me more determined to complete the challenge. And to the believers, the cheerleaders and the people that read the blog regularly to see how I was doing I thank you as well. I hope in some small way I've inspired you to do as much as you can; whether it be in a month, a year or a lifetime. Make it count.

Screenwriting: What have I learnt?

‘The biggest challenge, especially if you don’t have a deadline, is finishing something. I admire anyone who just sits down and completes. Not many people manage to maintain the motivation to get from having an idea to finishing a draft.’ Jane Goldman, screenwriter of Kick Ass and Stardust.

The screenwriting part of the challenge was by far the most challenging part, and the part where I learnt the most. It was an area that nobody could help me and if any obstacles arose, which they did then I could only battle against myself to get through it.

So what did I write? I finished writing a web series, wrote 2 shorts for a friend, a one off piece for TV, a 6 part TV series, a 2 hour film and restarted a film idea I had 5 years ago. The themes have been sport, futuristic and even sci-fi.

The two challenging aspects which I found with screenwriting were keeping up momentum and writing when I couldn’t write. Life happens and it gets in the way and takes turns you don’t expect. So from April till July I couldn’t write at all due to getting over a break up which took way longer than I thought it would take. 4 months of no writing meant I had 116 pages to catch up on. Whenever I wanted to write my mind would either drift or the characters I wanted to write about were coincidently going through similar things. And during those months I couldn’t think of an idea where I could be completely distracted from what was going on in my life. (More on this in my previous screenwriting post.) That part was tough, especially coming into September I still had an awful lot to catch up on and it was the one time I was scared of not completing the challenge.

But then I created strong plots which got me through and kept me distracted. Platinum Heaven was easy to write to begin with, but got a bit more challenging towards the end. And with Marathon Money it just flowed and at times I struggled to keep up with the ideas I was having.

They say you should write about what you know and for quite a few pieces that was true. The web series and Stuck on You were stemmed from one of my ex’s. Marathon Money used my small amount of knowledge I had on running in sponsored events and pole lessons which I took. I used a lesson that a lecturer taught me about thinking of ideas for articles; what if this happened? How you can change the angle of a story that had been written time and time again by simply asking one question and making it different. So Platinum Heaven, Stuck on You and If We Aren’t Married all came from that question in a way.

Through the lows of the year I gained an emotional tool kit which means any future characters I create can have some depth to them.

Going forward writing is definitely going to be a regular thing, as it’s been about 7 years since my interest in screenwriting began and I can’t stop and restart again. Although I may not write 29 pages a month, I’ll definitely write something every month.

So what’s the plan now? I'm going to finish If We Aren't Married. After that I have 3 ideas that I’d like to complete. One I have already started writing and has a beat sheet written out so I know how the plot will develop. It’s called Somebody Else’s Dream and that is my next film to complete. I’ve also got another screenplay idea called ‘2 hours You’ll Never Get Back’ which is another futuristic film, and has the potential to go in lots of different ways, so that will take a lot of work. And the final is a comedy series. I’m also interested in seeing how it would work if I write with someone, so I might explore that also.

People have asked me what am I going to do with Marathon Money now I’ve completed it? Well I’m going to write the other pieces I stated above first and then I’ll go back and make notes ready for a second draft. I feel if I have a break from the characters, not only in Marathon Money but also Stuck On You, then I can come back afresh with new ideas. I also feel that if I do a second draft too soon, then I’d become too attached to the characters and would find it harder to change things. I may get some people to write and make notes on what to improve, although that’s a scary prospect. I’ve only just opened up to the idea of people hearing my ideas to begin with.

Jane Goldman also said: ‘Allow your first draft to be crap and just focus on getting to the end. Then go back to improve it.’

So the next chapter of writing is all about improving.

Reconnecting: What have I learnt and what was the best?

So here’s an interesting fact about the reconnecting part of my challenge. If you add up all the years it has been since I last connected with things and people on my list, it would equal 148.8 years!!!! Who can ever say they've reconnected with over a century worth of things and people?

This category is probably my favourite category for the simple reason that for the most part there’s another person involved.

It’s helped restart some friendships again, like Tom and I. We hadn’t seen each other in 7 years and truthfully I didn't think we’d see each other again as lives on the other side of the world. But since catching up last year we've been in more contact then we were in the past. And hopefully if I can go to Australia again then he can come and visit from New Zealand.

It’s been ten years since I started uni and I reconnected with 4 uni friends this year and as a result the friendships have been refreshed.

Some of the reconnection's were unexpected with Islam in Boots and Luc who I used to work with. It still makes me laugh how we managed to get a picture with Islam and his colleague being completely bemused by the whole situation. Islam was probably a little weirded out by us asking for a picture, but no doubt he’ll recognise us next year.

The marathon was a lot of fun and the punting although I found it fun years ago; it was the complete opposite this time round. I hated it by the end!

It’s really tough to pick which reconnection's were the best, but I've somehow whittled it down to 3. The first being autographs. No it wasn't a person, but me writing to the Neighbours cast for my friend Laura and for them to actually reply was an unbelievable feeling. It still makes me smile to think the cast of a soap took the time to sign a wedding card with funny, witty messages for someone they had never met. That letter that I wrote inspired me to write to other people important in my friends lives. I also wrote to a number of rugby players for another friend to motivate him and I each time I got a reply it was overwhelming that a player would take the time to do a random act of kindness. I had 6 amazing responses and each player wrote their own version of what I asked. Getting any reply in the first place is a little victory when it comes to autographs, for whatever purpose they have.

