Writing 29 pages of a screenplay per month #1: A sporting finish and may the force be with you

The screen-writing part of the 29 challenge is probably the hardest part for me. It’s not that I don’t enjoy screen-writing, it’s something I've always wanted to do, but it’s just finding the time to sit down and write.  And this month was one week shorter as I started the challenge on the 11^th, so I'm even more pleased that I got the pages written!

This month has been a bit unconventional with writing 29 pages. Around the middle of August I started writing a web series called Team Talk Something or Nothing, which is a sports show with a twist. It’s an idea that I first had at uni, but then the format and title just didn't work, so I scrapped the idea. Years later I start thinking about it again, change the format, the title and style and it starts to flow. Before October I had written ¾ of the series, so it was a case of writing additional episodes and extending others to meet the page limits I set. Of course nothing is perfect on the first draft (except Erin Brockovich, which the version they use in the film is the first draft), so I'm going to leave it a month or so and then look at it again with fresh eyes. I’d already started making notes on how to improve it, but I thought if I keep tweaking it, then I’ll never get a first draft complete.

The second part of the screenplay writing this month is for one of my uni friends, who will discover in a few days that I have written a couple of short scripts to do with Star Wars. Why Star Wars? Well my friend shares his name with an up and coming actor who has been cast in the new Star Wars film. 

The actor is also in the series Girls, so whenever that show is aired, my friend gets more twitter followers. With references from our uni course, and an unusual travel guide I'm sure my friend will find it entertaining. 

New film #3: Teaching life lessons

Tuesdays with Morrie is a great memoir given to me by my best friend Alice. We both loved the book, and it made us a bit emotional as well. Months ago I stumbled across the film listed on my tivo, and we both thought that the film was worth a watch. So tonight we finally watched it.

The book and film is about Mitch Albom who reconnects with his college professor Morrie Schwartz, in the last few months of his life. They hadn’t seen each other in a long time, but it was if no time had passed in their relationship. The film explores both their lives and Morrie teaches Mitch life lessons that can’t be taught in a class room.

It was a great adaptation of the book, and had me weeping around the 1 hour mark. Alice on the other hand needed a box of tissues for half the film! It makes you realise how important your teachers past and present are. I graduated in 2008, and ever since once or twice a year I email my shorthand teacher to tell her all that’s been happening to me and my course mates. This film reminded me it’s time to contact her again. Have you kept in contact with any of your old teachers?

New film #2: The random journey to the end of the world

For my 2^nd new film to watch, I watched with my friend Kayleigh; Seeking a Friend for the End of the World. We usually watch Rom-Coms, so it was a change of style for us.

The film starred Steve Carrell and Keira Knightley and was about the world ending in 21 days due to an asteroid called Matilda hitting earth. Rash decisions are made at the start of the film, when Carrell’s wife leaves him and many quit their jobs, and Knightley misses the last flight home to see her family.

What followed is a calmer journey to the end of the world, albeit with random characters along the way. The film was quirky, and in some ways confusing as to what the film was aiming to do, but I guess if the world was really going to end then you thought trail would be quite random! Keira Knightley and Steve Carrell, although you wouldn't think it work well as a pairing. And there were great cameos from Connie Britton and Martin Sheen as well. We are learnt that there are quite a few British named places in America, who knew there's a Somerset over the pond?! It certainly got me thinking which friends I would like with me if the world was going to end. Who would you like by your side?

Learn a phrase in a different language #1: It’s all Greek to me

As I've said previously in this blog I did journalism at uni. So it only seems fitting that one of my course mates would teach me the first phrase in a different language.

I’d like to introduce to you my friend Hayley; she’s the one on the left in the picture. At uni we gave each other the nickname of ‘journo rock’, as we’d send each other our articles for proof reading, and to see if we were making sense or rambling rubbish. She also got engaged recently to Jonathan, so this phrase seems fitting.

So the phrase is 'I love you' in Greek, which  is Σ 'αγαπώ and Hayley learnt it from a lovely lady when she was in Greece. You need to think sack of poo when you say it. And for a bonus part of the phrase if you want to say I love you very much, it’s sag a po poli.

Phrase one done and dusted, and with my auntie being from Chile and work colleagues from Singapore, Bulgaria, Brazil and Greece, there’s going to be a lot of variety!

Try new foods #4 and #5: The flying cheek of it

I’m a big fan of Australian MasterChef, forget the British one, the Australian one has bigger challenges and better food! Recently they had a challenge that involved cooking pigeon, and when booking a work dinner I saw pigeon was on the menu, so of course I had to try it. The picture isn't great, but it tasted pretty good. The meat was firm but not too chewy, and was perfect size for a starter.

For my main course I had Ox cheek, and my phone was playing up so no picture of it I'm afraid. It tasted great; the meat was very soft and flaky. With the gravy that went with it being quite rich, this meant I got full quite quickly. Next time I won’t be having two meat courses, but will definitely have both meats again.

