Get Fresh

There is a danger as a writer in getting stuck on rewrites. This is a topic I've talked about before but one I feel needs covering again.

To keep yourself in producers thoughts, and to be at the top of your game, you need to keep writing and sending out new stuff. After all, the larger your portfolio the more chances there are of someone liking something you've written. So what and how much should you write in a year?

This is obviously down to the individual and how fast you can turn things round. Lucy for instance writes as fast as she talks so she churns out quite a bit of work in a year, and this is despite looking after two kids and a husband. So far this year I've written one feature and two or three shorts for competitions. Not a great deal but I'm moving in the right direction.

I think as a guideline writers should aim to write at least one feature, two 60 minute scripts and as many shorts at possible. It's a reasonable amount and even if you're only writing evenings and weekends it's still an achievable target.

Being a optimist I have decided to attempt another feature very soon and I'm also determined to start my first novel in the near future. So here are a few tips on how to write a new script.

• spend a decent amount of time on your characters as your script will succeed or fail on how good they are.
• work out your main plot and a sub plot for each of the main characters. Don't over complicate things.
  
• using index cards plan your forty key scenes - less if your script is not a feature. The key scenes must relay crucial points in the plot and/or show character.
• write; don't go back and edit as you write, you will be tempted every five seconds, but resist and keep putting your ideas on the page. They don't have to be perfect first go, you just need to get them on the page. Quantity not quality is what matters now. The rewrite is when you correct errors and stuff that doesn't work.

There are a million excuses for not writing, don't let them win you over.