DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK

Notes can be daunting. They don't become any less so the more experienced you become as a writer.

Your notes will either come directly from the producer or via a script editor assigned to work with you. I've worked as both a writer and a script editor and have seen the process from both sides, so I know the importance of clear communication. It taught me a lot in a very short space of time, the biggest lesson of all was knowing not to be afraid of asking questions if I was unsure about something.

 'Why the f&%k have they said that?' There will always be notes you don't quite understand or aren't able to get to grips with. Most writers don't want to appear stupid by asking what they think might be obvious and the temptation is to plod on, work your way through the notes and hope you've covered everything you've been asked to. But the simple fact is if you do get it wrong because you haven't asked for clarification then you are definitely going to look stupid and all most certainly unprofessional.

A writer I worked with as a script editor had an issue with a lack of confidence. It was her first writing gig and she was clearly nervous. The draft she had written before I come on board lacked clarity and punch. It was my job to guide, encourage and make sure she knew exactly what was expected of her. We initially had a long Skype conversation where I went through all of my notes, asked her if she understood and told her if she had any questions, no matter how absurd they might appear to her, to just ask and I would happily explain them to her until she was confident she fully understood what I was driving at. She assured me she was OK with everything and if she did have any questions she would ask.

The next draft she handed in wasn't much of an improvement on the first. She was very close to being kicked off the project all because she hadn't asked me a single question about my notes. So we had another long Skype conversation. This time I wouldn't let her go until she had asked every single question she had bouncing around in her head. I had to push her to ask at first but the more she did the better she got at it. At the end of the conversation, I was very confident she now understood what was expected of her. She even emailed me additional questions over the course of her next rewrite.

The thing is, whoever the person is giving you notes, they are on your side. Writing is just the first step in the collaborative process. Everyone is working together to produce a piece of media they can be proud of and others can enjoy. No one is working against you, even if at times you might think that's the case. A script editor is there specifically to answer your questions and help you produce your best work. Any script editor who complains when you ask a question or a hundred of them isn't doing their job properly. Never, ever be afraid to ask and if you're still not sure ask again.

And the writer? She learned to put aside her nervousness and ask as many questions as she needed to. She eventually turned in an epic final draft and it was a delight to see her confidence skyrocket during the process.

Happy writing!

BLOG REWIND - PERSEVERANCE

As my fellow writers have suffered quite a bit of rejection over the last week, with the BBC Writersroom Drama and Red Planet, I thought I would repost a past blog about perseverance, first published on the 19th November 2014. Enjoy... and remember, you are not alone.

Some days it's hard to keep going when all you want to do is curl up into a ball and hide under the bed covers... but those are exactly the days you should keep going! Perseverance is the key to a successful career, without it you're writing solely for yourself.

I read a question on the interwebs the other day, from a new writer asking if he should send his script out to more than one production company at a time. Let's put it this way, you send your script out to one producer, the producer takes three months to read it and get back to you. The news isn't good, it's not for him. Then you leave things another month as you recover from the rejection, before sending your script out to another producer. That means the maximum copies of your screenplay you send out is three... in a year... that's not good, is it?

After you've done your research into which production companies best suit your screenplay, send copies out to as many as you can, then go write another script. If you receive a rejection then have two other producers in mind to send your script to the very next day. Don't keep bombarding the same producers either, send them a screenplay and if it's a no wait a month or two before sending any new work.

In essence, your work should be produced and sent out in a constant stream, stalling on this leaves you with no opportunities to create, and it's those opportunities that will keep you going. Persevere and you will be rewarded.

Happy writing!