GUEST POST: HOW SCRIPTS CHANGE IN PRODUCTION

I wanted to find out how a screenplay can change during production, so I asked the lovely Shiphrah Meditz, an up and coming writer/producer/director from the US of A, to write a guest post on the subject. And she duly obliged. Enjoy.

A Gunshot'S POV: How I Saved My Script through Sound

A week to production, and I was worried. A two minute gun battle that read really well on Final Draft was fighting every step of the way to be translated on film. It was for a 15 minute narrative short called "Where Snakes Roam" that I produced and directed in January 2012. My story follows two young girls who discover that their father is an assassin. For  the final, all-is-revealed fight scene, I needed loads of fake guns, blood and guts, special effects, combat choreographers, stunt crew, and lots of time to pull it off successfully. Also, we were shooting in a 1950s mansion in Austin, Texas. I was dealing with location logistics that included four stories and multiple porches which had to support eight actors, a chase scene, and two final shoot-outs. Furthermore, the budget was already allotted, and the crew and actors were working around their jobs and family time to be on set for four days. The scene would have severely eaten into the time required for other takes. While I'm a firm supporter of pushing beyond boundaries, I knew that filming this scene would most likely be a huge mistake since we lacked the proper resources and time to make the action work.

For those that are new to film, shooting great action is one of the hardest magic tricks to pull off on camera.   I'll explain why.  I like to compare an action scene to a video game.  A video game engages the player in a series of true or false choices that incrementally lead them to their goal.  The success of achievement and the reward factor drives the player through the video game.  For example, players rarely question how striving to win at a game makes them feel. In an action scene, you have the same scenario. Thus, the key element is to build emotion into the viewer beforehand and give them all the reasons why they need to  cheer on the hero before the blows begin to fly and attention is riveted on the ACTIONS of the characters. This way the action becomes equal to "enacted emotions," and every take must be carefully planned to convey the proper effect.  Of course the repercussion if that, if the emotions aren't properly stacked in the script, the actions may come across as "hollow" and predictable.

Thus any action requires well-rehearsed choreography with thought given to the 180 degree rule, actors who have had fighting experience to avoid amateurish reactions, on-set special effects sewn into the sequence to help the VFX artists in post production, stunt people with accompanying insurance and proper protection for the more dangerous moves, quibs to show a bullet's impact, and among other things, absolutely precise editing. To help the editor, I'd further have to plan how much action to show on screen, and how to have the viewer "imagine" the next reaction by keeping an actor's movement off-screen for as long as it occurs, and have it "enter" the screen just in time so the viewer isn't startled, but expecting it. This management of the viewers' expectations brings them into the action and rewards them with the actor's achievement (hearkening back to the concept of the video game).  Thus, as you can see, the list for requirements for an action scene can go on and on, and monetary expenditures only exponentially increase!

I drew and re-drew story-boards, and discussed them with my DOP, Gary Huff, and special effects artist, Jason Zentner.  I concluded that, given our time and resources restrictions, obtaining success was going to be questionable at best.  Furthermore, my script was taking a huge chance shifting the POV from the two girls in the final moment onto the father's fight with the gunmen. I risked losing the emotional climax in a plethora of fighting extras.

I cut the scene.

So, here I was, about to shoot a film that had a team of 25 people attached to it, and the crucial scene was gone. So, what did I do?

A movie plays upon the visual and auditory senses. I look forward to the day when filmmakers will have commercially viable technology to expand the cinematic experience to further sensory experiences, but, for now I turned to sound as the answer. I rewrote the scene as follows. 
The story sticks to the POV of the two girls. They are discovered by three men come to kill them, manage to outrun them and are momentarily rescued by their father. He tells them to hurry into a nearby forest and hide while he takes care of their pursuers. As they run through the trees, a carefully-planned "conversation" of gun-shots blast the air, along with fading organ chords, atmospheric effects, and a heightened audio of the girls' feet. Suddenly, they realise their father hasn't followed them and so they rush back.  In dead silence, they discover the house and lawn strewn with dead, bloody bodies, including that of their father.

Thus, I managed to preserve the important plot elements of the chase and shoot-out, but only filmed the crescendo and the aftermath of the gun fight. We shot the film, wrapped on time, and now "WSR" is competing for entry into several international festivals.

I love the film industry because of the organised creativity that it demands. There are always finite amounts of time, resources, and money...even on the biggest productions in Hollywood. The artistic challenge to work with these factors and still try to make a film to the very best of my ability is one of the many reasons why I love producing and directing films.

Speaking of which, I'm currently about to start my debut feature film, "The Dying Eye," in Edinburgh, Scotland. Production begins October 12, 2012. It's about a brilliant, young computer hacker who fights crime in the streets of Edinburgh while navigating love, political conspiracies, and hallucinations.

I'm currently holding an Indiegogo campaign to raise money for the production. To read further and donate, go HERE.

Be a part of my team!  I'd love to have you on board!

You can also view her website HERE and her blog HERE.

Thank you, Shiphrah.

BLOCKED

I never used to believe in writer's block. Maybe I do now.

For the last three days all I've been able to write is this blog and I've had several attempts at it. I changed my mind on content three times. I've even made it to a paragraph twice before erasing and starting again. The words just won't flow for me this week no matter what I do.

I always work on two or three projects at a time so if I get stuck on one I can swap to another to keep my momentum going. However, this week I've hit a massive brick wall. I haven't progressed on any of my projects. It may be because it's the school holidays and I've got both boys running around driving me nuts, interrupting my train of thought every five minutes. It's hard to think when a four year old is screaming in your ear he wants food, a drink, the TV on, to sit on your lap and watch you work, to play on the CBeebies website or to go outside, which he could do if it wasn't raining. Or maybe I just need a break.

In the past I've scoffed at the suggestion of writer's block, but now I'm not so sure. I'm not even sure where this blog post is going. My mind is wandering. I've lost my focus.

One thing I do know for sure is that it won't last. Inspiration will come my way some point soon. I just have to wait for it to arrive and not feel guilty in the mean time because I'm not putting words on the page. Trying to force the words to come out will only makes it worse for me. So I'm going to take a break for the rest of the week and come back fresh on Monday morning with a clear head.

See you on the other side.

SOCIAL NETWORK OVERLOAD

There seems to me to be a new social networking site, app, or service launched every couple of weeks or so and I have to admit I find them very hard to ignore. I'm very happy using Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and don't want to be left out should some new social networking service come along which could potentially be better than what has come before. I'm terrified if I don't sign up I'll miss out. But just recently I've been bombarded with requests to join far too many new networking sites, services and apps and I've finally had to draw a line.

It's easy to be lulled in by their flashiness, the promise of connection with like minded individuals, and it's almost impossible to ignore if someone you know has invited you to join. Odd thoughts run through my head whenever I get a new invitation like, 'will they speak to me again if I don't sign up,' or 'do they know something I don't'?

I know if I signed up to all the services I was invited to I'd spend all day checking them and never actually do any writing. So I've had to make a choice and I've decided to stick with the three I know best because I trust them. I do also occasionally use Google + although I haven't yet come to fully trust it to do what I want it to and I admit I don't really understand it enough to do so.

The other danger of these sites and apps is adding people because they asked you to without really knowing who they, afraid they might actually be an important contact one day. I'm guilty of this, especially with LinkedIn where my contacts now number nearly three hundred. I know I should go through my contacts and remove those I never communicate with, or have never met, but that is easier said than done. Again I don't want to miss out. To me every contact is important, no matter who they are and what they do. That's just me I guess. I'm a socialble person.

My advice, or though I may not actually follow it myself, is to stick to two or three social networking sites and only accept friend or connect requests if you've met that person in the flesh, or really believe they are a good contact to have.

IT'S GOOD TO TALK

Writing can be a solitary profession and many new writers can feel very isolated. It's important then to find like minded people you can meet up with now and again to chat about all things writerly.

Last night I went out for a few beers with the ever wonderful Mr Timothy Clague and the infamous Mr Danny Stack. We talked, we laughed, we took the piss and at the end of the night I had a renewed sense of optimism.

We have the best job in the world.

That is all.

TO BOLDLY GO...

When I've written screenplays in the past I have tended to play it safe. I'm always thinking and trying to second guess what producers might like. Is what I've written on the page going to make the budget astronomical? If it is I remove some of the more expensive stuff. Is the subject matter too controversial? If it is I tone it down a bit. Is there too much swearing or violence? If there is I cut some of it out. Are the characters so larger than life that they would be unbelievable in the real world? If they are I rewrite them. I don't want to scare producers off my writing and I've realised by doing so I'm effectively watering down my ideas instead of championing them.