I ate at The Tickell Arms, which is a great pub restaurant in Whittlesford near Cambridge. Let me know if you've tried any unusual meats, and what ones I should try next.

New film #2 and New food #3: Judgement popcorn

In the final part of celebrating my birthday twice, I went to see The Judge; starring Robert Downey Jr and Robert Duvall. It’s a film about a city lawyer (Downey Jr) going back to his home town to represent his dad (Duvall) who is the town judge and suspected of murder. It was nearly 2 and half hours long, but the film didn't drag at all. The film also explored family relationships and how they can sometimes be complex. There were good solid performances from all the cast, so I wouldn't be surprised if it comes up at award season. One thing though that my friend Jen said, the first 10 minutes or so, although shot well did feel like a car advert!

To go with the film I tried Worcester sauce and Sun Dried Tomato popcorn. If you like a bit of heat in your popcorn, then it’s for you. And eat throughout the film, if you eat this popcorn all at once then you mouth maybe on fire!

Reconnecting #2: Quorn

When it came to food at uni, I had it sussed in the first year, as I was on the catered package which meant having 2 meals a day at the student canteen, and I worked there for 2 semesters so I got extra free food as well.  Meaning I barely had to cook.

In 2^nd year however I was cautious when it came to cooking. I could cook, but my mum was always somewhere in the house to check if I cooked meat through. Obviously my mum wasn’t at uni with me, so to save the risk of getting food poisoning I had Quorn throughout my 2^nd year! Strangely I haven’t had any since until my friend Jen cooked a Quorn family roast yesterday.

Quorn still tastes the same, but my cooking skills have advanced so I have more meat options for meals. Did you have any unusual cooking habits at uni? 

New film #1 and New food #2: A sweet river

My friend Jen said that I should celebrate my birthday like the queen and celebrate twice. So she came round for an afternoon with some surprises. The first being that she cooked a great chilli for me, and then she got me orange and spiced tea and the Joan Rivers A Piece of Work documentary.

Thanks to working at an old people’s home part time for five years, I am an expert tea maker, but I’m not really a hot drink fan. With the 29 challenge it’s all about trying new things, so I gave it a try. The orange and spiced tea smelt of Christmas and tasted very fragrant. Not sure it was for me, but I am open to trying other flavoured teas.

I first heard about Joan Rivers A Piece of Work soon after her passing, as on the Late Night Show with Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy recommended watching it. Jen and I are both big E! channel fans, so we’d seen plenty of Fashion Police which Joan hosted. The documentary was a real eye opener as it chronicled a year where work was very up and down for Joan. She was a real hard worker, in her apartment she had a filing cabinet full of jokes, worked from 7am-11pm, in high heels and at the age of 75. And more surprisingly she married her husband after knowing him for 4 days, yes 4 days! It was also humbling to see that even though she was a celebrity, Joan was human when it came to criticism and the fear of it and how it still got to her sometimes.

So if you can give Joan Rivers A Piece of Work a watch, she was one of a kind.

Cooking #1: It doesn’t always go right

Thanks to a macaroon master class at the start of the year; making macaroons aren't a daunting thing. I've made them for my friend Paula’s hen do earlier this year, and today I made them for my friend Linsey’s birthday. Well belated birthday present, her birthday was in May and I gave her a ‘Joss’s birthday bakery voucher’, where she could pick from a list of things I could bake. So five months later she got some macaroons. Not just any macaroons but a new Malteaser macaroon recipe.

Although I know how to make macaroons, I've noticed macaroon recipes vary quite a lot, and it seems recipes I find online don’t always go my way. It’s probably me not being a great cook, but today they didn't go quite right. It can be a number of things that can go wrong; the mixture has been folded too much, the egg whites were too firm, or the oven was too hot or they were in for too long. For today’s batch the shells broke and there wasn't a good enough skin, if that’s the right baking term.

However I did manage to salvage a few for Linsey, so she got her birthday present in the end. She looks quite happy with them.

The recipe I tried is from the Little Loaf site where there are lots more yummy treats. And for me, onwards and upwards for the next new thing to cook!

Reconnecting #1: Writing

2008, the year I graduated was the last time I wrote on a regular basis. I went to Staffordshire Uni and studied Journalism. In essence we were freelancers for 3 years as every article we wrote had to be submitted for publications. I had wanted to be a journalist since I was 14, but by my third year the spark had gone. Add to the fact that my main lecturer said my grammar and punctuation was poor and my intros weren't compelling enough, I knew that journalism wasn't for me. I wanted to prove my lecturer wrong, and so with my; ‘don’t get bitter get better’ approach I got a 2:1.

I still write articles occasionally for friends, but joke ones. For my friend Jasmine, at an old work place we worked at, she got all her work done within 45 minutes of arriving. So I wrote an article saying she was a record breaker, and that her native Australia was proud. It stopped her being bored for a few minutes at least.

