The Traveller - Set Photos

Hanging around on set.

The very talented Ibrahim Renno.

Yes, they did roll a car down the highway just for my little script.

"Stop shining that light in my eyes, I can't see where I'm driving."

"I can see my house from here."

The Traveller Trailer Is Here

The Traveller trailer is here at last and the short film I wrote last year is also an official selection at the Cannes Short Film Corner this year... Excitos!!!

Click HERE to see it.

Review: Celtx: Open Source Screenwriting Beginner's Guide

Celtx: Open Source Screenwriting Beginner's Guide

I became aware of Celtx last year while working on a short film project I was commissioned for. It looked like a good bit of kit, but I already had an excellent piece of writing software and didn't require another one, nor did I have the time to learn how to use a new program. Then I became aware of Celtx: Open Source Screenwriting Beginner's Guide so I thought I'd give it a go.

The eBook was extremely helpful and I was able to learn as I went along. It's an easy read well laid out and it's very easy to find exactly what you're looking for. The book covers everything from your computer requirements, loading the software, the basics through to advanced use. The more I read of the book the more I discovered I could do with Celtx (even aspects of the software as a writer I will never use, but which will be extremely valuable to those looking for a complete production package). The book was so good I even recommended it to the person who first told me about Celtx and even he discovered things he never knew he could do before.

Although I only used the book to learn how to use screenwriting side of the software it does also teach you a lot more about exactly what Celtx is capable of on the production side of things and anyone who has Celtx, or is thinking of getting it, should really get the book as it will definitely help them make the most of the software.

Here are some of the features you can expect from the book.

• An illustrative guide to writing and formatting professional scripts and screenplays in the only way acceptable to Hollywood producers and agents
• Work with all the powerful tools of Celtx to come up with brilliant scripts for films, documentaries, stage plays, even comic book scripts
• Master other pre-production planning features including storyboarding, scheduling, and casting
• Maximize the power of Celtx with helpful tips about both the software and how to sell your completed work
• Part of Packt's beginner's guide series – practical, simple, and illustrative
• eBook available as PDF and ePub downloads

You can buy the book from here or from online book type places.

Pets In A Pickle

Some of you may know I have been working on a TV drama series adaptation of a novel. Well today I can reveal that the novel in question, Pets In A Pickle written by the talented Malcolm D. Welshman, is due for release on the 3rd of May and can be bought online at Amazon.co.uk.

For the launch of the novel Malcolm has been interviewed by the Daily Mail and the interview and extracts from his book are due to be printed in the Saturday edition of the Daily Mail one weekend this month (not sure exactly which Saturday).

The book is a fantastic and humour laden read so if you have any spare pennies please feel free to go and buy yourself a copy.

Writers' Block: Reality Or Myth?

Ian plonks himself down in front of his computer, fires it up, loads his latest screenplay. The cursor blinks accusingly at him, taunting him, making him acutely aware the rest of the page remains blank.

Ian stares at the screen, his fingers hover over the keyboard in anticipation. He pleads for the words to form on the page, but it remains as blank as Ian's mind. He can almost hear the cursor laughing at him.

We've all experienced it at one point or other, that horrible pause when things just aren't working and the desperate need to write something, anything becomes all consuming. But can this really be called writers' block, does such a thing really exist, or are there ways to beat it into submission and regain your creativity?

Some people argue if it isn't happening you should walk away and do something else, and come back to your work later. Make a cup of tea, take the dog for a walk, anything that will distract you from the fact your brain isn't in gear yet and it's going to take a little more time and maybe several mugs of coffee before it is. Some days it just doesn't happen, there's no point in pushing yourself and ending up hating the project you're working on. Right?

Wrong! I think it's just lazy, an excuse to procrastinate. You're a writer, so write. Get angry with that block. Show it who's boss.

There's always something you can write even if the scene you want to won't come out of your stubborn, locked brain. Thinking about the cursor and blank page just makes matters worse. Getting up and walking away will only make you feel guilty for not writing and angry with yourself and more importantly with the empty page. Thinking like that just escalates things. It doesn't have to be like that, really it doesn't.

If you get stuck on what to write it usually means you haven't done enough preparation on your script and your brain is telling you the only way it knows how, by shutting down and demanding you go and play Xbox for a hour. Don't listen to it and go back and work on those characters and plot, and the next time you sit down to write your masterpiece you won't have the same trouble.

Even if you're stuck at one particular point in your script it doesn't mean that you can't skip to the middle, or the end and write those instead. Even if you have a particular scene in mind, but it doesn't come until much later in the script it doesn't mean you can't write it now. Don't think for a moment you have to write your script in linear order, because that is just foolish and is why you're blocked in the first place. There are numerous other ways to get the creative juices flowing. Here are a few of my favorites.

Get drunk, write whatever comes into your head and rewrite it tomorrow. If it's rubbish, which it probably will be, it doesn't matter because you'll be rewriting it tomorrow anyway. At least you'll have words down on the page and crap words are better than none at all.

Put some background music on really loud (I listen to my Oasis albums on loop) to distract that naughty part of your brain that's holding the creative side of your mind captive. Any type of music will do just as long as it's something you can have on in the background that you won't pay much attention to.

Pick too characters, stick them in an imaginary elevator and start an argument. Write four sides of A4 like this. Not only is this great for working on your characters, but also jump starts your writing. Alternatively you can come up with your own ways to get your creative juices back on track so you don't have to steal mine.

So does writers' block really exist? Yes it does, but only if you let it. Now go and write.

Rejection Revisited

I've spoken about rejection and how to handle it before, but it's something well worth going over again as it's all too easy to forget that sometimes rejection does hurt.

It's important to build up a thick skin against rejection, but even if you do there will always be that one rejection too many that gets to you. We're all human and we all desire to be loved and liked; writers even more so I think. The important thing as a writer is not to let others see you're hurting and not to rant publicly about it. That is a big mistake, a big fat no no in media circles, and a sure fire way to get yourself a bad name. It's worth remembering that if someone Google's your name they might come across your moan and think you're hard to work with and avoid you. No one likes a moaner, not even other moaners.

Go and Google your own name right now and see what comes up. If any moaning, or anything negative comes up then remove the offending article, blog or Tweet. I did this the other week and found two very early, very negative blog posts which I later removed. Here's a few other important things you might want to consider.

Rejection isn't personal. No one ever died from rejection. Rejection doesn't mean your work is rubbish, it just means they didn't like it/or it wasn't right for them at the time. Someone else might like it and snap your hand off.

Remember, be positive at all times online and keep any negative thoughts behind closed doors. Your career will thank you for it.

What No Blog???

Today will mostly be my birthday.

In celebration of that fact I have taken it easy this week after many weeks of working like an absolute loon. To treat myself today I will be lying out in the sun and drinking bucket loads of beer. Huzzah!!!

Normal service will resume once my hangover has gone...that will probably be Monday 11th.

Bye for now.

If Your Name's Not On The List...

'Unsolicited scripts are not welcome.'

Surely the person who made that decision should be stripped naked, rubbed down with sandpaper, smeared in lemon juice and beaten to death with their own underpants just for daring to slam a door in the face of your awesome talent? How very dare they, how very dare they indeed!

OK STOP! *slaps you in the face with a week old halibut*

Unsolicited scripts are not welcome for several reasons; it may be you've sent your script to a small production company and therefore they don't have the staff to read unsolicited work, they may have decided it's easier to let agents do their work for them rather than hire readers because they want to save their money for chocolate digestives instead of the plain ones with their tea, or maybe they just prefer to spend their time on Facebook, Twitter or Googling their own name every five minutes to see if they've moved up the listing. Whatever the case there is still a way of getting them to read your work without resorting to kidnap and nipple clamps.