My award winning feature Faith, a bleak portrayal of life through the eyes of a sixteen-year-old street prostitute, is directly responsible for all the work I have landed this year. None of my other writing has had quite the same impact. I've read other writer's scripts, the ones that got them noticed and continue to get them work, and I've read articles about how writers got their first breaks. Without exception they all have one thing in common.

Producers want to hear the writers' unique voice. They don't want to read a technically good screenplay with no soul, they want to read something that stands out from the crowd, that goes the extra mile. They aren't looking for average writers. They aren't looking for an average run of the mill story however brilliantly it is written. They are looking for originality. They are looking for a writer with something to say rather than someone who can simply tell a story. Faith did that for me. But why?

Faith was written at the end of three and a half very tough years dealing with depression. I poured all of that experience, all of those emotions into Faith. I didn't hold back and it showed. I doubt very much it'll get made, but then that wasn't the intention. The plan was to get my writing noticed and Faith did that. Other writers have similar stories to mine.

James Moran wrote a sitcom set in school where the children were routinely killed off by the ruthless headmaster. It was a dangerous, but highly inventive place to be educated and it got him noticed. That screenplay landed him an agent and plenty of TV work. It's the same with last year's Red Planet Prize winner Simon Glass. His first bit of writing got agents and producers sitting up and paying attention. (*)"I had an idea in my head for a play called Parlour Games, a play that was beyond hardcore and in many ways it’s still my favourite piece of writing as it is absolutely fearless, it doesn’t care who it offends."

So I've decided it pays to be bold. It pays to write something that goes a little further, that shouts to the world what type of writer you are and what you can produce. I've decided it pays to pour everything into a spec screenplay and be dammed with what anyone thinks. A nice, steady, technically well written family drama isn't going to cut it unless it goes further than the other thousands of safe but technically gifted screenplays that hit the door mats of producers, production companies and agents every day.

Bold is beautiful.

(*) kindly borrowed from an interview with Simon Glass on Danny Stack's blog. You can find the full interview here.

AGENTS

New writers often believe they need an agent to get work and that they can't progress without one. They think it's just a matter of getting an agent and they'll have all the work they can handle. They make it their mission to get one and go all out to do so. An agent becomes their Holy Grail and blinds them to everything else. They send work out before it's ready. They send work out before they are ready. They send work out just because they can and not because they should. And they wonder why they get rejected. I've made that mistake and I know for sure it's one that will continue to be made by new writers.

You are not ready for an agent!

There, I've said it. You might not believe it. You might not want to believe it, but it's true and I'll tell you why.

Agents are inundated with work from any Tom, Dick or Harriet who think that their one and only screenplay is the bee's balls and once an agent has read it then they'll recognise their genius and instantly snap them up. Usually the truth is their screenplay isn't up to much and their narrow-minded attitude reeks of being unprofessional. So they get a standard rejection letter and the agent opens the next submission. As I've already said it's a mistake I've made myself.

So what are agents looking for?

- For a writer who shows promise.

- For a writer with a back catalogue.

- For a writer who illustrates at the very least a basic knowledge of the industry.

- For a writer who networks, who meets new people in the business and forms relationships with them.

- For a writer who has been industrious enough to find their own work.

- For a writer with plenty of ideas.

- For a writer who is enthusiastic and self motivated.

- For a writer who is polite, approachable and easy to work with.

What aren't agents looking for?

- A writer they need to handhold through every aspect of the industry.

- A writer they need to help polish their work.

- A writer with no contacts.

- A writer with only one or two pieces of work.

- A writer with an inflexible attitude.

- A writer with unrealistic aspirations.

- A writer who is rude.

- A writer who doesn't even have a short film to their name.

- A writer who never chases things up.

Basically agents are in business not to help you out, but to help themselves. They are in business to make money. If they look at you and they don't see any way to make money, even if they like your writing, then they won't take you on. They can smell desperation! They want the maximum amount of return for the littlest amount of work...don't we all!

So if not everything in the first category applies to you and the second category feels more familiar then you're not ready. It would be a complete waste of your time and effort trying to approach agents, so don't. There are some exceptions to the rule, there always are, but it happens so little you are better off not even thinking about it. In fact you are probably better off buying a Lotto ticket.

When you're ready you'll be fighting them off, so resist the temptation to approach agents before you are truly ready.

MOMENTUM

It's easy to get side tracked when you're busy and lose a little momentum. It's all too easy to focus on paid work to make sure you have enough money coming in to pay the bills and you can forget to move forward, especially if you're busy.

Momentum is vitally important for any writer. If you become too engrossed in what you're doing at the time and forget to look forward, when your current work is done you'll find yourself with nothing to move on to. You don't want to have to start from scratch again. So to combat this you should always be writing something new. You should always be entering competitions. You should always be making new and interesting contacts. You should always be looking out for new writing opportunities. No matter how busy you are and how little time you may think you have. Make the time and keep up that momentum.

Inevitably there will always be work and collaborations that don't pay and it's frustrating sometimes to spend time on these when you know you really should be concentrating on getting paid to write. But all writing work, paid and unpaid, is part of a big jigsaw, of getting your name out there, forging relationships and ensuring your career has longevity.

I find myself at a point where some possible paid work hasn't materialised. It's a bummer to be sure, but if I hadn't been continually looking for work and applying for stuff I might have been worried. I'm not though. I make more opportunities for myself every day and although some projects don't work out I know others will.

As Limp Bizkit once said roughly a decade ago..."Keep rollin' rollin' rollin'."

WHY FEEDBACK IS IMPORTANT

Feedback on your script is important, it helps you identify faults and give you the tools to correct them. It helps you to rewrite and rewriting is the life blood of all writers. Feedback is something every successful writer craves and actively seeks. Without it they die.

I've been following a new writer's posts on Facebook for the past few weeks and was extremely pleased for him when he announced he had finished his very first feature screenplay. He was quite rightly excited about it, as it's a monumental achievement to finish that first screenplay when so many people fail to do so. But what concerned me was his thinking that his first draft was good enough to send out to producers. When he was asked who had looked at his screenplay, he replied a friend at work...and that was it. He had written just one draft, had feedback from just one person and had only spent a day polishing his screenplay. How many of you think his screenplay was ready to send out? It was really difficult to know what to say because I wanted to be honest with him, but at the same time not be discouraging. So the idea for this blog post was born.

It's all very easy as new writer to spend weeks, maybe even months writing a screenplay and then think it's the bee's balls and as soon as you send it out it's going to be snapped up for bag full of money. I've made that mistake and so have many other writers I know. The truth is the first draft of anything is crap, no matter if you think otherwise. What makes us different is that we recognised our naivety and have worked hard since to make everything we write the best we can possibly make it. It's not been an easy journey, I can promise you that.

There are even new writers who actively avoid feedback, because they can't take criticism even when it's constructive. I've had nasty emails sent to me in the past after giving feedback, telling me I don't know what I'm on about and why can't I recognise the writer's obvious genius. All readers at some point get emails like that, it's unavoidable and very counterproductive for the writer. If the reader thinks your work isn't up to standard it's a sure bet a producer is going to think that too and will just send it back, or bin it. To improve at anything in life it's vitally important that you can take criticism, otherwise you won't advance, learn, or better yourself.

To make your screenplay the best it can be and of a standard that will make production companies sit up and take notice you have to have feedback and the right kind of feedback is important. Friends and writers at the same level as you are helpful for identifying the obvious faults, but for more in depth analysis of your screenplay you need a professional reader and will have to pay for their services.

Why should I use a professional reader?

Most professional readers have been trained to identify what's wrong with a screenplay and offer suggestions on how to fix it. They are not just going by gut instinct. The better ones will have worked as readers for production companies so are well aware of the common faults in scripts submitted to producers and the reasons 99% of them are rejected.

Why should I pay for feedback when I can get my friends to give me feedback for free?

As above. If your friends are at the same level in their career as you their advice, although helpful, won't be at the level you need to help you take a step up. If you want experience and professional insight then a reader is a must, they are the ones to help you really get to the heart of your screenplay's problems and fix them. Even professional writers with long careers in TV and film use the services of readers, just to get another set of eyes to look at their work. You don't have to keep shelling out pound notes for several sets of notes on just one screenplay. Get your friends and fellow writers to feedback on it first, then when you think it might be ready pay a reader to take a look. That way you won't bankrupt yourself and will get the help you need. The benefits far out weigh any cost.

So why should you choose me as your reader?

Who you choose to look at your work is up to you, but make sure you're happy with their qualifications. As for me I have a BA(Hons) in Scriptwriting for Film & TV, I've been a reader with Portman Entertainment, my coming-of-age drama feature Faith won a writing award and since January this year I've been commissioned to write two feature screenplays. Plus my rates are very reasonable.

