I had a rubbish week last week. If I hadn’t lived it, I would have thought it was one of those bad rom-coms where everything goes wrong for the protagonist in Act 1, culminating in the ultimate cliche of getting home early from work and finding your wife in bed with another bloke. Luckily I was spared this, since I don’t have a wife and I work from home, but hey ho.
But this week is another week and I have many plans. I got ten rejections last week, working out at approximately 2 a day (though I got 3 on wednesday), but I DID get a two script invites and two nice emails, proving that life does indeed go on… Besides, it can’t be as bad as THE DAY OF SIX REJECTIONS. That was in my pre-blog days and three days before my wedding. Niiiice. As if I didn’t have enough to worry about, like my husband jilting me at the altar… But of course he didn’t, ‘cos I am fabulous and now of course he knows I will hunt him down like a dog if he ever leaves so he’s mine, mine forever!>EVIL LAUGH< Where was I. Oh yes: you still have just over 24 hours to get your loglines and/or synopses in for our alternative to Fever Pitch. Remember, the aliens are watching and will steal your ideas anyway people (unless you wear a colander on your head of course, like I do), so you might as well put them to good use and post them here in the comments section or email me them. All the loglines will be posted this Wednesday, July 4th and voting will begin in earnest. We will then all worship you if you win. How can you resist??? Also: the top ten per cent of The Bluecat Screenplay Competition have been announced. Because it was last week, the week of evil (and obviously nothing to do with my writing talent), none of the three scripts I entered made it. Oh Gordy Hoffman, how can you do this to me? You’re supposed to be my friend… Well, on Myspace anyway. Still, at least it proves there’s no nepotism involved! If you want to see the list of those who did make it, you can check it out here.
The lovely Chris, whom I read for recently, has this question:
Right now I’m re-writing an obscure 70’s Swedish revenge film. When it comes to the point where I want to register it and send it to a script doctor, do I need the original writer’s permission? Obviously, I will be acknowledging them on the front of the script, do you know if that’s ALL I have to do? Does the original writer’s/owner’s rights only come into it if the script is being optioned?
I read rewrites of other movies very infrequently; as far as I am aware, rewrites of this kind are *usually* commissioned by producers, as opposed to speculative in the way Chris describes. However, in short, I’m foxed. Has anyone out in www.land rewritten another movie speculatively, then got it optioned? If so, what did you do regarding that original writer’s rights? Any thoughts greatly appreciated.
And finally: it’s official. The word “naked” puts up your stats by approximately ten per cent as perverted Googlers search for naked stuff every single day. What I find more bizarre though is the average Googler who searches for naked stuff, finds this blog by accident – then stays for approximately 3.5 minutes!! Does this mean all the Googlers looking for naked stuff are secret screenwriters?? I’ll leave you with that thought.
Commisserations on the rejections, Lucy. But at least you’re getting stuff out there to be read.
Well, you gotta else there’s no point in being a writer really. Unless you like writing just for yourself… But I don’t. I want to take over the world! But why oh why do you hear nothing for months and months and then the rejections all come at once even though they’re all for separate things? I think it’s the cosmic joker of screenwriting having a laugh there. I must sacrifice more goats, I get them on special these days.
I think it’s your urging us ‘to get them out in the open’. You mean our pitches but the naked googlers think you mean something else.
Commiserations on the rejections but congrats on the positive stuff. There must be a goat shortage in Devon.
Hah! Takes a perv to know a perv Elinor! ; )
Ooooh – I forgot to text you back, didn’t I? Soz! Did we ever all decide if this scribosocial was going to be on the 14th or the 21st, or shall you and I bloody decide to meet up Elinor and see who turns up? We can be trend setters…
The 21st, chuck and it was my understanding that their was medium to heavy drinking going on in Camden according to Mr Arnopp and Mr Dog. But always happy to set a trend.
“finds this blog by accident – then stays for approximately 3.5 minutes!”… that means they um, work fast haha
3.5 minutes is considered fast?! That’s like a marathon to me.
So, scribosocial locked in for the 21st, yes? (barring the possibility that the Dead May Rise- and, anyway, my girlfriend and I have a contingency plan worked out for that which involves my flat, lots of bottled water and the decorative African spears from her wall, so I couldn’t come to London town to play)
If that’s settled then I’m off to book my ticket on Trainline.com, then pester my agent to see if she can get me some meetings sorted out and I’ll make a fruitful few days of the trip (maybe even get one of the nice companies to reimburse my travel)
Huzzah!
Oh, and I’m really feeling your rejections gripe. They *are* like buses aren’t they? Wait panting with nerves for months- then five come along at once! Meh.
I think rejections are, in fact, alien lifeforms communicating at some deep scribopathic level, organising so they can all arrive at once, weaken our defences, then STEAL OUR BRAAAINNSS! WAAH!
ahem.
Commiserations my dear. But good luck with the old world domination plan. You’ll get there in the end, I’m sure!
Ta Lianne – and MQ and Robin, you sort yourselves out naughties.
Gavin, one ALWAYS has to work on the basis that Apocolypse is round the corner: bottles of water just don’t cut it! What you need are AXES and plenty of them, plus flares and some lengths of hose for impromptu, home-made flame throwers. Oh and blankets. And rhubarb and custard sweets. Then you’re sorted for the end of the world.
But yes – 21st is a goer ladeez and gentlemen, expect a post towards the end of the week calling everyone to the pub. Bang2write has no tab behind the bar sadly because I is BROKE but one day I promise, when I’ve taken over the world, natch – that there will be drinks all round my friends. Until then you can buy your own punks! ; )
P.S. Does anyone know what Chris should do about his script?! Danny, Danny…where are you!!!!!!!!
DANNY: I’m off the Screenwriters’ Festival to be adored by millions of soap fans cos I is hanging out with me man TJ (that’s Tony Jordan to you and I, we are not worthy!!!)
DAMMIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
could your agent advise you on the chris thing? or maybe if you are in the Writer’s Guild, they could offer some advice?
Robin — I meant as per solo session heh