If they have an email address send them a short, very polite email telling them you are aware of their submissions policy, that you don't have an agent, but you were wondering if they would kindly read a one page outline of your project. Most recipients will ignore you, some may even laugh in your face, some might take out restraining orders and some will reiterate their submission policy *just* to make it clear to someone as stupid as you. But there may just be one producer who emails you back and says, 'oh go on then'. Think of it from their point of view, they would rather read a one page outline than miss out on the script of the century.

If you don't try then why bother writing your script in the first place?

If you don't ask, you don't get.

Outcasts & Being Human Series Finales

Outcasts: I really liked the final episode. It set up some interesting cliffhangers for the second series - if they had been given the go ahead for one - and the dialogue was much improved. The only thing I really didn't like was the fact that Julius Berger's villainy was watered down when we learnt he was working for someone else. He would have been a much stronger/evil/power hungry character if he had been working on his own. Yes, we know that the people he was in collusion with were far more manipulative and dangerous than Julius had been, but I personally would have preferred to see him more in control and not someone else's lap dog. Not a bad episode though.

Being Human: My God, what great drama! This is what good TV is all about. While we were teased by the 'Wolf Shaped Bullet' and who it might be, it really could have only ever been George. Any other choice and it wouldn't have made any sense, or had such poetic justice, it had to be George just as Mitchell had to be the one to kill Herrick. But what hit me the most besides the awesome acting from Russell Tovey, Aidan Turner, Lenora Crichlow, Sinead Keenan and Jason Watkins, was the even more awesome dialogue..."I'm only doing this because I love you." That is how great dialogue should be written; that is how great drama should be written. Being Human blew away everything else that was on TV that night. If all TV drama was that good I'd never get my arse off the sofa.

It's Coming

Outcasts

I like it. I know it has its faults, but I genuinely like it...so there :-P

What are those faults? Here are the two major faults as I see them: dialogue and characterisation.

The dialogue in the first episode was clunky, on the nose, often repeated in the very next scene, over expositional and used far too much to keep the story moving along. I know they had a lot of back story to get through to set the scene, but it was just so obvious in the dialogue and ruined what could have been a very good first episode. You can see the actors struggling to say the words sometimes, even in later episodes where it hasn't been such an issue. But is this the fault of the writer, or is someone else to blame? I can't see that the writers are to blame too much for this as the poor dialogue happens in almost every episode, each written by a different writer, therefore I can only assume someone else is having a bad influence on what goes into each script.

Characterisation is also very weak, characters doing odd stuff simply to justify the plot rather than their own existence. When Julius Berger came on the scene it was obvious from the moment we first saw him he was not to be trusted, yet on several occasions during the series so far people are actually being nice towards him rather than suspicious. He even got placed on the council with no opposition at all. Indeed in one episode Stella tells Julius she's going to keep an eye on him because she doesn't trust him and the very next episode she's all excited, singing his praises because he's got her daughter talking to her. Where did her suspicion, her distrust of the man go? I also thought they could have done a lot more with Mitchell Hoban, showing his slow decent into the madness that eventually took him. I don't want to be told he was a good man, I want to see it and his journey to his eventual suicide.

I think the faults emphasise just how much the series focuses on the telling of the story at the expense of characters and dialogue. The plot is everything! It shouldn't be. For me good stories are told through good dialogue and characters.

What I do like about the show is it's boldness. It dares to challenge, bring us a new, interesting world, which grows even more intriguing week by week. Episode five has been my favorite episode so far and even though I looked, and believe me I looked hard, I couldn't find a single fault with it.

So what now for the show? Will the BBC green light another series, or will sci-fi on the BBC be dead for the foreseeable future?

Outcasts And Tweets

I was very disappointed yesterday to read several tweets from writers slagging off Outcasts after it was moved from a Monday night slot to a Sunday. Come on writers, whatever your feelings towards the program, slagging it off, laughing or making jokes at its falling ratings is just plain rude.

What if it was your series that everyone was slagging off? How would you feel then? You can be sure Outcasts' creator Ben Richards is feeling bad enough without you heaping more misery on him by doing this. Constructive criticism is a good thing and should be encouraged, but there is no place in our industry for slagging off, or just being plain rude about another writer's work. There are too many others out there who have it in for us writers to begin with. Have a bit of respect, a bit of compassion for a fellow writer who dared to try something different.

The series may have its faults (I will blog about this issue in greater detail next week), but it is bold, ambitious and daring, something good TV should be. Please don't forget that without writers like Ben trying new things we would be stuck with the same endless, repetitive, boring stuff forever. Without challenging ourselves, or our writing, there really would be nothing out there for us. As writers you should know that sometimes things work and at other times things don't. You should also know that TV is a collaborative process and many factors bring changes to original scripts.

As writers you should know better.

InkTip

A couple of friends of mine have raved about InkTip in the past and how good it is, but I've never quite been convinced that spending $60 (+$20 for WGA script registration) to post a script on a website is the best way to go. I have now changed my mind, because the one thing InkTip does offer you is the chance to hone your logline and synopsis abilities. How does InkTip do this?

The first point of contact for producers is usually your logline and if it doesn't hook the reader first time producers are unlikely to be interested in your script, more so in the US than in the UK. InkTip very kindly provides a list of producers who have viewed your logline and a list of those that went on to read your synopsis and maybe even your script. What this gives you is an opportunity to try out your loglines and synopsises, fine tuning them to create better, more eye catching hooks for those producers. If you get a lot of logline views but no synopsis views then it's obvious your logline needs work. Make those changes and see how those changes affect the synopsis views. You'll know when you've hit on the correct formula when your synopsis views suddenly jump up.

Besides InkTip is great for giving your scripts exposure and you never know, you might just find a home for it. Go on, give it a try.

Short Film Script Part 3

Last month I put out an urgent appeal for a director because my short film script The Dead Side Of Life had fallen at the last hurdle for the second time in its long journey from creation to production. I was determined the third time it landed with a director it was definitely going to get made and I was going to be particularly fussy about which director took the script on to ensure this would happen.

One month on and that director has been found, although for the time being I shall keep their name to myself in fear of putting a hoodoo on this production as well. What I can say is when the directer in question approached me I was surprised and excited in equal amounts, simply because I know whatever they do, or put their mind to, they get it done. I know sometimes things fail for reasons out of our control, but I like it when people do what they say they will, and this person is definitely one of those people. I am very excited. Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!

Luck vs Talent Part 2

To sum up the last blog I consider competitions to be about 20% talent and 80% luck.

But what about when you start to send your work out there into the big wide world of producers and production companies? This, I feel, is a totally different ball game altogether. If you have done your research on the company you are sending your work to, created a good online profile, networked your butt off and made many writing friends and contacts in the TV and film industry, then you have significantly reduced the odds of success in your favour.

Networking is the biggest and most important part of this. Build up those contacts, meet new people, befriend fellow writers, it's the difference between saying you're a writer and making a living as one. The effort you put in may not pay dividends straight away, but years down the line someone you once met might remember you as a hard working, conscientious, friendly person just when someone has asked them if they know any good writers. If someone already knows you, or of you, and more importantly they like you, then luck doesn't even factor in to the equation. Your hard work and your affable nature will get you into more places than luck ever will. Or to put it another way, you make your own luck and the harder you work the more luck you have.