You can view my service HERE.

Let's hope my Facebook friend reads this and is motivated to have more people read his screenplay and set about many more rewrites. He has my support if he needs it.

I WANT IT ALL AND I WANT IT NOW!!!

I'm impatient and always have been. It's so all consuming and almost impossible to ignore. Sometimes I think I might actually die of impatience one day. I may have even written about it before, indeed I'm sure I have, but here it is again rearing it's ugly head, taunting me with possibilities just around the corner.

I'm feel like my eleven-year-old self again waiting for Saturday morning so I could run up to the paper shop with my pocket money to buy the latest copy of 2000AD and a bag of pineapple cubes to munch while I read. Those Saturday mornings were the best, but the six day wait before was always pure hell, full of nervous anticipation that would occupy my thoughts every waking moment.

These days it's waiting on others, specifically; the editing of a short film to be finished, for a deal to be struck on a feature or TV mini series, for a mind blowing cast list to be confirmed, for a short film to go into production, for confirmation of a job offer, for an offer of representation and for payment for services rendered. But I have to be patient, things don't happen over night. It would be nice if they did. So I wait and wait and wait and wait and wait and wait and wait. Sometimes I seriously wonder why I haven't gone out of my mind already!

I can't let it get to me though, otherwise I would be emailing and phoning everyone, every minute of every day and soon people would get fed up of me and stop answering my calls and emails. So for things I know are happening soon I'll chase up every two weeks and for those things I know will take a while I'll stay in touch roughly once a month, just to keep myself up to date with progress, not to moan at them for not getting things done, because that would be bad.

It's worth noting the short film I'm waiting to finish editing so I can see a copy has been two years plus in the making, but I know it will be worth the wait when I see the finished version.
So how do I cope? By allowing myself a small treat now and again when I finish a project or if I have something pretty awesome to celebrate.
 
And this fat boy is today's treat for finally finishing The Lost Soul screenplay. Don't mind if I do :-)

Pimp Yourself

The ever lovely Mr Scott Castle asked me yesterday how I go about getting work as a writer. This is a very good question because the answer is I don't. Let me explain...

All the work I have been commissioned for so far has been the direct result of two things; networking like a beaver and having a great, highly polished calling card script that people love.

NETWORKING

I have found by years of trial and error that the best way to get work is to put yourself out there and by that I mean you need to network like a fanatic, getting to know everyone and showing genuine interest in what they are doing. When I say everyone do I mean just producers and directors? No...I mean everyone, everyone even remotely connected to the entertainment industry, actors, casting directors, script editors and fellow writers at all levels. And you have to show a genuine interest in their work, because if you don't they will know and think you're sucking up to them just to further your career. I don't have that problem because I have a passionate love of film and TV and a general curiosity about people, so I find it a pleasure to talk to others (even if it does terrify me sometimes) and find out what they are working on. Remember it's about them, not you, so never, ever go begging for work. Remain helpful, polite and never pushy. If like me this comes naturally to you, then it's a great advantage, otherwise you'll have to work very hard at it.

I find it helps to keep a spreadsheet of the people I meet detailing when we last talked and what about, as it can get quite confusing when you have met literally hundreds of people, especially if you are as rubbish at remembering names as I am. Some days I even need help remembering my own name.

Signing up to social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn help with the process, but you must remember everyone will read what you write so keep a separate account for personal use and gobbing off, and one for professional. You are what you write after all. Personally I chose to only have one account on each site, as it would take too much time to keep up with separate accounts. Therefore I have to be very careful not to Twitter or Facebook when I come home from the pub and think it's funny to post a picture of my bum. General personal stuff is fine, it makes you appear human, just as long as it's not offensive.

Writing ten or fifteen short scripts and offering them free to up and coming directors is a great idea to get your name and work out there. Plus if any are made it will give you something to be proud of and a credit on your CV. A good place to find directors is on Shooting People. Always remember to check out the directors previous work first to see if it's of the quality you want your short to be and if they are intending to place the finished film in festivals. That last bit is important as this will increase your exposure.

THE CALLING CARD SCRIPT

This is the one that best showcases your writing. It is not designed to ever get made (you're lucky if it does) but to show others what you can do. Make sure it is the best it can be before you send it out, as a sloppy, poorly written script will not impress anyone. And you need to send it out...to everyone - production companies first and places like the BBC Writersroom and Industrial Scripts, and then to smaller producers and directors and actors and just about everyone, but with this second group of people only if they request to read it first.

And this is where the networking comes into its own. If you've done your job properly people will also be genuinely interested in knowing what you are up to and might ask to read your script. If they like your work they might even offer you some work.

It's really all about building relationships and an awareness of your work. Do this and eventually people will come to you when they need a writer and one day you might even get paid for it.

HELLO

I got a phone call the other week from someone I knew of but had never spoken to personally. Nothing strange or special in that you might think, unless you consider how the phone call came about.

In March 2011 after the birth of my second son I found myself too busy to write and too tired to concentrate, but with enough time to sit down for short periods and do little things. I decided to make the most of that precious time and email people I had met over the years at various events, online, or who were in my LinkedIn contacts. The idea was to say hello and see what everyone was working on, just to be friendly. I can't remember exactly how many emails I sent, but it was in the hundreds.

The response I got was magnificent and on the whole positive until two self important people decided to take offence to me emailing them, accusing me of trying to worm my way into their little incestuous group for the purposes of furthering my career by sending out cut and paste emails. The emails I received from them were rather nasty and spiteful and at some point one of two was ringing up others I know and checking what I had emailed them...all very childish and very unprofessional. What was meant to be something positive was turned sour by the actions of those two cruel bullies. The experience left me a little deflated to say the least. But I eventually got over it and forgot about the incident.

Then last week I got a phone call out of the blue from someone on my LinkedIn contact list who apologised for not replying when I sent him an email last year. He told me he was busy at the time and had simply forgotten about the email, but had meant to reply. He was very impressed I had taken the time to email him and enquire what he was working on and laughed off the incident with the two little bullies after reading about it in one of my previous blog posts (now deleted). He went out of his way to let me know he appreciated what I had done, even if the two bullies hadn't, and we continued chatting on the phone for over an hour about what we were both working on. At no point did we discuss how we could help each other, or how we could get work via our respective contacts, it was just two people talking about their love of TV and movies. It was a lovely, heart warming phone call and it really made my day :-)

If you feel like me and if you're happy to share with the world what you're working on please do so in the comments, after all we are a community of film and TV lovers and I personally would love to hear about everyone's projects.

INDUSTRIAL SCRIPTS COURSE - HOW TO MAKE THE LOW-BUDGET FEATURE FILM

5.30am is not a good time to wake the wife and kids on a Sunday morning so they can drive you to the train station, not if you want a peaceful life. They tend to be very cranky at not having enough sleep and the wife won't let you forget it...not days after, not weeks after...probably never... but I did it anyway. The reason? A training course on How To Make A Low-Budget Feature Film held at the Industrial Scripts' offices in London.

Now I know what you're probably thinking, why go to a course that is primarily designed for producers? The answer is because I thought it would give me a greater insight to what producers have to deal with, the mistakes to avoid and what potential things in a screenplay can eat up a budget. And you know what, the course answered those questions and so much more.

I have to admit a lot of the information, especially some aspects of budgets, raising funds and tax breaks did go over my head, but I did learn the kinds of obstacles that can cause producers problems and projects to fail. I found this very helpful as a writer. For example on a low-budget production even the shortest delay in handing in the finished screenplay can lead to the project folding and the company set up to make the film going bust - as the course speaker Richard Holmes said, "Writers lie!"Lesson: deliver when you say you will and they'll remember you fondly for it. Delays cost and money can easily run out, much quicker and almost over night on low-budget productions. It was also interesting to know how much even the basic stunts can cost, setting someone's head alight for instance costs about £15,000, so on a low-budget film you can only do that once.

It was great course and a great day and I've already recommended it to one of my producer friends. So if you're a writer and you don't think you need to learn about the production side of things... think again! I would highly recommend the course. Let's put it this way - there will be a room full of producers looking for great ideas and the writers with the talent to put them on paper - the saying, 'Shooting Fish In A Barrel,' comes to mind. It's worth noting my little trip to London has netted me one collaboration already.

The course costs £156.99 and is money well spent if you get just one job out of it. If you're serious about your career it would be silly not to book up.

INDUSTRIAL SCRIPTS - MAKING THE LOW-BUDGET FEATURE FILM

As if my working week wasn't busy enough I decided today to go to Industrial Scripts' - Making The Low-Budget Feature Film training course in London on Sunday and have just booked my ticket. All very last minute.

