Bits 'n' Pieces: Current projects

Mick's one of those writers who is reluctant to talk too much about his current projects - partly out of superstition and partly because he finds it too depressing to be reminded just how long it takes some of his ideas to get off the ground.

With his prose he has to take full responsibility for being such a slow-coach. His novels take about four or five years to complete (and, if anything, seem to be taking longer). This is down to Jackson's rather circuitous creative process and the fact that he keeps getting distracted by other (shorter) projects along the way. Starting a novel, for Jackson, is like entering a very long tunnel. By comparison, working on Ten Sorry Tales was a walk in the park.

When it comes to screenplays at least he can spread the blame around a little. Production companies will keep insisting on changes. TV channels will take forever to make up their mind. This is not necessarily a healthy environment for a writer who, by his own admission, has trouble with 'closure'. Revising and editing seem to take up most of his working life.

The other exhausting thing about writing screenplays is that if the script isn't actually written, the producers and commissioning editors will ask for an outline or synopsis. The problem here is that because a synopsis might only be a couple of pages there is the assumption that the writer shouldn't get paid too much for knocking it into shape. Whereas, for Jackson (and he suspects, most other writers) coming up with a viable synopsis involves pretty much the same sort of effort as coming up with a completed script.

Anyway, let us just say that the walls of Jackson's office are papered with ideas for novels, short stories and screenplays, none of which he feels particularly comfortable about discussing here. All he will say is that if there was the possibility of being commissioned to write a follow-up to Roman Road or Ten Sorry Tales he'd be happy to do it. There's also the matter of his third novel, which he's started and was due to be delivered two or three years ago. Jackson has three feature-length screenplays in various stages of 'development'. And he would dearly love to do some work in animation. And maybe a bit more directing at some point. That should keep the old dog busy.