Luck Vs Talent

Are competitions a true reflection of talent, or is luck, not talent, the major factor of success?

This is a very good question and one I've been pondering now for a month or two, trying to decide if I should stop entering competitions and concentrate on submitting my work to producers, etc. I have come to the conclusion that if you lack talent then you're never going to win, after all talent is what screenwriting competitions are looking for, and a good script and writer will eventually rise to the top. However, I do believe that luck plays a far greater role than most people might think and that talent, to a certain extent, takes a back seat in writing competitions, especially in earlier rounds.

What makes a script stand out? I don't need to tell you this again, because most bloggers have discussed this at some point, and to be truthful the answers are pretty much the same. I feel it's basically all down to what the reader likes, or doesn't like. Your script may be the bee's balls, a perfect example of the techniques of writing, but if yours is the twenty-third TV drama featuring a circus clown with a sideline in solving local crimes he has read in a row then he might not look upon your script with too much favour. If yours had been the first on the pile chances are you would have made the cut.

It might also be the case that the reader hates your style of writing, your subject matter or even you in particular, where as everyone else in the known universe loves what you do. The reader may simply have got out of bed on the wrong side that morning and decided he wasn't going to like anything he read that day. As a writer you can narrow down the possibilities of rejection through hard work, research and practice, but you can never account for the luck factor no matter how hard you try. Luck is a bugger I can tell you.

So after much thought I have decided to limit the competitions I enter this year to save myself a great deal of frustration and cash. I don't enter them looking for affirmation either, because I don't need it, nor want it. I write for myself, not what I think people might like.

The Traveller Production Kicks Off

I wrote The Traveller over a two week period last November from a treatment by Peter Mitchell. Even though the writing process was a challenge, working closely with director Musaab Ag (pictured below right), trying to merge his ideas and mine to create an exciting, tense, gripping script, it was an experience I thoroughly enjoyed, and one we are both eager to repeat as soon as possible. There was even a late Wednesday night session of last minute changes conducted over Skype.

It was a genuine delight to find someone I worked well with, someone I could bounce ideas off and have my opinions on their ideas listened to at the same time. It was a wonderful collaborative process which has created a finished script I'm extremely pleased with.

Shooting starts today (not sure how long it goes on for), which includes closing off a major highway near Dubai so they can crash a car and roll it into a ditch; that gives you some idea of the scale and ambition of the production. I wish them all luck and look forward to seeing the finished production very soon. I really can't wait for our next collaboration. As my three-year-old son would say, 'is exciting.'

Short Film Script Available Part 2

After failing to progress to the semi-finals of the BSSC competition my short drama Chameleon, about a school boy physically abused by his father who forms a close friendship with another boy from his school, is now available to all you lovely directors out there, for the usual remuneration of course.

Please get in touch for details and a copy of the script via my website www.thescriptwriter.co.uk

Short Film Script Available

Some sad news. Due to unforseen circumstances, and some rotten luck on a previous occasion, my comedy short film script The Dead Side Of Life finds itself without a home once again. The script was in the hands of the up and comming talented director Susan Clark, but she is now unable to go ahead with filming. Sometimes projects collapse at the last moment, it's the nature of the business, so I harbor no ill feeling towards Susan at all. She was also extremely gutted she couldn't film the script as she had hoped. Sometimes these things just happen. We will stay in touch and hopefully collaborate together again in the near future.

I love The Dead Side Of Life script and really want to it get made, but not at the expense of quality. So I'm only proposing to let this script go to someone willing to make it within three months of agreeing to do so. I am not prepared to let the script sit unmade in the hands of anyone longer than this, so no time wasters please. To secure the making of this script, but also to make sure it is done before the summer, I am offering the script for a bargain £50.

Are you a film maker in search of something fun and cheap to make? Do you deliver when you say you will? Then this is the project for you? If you really aren't sure you can follow through then please don't reply. If you try I will release the hounds on you!!!

Check the script out on my website (click here), and if you're interested please email me including a brief CV and any links to your work online.

Thanks for listening.

New Working Hours

Thank God we're in the New Year, I missed my routine. I'm not one for working on the fly, I just can't do it, I have to organise my time. So now the boy has gone back to nursery I am now back at my desk regularly until the new baby comes when all my writing plans will fly out of the window. Here is the new schedule of my working week.

Monday:

7.30am - get out of bed.
8.35am - take the boy to nursery and walk the dog.
9.15am - sit down to write.
11.50am - collect the boy from nursery and eat lunch.
12.50pm - take the boy back to nursery.
1.00pm - sit down to write.
3.50pm - collect the boy again and then try to mix house work and playing with the boy.

Tuesday:

7.00am - get out of bed.
9.00am - try to write while looking after the boy.
12.00pm - eat lunch.
1.00pm - try to do more writing while looking after the boy.
4.30pm - prepare dinner, wash up lunch stuff, housework, before the wife comes home.

Wednesday:

7.30am - get out of bed.
8.35am - take the boy to nursery and walk the dog.
9.15am - sit down to write.
11.50am - collect the boy from nursery and eat lunch.
12.50pm - take the boy back to nursery.
1.00pm - sit down to write.
3.50pm - collect the boy again and then try to mix house work and playing with the boy.

Thursday:

7.30am - get out of bed.
8.35am - take the boy to nursery and walk the dog.
9.15am - sit down to write.
11.50am - collect the boy from nursery and eat lunch.
12.50pm - take the boy back to nursery.
1.00pm - sit down to write.
3.15pm - go to my third job to get there by 4.00pm.

Friday:

7.30am - get our of bed.
8.30am - take dog for walk.
9.00am - take child to toddler group.
12.oopm - return home for lunch.
1.00pm - try and write while looking after the boy.
4.15pm - drop the boy off at a friends and go to my third job to get there by 5.00pm

Sometimes if I have a slow day I'll also try and work in the evenings, but I do have to spend time with the wife.

What hours do you get for your writing, and do you think it's enough?

2011 What Will It Hold?

2010 started out as a good year and then went a bit crappy pretty quickly, but ended up being a year of firsts. In April I took the plunge and went self employed, and the work I've found since has been sourced by sheer bloody mindedness and hard work. I've been paid for my writing, found a great writing partner I wish to collaborate more with in the future, had a novelist contact me and ask to adapt his novel into a TV drama series, and I did my first face to face pitch at the LSWF.

Other great things that have happened in 2010. My work has improved by leaps and bounds, finally getting the recognition it deserves, notably from the BBC Writersroom when I made it into the last eighteen of their South West Voices initiative even against more establish writers than myself. Several production companies have loved my work, especially my feature Faith, and have told me I have an open door to send them any future work. I have yet to find the right projects production companies are looking for, with my current work just missing the mark despite its plaudits. I met many, many lovely people at the LSWF 2010 in October and had a wicked time, learned loads and hopefully have set up the possibility of future work. Most wonderful of all I find myself with the best chance yet to land an agent.

There has also been rejection and frustration, not getting exactly where I wanted and falling at the final hurdle several times during the year, and in one particularly frustrating moment falling at the first hurdle which should never have happened. But I'm still here and I'm still working. This year I aim to work even harder to achieve my goals.

What can I expect from 2011? More finished scripts for certain, hopefully more collaboration, the end of my novel and the start of the next, hopefully a production company picking up the TV drama series novel adaptation, hopefully finding homes for my TV drama serial Wonderland and my crime feature Faith amongst others. I've set the foundations for 2011 this year so I have no doubt that my continued hard work will reap some significant results during the next 365 days.