Why you may ask? Well for two reasons really. The first is because if I know what goes into making a low-budget film it will help to understand the constraints low-budget film makers face. It will also help me package my low budget screenplays better. Secondly, and most importantly for me, it's a room full of producers and directors...as a screenwriter it's an opportunity I can't afford to miss.

The training day costs £156.99, but even if I sell just one screenplay, or get one commission out of it, it will have paid for itself. Plus I'll actually learn things too... on a Sunday... I know... crazy!!!!

REJECTION

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger! Wise words and especially poignant for writers, who seem to spend most of their life hearing the word 'No'.
I've written on this subject before, but it's one that crops up so often it's worth covering again. It's easy to get disheartened, to throw a paddy, say 'fuck it all' and use your latest rejection letter to set fire to the person who sent it's pubic hair. It's easy to sink into a grump, shout and yell at your significant others, kick doors, punch walls, shut yourself in the cupboard under the stairs and cry until you can cry no more...but really that is just being silly. It's self destructive and self defeating and if you choose this route your career will be over before it's started.

They are not rejecting you!

Yes, it's true. They are NOT rejecting you. You might think they are, but I can assure you they are not.

What they are rejecting is the work you sent them and this is not necessarily because it's the worse drivel they've ever read. There could be lots of reasons why they've said no. They may have a similar project in production, they may hate the genre, they may have had a blazing row with their significant other before they came to work that morning, their coffee might be cold, or they may just be an idiot. It happens!

So what you need to do is bounce back and straight away. My usual trick is to go online, research a few production companies and send them some of my work, get myself back out there. The more work you send out the more chances you make for yourself. Don't carpet bomb, but instead keep a steady stream of work flowing outwards. It also helps if you write something new now and again, as there's nothing worse than sending out something you wrote ten years ago that everyone and their mother has already read and rejected. Stay fresh!

Yeah you might be disappointed with the rejection, sometimes it does hurt, like it did for me last week. It was a big rejection and it hurt bad. I sulked around the house for an hour before I phoned my wife to tell her the bad news, because I knew she would say the right things to make me feel better. Then I did some research and sent three emails...and one of them paid off. I still felt bad for a day and half but, I didn't let it stop me from moving forward. If I had I would of missed out on something great. It's important to keep going, to not let rejection stop you in your tracks. Just think of it as a war of attrition. Keep sending a steady stream of your work out and eventually you'll wear them down.

Another trick I use is to keep all of my good emails or letters so that if I am feeling down about things I can just go back and read them. It's like a mini ego boost and it reminds me that some people do actually like my work. When I phoned my wife she reminded me of all the great things I had going on and that one rejection really didn't matter. And you know what, she was right...she usually is. It's important to focus on the positives when bad news comes your way. It's not easy, but it's something you have to do.

Remember, although rejection does hurt it won't kill you - unless they stab you through the heart with the metal bindings of your screenplay - otherwise it'll just smart a bit for a couple of days, then you can brush it off and get on with your career. You're in this for the long haul. Keep going!

WHAT IS A SECOND DRAFT?

Somebody asked me how much work I put into a second draft, which is a very good question as I may have over simplified the second draft process in my last blog.

For me the first draft is literally just one pass on the story. I may go back a couple of times to make a few quick, minor changes, but mostly I just write from the start until the finish, with very little editing. My second drafts actually consist of several mini drafts, usually ten, so that when I'm finished my second draft it will actually be draft eleven. This is how I do it...

1. The first pass of the second draft is where I see if my story actually works. If it doesn't I need to rethink and come at it from a different angle. This is where I plug all those nasty plot holes to make sure the screenplay works as a whole.
2. The second pass is all about structure. Does it work? Is it too fast, too slow, too confusing? Is it end heavy, or does it waffle on in act two? For the fist two passes I'm not worried about anything but plot and structure, because I don't want to complicate things and get myself into a mess. I find it best to concentrate on one aspect at a time. This is also where the first draft will probably change by anything from 25% to 75%.
3. Pass three is all about my characters, are they believable, do they act like they should and more importantly are they necessary? There have been occasions where I have found characters to be superfluous, so I've had to get rid of them.
4. Dialogue. Are my characters speaking with their own voice, is there too much exposition in the dialogue, does it sound clunky, do I get a sense of character, is there too much? Remember less is more! Obviously a feature will have a lot less dialogue than a TV drama.
5. Language and imagery. This is where I lose superfluous words, delete repeating ones and look closely at all of my action description. I want to take out everything that can't actually be shown on the screen.
6. Restructuring. This is really another pass at structure, but this time I look to see if I can tell my story a different way by changing the order I tell it in. This is also where I see if I am telling the story through the right characters' eyes. On several occasions I have found it more advantageous to tell the story through the eyes of a different character making it more powerful in the process.
7. Conflict. This is where I check every scene has conflict in it and where I add more layers to ensure it does. Remember conflict is the essential part of any story.
8. The opening pages. I always check to make sure the opening pages are going to grab the audience. If they're not then I need to change them so they do so.
9. My second pass on characters, dialogue and action. If what my characters say and do doesn't match their character, then I have to change it so it does.
10. My last pass is where I proof read for any glaring errors like calling a character by a different name halfway through the screenplay. You would be surprised how often this happens.

It's when those ten passes are done that I consider my second draft to be completed. I do it all over again for the third draft, but then it'll be easier because most of the hard work will have already been done.

SECOND DRAFT RELIEF

For me there's something about finishing a second draft that brings a sense of relief I rarely get with other drafts.

Why is that? It's because for me the second draft is where I iron out those major imperfections, correct the gaping holes in the plot and fix those one dimensional characters. It's the draft where the idea finally finds its shape and I know once it's done it'll be all down hill from there.

The first draft is all about getting the story out on the page. I'm not worrying about if this works, or if that works, I'm just concerned with getting it finished, because it's easier to fix something that's crap and written than it is to fix something that isn't yet on paper. For me the second draft is where the majority of the work will be carried out.

The second draft is where the screenplay's major faults are addressed and corrected and once done I know my screenplay will never again be as bad as the first draft. Every draft after the second will be easier than the last, with fewer and fewer changes and tweaks needed to be done.

I always hate starting a second draft, in fact they terrify me to the point where I sometimes actively avoid them with my own spec work. If I'm writing for someone else I can't avoid those silly little second drafts, so I just have bite the bullet and throw myself into them. I think it's the scale of work the second draft always involves which brings the terror. It's the fear that maybe somehow I won't fix the screenplay's problems, but actually make them worse. It never happens of course, but the fear always surfaces none the less.

The relief of finishing a second draft is like cycling up a mountain and reaching the peak, knowing you can now freewheel down the other side. It's the only part of a second draft I actually enjoy and I'm ecstatic when I see it.

Success

As writers how do we measure success?

I think the reason most new writers get frustrated is because they have unrealistic expectations of how successful they want, or are going to be. When you're starting out it's easy to dream of BAFTAs, Golden Globes and Oscars, but these are completely unrealistic aspirations for a new writer and have no basis in reality. I'm not saying you shouldn't have ambition, ambition is good, so are goals, but they have to reachable and realistic and you should grow you expectations and goals accordingly.

Should you compare your career to other writers? I think this is an easy trap to fall into and one that any writer should avoid at all costs. Why should you compare your writing and career to other writers, it's just putting more unnecessary pressure on yourself? Every writer is different. Every career is different. Every success is different. There are the perceived high fliers like Steven Moffat and then there are those writers who are not so well know, but who still make a perfectly acceptable living, like the ever wonderful Phillip Barron. Do you think Phillip considers himself a failure because he doesn't have his own show on TV watched by millions? I bet he doesn't. You have to find your own level of success, you have to find your own definition of 'making it'.

I can sum up what success means for me with one question...'Am I happy?' And the answer is yes! I am very happy where my career is right now, I'm earning money and I'm writing features that have a good chance of getting made. This doesn't mean I've given up on writing for TV, that particular goal still drives me onwards, all I'm saying is at the moment I'm extremely happy to be paid to do what I love.

Communication

With mobile telephones, emails, Facebook and Skype freely available to the majority you would think that communication would be easy... but it isn't.

My first feature commission The Lost Soul has been a giant learning curve for me. When I received the notes for the second draft it was obvious the producer and I were miles apart with our thinking and that's all due to not communicating properly. To be honest no one person is at fault, we all have to take a share of the blame. The producer and director should have been up front with me about why they wanted to make The Lost Soul, where they were coming from and what they expected of me, and I should have made sure I asked enough questions so I properly understood what was needed. I could have used the French/English language barrier as an excuse, it certainly didn't help the process, but it wasn't the route cause. The extremely tight deadline of 31 days to write the first draft, with little or no preparation, might have contributed to things as well, but really poor communication was what let us down.

