Katielee.co.uk

Screenwriter and crafty type

Shortlisted for BAFTA Rocliffe 2019

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Did I mention this? Well I should have! My YA script, Followers was shortlisted for BAFTA Rocliffe’s Young Adult/Children’s writing award last year.

Followers is about three also-ran YouTubers who get caught up in the mysterious disappearance of a famous vlogging star. Inspired by true events in the YouTube community (including my past life as a digital journalist and vlogger), Followers finds a dark heart within the weird and wonderful world of web celebs.

It’s the second time I’ve made the shortlist. The previous time was with a family comedy drama I wrote with Alex Milway. At the time, getting that boost from Rocliffe was amazing – it certainly set us on the path towards getting an agent and getting paid as scriptwriters.

So if you’re thinking about doing it, get cracking! It’s really worth it. Even if you don’t get anywhere, you’ll get great feedback. Before we entered our children’s script, I entered my sitcom “Mum-Life Crisis,” which didn’t get anywhere. But the feedback Rocliffe gave me helped me to redraft it, and that’s the script that got shortlisted for the Funny Women Award. So it’s a competition that’s worth its weight in gold!

Plus, if you go to the Showcase live event, you get to take selfies with writing legends like Sarah Phelps. Look how bloody chuffed I am in this photo!!

 

 

For more information on Followers (or anything else) you can get in touch with Clare Israel at David Higham Associates

 

*Well, actually, the last time we were “forum listed”, which was one step up from shortlisted, but doesn’t seem to exist any more.

We’ve been in the Cool Seat on Radio Shropshire !

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Ten years ago I was listed as one of London’s 1000 Most Influential People. Today, I’m not even the most influential person in my shed and I’m the only person in it.

And I’m fine with that.

No really I am! There’s no way to say it without sounding like a massive fibber. I mean loved being at Shiny Media in its heyday. When I wasn’t trying to stifle my engulfing Imposter Syndrome, or chomping down antibiotics for stress-induced lymph-node infections, or having meetings with people who leave no box unticked on the Psychopath Checklist, it truly was the Best Time Ever.

We employed brilliant people whose careers I follow with huge amounts of pride and awe. Sure, we didn’t get everything right (not even close), but the things we DID get right were entirely down to the clever, funny, kind, nerds and trailblazers who worked for us. 

So if it miss anything, it’s seeing those people every day. But the rest? I’m good thanks. 

Oh, apart from one other thing

I really miss all the radio stuff. I loved being on the radio. Why didn’t I try to get more radio work? It’s a lesson in grabbing opportunities when you get them. 

So when the lovely Jim Hawkins asked if famous children’s author and illustrator, Alex Milway and I wanted to go on his morning show to talk about our weird career paths, I booked a cottage in the hills, bought the kids some walking boots, and went back to my old hometown.

If you’d like to listen, it starts about an hour in. It’s only available for another 11 days as of this post. 

Katie Lee and Alex Milway in the cool seat with Jim Hawkins

PS. this blog post is the PERFECT example of how not to write. If I were editing this, I would remove the ENTIRE first section of the post. No one will read it, it’s completely irrelevant and you could cut nearly all of it with no loss of meaning (plus you’d lose the barely concealed brag about a decade-old glory that the author still clings to because it got her invited to Buckingham Palace to meet the Queen). But it’s MY blog and no one will read this anyway so I’m going to leave it right where it is.

PPS. But seriously, try deleting your first three paragraphs of anything you write, it’s a top tip. 

PPPS. You could also delete these final 3 paragraphs .

Holsten Pullover – another top down raglan

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Anyone who lives in or around Crystal Palace in Southeast London will know Haynes Lane Market. It’s a relic from a by-gone era, a proper flea market selling knick-knacks, antiques, curiosities, records, vintage clothes, ephemera, general gubbins and down-and-out junk.

I love it.

Or, at least, I did. I haven’t been there for years now. Trying to prevent your kids from marauding around rickety shelving units filled with vintage crystal takes a lot of the fun out of the Sunday mooch.

But, back in ye olden days, 10 years BC (before Cecily), I regularly went to idly wander the sloping corridors of the old market. And by golly did I find some wonders. 

Including one fine day when I discovered an entire stall filled with someone’s Haberdashery stock from their old shop. And that’s where I got a bag load of slightly musty smelling Linnen Brilliant yarn from Scheepjes.

I kept hold of the yarn for years, used bits of it to make some granny squares and then one day, BINGO! I found the right project for it. 

The Holsten!

And I would have gotten away with it if it hadn’t been that I totally didn’t have enough yarn for that project. 

I mean, I thought I did. I checked it!

I’m sure I checked it. 

Anyway, somewhere along the way, I realised I didn’t have enough yearn to finish. That’s when I started messaging random people on Ravelry who had the right yarn in their stash. 

But no one got back to me instantly. And I’m impatient. And also, I don’t check my Ravelry inbox regularly. Turned out, some kind soul had actually responded. But by then it was too late…

This is pretty much the dictionary definition of over-sharing. I don’t even know this poor woman. Why did I tell her all this??

Actually, the top is the better for it. It was definitely on the wide side. Maybe I’ll make it again and this time actually measure myself before I start. In fact – brainwave people! – maybe I’ll actually take all my measurements (before the 5pm Discarding Of The Bra ceremony obvs) and WRITE THEM DOWN so I actually know what size to make.

Sheesh, this is like rocket science or something. 

The Details

Bracken Jumper – Top Down Loveliness

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Two Brackens

My love for top down knitting knows no bounds. I am struggling to think of anything I’ve made recently that doesn’t arrive on circular needles. And yet, I actually don’t mind seaming stuff. I know many people consider it a giant ball-ache, but I find it quite satisfying. 

What I don’t like is keeping track of different bits and pieces. Even worse is the casting on, which is surely the devil’s work. I never get the length of the long tail right on long tail casting on techniques and I NEVER remember how many stitches I’ve done. A pox be upon it. 

Gosh, this update is becoming positively mediaeval in tone. Verily! 

My silly girls

Again, you beady-eyed types (why do you have beads for eyes, is what I want to know) will note that I clearly ran out of yarn for Cecily’s Bracken. She has red sleeves and collar. She didn’t mind, bless her beautiful heart.

This is such a fun, quick pattern to make. I know a lot of people have problems with the neckline and it does take a while to get your head around. But, in fact, my problems have been slightly different. First the neck is just very tight even with a stretchy cast on. I actually ended up completely re-making my youngest’s Bracken. I tried to unpick it from the top neckline (ie what is actually the “bottom” of the knitting), got horribly confused and just had to weep gently while I frogged the entire thing.  

And second, I ended up with a very strange line of yarn across the front of the neckline where the extra stitches get cast on. I finally worked it out when I made my first one recently. I’ll share that exciting drama (and more!) in an upcoming post about the new one I’m making.

For anyone stuck with the neckline instructions, I can also attempt a tutorial. I know you’ll be on the edges of your seats until then!

The details

We’re working with Zodiak Kids

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It’s been an incredibly exciting year for us. Amazing, in fact. Why’s that, you ask? Well, I’ll tell you.

Back in October 2017, we met the extremely lovely people at Zodiak. They asked us to develop a children’s comedy drama series for them. We shook ourselves to check we were definitely awake, successfully resisted the urge to run over and kiss them jubilantly, and calmly accepted their offer.

I’m still unclear how much we are allowed to say about it all. So for the time being I’ll just say that it’s been the most amazing experience, we absolutely loved working on the project, and we hope you’ll be hearing a lot more about it one day!

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