I hope 2011 is generous to every single one of you.

Happy New Year everyone.

Red Planet Rant

Red Planet have informed those who made it through to the workshops; well done to all of you (and I do mean that...really I do).

HONEST POST WARNING - RANT IMMINENT! Those of a nervous disposition please bugger off somewhere else.

Another year gone and another year of not making it to the second round of the Red Planet Prize. I have to admit I'm gutted, more than a little put out and very puzzled as to where I go next as a writer after this year's competition. If I sound bitter and resentful I can assure you it's purely accidental and is not the case, I'm just having trouble trying to figure out where I went wrong. People are bound to say, 'Move on, Dom, there's always next year,' but to tell you the truth I'm really struggling to find any enthusiasm at the moment for the competition, or writing for that matter. Let me invite you into my head so you can see where I'm coming from.

When the competition was announced I already had an idea in place, a very solid idea thoroughly worked out, and I immediately got cracking on my ten pages. I was ecstatic to finish them in plenty of time, so I sent them off to ten trusted people and waited for their opinions to flood into my inbox. I was very happy and quietly confident I had a cracking first ten pages, but just wanted to be sure so I could make any necessary changes before sending them out. Those ten trusted people duly replied and all confirmed I had something special on my hands. Not one of them, and I need to stress this point, not one had anything negative to say about my ten pages. I was extremely confident of my chances...that was probably my mistake.

When the qualifiers were announced I was totally gob smacked; I wasn't on their list. At first I foolishly thought they had made a mistake. Then when I had calmed down a bit I thought maybe my ten trusted people had got it wrong and didn't know what they were talking about. Worst of all I began to think my ten pages were actually a giant pile of shit. So I moaned about it on Twitter. Those who had read my Twitterings and my ten pages, sent me messages of support and outrage on my behalf. A week later I was contacted by a big and respected someone, who will remain nameless, offering to read my ten pages to see where I went wrong. I waited nervously to hear back from them and felt vindicated when I was told they thought I had just been unlucky not to make it through to the second round. Unlucky? That didn't make me feel any better, it just made me madder. To miss out because my ten pages didn't tickle the fancy of the person who read them, when they were given the thumbs up by many others, is a slap in the face for all the hard work I put in. I just couldn't understand it...still can't.

This is how my career as a writer appears to be going. I make tiny advances, but that big opportunity is always just out of reach. People like my work, some even rave about it, but I always fall at the last hurdle while others, those who have been writing many years less than I have, seem to get all the breaks. It's hard, really hard, not to allow feelings of bitterness to grow, because those others have worked hard to get those breaks and deserve them. To be bitter of their achievements would be a huge insult to their hard work and effort, and a terribly self-defeating exercise. But I have to ask myself, am I really that unlucky? I certainly feel so. It's so frustrating sometimes, it really is.

I'm not perfect, I make mistakes, I get angry and unlike some bloggers who like to put on a professional front at all times, I have to have a rant now and again to let off steam. Will I be entering the Red Planet Prize next year? I very much doubt it. If I did enter next year with a shit ten pages and managed to get through, I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest, and it would only increase my frustrations with the business. I think I'll just submit my work to them when it's ready and not wait until that one time a year the competition is announced to do so. Other than that I have to crack on and hope my luck changes for the better, that someone, soon, sees I have a talent and gives me the opportunity to prove it. But I can't sit around and feel sorry for myself, if I did that I might as well give up writing for good.

Taking A Step Back

You ask friends and colleagues for feedback on your script, they give it and you have to admit that they have a point. So you make some notes and finalise what needs to be changed. You start the rewrite and fifteen pages into it you find to your horror it isn't working, no matter how many times you go back and try to rejig things in an attempt to make it do so. It's a horrible feeling realising that the work you have just done hasn't actually made your script better, but is actually making it worse.

This has happened to me twice in the last few months and I've had to have a long hard think about whether to drop major structural changes and return to the original idea, or to carry on regardless in the hope it all works out in the end. On both occasions I have chosen to go back to the previous draft and try again, only changing some things and not all of them.

Second Skin, my supernatural pilot drama, was giving me a lot of trouble. I realised on page fifteen of the fourth draft the changes weren't going to work. To me it just felt flat and not a vibrant as the original, and there was far too much exposition in it to allow me to continue. So I've decided to drop the current rewrite, go back to the last version and start again. This time there will only be subtle changes to incorporate the most common elements in the notes, no major rewriting of the first twenty pages as I had planned. It's save me work, but it will also keep the script closer to my original idea.

Sometimes you just have to take a step back and admit what you are doing is wrong. Trust me, your work has a good chance of being a whole lot better for it.

Danny Dyer - Deviation

OK, so we know Danny Dyer can play the cheeky Cockney gangster/wideboy with his eyes closed, and his hands tied behind his back, but did you know that Danny is now set on a change in direction in an attempt to shake off that image?

Danny's new film Deviation, a tense psychological thriller written and directed by J.K. Amalou, sees him play an escaped convict FRANKIE who kidnaps a young nurse AMBER in a bid to escape the authorities and skip the country.

"Frankie is a complex guy, he's not just a psycho... he's a tortured soul," says Danny. And don't expect any Hollywood style kidnapper/victim romance, as Danny tells us Frankie, "is evil, but we get to see why he's ended up like this." This film marks a new career path for Danny channelling him away from his recent straight to DVD films, that will once again see him stretch those talented acting muscles.

Twitter: @devmov Facebook: www.facebook.com/deviationmovie

Looking forward to seeing it.

The Holidays Are Coming

The holidays are coming and it's a quiet time around production companies this time of year. They're too busy getting ready for the round of Christmas parties to read what you have sent them in December. So as a writer you can just switch off now and enjoy the holiday season... right? You can if you want, that's up to you, I'm not going to tell you otherwise.

However, I for one will not be wasting this quiet time. I'll be working on my existing scripts polishing them to the best they can be, so they are ready for dispatch in the New Year. I could sit around on my butt until February, but others will probably be writing and have stuff ready for first thing in the New Year. I don't want to slip behind them in the queue; I want to be up there near the front. For me it's no good having my scripts ready for February if other writers have sent theirs out in January. I'm already a month behind then.

Equally I don't want to start writing again the first week of January and rush through something rubbish to get it out in the second week. It won't do me any favours to have a sloppy script out there. I need to spend that quiet Christmas time working hard so I'm really ready in January.

I can't afford not to.

Short Film Success

I have to admit I am a little surprised. I thought when I declared to the writing world I was going to stop working for free and start charging for my short film scripts that it would be the last I ever heard from anyone. I honestly though the electronic world would abandon me. But thankfully this has not been the case. I've been offered some work, not a great deal, but enough to justify the decision and also enough to make Christmas that much more comfortable. The boy can actually have wheels on his bike now, and if he's lucky some handle bars for his next birthday.

The advantage of being paid is that I can now focus on the stuff that does bring the money in, working on it hard and getting it out of the way so I can move on to the next paying project. And if I want, on the odd occasion, I can still work for free if I feel strongly enough about the project in question. This means I have freed up quite a lot of my time and I'm no longer wasting any pursuing projects that are going nowhere.

It also helps to focus the mind and provide motivation. No longer can I say, 'I can't be arsed, I'll do that tomorrow instead.' Now I have deadlines and I have to deliver. If I don't then it's my reputation that goes down the loo.