Communication is key when working with someone, whether it's a paid commission or just a collaboration with a friend. If you're not absolutely clear about what you are working on then mistakes are going to happen. You should never rush into a project before you know exactly what is wanted from you, no matter how tight the deadline. If you don't know, then ask. The people you're working for won't mind you asking silly questions, they just want you to understand, to get it right. Get it right first time and it'll save you a lot of time and effort down the line. This is a lesson I have recently learnt and will never make again.

IMAGE

How many of you have pictures of locations pinned around your wall when you sit down to write? No neither do I, but when I was sent some photos of possible locations by a director recently it got me to thinking.

As writers it's our job to write visually - show, don't tell after all - so why shouldn't we use visual references to help ignite our imagination? I usually have a script preparation book (A4 sheets of notes bound like a screenplay) beside me, which usually includes character bios, a treatment, a beat sheet, research, my forty key scenes and any other notes I think I might need when I sit down to actually write. It would be quite easy to add a few visual references to the book, as an aid to help visualise locations for my screenplay.

When I come up with my characters I sometimes visualise a certain actor in the role to help me write them, so it would make sense to do the same with locations. Yet I don't do this... but I certainly will from now on.

Character

After writing The Lost Soul in a month because of tight deadlines I've been thinking a lot about characters and how much better they are if you spend time developing them.

I didn't have as much time to develop the characters for The Lost Soul as I would have liked, I only had time to get a general feel for them. Some of the characters were already partially fleshed out because of previous work done by the director and producer, but the vast majority of the work had to been done as I went along and I have to admit the characters aren't as good as they could be. I wish could have had more time to spend on them.

So over the last two weeks I've allowed myself a little refresher on character by reading Writing The Character Centered Screenplay by Andrew Horton. It is a very comprehensive book covering all aspects of character, very informative and enjoyable and one I would heartily recommend to every writer out there. In the back there is a Character Check List which writers are encouraged to use, to fill in details about their characters' backgrounds, looks, mannerisms and numerous other bits and bobs helping the writer to better know the characters in their screenplay. I used to use this handy tool as a guide to see if my characters worked and to discover how best to improve them. I don't use it now and I couldn't even tell you when I stopped using it, or why, but I know for sure I will be using it again from now on.

The biggest single reason for the majority of screenplays I've read failing is character. Too many times have I seen cliche, stereotypes and one dimensional characters. If you want your screenplay to stand out from the crowd it's your characters that are going to help you do that. It doesn't matter how good your ideas are if your characters aren't up to scratch then your screenplay has already failed.

So how can you ensure your characters are three dimensional and stand out? That's easy - work at them. Don't start writing that first draft until you know everything about your characters; you won't the majority of that information, but you need to know it to know your character. Try writing out three pages about each of your main characters, a paragraph for your minor ones, covering their likes, dislikes, motivations, how they talk, how they move, things that happened to them in the past they could affect how they react to certain situations. Remember even the most likable characters have their own selfish desires and needs and it's from those desires and needs that conflict comes from. Or you could simply fill out Andrew Norton's Character Check List, as it has all the questions you should be asking yourself about your character.

I've typed Andrew Norton's Character Check List into a Final Draft 8 document, so if anyone wants it to use as a template then please email me and I'll email you back a copy.

LOST SOUL Day 31

And here I am at the end of my 31 day journey. The final touches were made to the first draft last night and it has now been emailed to the producer and director for their notes before the second draft gets underway. This is where the nerves kick in. Is it good enough? Will they like it? I know it is and I'm sure they will, but for now I'll worry a little, then forget about it, then get on with the second draft when the notes arrive.

It's been a busy 31 days, somewhat emotional - frustrating - hard going - hilarious - and satisfying in places, but a fun journey overall, one I have enjoyed sharing with you all. I hope you enjoyed the journey too and learnt something along the way.

Normal weekly Wednesday blogging will resume next week. Thank you for following me these past 31 days.

LOST SOUL Day 30

I have notes.

These will be the last before the screenplay is sent to the producer and director...I'm a little nervous!!! It would be different if I was writing something of my own, but writing a screenplay from a story by someone else is a little scary. What if they don't like it? What if they actually hate it?

But what if they DO like it?

LOST SOUL Day 28

Still waiting...

LOST SOUL Day 27

Still waiting for notes...

LOST SOUL Day 26

Email from the producer last night chomping at the bit to get her hands on the first draft....she'll have to wait a bit because it's not the agreed deadline yet. Now just waiting for notes on the screenplay as a whole from the script editor.

I also realised last night I haven't read the screenplay all the way through yet. I might do that this afternoon.

LOST SOUL Day 25

Just when I thought I had two days off the script editor gets his notes to me in double quick time...

So begins the first rewrite.

LOST SOUL Day 24

I finished the first draft last night writing 14 pages in a day. The script has now been sent off to the script editor for his notes, after which there will be a quick rewrite and then it will be sent to the producer and director. I hope they like it.I'm pretty happy with how it's turned out and it's certainly one of my better first drafts.

It's great to finally get my first paid feature under my belt and I can't even begin to describe the relief that brings. It's certainly given me more confidence and a stronger belief in myself, which I can now use to progress my career further.

It's worth pointing out this opportunity and the next I have lined up came from networking. Lost Soul was offered to me purely on the recommendation of a writer/director who read my coming-of-age feature Faith and thought Lost Soul was the kind of script I write well. My next feature was a direct result of networking at the Screenwriters' Festival last October. So it just goes to show spending a considerable amount of time devoted to network will eventually pay off. If you don't put the work in, you won't get work out of it. The more connections you make the better your chances of finding work.

LOST SOUL Day 23

I'm back. I took a couple of days off in the end, just to recharge my batteries and to take stock of my rapidly escalating year.

The meeting I had on Saturday for another feature went very well and the producer wants me to go ahead and write the screenplay, after the contract is sorted out of course. It's a fantastic opportunity for me and a brilliant idea that I can't wait to get stuck in to. It's the kind of story I write well and love...but I will have to tell you more about it at a later date. First I must finish Lost Soul.

Better get to it.

LOST SOUL Day 20

I will be working tonight, as we have visitors for most of the day. I was able to write a few pages last night as well, just to help things along. Not long left to go now.

LOST SOUL Day 19

I'm beginning to flag. I really need a break, but I won't let myself have one until the first draft is in the bag. Who ever said this writing lark was easy needs to be shot...

Onwards!

LOST SOUL Day 18

This was the day I planned to finish the first draft, but after being told to slow down by the script editor I now find myself about 30 pages away from finishing. I'm hoping I can get it completed by the end of the week, so I'll have 10 days to do another quick draft. I'm also meeting up face to face with the script editor on Sunday and it would be fantastic if he was able to read the finished draft the day before. Let's see if I can do it.

Onwards!

LOST SOUL Day 17

Another day of marvellous writing done and another ahead of me. Things went well yesterday, some good scenes and some fantastic imagery.

Best get to it.

LOST SOUL Day 16

I'm now entering the part of the screenplay I always struggle with, the section just after the midway point where the inspiration suddenly dries up and things almost come to a stop. Luckily with this screenplay I have more ideas for this section than can possibly fit, so I know my real problem will be what to cut out.

The other problem I have is that the second half of this feature is set in a hospital and there is a great danger that it could get very talky. I've got to keep on my toes and keep thinking visual to stop it turning into something all too common in many screenplays I read. It's not too bad in TV scripts to have a lot of talk, but in features it's a killer. Being visual is the key.

On a separate note I would like to congratulate Steven Moffat, Mark Gatiss, Steve Thompson, Toby Haynes and Paul McGuigan for bringing us the FABULOUS Sherlock. Last night's episode written by Steve Thompson and directed by Toby Haynes was spellbinding TV and an example of genius writing, the kind that makes the rest of us writers look distinctly average. You are all incredibly talented bastards and I thank you for such glorious entertainment.

Right I have a cup of tea, the eldest is at nursery and the youngest is having his morning nap - time to get to it!

LOST SOUL Day 15

At the desk nice and early (on a Sunday...I know...I must be mad!), let's see what I can get done.

First up: notes from the script editor on what I've written so far.

First point: He's worried one of the two main characters looks a little weak along side a secondary character who is very strong. I agree and will go back later and correct this.

