Networking

Proof of the importance of networking became apparent to me today while at lunch with Danny T and Tim Clague. Tim mentioned a competition he was thinking of entering, but was hesitant to do so because he really didn't have an fully formed idea to go with.

"What length script are you looking for," I asked. "Thirty minutes." And there it began, a simple lunch meeting turned in to a possible chance to get something made.

Never let an opportunity pass.

Multi-tasking

Faith is not going well, and the reason being is that I'm moving house. I hate moving! Or am I using moving as an excuse for being lazy? No I'm not being lazy, after all I've been working on the rewrite for Cross The Rubicon over the last month. I'm just not good at multi-tasking, something I'm going to have to work on.

I still haven't got the structure of Faith 100% sorted out yet. I think it's pretty obvious I'm not going to meet my deadline of the end of February. So 31st of March is the new deadline.

This is the fun of writing a script in public view, you get to see warts and all.

And I'm still sober.

One Too Many

"OK, just one more then." - Anon.

This post has nothing to do with writing; it's a personal post, and serious, and therefore not an easy one to write.

"You're an alcoholic, Dominic!"

I have a comeback prepared for such occasions. "I'm not an alcoholic, I'm a drunk. Alcoholics know they have a problem." I thought it funny, but it isn't, because ironically my comeback is true.

Don't get me wrong I don't get up every morning and brush my teeth with two litres of vodka. I'm not a full blown alcoholic, I just have a problem with alcohol. Alcohol related problems come in many shapes and forms, mine is that even though I don't drink everyday, when I do drink I don't have a stop button. I'm only 12 stone and slim (ish), but yet I have an unnatural tolerance for alcohol. Where as most people are drunk on six pints I can drink twelve or more.

I may go a week or two without drinking but when I do go out I drink until I either run out of money (very rare) or I'm so drunk I want to go home to bed. I can't go into a pub and just have a quiet couple.

I used to wear my drinking exploits like a badge of honor and I now know this was wrong. Drinking non stop for fifteen hours is not clever. Drinking until you lose count of how many you've had is not impressive; nor are blackouts, two day hangovers, making your wife cry, vomiting until there's nothing left, and realising you've pissed away £150 worth of booze in one night.

So after Saturday night out doing the usual I have finally come to the conclusion that I need to quit.....forever!

Never again will I grace the bar surfaces of Stavanger, Norway, half naked and entertaining the locals with my silly beer poems. Never again will I wake up in a hedge and wonder how I got there. Never again will I spend the day after trying to find my wallet only to discover it in the freezer compartment of the fridge. Never again will I spend another night on the sofa. Nor will I receive several days of silent treatment from the wife. It's over, once and for all. The End. Full Stop!

So as a final farewell to my days of being a drunken twat here is one of my beer poems.

I love beer,
Beer is great,
If he were a bloke,
He'd be my best mate.

Adieu.

Cop This

What a book. I bought this yesterday because it looked interesting and I didn't put it down until I'd finished, and believe me that's a rare thing.

The book is an active beat officer's daily musings of the job he signed on to do and the job he actually does. It's funny, insightful and gives the reader the real inside story of modern day policing. It illustrates just how unprotected the average citizen is from crime.

He also has a daily blog which I always read with interest; have a look see at http://coppersblog.blogspot.com/

Just imagine if they made a TV police drama based on this book? Less The Bill, more The Thin Blue Line.

I'm seriously thinking about leaving the country.

Research

We have to do it sometime, but should we let it get in the way of a good story?

As an unsold writer research uses up a lot of my writing time, time I think should be better spent getting the script into a good as state as possible. Obviously if you're writing a script about real life then some form of research needs to be done.

Let's say one of my characters is a firefighter, how much research should I do? Just enough to make it convincing, that's what I say. I know, that's a very ambiguous statement; how much is enough and how much is too much? Let me put it this way, if I was researching firefighters I would find out how many people were on a fire truck, what their specific jobs were, rankings, and times of shifts. I don't need to go into great detail, like what pressure the water is when it comes out of the hose, as I really only need enough information to cover the basics. For example, I don't need to know about pensions and death cover unless I specifically need this in the script, otherwise the research is unnecessary.

