My First Entry
This is my first website diary entry, in which I'll endeavour to keep you updated on forthcoming events and projects. I suppose it's a kind of blog, but 'blog' is such an awful word, like 'bonk' and 'chocaholic', that I can hardly bring myself to type it. So it's a 'diary'.I wish there was more to report. For the most part, work involves sitting here and trying not to get distracted by shopping on-line, playing music, filing VAT returns, drinking coffee etc. Publication of One Day has dominated the last year, and the few scripts that I'm working on are still under-wraps or in the very early stages of planning.
I can say, however that I have just completed the first draft of the One Day screenplay, which I'm writing for Focus Features/Universal. I had expected the script to be about four hours long, but it looks like it will be a zippy 2 hours 10 minutes or so and, at present anyway, largely faithful to the novel. As I write this, I'm in that anxious grey area where I've sent the script off but have yet to get an official first response. Who knows when/if it will happen, but I've been surprised by how much I've enjoyed going back to the book. Inevitably I've had to cut a lot of my favourite jokes, but hopefully have replaced them with some new ones.
I had never really thought of the book as obvious movie potential - the structure is quite literary and episodic - but so many people who have read One Day have asked about the possibility of a film, and I can see that there might be a big, romantic, funny, sad movie in there somewhere. The second question usually involves casting - who are Em and Dex, and how do we age them up/down? I have my own ideas, but am keeping them to myself for now.
I'm also revisiting another script that I've been working on, a new film adaptation of one of my favourite books, Great Expectations. This, again, has been a real pleasure. Needless to say David Lean's classic version casts a long shadow, but I'm confident that we've come up with a new take on the wonderful material, something that feels fresh and new while still being largely faithful to the book. I'll keep you updated on the movie's progress in later blogs.
In the meantime, I'm making two appearances at the Durham Literary Festival in October. On Sunday 25th I'll be discussing 'relationships' with Nick Hornby - not quite sure what I'll be saying yet. Then on Monday 26th, I'll be talking about Starter for Ten , which I'm delighted to say is the 'Festival Read'. I'm very much looking forward to both events, not least because it means staying in a hotel. I am already planning my breakfast.