It's also fascinating to work with others and learn how they operate, adjusting what I do to suit what they want. It's a lot of fun, something of which I want more of.

Short Film Scripts Part 2

So the last shout out about my short films scripts pretty much emptied me out and now there are several of my short film scripts, at various stages of production, all over the world. It's good to know that my work is interesting to other people and not just myself.

What now?

I want to write some more short film scripts and see them get made, but time is precious at the moment so this is what I have decided to do. If you want a script then email me from my website. If you're happy to pay for the work I'll write you your own special edition script for £150 (£75 up front and the further £75 on delivery of the script), giving you as many rewrites or changes as you like up to, and including, the last day of shooting. It's not just a matter of writing the script and taking the money, it's more of a complete package. My aim is whatever you need I will try and deliver. That is my promise.

Why £150?

Simple! This is for two reasons: (1) I am now self employed and need to earn money to feed my children, and (2) the charge is there to prevent time wasters, because you would not believe how many people say they will film a script, hold on to it for months and then drop it. Seriously there are a lot of those kind of people out there, which is a great shame.

So go and look at my website, read my SERVICES page and let me know if I can help you?

London Screenwriters' Festival 2010 - Day 3

Buzzing, that was the only word that could describe me on the last day. I'd had a ball and yet there was one day left to come. Could I contain myself, or would I explode?

I only went to see the Writing For Games session, as I wanted to make the most of my last day networking. Tim Clague did a superb job of chairing this talk and it was both funny and informative. I enjoy gaming but I hadn't ever thought of it as a career option...until now. Writing for games is not straight forward, as writer is not a title they use. You might be asked to put words to all sorts of things like the manual, the marketing, as well as the game, so it's much more a case of cross medium writing. It's also a much bigger job than writing a script as you might be involved in the project for well over a year. But it's good money, damn good money, which is always good to know.

Then I networked again, but found that a lot of people were hungover from the night before. It didn't stop me though and it still went well. I did make quite a few contacts before I went home on the train with Danny Stack and Lucy Hay. Fabos!

Then I had my Euroscript feedback and it was really helpful. I was struggling with the script, especially the opening, which has now been sorted. Fantastic. I'm much more confident about the project now, it just needed an independent eye to get it sorted. I intend to start on the rewrite next week.

I had so much fun over the three days and I met some fantastic friends and possible future work colleagues. Anyone who didn't go, either because they were too busy, or they thought it cost too much, then you missed out big time. The festival is a must for any writer and I for one will be there next year...and I'm also determined to cram more stuff in.

Thank you all for such a wonderful time. See you next year.

London Screenwriters' Festival 2010 - Day 2

I woke up, or at least I got up, the next day and dragged myself onto the tube to arrive in time for the first session of the day - The Hour Of Power. It was a strange session which involved a lot of audience participation, jumping up and down, saying hello to people you hadn't yet met, writing down your goals for the festival and life, but it did wake me up and more importantly fire me up for the rest of the day.

Then came Getting An Agent And Beyond. This is something I've been trying to do for the last three years to no avail. I really enjoyed this session a lot, as it was full of very helpful advice. Now I know why I don't have an agent and what I've done wrong in the past when approaching them. I won't be making those mistakes again. Lesson learnt. Researching the agent and agency is very important, you don't want to send a drama to an agent who focuses is comedy. The best advice of the session was not to rush yourself and be polite and professional at all times.

I took the next session off to do some more networking, but after lunch I was back in my seat for Writing Soaps, another truly insightful session. I learned that writing soaps is steady money, if you're good at it, and can be fun when you get into a room of fellow writers to storyline. It is also a very demanding job and can have some very short deadlines, so can be quite pressurised at times. Writing for soaps is different from normal scriptwriting as there are very few jump cuts used, so it's often difficult for a soap writer to get back into working in other areas.

Lastly for me came Writing For Young Audiences, an extremely funny and information packed session (like all of the ones I attended). Again I learnt a lot, including the fact that children are far quicker at getting jokes and plots, and that they are so less forgiving than adults if they watch something bad or boring. I even went to the script chat after to ask further questions of the very lovely Mr Andy Briggs, who was more than happy to give his time so others like myself could learn (as well as Gale Renard and Chris Hill who were equally lovely).

Then it was down to the bar, three pints and a bloody good time chatting to everyone I bumped into. Everyone was having fun networking that night even if there were a few sore heads the next morning. More business cards from valuable contacts and generally lovely people landed in my pocket throughout the night.

The things I learnt on day 2: It's OK to have a few drinks (four at the most) and network, if others are doing the same. Don't approach agents until your writing is ready.

Someone asked me if I will be posting my session notes? I may well do, but you'll just have to wait and see.

Day 3: coming soon.

London Screenwriters' Festival 2010 - Day One

The London Screenwriters Festival 2010.

Wow, just simply WOW!

I had great expectations for this year's festival and what I experienced went way beyond even that. Six months of planning and what we all experienced was nothing short of perfection. I had the time of my life.

For the first session I went to see In Conversation With The Commissioners, then came Becoming A Great Pitcher. Both sessions were full of superb insight and I came away with several pages of notes. I also had my pitching session with producers and directors, three in total, late morning. God was I nervous, but the experience was a learning one especially as I pitched before I went to the Great Pitcher session later in the day. I don't think I did a bad job, after all I came away with two producers and a director asking me to send them my script, but I learnt that this is something I'm going to have to work on, and I will. You need to be able to successfully and confidently sell yourself face to face. I know I need more practice.

What I did for most of the day was to put myself out there and I networked my arse off. To my delight all the networking paid off and I came away with an offer of paid worked. That goes to prove what I said before the festival, networking is the life blood of writers, those who don't, die.

One thing that did get me was the fact that a lot of people didn't do their research. When in the Great Pitcher session we were asked to put our hands up if we had researched the speakers and the delegates before we came. Only five people out of forty put their hand up and I was one of them. I couldn't believe that so many people had come unprepared. But then, as I surmised later, that was their problem and not mine. All the more people for me to network with.

All in all the first day was just awesome and so it was I trundled back to where I was staying, more exhausted than I have been for a long time, but with a huge fat smile on my face.

How was the first day for you?

Day Two to come soon.

Pitch

A three to five minute pitch for the London Screenwriters' Festival. I've chosen my crime drama Wonderland as I think it's my best work to date and also my best chance of getting an agent or producer interested.

Now to practice and practice and practice and practice and practice.

I must be prepared.

Is anyone else pitching at the LSWF? How are you preparing; any unique ways?

Balance

The London Screenwriter's Festival 2010 kicks off on Friday and I'll be preparing myself over the next few days ready for three days of intense networking. But how do I strike a balance between all the talks I want to be at and networking? To figure this out I had to decide what was most important to me, meeting up with friends, listening to speakers, or networking my arse off trying to get an agent and get producers interested in my work?

To make the best use of my time and money I have decided to concentrate on the latter. Finding producers to buy my work and getting an agent to help me with getting more work is my priority and everything else comes second to that. I need to make a success of my career and myself, and start making a living from writing.

I will attend a few talks, and I won't ignore my friends, but my main focus will be giving my career a damn good boost, after all producers and agents are coming to look for talented writers so I have to mercenary and make the most of the opportunities presented to me.

I will only get out of this weekend what I put into it over the next few days.

