The Credit Crunch has bitten me...hard... on the rump.
I've been trying to get an agent for a while now, picking and choosing, and using recommendations to improve my chances. I get close to landing a big fish and what happens? A recent email from that well known agent highlights how the credit crunch is affecting the writing industry, and is making securing the services of a good agent almost impossible at the moment.
The agent liked my script, "I like it... but, I'm having to say no to rather good material." The reason? It seems this agent (can't speak for any others, but I get the feeling it's the same all around) is cutting back on his screenwriting clients because it appears there is more money to be made with novelists than screenwriters at the moment.
Good job I have a children's novel on the go. Yes, the same one that's been on the go for the last two years, but it's more on the go now than it was on the go back then. I'm actually nearly ready to type the first words of chapter one. Can you feel the excitement?
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Memed Again.
Phillip Barron, you have a lot to answer for.
“List the top five ways you distract yourself when you should be writing and then procrastinate some more by sending it to all those other writers who should really procrastinate more often.”
1) Blog - coz it's there.
2) Facebook - coz it's there and it's cool.
3) Check email - coz I can't bear having an empty inbox.
4) Write long lists of what I really should be doing - coz lists are fun and it looks like you've been working hard when you cross items off.
5) MSN with Lucy - coz we like to moan about all types of shit and she likes to take the piss out of my poor spelling ability.
Now who to pass it on to????
“List the top five ways you distract yourself when you should be writing and then procrastinate some more by sending it to all those other writers who should really procrastinate more often.”
1) Blog - coz it's there.
2) Facebook - coz it's there and it's cool.
3) Check email - coz I can't bear having an empty inbox.
4) Write long lists of what I really should be doing - coz lists are fun and it looks like you've been working hard when you cross items off.
5) MSN with Lucy - coz we like to moan about all types of shit and she likes to take the piss out of my poor spelling ability.
Now who to pass it on to????
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
The Great Writers' Strike Rip Off
So America had a writers' strike last year and British fans, like myself, of the imported shows lost out on half a season of episodes. Now we're set to lose out again, pocket wise this time.
Battlestar Galactica season 4 (10 episodes), Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles season 1 (9 episodes) and Heroes season 2 (11 episodes) are three examples of what I'm talking about. Battlestar Galactica season 3 had 20 episodes and season 4 only half that, but yet the RRP for season 3 was £49.99 and season 4 £34.99.
Now I know my maths is worse than my English, but even I know £34.99 isn't half of £44.99.
Heroes is the same. Season 1 £59.99 and season 2 £34.99.
The American studios lost out last year, so now they're making us pay for it.
I think I'll wait until they go down in price before I dip my hand in my pocket.
Battlestar Galactica season 4 (10 episodes), Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles season 1 (9 episodes) and Heroes season 2 (11 episodes) are three examples of what I'm talking about. Battlestar Galactica season 3 had 20 episodes and season 4 only half that, but yet the RRP for season 3 was £49.99 and season 4 £34.99.
Now I know my maths is worse than my English, but even I know £34.99 isn't half of £44.99.
Heroes is the same. Season 1 £59.99 and season 2 £34.99.
The American studios lost out last year, so now they're making us pay for it.
I think I'll wait until they go down in price before I dip my hand in my pocket.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Monday, October 06, 2008
The Return Of Mr. Vista
Ladies, gentlemen and impressionable children... he's back!
Over the 4th and 5th of October the second series of Mr. Vista was shot in various locations around Bournemouth. As a writer of six episodes (only three were used) I decided to take time off from my manly house cleaning duties on Saturday afternoon and join the lads filming. My wife was not too impressed, but I think she understood.
As I didn't turn up until nearly 2pm I unfortunately missed the filming of my first episode in the kitchen, but I did get to hold the boom mic for the recording of a voice over. The excitement! From the time I turned up everyone kept asking me what the weather was like? "Big black clouds," I replied. They didn't look happy, especially Mr. Vista.
Most of the filming was ad libbed which I found, as a writer, a little strange. I felt a little guilty for submitting scripts, making the process a little more ridged, especially when Tim said there weren't any scripts for the last series.
Then I found out why they were asking about the weather. Mr. Vista was going into the sea...fully clothed. Better him than me!!!!
Over the 4th and 5th of October the second series of Mr. Vista was shot in various locations around Bournemouth. As a writer of six episodes (only three were used) I decided to take time off from my manly house cleaning duties on Saturday afternoon and join the lads filming. My wife was not too impressed, but I think she understood.
As I didn't turn up until nearly 2pm I unfortunately missed the filming of my first episode in the kitchen, but I did get to hold the boom mic for the recording of a voice over. The excitement! From the time I turned up everyone kept asking me what the weather was like? "Big black clouds," I replied. They didn't look happy, especially Mr. Vista.
Most of the filming was ad libbed which I found, as a writer, a little strange. I felt a little guilty for submitting scripts, making the process a little more ridged, especially when Tim said there weren't any scripts for the last series.
Then I found out why they were asking about the weather. Mr. Vista was going into the sea...fully clothed. Better him than me!!!!
Friday, October 03, 2008
Hope
Hope is something those of us wanting to break into TV or film in this country have to live with every day. As I say on my blog, "It's not the rejection. I can handle the rejection. It's the hope I can't stand." Never a truer word spoken.
One of my readers came up with the phrase, "keep on, keeping on". That's what it's like to be considered a new writer in the UK. I've been writing for seven years now, honing my craft, learning, absorbing, and most of all polishing. I don't consider myself a new writer. Unfortunately the industry does. So I keep on, because that's all I can do.
It's like being a door to door salesman. Your spec script is immediately treated with suspicion, especially if it hasn't come via an agent. The quality of the product doesn't seem to matter, neither do the years you've put in to your trade, when you approach people you are automatically lumped into the category of, 'enthusiastic nutter' and I imagine they slip your script to the bottom of the pile.
It helps to understand that producers, agents and production companies receive thousands of unsolicited scripts a year. Out of those thousands only one or two might actually show any promise. But to find those two scripts some poor reader has to plough through all of of those scripts, some terrible, some horrific, and most simply no where near the standard required. It's no wonder it's tough to break in.
But hope is what drives us on, what feeds our addiction to writing. Yes it is an addiction. Those long hours spent staring at a script rewriting it until your eyes feel like they are filled with sand takes writing to a level beyond hobby. Writing is something you live and breath every moment of your existence.
Hope is knowing that someday soon all that hard work will pay off and your break will come.
One of my readers came up with the phrase, "keep on, keeping on". That's what it's like to be considered a new writer in the UK. I've been writing for seven years now, honing my craft, learning, absorbing, and most of all polishing. I don't consider myself a new writer. Unfortunately the industry does. So I keep on, because that's all I can do.
It's like being a door to door salesman. Your spec script is immediately treated with suspicion, especially if it hasn't come via an agent. The quality of the product doesn't seem to matter, neither do the years you've put in to your trade, when you approach people you are automatically lumped into the category of, 'enthusiastic nutter' and I imagine they slip your script to the bottom of the pile.
It helps to understand that producers, agents and production companies receive thousands of unsolicited scripts a year. Out of those thousands only one or two might actually show any promise. But to find those two scripts some poor reader has to plough through all of of those scripts, some terrible, some horrific, and most simply no where near the standard required. It's no wonder it's tough to break in.
But hope is what drives us on, what feeds our addiction to writing. Yes it is an addiction. Those long hours spent staring at a script rewriting it until your eyes feel like they are filled with sand takes writing to a level beyond hobby. Writing is something you live and breath every moment of your existence.
Hope is knowing that someday soon all that hard work will pay off and your break will come.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)