Hello Julia, Mary, kmkat and CL. There you are in my commentboxes, making me smile. My goodness, your presence takes me back to those years of fun and games we had - sharing poems, witticisms, sketches, photographs and a treasured, knitted scarf.

To answer your questions, the new background is simply one offered by Blogger for free. As far as my news from the past year - I was commissioned to adapt a book into a romantic comedy screenplay, a project which took up most of my time for the past two years. As it's the first screenplay I have ever written I had many obstacles to overcome. I am just beginning to learn the craft and I doubt it will ever see the light of day (or should I say - cinematic light) but it's finished to the best of my ability and I'm looking forward to my next project. I'm currently exploring ideas for a children's film, as well as toying with the idea of a graphic novel. I also now work as a screenplay consultant, helping other writers bring their vision to the page and the screen.

I would never have had the courage to do all of these things if not for the years of joy I experienced while blogging.

In the words of Diana Wynne Jones:

"If you love people and things enough then sensational things happen. It is, if you like, a form of wizardry." Our blogs were really love letters to the world, to each other, to ourselves.

Here is the awesome Diana Wynne Jones talking about her novel "Howl's Moving Castle" and its adaptation by Miyazaki into the animated film of the same name.

Here is the trailer for the film:

Magic.

Nostalgia

Hello dear reader,

I can hear the echo of my greeting, this blog has been that empty for that long. In fact I am greeting myself, returning to the magical place where for several years I wrote words in an attempt to connect fantasy with reality. Welcome back Eleanor.

The magic spells worked. I have the proof in the shape of a circle of friends - fellow word artists of the highest order. Also, a new career in which my words and images have taken flight and reached two or three people who have stopped and read and listened, even paid me for my services.

But this blog, much like Howl's Moving Castle, is my only true portal to the fantastic lands in which I am happiest.

This is certainly not a state-of-the-art blog. It's clunky, dusty, worn around the edges, but it travels well enough and has access to all four doors necessary for true happiness. And no I'm not going to tell you what those are, they're different for each person so it's of no use to even ask.

I can, however, give you a metaphorical tour of the place. Follow me.....

Success

A dear friend of mine and fellow screenwriter co-wrote and co-produced a TV pilot/teaser for the Optus ONE80 PROJECT competition.

It was chosen as one of the top ten entries!!

Here it is, titled "Deadbeat Dads". I'm so proud and excited for Shelley and her team!!!

P.S. You can vote for it too!

Distraction or inspiration?

Working as a screenwriter is hard. Imagine, if you will, inventing a location, populating it with believable and fascinating characters, and having it all fit into 110 pages which will capture what a story might look like once it's turned into a VISUAL form by a huge group of strangers called a Director, Producer, Cinematographer, Art Designer etc etc etc.

My head is about to explode and the deadline is the end of next week.

But I'll tell you what is the most difficult? Even worse than the tyranny of the blank computer screen (and this is what screenwriting is ALL ABOUT, so there's no point in whinging, but it's my blog, so I will) - the worse part is when I have to sit with the people who are paying me, and I have to listen to them discuss (for hours on end) the ways in which my characters could be better formed, and my story better constructed. They are often right, and often helpful, but that still doesn't lessen the bizarre hatred I feel for these "advisers" and "script doctors" and "consultants" who tell me that the character I've created is doing something out of character in my story.

Never before have I realised to what extent my experience as a mother can help me in a business setting. Keeping calm, cheerful, understanding and thankful in the face of hours of nerve-rattling disagreements - looks like it's my specialty.

The best part of screenwriting? Meeting amazing new people in the name of research. Anni - writer and artist extraordinaire - is my current inspiration, and has also introduced me to the joy of Miranda July:

Infomercial

NOUN:

A (television) program that promotes a product in an informative and supposedly objective way.

Here, here and here.

All upfront as "Sponsored by Nuffnang" and I don't for a moment believe they are lying in their posts. I actually like and use the product they're spruiking. But it's important to realise that when you write a gushing commentbox attached to a post such as this you become the equivalent of those clapping, smiling infomercial audience members. Only you're not getting paid, only enticed with the possibility of free goods. Not sure if it's worth it.

In which I return to my roots

No, this is not a post about having the roots of my hair touched up so as to cover up the grey. Although I did go to the hairdresser last week, and I must admit that it really cheered me up.

In this post I return to my commentbox roots.

I was first attracted to blogs because of those lovely little boxes at the end of each post. This past week I had occasion to disagree with a style blogger and I was about to move on without writing a comment because I feared the consequences of disagreeing with her.

I'm not talking about her tracking me down and, you know, beating me up, just that merely disagreeing with a blogger these days can often result in other readers' somewhat aggressive comments. I should point out here that this has never actually happened to me, but I've seen it happen to others, and I'm sensitive. In short - I have been worrying for two days now about the comment I left on this stylist's blog, even though it was very polite, not at all personal and received only a polite (although somewhat icy, remember I'm sensitive, overly so, always have been) response.

Have you ever had that niggling suspicion that disagreeing with a blogger in her commentbox is being mean? Do you think it's better not to write a comment at all in that case? AND - if so - does that explain the general trend in the Australian mummy and beauty blog spheres to adore each other to such an extent that everything becomes a love-fest of mutual admiration rather than an interesting potpourri of difference and genuine interest in the other point of view?

I have written very few commentboxes in my blog-life which made me cringe at a later date and wonder at my motivation. But lately I've been feeling cranky with the world, and I can feel it rubbing off on my commentbox persona. I think the problem may have started because I'm following many style blogs solely for research purposes, and these style bloggers have slowly become a part of my own style world, often to my own dismay. I'm following nailpolish addicts' blogs even as I inwardly sneer at their hobby (nobody, but nobody, is as obsessive as a nailpolish blogger). I'm following Australian style bloggers whose personal style actually makes my skin crawl, and yet there I am, day in, day out, apparently addicted to their regular posts even though they remind me how much ugly fashion there is in the world.

Do commentboxes take on a different meaning now that so many Australian style blogs are monetised ? Certainly if a personal blogger takes photos of herself in different outfits I would never ever write a remotely negative comment. But what if that blog is the blogger's business? And what if that outfit she's wearing, and the entire post, is in fact an advertisement (albeit honest) for a specific brand of clothing? So what is the etiquette in this case? Is it OK for the blog's readers to post only positive comments out of politeness?

I'm not certain. But I'm too scared to find out. I'm sensitive you know.

E x

When a man loves a woman

Here's my favourite trailer for "Drive" - I highly recommend this film. It's a superb character study, a very romantic love story, and you can just close your eyes during the couple of violent episodes (it's only make-believe you know).

(P.S. The trailers for "Drive" have been the subject of some controversy, which is ridiculous in my humble opinion. Oh, and the claim of antisemitism was a surprise to me as I hadn't picked up on that at all.)




Ryan Gosling's performance reminds me of John Travolta in "Saturday Night Fever". Have a look at this clip, especially his expression when he's driving in the car with Stephanie after she's been crying. And then, when they sit on the bench and she kisses his cheek - the look on his face and the tears in his eyes are so wonderful.

By the way, this post also counts as a style post as these two men are incredibly stylish. I love how the clip below includes Travolta's complaint that his father ruined his hairstyle.