How it started: 2009 - The End...

Right, so let's get this 2009 business over with, eh?

After the ups, downs and maybes of the year so far, I got a nice bit of news. I'd sent my radio play to Writersroom (I was certainly getting my money's worth out of that script...) and I got a letter back from them with lots of nice comments and feedback, along with an invite to send in another script. It was the first thing I'd sent them so I was pretty chuffed.

And then the producer from BBC NI got back to me. She'd liked the script too. She didn't think, however, that it was right for them, but she did like my writing and would I like to come and meet her and find out more about all things radio? Course I would!

I thought it would be better to go along with a few ideas, so I took some things that I'd had knocking around in my head for a while and put them down on paper as one page pitches (or at least what I thought were one page pitches. They were probably just a mess of ideas thrown together haphazardly on a page), sent them off for some feedback, and clutched them in my hand as I headed off for my meeting.

And she was lovely. The idea of meeting a producer is slightly scary (or very scary... or terrifying) but it's easy to forget that they're people just like you and me and want to find a good idea just as much as you do. And they want to have a good time while they're looking, so being pleasant and having a bit of a laugh is just as important as being professional and selling yourself.

Anyway, we had a right old yarn about how the whole process works for radio, and what producers are looking for. I've already blogged about this here on the lovely Michelle Lipton's blog, if you want to know a bit more about that. Michelle also has some very interesting posts on her blog about writing for radio here and here. If you haven't already, read them immediately. Invaluable stuff.

Anyway, on a more personal note, we also discussed my ideas and the producer took one idea that she thought the commissioner might like and said that she'd take it to her Execs and let me know. Result! Whether they went for it would be another thing. I was just chuffed that she considered me worthy of presenting to them. Like I was a writer or something.

And then it was off to the Screenwriters Festival. A right romp around Cheltenham Ladies College, meeting up with old mates from Sharpshooters and elsewhere. I also got the chance to take part in the Speed Dating sessions for Agents. IWe were basically assigned three agents and we had five minutes to talk/pitch to each of them, before a bell rang and we had to move on. There were about 20 agents and producers/datees and about 50 writer/daters. It was kinda... scary.

But it was great fun and good experience at the same time. As a writer still looking for that first commission, I'm not really bothered about agents just yet. I just don't think you have a lot to offer them as an uncommissioned writer. Get a gig, then ask them to represent you. Approaching them with a shiny new contract and a fee for them to negotiate just seems a much more attractive proposition to me.

But I was still scared.

I'd prepared my spiel - a bit of background, writing history and successes so far (obviously that was the short bit!) and what I was working on. And for anyone who ever finds themselves in a similar position... boy, was I glad that I'd got that down before I got into the room. All those people and that bell going off and everyone launching into their pitches at the same time made it all very high pressure. I'd have never been able to go in there and wing it. Having said that, I soon realised after my first pitch that my spiel was far too long and far too personal history heavy. I'd had to cram my writing interests into the end and we hadn't had time to chat! The bell rang and it was change chairs time!

I then had about ten seconds between agent 1 and agent 2 to re-write my speech in my head and start all over again. That one went a little bit better and we had a bit of a chat. Not great though. Bell! Re-write speech in 5 seconds and off we go again. By the third go, I was much more relaxed and confident. We had a bit of a chat and a laugh and she asked to see a script. Result!

I walked out of the room with a sore head but happy. It was great experience and well done to the Festival for providing it. And the lesson learned? Be prepared! And be prepared to change whatever you have prepared!

And that's it for 2009. A post or two on 2010 will bring us up to date on those radio opps and the return of Fair City!

How it all began... 2008

2008 started with lots of good intentions to write, write, write. As well as continuing with reading every blog going (a mixture of research and procrastination, if truth be told) I'd been trying to put what I'd been learning into effect by re-writing 99'er - draft after draft after draft. And it was getting better. Sometimes. Sometimes I was just fiddling with dialogue for hours on end (cause writing's about the dialogue, yeah?

"No, John!").

And then came along the BBC Writersroom Sharps comp. Write a 30 minute script with the theme of "The Health of the Nation". God, that theme went round and round in my head for a long time. What to write about? Sitting on the tube one day going to work, I noticed three or four stories on the same page of one of the freebie newspapers which gave me one of those, "Jesus, what is the world coming to?" moments (it was early in the morning). They were only a few lines long but they were all about internet stalking, etc. And there was my idea. Why not take those, develop them and see if there was a way to link them? Tell four different stories in half an hour. There was a challenge! Problem was, I only had a few days to the deadline (see a pattern emerging here?). I went home, sketched out the storylines and got writing. Three days later, I'd finished it and stuck it in. And waited.

And didn't get chosen.

Oh, well. Three days work was never gonna get me down to the shortlist. They'd had 600 entries for 25 places on the course for the finalists. Still, I liked the idea of my script so maybe one to re-write.

The best thing to come out of Sharps though was that through the discussions on the writersroom blog, someone had decided to set up an online writers group. We were invited to put up our scripts and give feedback on others. Sharpshooters was born! If you don't know about the group, I suggest you get straight over there and sign up. It's great for new writers to get feedback on their scripts, exchange ideas and news about opportunities, and just have a good old chinwag. It's a great group of people and makes the solitary world of writing that bit easier.

Then I decided to go for the TAPS Continuing Drama Course in Wales. Three days working with writers and script editors from Emmerdale and The Bill, etc and insight into the world of continuing drama. There was also a script to write at the end of it, with the best being filmed on the Emmerdale sets. They wanted a 10 page script sample and CV. I honed the beginning of 99'er (ditching the 10 page first scene), put it up on Sharpshooters for feedback, rewrote it, and sent my application off.

And got in! I was off to Cardiff!

And just before I left, I got a nice surprise. An email from the writersroom saying that even though my script hadn't made the final cut, I had got through to the second round and a full read. Down from 600 scripts to 80 odd. Hardly my own primetime series on BBC1 but nice encouragement.

August arrived and I packed my bags for Cardiff. I was nervous as hell, to be honest. I felt a fraud, After all, I knew nothing, had no experience and not even the whiff of a commission in sight. What if I was found out?

It turns out, I wasn't the only one (although EVERYONE seemed to have more experience than me) but I really enjoyed the course, not just for the sessions (especially those by the wonderfully entertaining - and quite scary - Bill Lyons, writer for Emmerdale), but mostly because I felt like I was getting somewhere. I was in a room full of writers and professionals and they were taking me seriously (fools that they were...). Probably the best part about the whole thing was meeting other writers like Piers, Kieran and Rob. Great guys who've Ive stayed in touch with and who've helped me no end since then.

And then there was the script after. We had to write a 30 minutes standalone story using only 3 sets (out of a choice of 6) from the Emmerdale standing sets. No more than 20 scenes, with a cliffhanger at the 15 minute ad break. Oh, and no more than 6 actors. We had 3 weeks. Doesn't sound that difficult but I'd not been used to writing with restrictions (hell, I'd not really been used to writing) and I found it a tough call.

I sweated and planned and wrote and re-wrote and sent it in. A few weeks later came my feedback and the news that I hadn't made it to the shortlist. But Rob did! And you can see his marvelous winning (filmed!) script here.

So, back to the drawing board for me. A little wiser. A bit more experience.

I'm still learning.

Next up... 2009 and Francesca and Giorgio makes a comeback, Fair City comes calling and I go speed dating at the Screenwriter's Festival!