Second point: He is worried the second half of the screenplay is becoming a little too talky and isn't visual enough. I also agree and it was a problem I've seen coming for a while. The second half of the screenplay takes place in a hospital and it's very easy to fall into the talky trap. But I've got to think big, think visual and come up with a different way of showing these scenes.

I had better get on with it.

LOST SOUL Day 14

I've got blurred vision - too long staring at a computer screen, so I'm taking the day off.

Normal service will resume tomorrow.

LOST SOUL Day 13

Friday the 13th......I might just stay in bed.

But then again I'm not being paid for that, so write I will.

LOST SOUL Day 12

Not much progress made on the script yesterday after the call from the producer, as I had to rewrite the synopsis and go back over the script to change little bits. The knock on effect of that is I am now worried they aren't going to like the draft I hand in. I know I've done a good job, but still the doubt is there again.

It's silly really, doubting myself after all the hard work I've put in over the years learning my craft and improving my writing every day. However, the self doubt pushes me on and makes me even more determined to be a better writer every day. I won't ever let it cripple me, or beat me, I will use it to better myself.

A full day of working on the script today and nothing else. Onwards!

LOST SOUL Day 11

Yesterday I reached the midway point - YES!!! Very pleased with myself! Best of all it reads very well and I'm very happy with the quality.

Time to get down to it.

LOST SOUL Day 10

Changed the scene the script editor wanted me to yesterday then I decided to scrap it, because it was rubbish. I wanted to show a character's journey into violence, just hinting at it in this new scene, but it turned into a full on riot which was too much. The plan is to do it a different way today and see if that works better.

In other news my website has now been updated and you can see the new version here:

www.thescriptwriter.co.uk

If you have any suggestions on how I can improve it please let me know.

Better get to it.

LOST SOUL Day 9

Easy day yesterday. Knocked the page tally up to 37 and will aim to make it 45 by the end of the day, despite the script editor telling me to slow down. I now just want to get it done so I can get on with other things.

My fingers are hovering over my keyboard. Ready. Steady. Go.

LOST SOUL Day 8

I didn't do much yesterday because, as I thought, family time got in the way. Amazingly enough I'm not feeling guilty at only doing 3 pages yesterday and as a bonus the dear lady wife sent me up to my office straight after lunch to get on with the screenplay. It's fantastic to share my life with such an understanding woman.

By the way, I watched SUBMARINE last night; what a bloody brilliant film!!! Go buy or hire.

Better get to it then.

LOST SOUL Day 7

Just emailed the first 31 pages to the script editor for his notes (he's just text me to say he's got them) and I've already started writing today. Full day of family stuff so I'll be dipping in an out, but let's see what I can get done.

Ready to rumble.

LOST SOUL Day 6

Yesterday was a hard slog. What I was writing was rubbish and no matter how many times I tried to change it, it didn't seem to get any better. In the end I think I sorted it, but I must have written at least 15 pages most of which ended up being deleted. Because of this I decided to take the morning off and play with the kids. Now I'm back.

26 pages done and hopefully I can get 5 done today to keep me on track.

I'm going in.

LOST SOUL Day 5

6 pages done yesterday making a total of 21 pages.

Lovely email from an agent at lunch time interested in representing me, which did distract me a little.

Anyway, let's see what I can do today.

Onwards!

LOST SOUL Day 4

So 6 pages yesterday. I did set myself a target of 10 but decided to get a couple of other things out of the way, like my Red Planet entry. Very happy with where I am today. The eldest boy went back to nursery this morning so I should be able to write 10 pages easily, as I won't have to contend with him interrupting me every five minutes.

Wrote my first really meaty scene yesterday and it was great fun to finally get to the emotional core of the story. I'm also really pleased about the ending to the scene I came up with, it's really powerful and sets things up beautifully. The great thing is it just came to me as I was writing it.

Right, no time to waste, must get on with it.

LOST SOUL Day 3

Feeling a little better about yesterday and I'm determined to do at least 10 pages today. Time to crack on.

LOST SOUL Day 2

Really buzzed about writing today after watching the marvellous SHERLOCK last night...how does Mr Moffat do it???

Just had a quick read of yesterday's pages and to be honest they're not bad. One minor tweak to help the audience connect with the protagonist, as he was looking too troubled too early... that comes later.

The threat of Swanage still looms to add to the self imposed pressure of another 5 pages planned for today. If I can do more I will - if the writing is flowing really well what's the point in stopping when I complete my target number of pages? If it goes well I'll stay at home and write until my fingers drop off, if it doesn't I might as well go and get some fresh air and clear my head.

I'm going in.

And So It Begins...

INT. DOM'S OFFICE, DAY ONE - DAY

A piping hot mug of black coffee on the desk next to me (my first of 2012), outline printed, Final Draft open, document open, page one, cursor flashing... and I'm ready to go.

And so starts thirty-one mad days of writing the first draft of THE LOST SOUL, my first commissioned feature screenplay of 2012. I'll try and blog every day so you can follow my progress. The aim is to show the first draft writing process warts an all so you can be there to see how many pages I've done, or haven't, if and when panic sets it and how I'm feeling throughout the process. I am aiming to be brutally honest with everything I say, which will quite possibly mean most of what you read won't be pretty.

Are you ready? Then let's go.

2011 Review

As I pound away at the keys on my keyboard writing my latest feature screenplay at a furious pace and reflecting on another year gone by - my second as a freelance writer - I can't help but think of what a year of contradictions it has been.

In January 2011 I was in a blind panic worrying where the money for the bills was going to come from, as our second child was due in February. Eventually I had to take a small step back from the writing and get a job in a local supermarket working forty hours a week in the evenings to ensure we had enough money coming in to survive my wife's planned maternity leave. It put me under a lot of pressure, but also gave me some perspective and the chance to take stock of my first year freelance. It also gave me time to plan what I was going to do when I went back to writing full-time and what I wanted to achieve from the three months left of the year when my wife went back to work in October.

Early on in the year, around about March, I was offered the chance to write a romantic comedy feature, but despite my best efforts to get a contract and a writing schedule organised things dragged on for months, eventually fizzing out late summer. The offer of work is still there, but it's not one I'm actively chasing right now. They know where I am if they want me.

The Traveller, a collaboration with Musaab Ag, was chosen as an official selection of the Cannes Short Film Corner in May and did rather well, so much so Musaab and I are now working on three future collaborations together, two screenplays of mine - one a short the other a thriller feature - and a feature written by someone else.

In June I heard back from a competition - The Prequel to Cannes Screenwriting Prize 2011 - informing me I had made the final four. It came completely out of the blue, as I had entered and forgotten about it almost straight away. I was quite frankly stunned and had an incredibly nervous wait for the final results. I didn't have to wait long as the results were announced two weeks later in July and to my absolute delight I discovered I had won the competition. Then everything started to go a bit mental...in a good way...

The same script was chosen for Industrial Scripts' Talent Connector and because of this I've had some serious interest from an agent working at a top London agency who wants me to come in for a chat in the new year. I also received offers of work from at least two directors and things were beginning to look really good.

Around came October, my dear lady wife went back to work enabling me to once again concentrate full-time on my writing, which included attending the annual networking event called The London Screenwriters' Festival. Again my award winning screenplay landed me work, a project I'm really excited about, and attracted a lot of interest in me as a writer from directors and producers.


Then in November another writer I know phoned me up and asked, 'What are you working on?'

'Just my Red Planet entry,' I replied.

'Forget that, I've got a job for you' said the writer, who then proceeded to offer me paid work. Contracts and payment were signed and sorted this month and I know find myself commissioned to write my first fully paid feature for a French production company.

So although 2011 started out slow and uncertain, it has graduated into opportunities galore, career progression and some serious paid work. 2011 has been very kind to me indeed.

Here's looking forward to a prosperous 2012 and I hope it's a successful one for all of you out there.

Happy New Year to you all.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone.

Peace be with you all.

NDA

I dread reading a screenplay every time I'm asked to sign an NDA (Non Disclosure Agreement) by a writer wanting me to read their work.

I've signed five NDAs in the last three months and four have been totally unnecessary. So why do people get so paranoid their idea might be talked about and stolen when they really don't have anything to worry about? What do they think I'm going to do read their script and think 'by Margret Thatcher's balls that's a brilliant script, I'm going to steal it and make my fortune?' As if!

The WGGB suggest you simply put a little © by your name on the title page and leave it at that and I agree. There is no need for NDAs because anyone who wants a long and successful career in the business WILL NOT steal your work! If they did their career would be over the instant word got out. No one would want to touch them...NO ONE!