So writing this blog is reconnecting with a thing, and that thing is writing articles I guess, as blog posts are that in a way. Add shorthand practice into the mix, and it would be like I never left uni! 

New places and activities #2: Concert screening

The day after Chessboxing I did something that couldn't be more opposite. But before I tell you what it is, you need to remember that everyone has that band or singer that they shouldn't like for credibility reasons, but do anyway. This band is one that my flatmate Charlotte and I would dance to in the kitchen while cooking. And we think they’re decent guys too. So the guilty pleasure band of our flat is….One Direction. Charlotte even got me a birthday card with their lovely faces on it, complete with badge.

One Direction’s Where We Are concert was on at our beloved Broadway Cinema, and yes apart from the parents of the 12 year old girls that went, Charlotte and I were probably the oldest ones there! I know people that have been to see musicals and plays at the cinema before, but would a concert work? I think in this case it did, purely because if I went to an actual 1D concert I’d lose my hearing. I left the cinema with both ears working. And one good thing about the group, they’re normal and they openly announced halfway through the concert that they needed a toilet break. There was a Q&A before the concert started, and we learnt that Liam thought he had only one working kidney until recently. I really hope that comes up in a pub quiz.

You’ll be pleased to know that I only knew a handful of songs that they sang, so I'm still showing my age a bit. One Direction isn't everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s good to be like a teenager again for an afternoon. And as Ted, a guy I met on a train years ago once said; ‘Everyone has to grow old, but you don’t have to grow up.’ Wise words Ted, wise words!

New places and activities #1: Check mate knock-out

This is probably the first very random activity of the 29 Challenge…Chessboxing! It was only in the past few months that I first came across it thanks to an ex boyfriend. While we didn’t last, I was still intrigued by the sport, and so I brought in my partner in crime of doing random things, my school friend Rachel. She will be one of the many that will appear regularly on the blog.

Now back to Chessboxing, what is it I hear you ask? Well two contenders play a timed game of chess over a series of rounds. They also box over a series of rounds. So the first round is chess, second round boxing and so on. As the rounds go by, they get more tired, mistakes get made in the chess and that’s where it gets interesting. 

It’s a combination that you wouldn't think would work but really does, and before I knew it I was shouting; ‘Use your bishop’ and ‘castle him!’ Who knew there could be chess banter?
It’s a great night out, bring on the next match. I went to LondonChessboxing, give it a try.

Try new foods #1: Start off small

When trying new food, the trick is to start off small, and as you can see this key lime pie (courtesy of Starbucks) is tiny, but mighty! It was refreshing with a nice tang. This might be one to master in the kitchen.

Meet new people #1: Train friends

When I first started thinking about how this blog would shape, I already had a rough plan in my mind of an order of what I would write about. Then life happens. So on my way back from a night of comedy, on what could have been a very awkward train journey, when my good friend Laura’s (also known as twinee) boyfriend Dan recognises me and we end up chatting for the whole journey. It’s always good to meet up with people you haven’t met before, that you’ve heard so much about.

Speaking of train journeys at uni when travelling at the start and end of semesters, I always tried to speak to a stranger on a train. With long train journeys it made me think I had achieved something other than getting from A to B. Not everyone wanted to talk, but as you’re only in the same train for a few hours, and would probably never seem them again, what have you got to lose? Who knows maybe with this challenge I’ll start doing that on journeys again. Does anyone else talk to strangers on the train?

What's it all about?

On the 11th October I turned 29. Some embrace getting older, some fear it and others wonder where the time went. This is what I thought. Jane Fonda said in her Oprah Master Class that you live your life in 3 acts, each act spanning 30 years. With this in mind all I was thinking when I turned 29 was that I am nearing the end of my first act, make it count!

I have a great set of friends, some are married with kids and settled down, others are high flying in their careers, and others are still trying to figure it all out. I guess that's where I am. I'm nowhere near ready for marriage and kids (thanks to an 8 month stint as a wedding planner, it's put me off for quite a while.) And I'm not flying high in my career thanks to a career change earlier this year. But having lived in the same town for nearly 6 years, and knowing the area my whole life, I've started to get a bit of cabin fever. I want and need some change, and then I thought of the 29 challenge.

It's a simple concept, between now and my next birthday I will aim to do 29 things in 11 different categories.

These categories are:

• Cook 29 new things
• Meet 29 new people
• Try 29 new foods
• Go to 29 new places or try/watch a new activity
• Reconnect with 29 things or people 
• Read 29 new books
• See 29 new films I haven't seen before
• Write 29 pages of a screenplay every month
• Learn 29 phrases in different languages
• Listens to 29 albums I haven't heard before
• See 29 comedians I haven't seen before

You can see my progress on this blog and Instagram - josstheboss2014, and if you're in the same boat as me, come on board and take the 29 challenge. Any suggestions for what to do in any of the categories are welcome.

So bring on being 29, who knows where it'll take me!