The second favourite reconnection was with my shorthand teacher Jo. It was such a fun day, and I still remember Humaira and I watching Jo walk into the hotel we were meeting, I felt like royalty was coming to visit! It’s a rare occasion to meet someone who used to teach you not in the teaching arena if that makes sense. I should be used to it as my parents were both teachers and I know a lot of them. But how often do you meet up with teachers that taught you after you've left school or uni? And Jo was way more open than we expected and we got to know her as a person instead of just our shorthand teacher. We’re facebook friends now and we message each other more frequently.

The last favourite reconnection has to be number 29, reconnecting with my old neighbour Hannah. During the challenge it’s been either 2 years or 5 year time period since I last saw someone. However with Hannah it was 20 years which looking at that on paper is a lifetime. In essence I wasn’t just reconnecting with someone from my past, I was getting to know a new people entirely. I mean come on who has the same conversations as when we were 3. There’s only so much you can talk about when it comes to dolls.

Luckily the risk of meeting someone I pretty much didn't know had paid off. She’s already put up pictures when we were young on facebook on my birthday, and I’ll do the same on hers!

Reconnecting although it seems quite scary and daunting from the outside is actually one of the most fun and rewarding things you can do. And yes I know that not all reconnection's work, just look at reconnection number 3, I never heard from the ex/fridge magnet again. But reconnection's can bring opportunities and open doors to new ways of thinking and different angles on memories. So maybe don’t try and attempt a crazy 29 reconnection's in one year, just go for one and see what happens. I want to try and do at least one next year, if not more. Who knows where it will take me?!

New Comedians: What have I learnt and who was the best?

The comedian part of the challenge I was a little overwhelmed with. Apart from the last 2 comedians, all of them I saw doing stand-up, whether it be live or on DVD or Youtube. With this sort of format, they all have the same sort of rhythm and same sort of subjects they tell jokes on. This is absolutely fine because if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.

What I’ve learnt about comedians and comedy is how tastes can vary dramatically. So quite a few recommendations fell a bit flat.

I was a bit disappointed with how few female comedians I saw for the challenge as well. I know the local comedy club does have female comedians do sets, but unfortunately they weren't the weeks that I went. I do really want to watch more comediennes so that’s one thing I’ll take away from the challenge.

And I think throughout the challenge I've got less funny! Maybe an overexposure to comedians might be why.

So who was the best comedian? It was of course Kevin Hart; his stand up I was laughing from start to finish. And as strange as it sounds Geoff Norcott my old media teacher was a close second. Who’d have thought it?

New recipes: What have I learnt and what was the best?

Just over half of what I cooked in the challenge was something sweet. Not all my cooking attempts were successful; in fact the sweet treats were things that often went wrong. The key lime pie was a landslide, as was the upside down cake which didn't cook fully either. Panna cotta and the chocolate fondant didn't come out of the ramekins and pudding basins successfully, and the macaroons didn't turn out great either.

With all the failures in the cooking it doesn’t mean that I failed the challenge. I cooked things I wouldn't normally cook or things that I thought were adventurous. I was really surprised with how the Crème Brulee turned out. I thought they would be a disaster because on Bake Off the week I cooked them, the contestants had trouble mastering them. But they were a hit and surprisingly easy to make.

I learnt how to cook some basics like Stew, steak and flapjack and there were some dishes that I would definitely make again like Biryani, the vegetable rosti and Mexican scrambled eggs, which I have already made again.

The best times of cooking were when I was cooking for friends and family and I loved making brunch and doing the pudding club and food gathering. On the subject of the food gathering I must do a little shout out to Fran who made me some Indian almond milk sweets and I forgot to mention that in the food part of the challenge. Sorry Fran! Hopefully I can cook for you again soon.

New books: What have I learnt and what was the best?

I've managed to read a near even amount of fiction and non-fiction books for the challenge. I’ve read autobiographies, American classics, a children’s book and a text book among others.

With the American classics such as The Great Gatsby and Catcher in the Rye I felt that if I read them when I was younger I would have liked them, but reading them now meant I was too old to appreciate them in some ways.

I read a number of autobiographies and a number of these were sportsmen and women. One of the books was about a sportsman who I didn't like. For a long time I hated Kevin Pieterson but reading his autobiography made me do a complete 180 and change my view on him and now I respect him, something I never thought I’d say.

The two books I enjoyed reading the most were ones about challenges. So Reading Promise and Eat, sleep, cycle fall into this theme. They were really interesting and completely different challenges to each other; one spanning a few months, the other spanning years and years. It was really interesting to see how they kept going on their challenges.

For two of the books; Eat, Sleep, Cycle and Us I met the authors themselves and asked them both questions. They both took the time to answer my questions which was great and very worthwhile.

There are still quite a few books on my bookshelves waiting to be read. Ones that I borrowed or bought for the challenge, but never got round to reading. Or started and haven’t yet finished. There’s a Virginia Wolff novel, Cloud Atlas, a short Cecelia Ahern story and plenty of my favourite type of books autobiographies to get through.

So what have I learnt from the books I've read: I've learnt traditions on being happy in different cultures, how one moment can change your life and how to pick yourself up when you get knocked down. Lastly I've learnt surprisingly age does matter when it comes to reading books, read one too early and you might not appreciate it but read one too late and you can’t connect to characters you thought you could. So I guess if someone recommends a book to you, read it now and not later.