What I should be doing is thinking about the kind of emotions a firefighter might go through and if I can use them in the script. Getting the character right is more important than what diameter hose he's using on what fire. As long as I know a firefighter will use a hose, and the rough tactics he'll employ, to put out a fire I don't really need to dig any deeper.

However, when the script is sold you can afford to do more research on firefighters for the many rewrites you'll be asked to do. Research in this instance is fine and expected, and the more that is done the better the script. Otherwise, if you do a lot of research for your first draft you are using valuable time that should be used for writing. It's the writing that's important and not how much research has been done.

New Model Of Structure

The report cards are being filled slowly, but a different structure to the initial one I envisioned has presented itself.

This is a good thing, playing with the conventional and opening up new possibilities of telling the story is why I use these cards, they offer a flexibility of change that a beat sheet does not. Now I'm looking at a non-linear telling of the story and to be honest it's an improvement and gives the story a greater impact.

I am however, struggling with a subplot. As the story is about prostitution and wanting a better life I am aware that to make this script different I have to steer clear of cliches of the genre. I want the overall feel of the script to be bleak and dark, but the subplot I want to put in does lift the tone slightly. A character offers a regular act of kindness to Faith, but I can't quite decide if he volunteers this regular act (illustrating there is hope out there amongst Faith's bleak surroundings) or if Faith pays him with free sexual favours. The latter would be in keeping with the tone (nothing in this life is free, you have to work at what you want). A bit more thought on that before I make my final decision, I think.

Challenge Dom-The Start

I've decided which script I'm going to write. It was between two, a robbery comedy with a difference or Faith, a dark drama about prostitution and escaping the streets of London. I have said previously that I wasn't going to write Faith just yet as I wanted to write something a bit lighter, but on reflection I feel that I should be writing what I want to write and not what I think the industry might be looking for at the moment, so Faith wins.


Now, to keep you all informed of how I'm getting on I will be making regular posts. To help you identify them quickly each post about the challenge will have a picture of me in the corner, scary I know but this way you will know it's a post about the challenge rather than a random post about nothing in particular.

Right, nose to the grindstone. As Faith is an idea that has been floating around for several years now most of the plot and characters are worked out, so I feel confident starting to lay out my key scenes.

This is how I do this. First I buy a pack of record cards (6" by 4" nice large £1.99 stationary heaven from WH Smiths) to write down scenes on. What I usually do is take 40 cards, 10 for act one, 20 for act two, and 10 for act three, and write a brief description of as many keys scenes as possible on these cards (in pencil, as pen is hard to rub out and change). Then I lay them out on the floor (or pin them up) and see if the structure is working. Remember these are only the key scenes so I don't have to use the full 40 cards, and obviously there are going to be more than forty scenes in the script. I use these cards just to make sure of structure and as a guide for when I finally get down to the writing. Other people write beat sheets, I use record cards. I find them easier because I can swap them about to see if scenes will work better in a different order.

Better get on with it.

Challenge Dom

Stuff the usual New Year's Resolutions, this year I'm setting myself goals which I shall attempt to achieve in full view of the blogging community. I will set myself a goal and keep you all updated on my progress in regular bulletins. It should provide a smidgen of mild amusement for you all in blogging land at the very least.

The first challenge is to write a feature script by the end of February. Yep, that's 90-120 pages of actual writing, something I didn't do a lot of over the last six months, in roughly eight weeks or less. Not an impossible task as I have written a 112 page script in six weeks before. However, the difference here is that I will also be doing rewrites on all of my back catalogue over the next six months, polishing and buffing them to perfection.

I'm taking the rest of this week to decide which of my many film script ideas I will be taking on for this challenge. When I know which one I will give you a few more details.

Watch this space.

Christmas Shorts Part 2

Nobody entered, so obviously there can be no winner. Looks like the turkey and Christmas pub won out on the day.

Unwanted Xmas Present

Tis the season of goodwill to all men..... so how come some c$@t left me this instead of his insurance details like he should have????