The Snowball Effect

I quite often read Noel Clarke's blog, mainly because he tells it like it is and doesn't pull any punches. His last post - The Snowball Effect - is a great insperational piece about how you only ever get anywhere by hard work and the World does not owe you a living, so you have to knuckle down and get on with it. This is what he has to say about his first job, Metrosexuality.

Weirdly though, I thought that was it. Like a lot of young actors do, I thought that was it, and once you were in you would just be doing films and TV whenever you wanted. I never really thought about the rejection after rejection, after rejection, after rejection, after rejection, after rejection, after rejection, that you get as an actor. Truth is 90% of actors don’t work. - Noel Clarke 2010

But Metrosexuality was a start even if some of his friends didn't think so. Some of his (so called) friends deserted him because of the sexual aspect of the show and they didn't want to associated with 'that' actor on the 'gay show'. This didn't bother Noel as he knew none of those so called friends who told him not to do the job were going to pay his wages, so he forgot them (my words, not his) and got on with the job. Of course it was a successful show and catapulted him on to other things. If Noel had not done Metrosexuality he would not be where he is now, and he is very aware of this.

Read the post, you'll love it.

Taking A Risk

I went self-employed in May this year and although things have been tight on the money front work opportunities have started to come through the door, to the point where I get at least one email every second day enquiring about the availability of my short film scripts, or my help in some way.

While I was trying to establish myself as a self-employed writer, I was happy to let directors have my scripts for a writing credit and a DVD copy of the finished film, but work has been piling up to such an extent I felt I could no longer afford to do this. I have a pregnant wife, a dog and a three-year-old boy to support, as well as a bad Xbox habit....I can handle it....honest!

I had an email this morning from a director asking if I had any new short scripts, ones that weren't on my website. I didn't so I wrote back to the lady concerned and said I was happy to write one for her on spec, but that I would have to charge her for it. If there was a script on my site she was interested in then I might have been inclined to let her have it for nothing, but as writing a new one would involve some work from me, I decided that now was the time to start charging for my services. I fully expect never to hear from the director again, but it's a chance I have to take if I am to be a success as a freelance writer. I don't want to have to go back to full-time work...it would kill me....seriously!

So right now I'm wondering if I've done the right thing? Should I relent and start doing work again for free? But I know I can't really, it would be a backward step, one I am not prepared to take. Scary times.

Wish me luck.

Him & Her Part 4

Laughs galore this week on Him & Her and yet again as Steve thrust his groin at his girlfriend in the kitchen my wife uttered the now familiar words, "You are so Steve." My life on screen and I didn't even write it...bum :-(

After not liking the initial episode I can honestly say I have grown to like the show a great deal and I'm loving the characters, especially Paul. I really do hope it gets a second series.

Favourite line this week: "White people are so boring."

Episode 5 review next week.

Don't Be A Twit Be A Twitter

So you thought Twitter was just something to procrastinate on while you were thinking of what to write? Wrong! It's a valuable networking tool, but only if you learn to use it properly.

After the fun I had last week I was glad to learn more about Twitter and how it can be used for the forces of good, so here I am passing that information on to you to help you get the best out of your Twitter experience. Twitter is a great way to collect news and tips about writing, or even opportunities you wouldn't normally come across. That is why it is important you learn to use it properly, as it is a powerful networking tool, and you don't want to become a networking fool.

I very rarely use Twitter on my computer as I mostly use Twitbird on my iPhone. But what I'm going to show you should be cross-platform related. Hold on, here it comes.

1. Be aware of hash tags (which is not on the ruddy Mac keyboard) these are your fastest links to topics you will want to read about. You can click on these hash tags to create your own list of topics which most interest you, that way you're not searching through the whole time line to find one post. It's also a great way to drag people into discussions on your favorite topics. Hash tag topics can also be searched for.
   
2. You have found a post you want to remember? Then add it to your favorites, that way you have it for as long as you want.
   
3. Give your feed a personality, preferably your own. Be kind, funny, helpful, considerate and aware of other people's feelings at all times. You want to make friends, make valuable contacts, you don't want to lose them. Don't be nasty and always treat people like you would want to be treated yourself. Being nasty or stupid is the quickest way of getting blocked. If you get a reputation for being a nice person, or even better that you have something interesting to say, then more people will follow you. And try not to slag of the industry, films, TV programs, or even companies, and especially not individuals. They all have Twitter accounts and might just be following you. Watch out!
   
4. Use Twitter to remind people of what is going on in your working life and in the industry in general, even if someone else has already done this two minutes before. You cannot over tweet about what interests you.
   
5. Click on your FOLLOWERS list, see who is on there, follow them, send them a message of thanks, let them know you've noticed.
6. FOLLOW FRIDAY important people, your new followers, or someone you want to follow you. People like to be mentioned, it appeals to their vanity. If someone mentions you then thank them for it.
   
7. Retweet relevant tweets from people you follow on a regular basis. Keep active. You can't over retweet.
   
8. If people ask a question, or just comment on something, then send them an answer, write them a little tweet back. If they are well known then don't be a nuisance, just tweet them occasionally. Over tweeting will get you blocked. If you actively respond to people's tweets they'll notice and and may even give you a follow.
   
9. There is a LISTED button, usually on your profile, which when clicked on will tell you which lists people have linked you to. This is a very helpful tool as the owners of the list, and the people on it, will have the same interests as you do. So follow them...all. Check this at least once a week.
   

Remember be polite, helpful and active every day. Get the best out of your Twitter experience, don't let it get the better of you.

Making Mistakes

Everyone makes them, but can they stall, or even end, your career?

OK ending your career is a bit of an exaggeration, but mistakes could potentially harm it. What do I mean by mistakes? I mean anything that is not professional, like using Twitter when you've had a few too many beers and asking someone you hardly know if they want to meet up for a chat about nothing in particular. Not professional at all especially if that person is an agent.

Agents talk to each other, as does everyone in media, and you don't want to be known as the bloke who Tweets drunk. That's why it's important to keep up a professional front online all the time, one mistake can hang around for quite a while.

So the point is... be mindful of everything you write, or upload, on the Internet. Someone somewhere is always watching.

Him & Her Part 3

'I didn't laugh once,' so said the wife.

But it was funny, especially Paul having a mental in his Postman Pat outfit....oh, how I laughed!!!

Rewrite Workshop - Mead Kerr

REWRITE - Working with Script Editors and Producers. Getting
someone interested in your writing is only the start of the
process. This one day event is your chance to learn from
successful Writers, Script Editors and Producers about what
happens next and offers you a chance to get the insider
knowledge you need to build your career.

For more info please follow this link:

http://rewrite.eventbrite.com/

Book up quickly.

Him & Her Part 2 - I am Steve's tissue covered foreskin.

The wife and I have spent the last week discussing why we didn't like the first episode. No, (didn't like) are the wrong words. (Didn't find funny), that's more like it. Anyway the reason for me was summed up in a few words from my wife, "I live with that 24/7." How very dare she, I thought, how very....then it hit me....I am Steven.

The things Russell Tovey's character Steven did, or encountered during the first episode could have been lifted straight from my life. I have a great dislike to crumbs in the bed, they make it uncomfortable. I could go on, but I'd only bore you/embarrass myself. It was too much of a revelation on how difficult it is to live with me sometimes, for me to laugh at Steven/Me in the first episode.

Episode Two: I'm sold, and no, not because Russell Tovey tweeted me and asked me to stick with it. I think he's a great actor, but I do have my own opinion and I'm no suck up. But once I understood I was watching what I, and every other bloke has gone through during their twenties, up there on the screen, I got the humour and laughed my bloody bollocks off. It's very well written, with such superb observational comedy that I had to check my house for hidden cameras.

