New Writers

10 March 2006

It looks like the BBC are taking their hunt for new writers seriously,

Just to remind you it's now 15 days to go. And no, I'm still not telling you.... yet.

A Writer's Life For Me

09 March 2006

I've started another rewrite on Where Angels Fear to Tread. After reading Writing for Television by William Smethurst I have realised that it's too static in places and too long for the medium. Hopefully if I'm satisfied with the rewrite I'll start sending it out next month. I think I'll start with the BBC Writersroom first. I'm also working on the treatment of Remember Me - working title which is coming on very well. It has now got to the stage where I can no longer put off doing research. Mr. Valentine, my feature comedy drama, is being put on the backburner for a while. It needs a major rewrite and I'd rather devote my time to projects that will give me a better chance of making some money.

On another front there are now only 17 days to go. 17 days to what you might ask? Ah, for the answer you'll have to wait and see.

Post It Note

08 March 2006

All I wanted was one envelope to post a script to the BBC in, just one envelope.

Two hours I wasted wandering around Bournemouth looking for just the right ones. Two bloody hours. You know the envelopes, the gusseted expansion ones you can send large documents in. You would think that a large high street chain like W H Smith's would have them? They had a whole shelf devoted to colour pens but only a tiny section for envelopes.

What about the Post Office? The Royal Mail loses a lot of letters in this area but the Post Office seem to lose the envelopes before you get the chance to post them. No luck there then.

Staples must have them then? 'We used to do them... I think,' was the answer I got from a dopey looking shop assistant who was eager to get to his lunch break. I took the catalogue, I'd had enough of dealing with people.

When I got home I found that Staples did indeed do the envelopes I wanted but you can only get them 250 at a time. Balls, I only bloody wanted one. I ordered them online anyway. Well that's another £30 out of my already very red looking bank balance and it looks like I'm going to have to start sending out a LOT MORE scripts very soon.

Return To Sender

06 March 2006

Today I received a letter from Kate Gordon at David Highman Associates. It was a rejection letter for From This Day Forth. She said she read it with interest but had decided it wasn't the project for her. She didn't tell me why.

Am I disappointed? Yes. Am I going to give up? Not on your life. It's been nearly five years since I left university with my scriptwriting degree and I know that for at least three of those years I gave less than one hundred percent to my writing. I also know that I've made mistakes along the way, but what matters is that I know where I went wrong and I'm determind not to make the same mistakes again. I knew from the start that I was in this for the long run and if it takes me another five years to get anywhere then so be it. At least nobody can say I haven't tried.

Gordon's Alive

23 February 2006

Kate Gordon at David Highman Associates emailed me yesterday to request a treatment and a sample of my work. Those of you that don't know, the last time I had a script requested by an agent all I received back was a tick-the-boxes-no-thank-you letter. Not very encouraging. However, I am very optomistic this time and I'm keeping everything crossed for a better result. This might prove to be a problem the next time I need to go to the toilet.

Start Spreading The News

12 February 2006

Tomorrow is the day I start sending out my work again. This month I'm going to concentrate on my feature Sins Of The Father. Because of the overkill on gangster scripts four years ago I put Sins Of The Father on the shelf until I felt it could get a fair viewing. I think the time is ripe, so out go the treatments. I also plan to start sending out treatments for my TV dramas over the next few months. I want to start making some money from this writing game.

The BBC Replies

11 February 2006

Today I received a response from the BBC regarding a pitch I sent them for their Evening Plays. They may have decided to pass on my work but at least they took the time and effort to highlight points they liked, bearing in mind they had over two thousands entries. It's very encouraging when a broadcaster as busy, and as big, as the BBC makes the effort to praise your work and take an interest. Thank you Elizabeth Kilgarriff, it's good to know that a corporation as big as the BBC has a human side.