Bar humbug!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Christmas Shorts

I was looking for something to write about as my last post before I trundle off up to my parents to stuff myself with turkey, chocolate and beer. Several ideas popped into my head but none were interesting enough. I read back through a few of my old posts to see if they would trigger a genius idea, and low and behold a terrific idea hit me slap bang in the middle of my mush: A 10 minute Christmas themed short film script competition.

Now it's all just a bit of fun so it's up to you how serious you take this, but all you have to do is write a ten page short film script with a Christmas theme and email it to me at scriptwriter(at)thescriptwriter.co.uk. I'll read them and pick a winner by the end of January 2007 and the winning script will then be posted on my website for the remainder of 2007.

WOO HOO!

Entries to be in by 31st December 2006.

It will be good to see how many dedicated writers there are out there willing to give up a little of their Christmas to write a short.

Good luck and Merry Christmas everyone.

Blogged Out

Some days I just can't be arsed.

I'm Outta Here...

...Only for a while as I'm off to Stavanger, Norway to visit my very good friend Arne Reidar Mortensen.

If you want to view my drunken exploits click the link, as I will be visiting the bar this webcam is outside on Monday from 7.30pm GMT onwards.

I will be back next Wednesday. See you then.

Gangsters Galore

I wrote Sins Of The Father five years ago. Production companies loved it, but no one would take it on as most people felt that the genre had been played out in the British cinema, what with Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, and Snatch. It didn't matter that my script had a dark emotional core, a teenager reunited with the father he hadn't seen for eight years struggling to accept the world his father inhabited, it was still a gangster flick and therefore old news. One production company even went as far as saying, "gangster films just aren't being made anymore."

In those five years the following have been made: Dead Man's Shoes, I'll Sleep When I'm Dead, Layer Cake and now Dead Man's Cards, to name a few. And yet I still can't get anyone to commit to making Sins Of The Father. I've even sent it to directors/producers on Shooting People who are looking to make a low budget feature film. Again the same answer, nobody will take it on as the genre is played out.

But is it? If first time directors are still making films like Dead Man's Cards then isn't the gangster flick still alive, and more importantly being used as a springboard to launch careers?

I guess I just need to find someone with BALLS to go and make this "well written" script with "great potential." Easier said than done.

Competition

Why are there so few scriptwriting competitions in the UK?

America is the mother land of screenwriting competitions and rarely a week goes by when I don't receive an email asking me if I want to submit to one. Besides the BSSC the only other notable UK competition has been the Oscar Moore Screenwriting Prize, but since this year's controversy when they decided not to announce a winner the competition has disappeared. Will it return? It doesn't look like it. So now the only option for UK scriptwriters is to enter American competitions, which I think is very sad indeed.

'We're always looking out for new talent,' is something we hear quite often from the UK film and television industry so shouldn't there be more opportunities for us writers. There are other competitions now and again, but most are specific (i.e. only people from a remote valley in deepest darkest Wales can enter, and only if they own more than three sheep) and very rarely are these competitions annual.

I've even toyed with the idea of starting my own annual screenwriting competition, but I realised I would come up against two rather large obstacles; (1) what would I be able to offer the winner as a prize? (2) do I really want to plough through a mountain of scripts on my own? That idea is a no go then.

I guess all we can do as UK scriptwriters is to continue to enter American competitions and hope the UK situation gets better.

If anyone knows of any UK competitions, however small and exclusive, could you add a comment about it here and hopefully we can create a small list of hope.

The Name's Carver, Dom Carver.

I am soooooooo excited. I'm off to see Casino Royal this weekend and I can't jolly well wait. I can't remember the last time I've been this excited about seeing a film at the cinema (I think it might have been Batman Begins).

Like my brother I've always been a big fan of Bond, but I've liked the darker Bonds better. My favourite Bond film is On Her Majesty's Secret Service with George Lazenby. I know a lot of people hated him as an actor, but I love the film because it was more about the character than the actor that was playing him. That's why I like Timothy Dalton too.