So yes, Mr. Russell Tovey, you did say it would get under my skin and indeed it is doing its best to do so. Can't wait for the next episode.

Him & Her - Comedy Is Subjective

So the new Russell Tovey comedy Him & Her made is debut on BBC Three on Monday night...but it wasn't funny...or more to the point, the wife and I didn't find it funny.

Smutty humor was a big hit in the nineties, not now. Smutty humor now is just childish.

Things I didn't find funny:

- Opening discussion about blow jobs.
- The constant mention of sex.
- The word FUCK.
- Toilet paper under the foreskin.
- Sniffing said bit of toilet paper.
- Women doing stinky bowl movements on the toilet.
- Women leaving stinky bowl movements in toilet and not flushing.
- Jumping around like a girl when coming across a spider.
- Eating pubes on toast.
- Eating toast in bed and dropping crumbs.
- Pissing in a hand basin.

The only thing the show had going for it was the uncomfortably annoying neighbour and Russell. I love Russell Tovey, he's brilliant in everything he does, but even he can't save something so unfunny as Him & Her, or can he?

If you want to know how to do smut well, then see Two Pints Of Larger And A Packet Of Crisps. It just goes to show comedy is subjective.

I have erased it off my Sky+ recording schedule (on the recommendation of Russell himself I have now reinstated it).

The Ups And Downs Of Writing

So the Red Planet Prize said no to me yesterday. I was disappointed I must admit, as I felt the script was my best work to date. But with every down comes an up to keep you going.

A well know script reader (who shall remain nameless as they know who they are) emailed me and asked to read my Red Planet ten pages, after reading of my disappointment on twitter. They gave a lot of positive feedback and said they thought I was just unlucky not to get through to the next round, which was very encouraging to me.

Then today I got an email from the BBC Writersroom with some feedback on a script I sent them. Even though they thought the characters could have done with a little more work, and the narrative was a little slow, there were plenty of flattering comments about dialogue, characters, comedy and originality. So despite my rejection yesterday my writing is improving by leaps and bounds. All that hard work certainly pays off.

Don't forget, just because you get rejected doesn't mean you're a bad writer. A script that is one person's Oscar, is another person's loo paper. Keep writing, have faith, work hard and you'll get there.

How I Became A Writer

I've been memed thanks to Michelle Goode, who nominated me for this on her blog, even though I have already written the comedy version a few weeks ago. The reality is less entertaining I assure you.

I was twenty-three when I wrote my first screenplay, basically out of sheer boredom. I had been unemployed for something close to six months (which ended up being nearly nine, mind numbing, soul sapping, months) and was running out of things to keep me occupied. I had just finished reading John Wagner's Button Man and decided I would have a go at writing my own screenplay version of it. I had always been in love with TV and the movies ever since I saw the film Dirty Harry when I was thirteen. For some reason I found myself identifying with Harry, bad as he is, which all good film and TV characters should make you do. So I sat down at my computer and started to write.

I didn't plan, didn't work on the characters, didn't have any notes, I just wrote it from the heart. It took me something like six weeks to complete. I had a screenplay, a shit screenplay, but one I had written none the less. I felt a sense of achievement I had never felt before.

Looking back the script was bloody awful, but it did have some promising points. For a start I appeared to have a natural talent for plotting and pace, but on the other hand it was obvious my characters, dialogue and story had to be worked hard on if I was ever going to be any good. It was then I bought my first how to write a screenplay book, can't remember who's it was, as I don't have it anymore....but I think it might have been How To Teach Yourself Scriptwriting.

I sent the script out to a few production companies and got a few nice comments back in return, but I eventually put the script away in a draw as I was employed again. At that time writing was a distraction from being unemployed, it didn't even occur to me it could be more than a hobby.

A few years later I found myself stuck at home still living with the parents and in a dead end job. I wanted out, to find something that was me, to change my life. Recently a friend of mine had moved to Bournemouth so as I had decided to go back into education I looked up Bournemouth in the UCAS book and came across the only scriptwriting degree in the country at the time. Fate was calling me so I signed up for the course, and, as they say, the rest is history.

If I hadn't have found the Scriptwriting for Film & TV BA (Hons) degree in the UCAS book my life would be a whole lot different now. I'd probably have more money for a start, and I certainly wouldn't have this obsession with writing that I do. I'm glad I opened that book when I did.

Back To The Drawing Board

Friday the 13th....EEK! It could have been so much worse.

First of on a personal note, my lovely wife had her twelve week scan today. We were very nervous because earlier in the year she had a miscarriage at seven weeks and although we were very grateful to get to twelve weeks, there was still a chance things might not be right. And what idiot gave us a scan date on Friday the 13th anyway? Someone who thinks they have a sense of humour no doubt. Well done you.

Luckily things were OK. The baby was asleep (like child, like father), but we could see the heart clearly and it was going ten to the dozen. We were relieved. So it's now official I will be a dad for the second time on February the 26th 2011. GET IN!!!

And then came my notes for my Red Planet submission. The sixty pages were done, but I knew something wasn't sitting right, couldn't put my finger on it, so I sent it out to the lovely Bang2Write.....she gave it to me straight like she always does...ooh, err!

'Get rid of the police,' she said. I stared blankly at her...or I would have done if she hadn't have said that in an email. So I stared blankly at the email instead. Get rid of the police? What, all of them? Yep, all of them, not just in this episode but in all the others too. Holy crap! Bangers (as I never call her) is most often than not spot on with her judgement and I trust her above all others. But get rid of the police? In a crime drama? But she's right! Fecking cow!

So I have roughly two weeks to write another draft, with changes of roughly 50%, surgically removing the fuzz, focusing more on the protagonist Mad Frank Hattman. The police will be there, not in the foreground, but in the background, a presence rarely seen, a threat implied not forced into your face like an unwelcome dildo. It's going to be tough...it's actually going to be very tough. Two weeks is pushing it even if it does need to be done.

So today could have been much worse, but all in all I'm satisfied with what I've got.

Best get on.

Writing With The Wife

When my fellow script writers started following my wife, even though she isn't a writer herself, it got her to thinking. This led to her starting her own blog and she freely admits she really enjoys the writing.

Last night we were watching a recorded episode of Misfits while shouting out what we thought people's powers were. We were both spot on. Then my wife piped up, "I should be a writer." That somehow led me to offering her the opportunity to help me write one of my scripts.

Normally I would be daunted by the prospect of my wife trying to help me with anything I do, mainly because I'm such a control freak and I like things done just so. On more than one occasion my wife has hoovered up and I've then gone and done it again just because she missed a bit. I'm not saying my wife doesn't do a fantastic job when she hoovers, I'm just saying I'm anal about making sure all the dog hairs, including the ones that congregate in the corners of the room are hoovered up.

But I'm not in the least worried about writing with my wife, as she reads all of my scripts and offers me her insight which is always very helpful. She has even read and advised Bang2Write - Lucy. So I have decided to take the plunge and let my wife have a go. It might just be the step I need to take to get my career up to the next level.

Red Plaent Prize Problem

My ten pages are in and I'm up to page thirty on the rest of the script only to find I've come to a shuddering halt. I think I have a problem with pace.

The first ten pages has a man suffering amnesia arrested when he's found with the body of a dead woman. He escapes the police car he was being transported in when it is hit but a van and goes on the run. In an effort to clear his name he has gone to a jewelers to get some information on a necklace, only to find the place being robbed. He is now a hostage and must play the robbers and their victim to get the information he needs and get out alive....

