Review by Toby Litt of Elizabeth McCracken's idiosyncratic, unconventional, novel guide (see what I did there!): "A Long Game: How to Write Fiction" which is less about rules, more about "modes of thinking". www.theguardian.com/books/2026/j... (Re-posting, as I made a hash of the link originally.)

Watching Reform UK unveil its latest failed Tory turncoat, I wondered if choice of background lighting – making audience look monochrome – was deliberate attempt to subliminally invoke a romanticised vision of a past Britain that never really existed, except in half-remembered black-and-white films?

I’ve added the script for Wake Up Dead Man to my site. This is the final shooting script, so it has stuff that was cut and moved around, which I always think is more interesting to see than a conformed cleaned up version. Enjoy! www.rian-johnson.com/screenplays

Study finds positive thinking by picturing or imagining good experiences boosts immune system (i.e. antibodies in blood). Link to paper in Nature – abstract says 85 participants in double-blind randomised trial. Needs replication & bigger sample – but interesting. www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

Never mind all that Six-Seven guff – that’s old hat – as is the term “old hat” – and indeed “guff”. But for all us cool and zeitgeisty snooker fans, the phrase du jour is Six-Two!

Sportswriter Jonathan Liew’s opinion piece on how Starmer has united the country – against himself – made me laugh out loud multiple times. Note: contains that strong four letter word beginning with a Hard C: Keir. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Coincidence or a strategic spoiler? Sky Arts is screening the 1981 adaption of Agatha Christie’s “Seven Dials Mystery” tonight – just three days before Netflix unveils its own new version titled “Seven Dials” (no mystery!) I will end up watching both – but which one to watch first?

Not mentioned in the review but definitely noteworthy are the 1970s title sequence complete with a theme tune by the legendary Mike Post. (Btw, I take issue with whoever wrote the headline – there are no offensive jokes, this is a very warm show.)
www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...

Tony #Mammoth, In-vision Continuity-ing like it's 1979.

I thought I'd found my people but the very fact that I've posted this means I can only be borderline pathologically apathetic!
www.theguardian.com/books/2025/n...

Charlotte Bingham obit – born 1943, aristo, private school, debutante – wrote first book aged 20.

"She was celebrating finishing the book by having a drink at the Ritz hotel when she was spotted by a literary agent, who signed her up and sold it to Heinemann."

www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...

The boy finally came good. Wife Betty and daughter Jessica couldn’t be prouder.

Attention Coverfly users! You'll know – or should know – it shuts down in two days on August 1st. Was hoping for a reprieve but no. Site has stopped updating results and seems to be running on fumes – very flaky – so now would be a good time to screencap laurels, export your data and remove scripts.

Valentine’s Day too much? Here’s a palate cleanser. My 2-page script ROMANTIC HIDEAWAY – made into a micro short by director Kawita Sareen, starring Kirsty Averton & Kristina Linder – won best short film under five minutes at the 2013 London Independent Film Festival. player.vimeo.com/video/61174598

The new term has definitely started with the Big Four opportunities for UK screenwriters all in play. Rocliffe and Studio 21 (deadlines just days away) are joined by the Channel 4 Screenwriting Course and BBC Writersroom Open Call. Details in newly updated #Opps4UKwriters PDF. bit.ly/Opps4UKwrite...

First post on Bluesky! I've updated my downloadable #Opps4UKWriters PDF for the autumn season. It has listings & embedded links to 80+ opportunities for UK writers, filmmakers, play makers & multi-hyphenate creatives. Lots of regional theatre & short film opps this time round. bit.ly/Opps4UKwrite...