With Dalton they tried to make the character darker, but studio interference meant they couldn't steer too far from the original formula. This was a shame because it basically put an end to the tougher, more true to the books, Bond that I love.

Bond had to move with the times even if the hardcore fans didn't want this. He also had to be based in reality, especially after that fiasco with the invisible car in the last movie. So goodbye cheap one liners, campness, unrealistic villains and impossible gadgets, and hello to a darker, grittier, more realistic Bond.

Cashing In

You shed blood sweat and tears writing a damn good script. It sells. It gets filmed. The film is released. You humbly acknowledge the praise heaped on you. You enjoy your new found celebrity. Things die down a bit as you eagerly await the DVD release and then what happens??? Some ungrateful swine tries to make money off your fame....well sort of.

Check out the link.

Will James be bidding for this bit of movie history? We shall have to wait and see.

Update 10/11/2006: It didn't sell so it has been relisted and someone has bid. A bargain at 99p.

Bouncing Back

Rejection is an unavoidable part of being a writer. I know that more than most after being constantly rejected for five years. I have an A4 folder full of No-Thank-Yous. What's most annoying is when people actually like your work but still reject you. I'm at that stage. The work is good but it's not landing on the desk of the right person at the right time. It's very frustrating.

If you want to sell your work you have to send it out and that means that people are going to reject you. Reading other blogs tells me it doesn't get any better when you're an established writer. Rejection is a way of life. Time spent sulking about what might have been is time lost putting yourself in a position to be accepted. Read it. Take on board what you need to. Accept it. Forget about it. It's the only way to go.

So how did I bounce back from the disappointment of last week?

Easy, I got back in the game as quick as I could. I sent a script off to Production Company C when they requested to read it, after reading the treatment. It's not a script I'm particularly happy with, but I've sent it out anyway because the more work I have out there the more chance I have of something being picked up. I can't afford to be afraid of sending stuff out, convinced it will be rejected even before it's been read. Just because I'm not happy with it doesn't mean someone else won't be.

I have also sent the same script to a reader for some page by page notes. It's always good to brush up on your skills now and then. It stops you going rusty and keeps you at the top of your game. Even top athletes need to go back to the basics sometimes.

Write it. Rewrite it. Rewrite it again. Proof it. Send it out. It's the only way to go.

Losing The Will To Live

First Micheline Steinberg.

Then PFD.

Then Marchmont. Not once, but twice.

And last, but not least, Carnival Films.

Oh for a bottle of single malt.

"The rejection gods have it in for you today, my friend. " - Danny Stack.

Do you think????

Update: My dad phoned me earlier to let me know the vet had to put the cat down. It's a cruel, cruel world.

Further Update: A production company I sent three treatments to have requested a script. Ah, I knew there was some good news out there some where.

Keep Fit; Keep Writing

So you're a writer. You sit hunched over your keyboard in front of your computer for hours on end working on that one screenplay which will bring you the fame, fortune and recognition you deserve. Food fuels the brain cells and you have to eat after all. No time to make a proper meal, got to get words on the page, so snacks are going to have to do (I'm munching on a can of Pringles as I write this). Only, when you've finished your masterpiece and you're ready to post it out you find your legs don't work and you're too fat to move anyway. You've been so busy stuffing your face and working on your script that you've forgotten that exercise is important, not only for the body, but for the mind and soul as well.

The other week I noticed I was putting on a little weight and that I was getting out of breath just walking up the stairs. I decided to do something about it. I joined a Kung Fu class.

I know I'll never be a Bruce Lee, but I felt it was an interesting way to get fit, something I would look forward to going to every week. I've only been doing it for two weeks but I'm already reaping the benefits. When I'm writing I get up from my computer every half an hour and practice a few moves or do a few push ups. Not only am I more flexible, but I'm also more alert and I feel fitter for it.

So this is a little reminder to all my fellow writers to remember that exercise is important. You don't have to join a class, go to the gym, or even run around your neighbourhood, sweat pouring off you, your face beetroot read and gasping for your next breath. As long as you get up every half hour and have a little walk around, get the blood pumping, you'll start to feel the benefit. And also remember a healthy body leads to a healthy mind.