....I've never written a hostage scene before. There is a danger, especially after the action of the first ten pages, the rest of the script will be very static by comparison. How can I avoid this?

Does anyone have any advice?

Identity

I normally don't moan about TV programs, if I don't like them I just don't watch them, but on this occasion I feel I have to say something. Identity really makes my blood boil.

I wish to state for the record that I have nothing against the writer Ed Whitmore, after all he's written for Silent Witness and Waking the Dead, so it's not as if he doesn't have a good pedigree. So why has Identity fallen so short?

I've only watched three episodes and I had to force myself to watch the last of those. The series didn't improve, so it's goodbye from me, I'll spend my TV time watching something else on a Monday. Why? Let me enlighten you.

For me Identity only has one workable character, only one character who appears to have had any work done on him, and that's John Bloom. Undercover for fifteen years he's finally back working as a Detective Inspector, and appears to be the only one in the new Identity Unit who has any idea how criminals tick. The rest of the unit couldn't work out a game of Cluedo with out John's uninvited insights. The others sit there waiting for some bright insight from John, when they then jump into one dimensional action. So here are the list of characters and their one characteristic:-

• DSI Martha Lawson - Argues every episode on John's behalf. She is the only one who thinks he's a good copper. WHY?
  
• Tessa Stein - Computer genius, who constantly reminds everyone else how good she is.
• DS Anthony Wareing - Slopes around not doing much except trying to get John into trouble, just because he doesn't like him. Or is he pissed he's now got work to do thanks to John?
  
• DC Jose Rodriguez - Young, brash and still wet behind the ears, hasn't learned to be subtle yet.

The only character with any discernible background is John. We know nothing personal about any of the other characters, they are just bit parts who have been dropped into the script to pad it out. Remove them and replace them any other characters from any other cop show and you'd have an instant improvement. You need more than one character to make a series workable. Where is the characterisation in Identity?

What do you think? Hate it? Like it? Let me know.

South West Voices Update July

And the final eight are revealed.

South West Screen helps local drama writers pitch to BBC

South West Screen and BBC Writersroom have teamed up with BBC Independent Drama Commissioning to fast track eight of the region’s most talented writers into television drama.

The eight recently took part in a two-day workshop near Corsham in the latest stage of South West Voices, a professional development scheme run by BBC Writersroom to give both experienced and emerging writers the chance to receive industry and peer group support and help develop their projects. Previous writers found and nurtured by BBC Writersroom have gone on to work on dramas including Eastenders, Doctor Who, and Waking the Dead.

The collaboration has arisen from the Bristol-BBC-Anchor partnership, which was signed last year between the BBC and Bristol City Council, South West Screen, the South West RDA and other key media enablers in the region.

It follows on from a visit to the region from Ben Stephenson, the Controller of BBC Drama Commissioning last year. Ben outlined his vision of the future of BBC drama during the visit and this week saw the latest steps to bring these ideas to fruition.

Writers were originally asked to submit a pitch for an original series, serial or single drama idea for television, along with a full-length sample script. From 120 submissions, 18 shortlisted writers were then invited to a workshop day in Bristol to meet BBC Writersroom, BBC Independent Drama Commissioning and South West Screen, and from those, eight writers were selected for the two-day residential workshop. The eight have each been paired with a mentor from the Commissioning team and now have three months to develop their ideas before formally pitching them to the BBC in September.

The eight writers come from across the South West region, including Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Gloucestershire and Bristol.
BBC Writersroom previously ran the ‘Breakers’ competition in the South West in 2004 with the support of South West Screen, but this is the first time BBC Independent Drama Commissioning has been involved in such a programme in the region.

The programme demonstrates the BBC’s ongoing commitment to original drama production in the region, following the announcement of loss from the region of popular BBC dramas, Casualty and Being Human, to Cardiff, the BBC’s designated centre for excellence for drama production, last year.

The eight writers who took part in the workshop were:
• Dom Rowe (Bristol)
• Miles Chambers (Bristol)
• Rachel Joyce (Stroud)
• Carol Noble (Exeter)
• Tom Wainwright (Bristol)
• Sean Grundy (Weston-Super Mare)
• Peter Jordi - Wood (Truro)
• Bryony Ive (Bournemouth)

Congratulations to the final eight and special congratulations to Bryony, a fellow Bournemouth resident.

It was great ego boost to be included in the final eighteen who met at BBC Bristol, especially considering the amount of quality, talented writers there, with good solid writing credits. It's nice to know that my writing attracted attention from the people at the BBC Writersroom and BBC Commissioning, despite not having the credits others had. I'm certainly not resting on my laurels having already formed a writing partnership with another writer invited to Bristol, working on a brand new TV drama series we're planning to pitch to the BBC Commissioning team.

If you see another scheme like this then go for it, because you never know what doors it might open up for you.

Writing Is Easy

Right now you are probably saying something like, 'what the bleedin' 'ell are you on about?' Writing is easy. It sounds somewhat foolish to say that, but it's true. What you have to remember is the actual act of writing is only a small percentage of the work you do, that fun time getting the words of the first draft down on the page,letting your mind wander, exploring your created world, before you start the painful task of rewriting.

And what of the work you have to do before you can write? Outlining your idea, character biographies, series bibles, plot, structure and a million other things that go into making your first draft. That's right...your first draft. Then comes weeks, months and sometimes years of editing and rewriting, bringing everything together to arrive at the point where you have that final polished draft ready to send out.

This is where most beginners fail. They think all they have to do is write a screenplay, change a few bits and it's ready to be shown to the world. Wrong! If other writers are spending months on their script making it as perfect as they can, they are already way ahead of you. The script you spent a month writing is at the bottom of the pile and the more time you spend on it, working through every aspect of your screenplay over and over again, the better chance your screenplay has of getting noticed. The less time and effort you put into your work the more obvious it is you're not really committed to being a writer. For you, it's just a hobby.

Writing is easy....it's the preparation and the constant rewriting that is hard work.

Hopalong Dom

Had a foot op last Friday so will be off my feet for up to six weeks. No excuse not to sit down and write loads then. I had better get on.

Another scintillating post later this week.

My Writing Day Updated

I have now left my previous job and I've gone self employed publishing the WimbornePeople.co.uk website and working on my own scripts, a scary situation indeed, but one I am loving. My working day has changed and I have a lot more time to write, approach agents and pitch my work to production companies. This is how my day works now:

7.30am: Up and out of bed, not necessarily awake.

9.00 - midday: (Mon + Wed) The boy goes to nursery so I write solidly between these time with no interruption. This includes working on the website and my own writing.

9.00 - midday: (Tues, Thurs + Fri) Work on the website (I try and get this out of the way in the mornings) and try and do some of my own writing, while keeping the boy occupied.

Midday - 5pm: It's a case of juggling my son, the housework, and my writing. Some days are easier, but most require compromise, having to play with the boy now and again so he doesn't kick up a fuss when I sit down to write. And the house work has to be done, don't want to live in a stinky house after all.

Evenings: Some evenings if I haven't had a particularly productive day, either because the boy has been playing up or my brain just hasn't been working, then I'll pop upstairs for a couple of hours and do as much on my scripts as I can while the boy is sound asleep in the next room.

So that's my new daily routine. It's changed quite a bit allowing me more time to write, so if I'm not successful now then there is only one person to blame....ME!