I could understand if the people in question were Hollywood writers with potential blockbusters on their hands (not that they would come to me anyway), or production companies with a project nearly ready to go, but why do new writers in this country insist on having a reader sign an NDA before they send out their script? And I have to be brutally honest here, it's usually the average scripts that come with the NDAs, the ones that don't have a killer plot worth talking about in the first place. That's not to say I haven't seen some very well written screenplays after I've signed an NDA.

Besides you can't protect an idea. Once you've written a screenplay it's your intellectual property by law, but the idea can still be written in a different way, with different characters by someone else. I can guarantee that while you're coming up with your unique blockbuster of an idea there are hundreds of other people, maybe even thousands, having the exact same idea at the exact same time. As if to prove this point earlier in the year someone pitched me an idea for a TV series to see if I thought it was any good, then last month I read the EXACT same idea had been made into a Hollywood film and was due for release soon.

So if anyone is reading this and is thinking of sending me their screenplay to read, don't ask me to sign an NDA before hand, it's not needed...honest!

Method Writing Part 2

I've been thinking on this subject some more since last week, especially as Lucy (Bang2Write) Hay obviously didn't get what I was trying to say.

I WASN'T saying you should take examples from your life and force them on your characters essentially turning them into bastard versions of yourself. What I WAS saying is you need to refer back to emotional times in your own life to better understand the character you are trying to write. Let me try to make this crystal clear.

EXAMPLE: Your character is a teenage boy who doesn't relate to his mother, putting him on a collision course with her.

Go back and look at instances in your own life where you didn't get on with your mother and explore how you felt and how your actions helped or hindered that relationship. Then pick one really traumatic example, make it ten times worse and remove yourself from it, putting your character in there instead. Role play your character through that example from your life. How would your character have reacted differently? They are not YOU and will bring their own agenda to the situation. Remember it's not about imposing your life on your characters, it's about exploring your characters using examples in your life.

By doing this I have found it helps me to understand my characters better, by becoming them and exploring incidents in my life through their eyes. By the time I do this I already know who my characters are, this is not about development after all, this is only about getting into your character's head as you get ready to write your screenplay.

I hope that's clearer.

Method Writing

We've all heard of method acting where the actor immerses themselves so far into a role they become the character, even to the extent of living as that character outside of the film set - but is there such a thing as method writing?

I believe there is, but is it as simple as matching your mood to the genre or character you are writing, or do you have to dig deeper than that? When I wrote Faith, my coming-of-age drama which won the Prequel to Cannes Screenwriting Prize 2011 (a bleak tale of a street prostitute and her fight to escape the streets that would eventually consume her), I was in a very dark place. I had been suffering from depression for about three years and the incredibly bleak story of Faith was born directly from my experience of that depression.

To be a great writer I believe you have to have empathy with your characters, a connection with them which goes beyond the norm, that makes them important enough to you to spend several months, maybe even years with them. If you don't know enough about your characters, or have anything in common with them, how can you expect your audience to? There is the saying, "write what you know," and never was a truer word spoken. I'm not saying you need to go and live as a street prostitute to be able to write about one, but at the very least you must be able to understand her desperation at her situation.

If you're writing about a destructive mother and child relationship then think back to your own childhood and all the bad times you had with your mother, think about them every day, analyse the fuck out of them, make them ten times worse in your mind than they actually were, take those examples further and then you're on your way to getting into that character's mind set. At the very least it's bloody good therapy.

If you're writing about an overly optimistic person, hunt one down. Watch them - how they act, interact, what they say and how they say it, and then become that person - copy how they do things, become the overly optimistic character you're going to write about.

What I'm trying to say is your characters aren't going to be real on the page or to the audience if you don't make them real to yourself, and you can only do this if you immerse yourself into their world. Joe Cornish spoke about researching Attack The Block at LSWF 2011 last month. He told how he went to several youth clubs in London to interview inner city kids and came away with more material then he would ever use. He spent so much time with those kids he began to think like them, or at least understand how they thought, enabling him to write convincing characters.

Every character I write, even a peripheral character with a walk on part, has a little of me, or of someone I know, in their make up. I give a little of myself to all of my characters, do you?

Back To The Grind

It's been two and a half weeks since the fabulous London Screenwriters' Festival and it's taken me this long to find my feet again, after responding and writing those hundreds of emails following up with people I met and absorbing and making sense of all that information thrown at me over three incredible days.

The festival surpassed last years excellent event with assured ease and I got so much out of it listening to great speakers and meeting fascinating people that my writing batteries are now fully recharged for another year. To describe all of the fantastic things I got up to and the many wonderful people I met would require a week of writing to cover every angle, so for simplicity's sake I'll just stick to my highlights.

I was delighted to be awarded a place on the Gub Neal mentoring session on the Friday afternoon. It was a wonderful opportunity to spend three hours in the company of the man responsible for such legendary programs as Cracker and Prime Suspect and it was a delight to discover Gub was free with information and advice. Even though I was disappointed to miss Paul Ashton, Joe Cornish and Edgar Wright I wouldn't have been anywhere else. The best part of the session was being asked to pitch not only to Gub but to the other five writers there, and I learnt a lot from that alone. The main lesson for me was discovering I really am rubbish at pitching and it is something I'm going to have to seriously work on if I ever want to sell my work to TV. My mind going blank is not an excuse for leaving out my USP, something Gub honed in on instantly, and was a fantastic reminder that practice makes perfect, and practice I will from now on.

Ashley Pharaoh was speaker I was eagerly looking forward to and I wasn't disappointed. It was fascinating to hear how he works as a writer, the mistakes he's made along the way and especially which ones he's determined to avoid in the future. He was so generous with his time answering all of our questions until we couldn't think of any more, and all the while suffering with jet lag after just returning from the US. What a lovely man!

I was also extremely happy to bump into Rob Thorogood at the bar and chat to him about his debut TV series Death In Paradise, a show I'm really enjoying. Rob was very candid about his 'overnight success' which took ten years of hard graft to achieve and it was heart warming to see him still worrying about whether he'd ever work in the industry again, despite DIP's opening episode attracting just under six million viewers. It's good to know all writers, at all levels, constantly fear failure. I suppose it's what drives us and keeps us going long after most other people would have given up.

The main thing I went to LSWF for was the networking and I made sure I set up a few meetings before I got there. I was ecstatic to discover there were more directors and producers than last year, evidence word is getting around the LSWF is the place to be for networking and to find up and coming talented writers. After three and a half days networking I came away with a pile of business cards, a ton of possible future collaborations and a deluge of promised paid work. Not all of those opportunities will work out, some will fall by the wayside, or naturally run out of steam, but what I truly believe is important is the forming of those new relationships, as you never know where they might lead.

There was one project in particular that was pitched to me by a producer looking for a writer to work on that I fell in love with (the project, not the producer). If I hadn't emailed him before the festival we might never have met and I would have missed out on the chance to write a feature idea that grabbed and swung me around by the passion plums. I really can't wait to get stuck into that idea and I'm so grateful for the opportunity.

By the end of the weekend I was a little punch drunk after all that information and superb networking, but it was a nice tired, a tired wrapped in the warmth of a comfort blanket, a tired with a warm glow, a tired that...well I think you get the message. I honestly can't wait until next year.

Now if you will excuse me I must get back to my desk and work on my Red Planet Prize entry.

How To Make The Most Of The London Screenwriters' Festival 2011 - Part 4

Those pitches should be pretty polished by now, but keep practicing them.

Only two days to go, so here's a reminder of some of the more important things you need to do before, and while you're at the festival.

• Remember your business cards, you'll need them.
• Remember your one page pitches, but only hand them out if asked for one.
• Don't worry too much about missing a session if networking is going well, as the sessions are filmed and will be available on the delegates network after the festival.
• Don't hang around people you know, go and mingle, talk to as many new people as possible.
• Be brave.
• Ask them about what they do and what they're working on, show an interest in their work and don't rabbit on about yourself.
• Take every opportunity to network.
• Stick to one drink in the evenings at the bar, so you can continue to network and don't come across as a dribbling drunk.
• Buy people drinks, they'll love you for it.
• Turn up early, go home late.
• Make as many notes about what you learn as you can - remember to write these out in longer form as soon as you get home from the festival, as they won't make any sense in a months time.
• Be polite, friendly and professional at all times. You're promoting yourself here.
• Follow up any chats after the festival with an email.
• Listen, learn, absorb.
• There is no such thing as luck, only hard work and persistence pays off.

Have a great time and enjoy yourselves.

Now pitch me.

How To Make The Most Of The London Screenwriters' Festival 2011 - Part 3

Still practicing those pitches? Good, keep doing so.

Here are a couple of further thoughts on networking.

• There will be a bar at the festival, but I suggest you don't drink, or if you do then just make it the one. People don't like being cornered by a slurring drunk waffling on about utter bollocks for several hours, giving them a hug and telling them they're their new best friend. Stay sober.
• Buy drinks for others, especially producers and directors. It's OK to get them drunk, as you might find them more open to your 197 page factual TV drama about the woman down the road who looks after stray cats, if they have been well lubricated in advance.

Now it's time to get your bag ready.

Already?

Yes, get it ready now so you're not trying to pack everything at the last moment, that will only lead to you missing out vital stuff. So what will you need in your bag?

• Your LSWF ticket - DUH!
• Your 250 business cards - remember these are your most important tool.
• An empty business card box - to put all those valuable business cards in which you will collect from other people.
• A copy of the schedule - print one off from the website the day before you go and highlight the sessions you most want to attend. The schedule will most likely change anyway, but at least you'll have a basic one to refer to.
• A map of Regents Collage - you need to know where you are going for each session.
• Several pens - in case one runs out, you lose one, or some thieving little git 'borrows' one.
• A small note book - for the making of detailed notes about possible collaboration. You should always carry one anyway, to write down any ideas you might have.
• An A4 pad - for the writing of notes while listening to speakers.
• Ten copies only of the one page pitches of the three projects you are going to take with you.
• Your three sixty-second pitches - do not read these out from your notes, they are only for back up.
• A fully charged spare battery for your mobile phone - you'll be surprised how quickly it will run out.
• Your thoroughly researched speaker and delegate list - with pictures so it's easier to spot people while you're there.
• Mints - no one wants to talk to someone who's breath smells like a camel's bum.
• Money - for the buying of sustenance and plying producers and directors with liquid 'YES' juice.
• A can of Red Bull - for the drinking of to keep your mind sharp should you suddenly find yourself flagging.
• A smile, a cheerful disposition and an eagerness to soak up every ounce of information and milk every networking opportunity.

Go get them.

Next week: A brief summery to remind you all of how to make the most out of the festival.

How To Make The Most Of The London Screenwriters' Festival 2011 - Part 2

Have you written your pitches and practiced them until you know them off by heart? I hope so. What next?

Business Cards: The most important tool you're going to take with you and the one most frequently overlooked. I took 250 with me last year - you can never have too many - and handed out a good proportion of them. I couldn't believe there were delegates at the festival who didn't have business cards and were writing their email addresses and phone numbers down on scraps of paper. It shows a total lack of professionalism not taking any with you. Get them now!

Get at least 250, they don't have to cost much, don't have to be fancy - all they need is your name, what you do, your phone number and email address - and should be blank on one side. Why? Good question and the answer is simple.

When you collect cards from other people and you've finished having a conversation with them, write down the highlights of that conversation on the back of the card. Why write this information down on a separate piece of paper and risk losing it? This information is important for following up your new contact after the festival. You'll hopefully be talking to a lot of people and it will be difficult to remember every conversation. I have one card from last year that simply says 'fork man' on the back and is still even now more than enough to jog my memory of who he was, what he did and more importantly what we talked about. Remember to keep the cards you collect safe, hide them away in your bag so you don't risk losing them.

I made a conscious effort last year not to hang around too much with people I knew. I wanted to meet new people and forced myself to go out of my way and talk to as many strangers as I could. This is your best option to make new, and possibly valuable, contacts. I did check in with my friends now and again and I'm glad I did, as one of them introduced me to a producer who offered me work.

I'm not naturally social so I know how difficult it is to walk up to a complete stranger and start talking to them, but I did it and towards midday on the second day I was really enjoying it. Push yourself to talk to people and try and remember they are probably just as nervous about talking to you as you are to them.

There are a few simple rules that will help you with this:

• Everyone likes people to show an interest in them. Ask them questions about their work and experience, rather than just barging in and telling them everything about yourself including your last trip to the doctor for that unexpected rash. If you show an interest in them, they'll naturally want to know about you and what you're working on.
• Listen carefully, make eye contact, smile often and make sure you show an interest. There's nothing ruder than answering someone's question only for them to start playing Angry Birds on their phone. I usually walk away at that point, or stop talking until they start paying attention again.
• Always check the body language of the person you've met. If that person looks like they may be getting bored, stop talking about yourself and ask them a question about themselves to get the conversation back on track. If you keep yabbering on about you and your work they'll easily forget about you, or at least do their best to do so.
• Get there early and stay late. Network while you eat. Network at the bar. Network while you're having a quick ciggy. Network in the canteen queue. However, don't try and network in the toilet. Someone who is taking a private moment in a cubicle to empty their bowels might not take too kindly to you popping your head over the cubical wall and saying, 'Alright mate, how's your festival going?' Make the most of your networking time, because if you don't then others will.

When the festival is over leave it a week before you start following up on those conversations. Send polite emails to everyone you met and talked to. There are no bad contacts so don't leave anyone out, as any single one of them could turn out to the one that helps move your career forwards.

Look out for another information packed blog post next Wednesday.

How To Make The Most Of The London Screenwriters' Festival 2011 - Part 1

You've bought your ticket, printed off ten copies of your screenplay and now you're ready for LSWF 2011, right? Wrong!

It's not a matter of just turning up, you really need to plan for the festival to get the most out of it. If you don't then you might as well roll up your ticket, insert one end into your anus and light the other. No producer is going to see the genius of your screenplay, no agent your obvious talent, unless you approach the festival professionally and with at the very least a little forethought. You will only get out of the festival what you put in to it.

So what do you need to do?

I talked about how you need to research your fellow delegates and speakers, so I won't go over that again. What I will talk about today is preparing to pitch.

You should have already decided on the three projects you want to take with you to the festival, remembering to print off one page pitches for these to hand out if requested. Your one pager should be written in the style of your project, so if it's a comedy then it needs to be funny, and remember to make it visual. If you don't know what I mean pop down to your local book store, pick up a few random novels and read their back covers. Their story is summed up there and you need to sum up your project in a similar manner. Like your screenplays; write, rewrite and rewrite again until they're as perfect as they can be.

What you also need to do is work out a sixty second pitch for each project. Why sixty seconds? Anything longer and you risk sending the recipient of your pitch to sleep. Keep it short and then if they're interested they'll ask you questions about your project. If you drone on all they'll want to do is to get away from you as fast as they can.

The pitch should be split up like this:*

• Title - relevant to the script.
• Format - film, TV , etc.
• Genre - If you don't know what it is how can they?
• Compare it to something else that has gone before (It's similar to Quantum Leap, but with robot rabbits.)
• Then..."This is a story about... who...'

Once you've worked out your pitches for all three projects go and practice them. Pitch to friends, family, or to a video camera, so you can play it back and see for yourself how it works. Then practice some more, and more, so they eventually become second nature to you and you could even pitch them in your sleep.

More advice next week...

*Pitch format shamelessly borrowed from Julian Friedmann's session on pitching last year.

LSWF 2011 - Tickets

The London Screenwriters Festival is nearly upon us (starts 28th Oct) and there are a few tickets left. If anyone is interested then please follow the link below to sign up and use the code (also below) to get £30 of your ticket. There are already some great speakers lined up and it's a great chance to network your socks off. Remember there aren't many tickets left so act now to avoid crying like a baby when they won't let you in.

Go on, you know it makes sense.

https://www.eiseverywhere.com/ereg/newreg.php?eventid=27766

Discount code is 2385251

Hope to see you all there :-)


Dom

LSWF 2011 - Preparation

LSWF 2011 is five weeks away and by now, if you're serious about being a writer, you should be preparing for the event.

Things To Do:

1. Buy your ticket if you haven't already.
2. Sign up for the speed pitching. It's a wonderful chance to get five minutes face-to-face with an agent or producer, and not one to be missed.
3. Make sure you have accommodation close to the festival. If you have to travel a fair distance every day, you'll miss out on valuable networking time.
4. Practice, practice, practice your pitches so you know them off by heart. You never know when you'll be asked to pitch and if you're not ready then you'll blow your chance.
5. Check the list of speakers every couple of days, research them, choose the ones you want to listen to (or even appraoch to have a chat) and have a list ready for when the schedules are published. That way you can plan which sessions you want to see in advance.
6. Go on to the Private Delegate Network Page (only accessable when you've bought a ticket), research everyone on it, highlite people of interest you want to talk to and send them a peliminary email and arrange a meeting if possible.
7. Choose your projects wisely. I would suggest that you choose no more than three and make sure they're finished, proof read and the best you have.
8. Order at least 250 business cards, you'll need them. Make sure they're blank one side so people you speak to can write notes about you afterwards.

There will be another handy list coming your way soon, chock full of advice on what to do when you get to the festival.

Now get researching!