So like everyone else in the known universe without a TV credit, I have been writing a 30 minute script for *that* BBC initiative, Sharps.
My effort however has turned out total pants.
Shame really, ‘cos there’s lots I like about the script, including a talking cat who has a serious attitude problem. I was trying to go for an Ashes to Ashes/magic realism slant, but it’s now just plain weird. End of the day, it just doesn’t hang together over thirty minutes. Ten, it could be good. Thirty it’s just pants. Hey ho, you live and learn.
No point flogging a dead horse though and I have a short to put away in a drawer, nice one. Time to get out another idea I put in a drawer over a year ago that I had forgotten about, but thanks to a weird (and random) comment from Him Indoors I have resurrected. I plan to get a draft done this week and maybe some Po3 action on it next week, so if you’re interested in doing a swap, register your interest now Daily Mail style, though I promise I will send you only a script and not a supposedly wonderful partwork on Victorian engineering or some other sick-making souvenir. Enjoy your writing and if you’re off to Cannes, have a productive (and fun!) time.
Oh – and the random comment of my husband, you ask?
“We really should go line dancing.”
Interesting…
I’m confused… You didn’t PLAN on having a talking cat, then?
I’m no expert but happy to do a PO3 if I may be so bold. Stetsons on and all together now, ‘don’t break my heart my achy breaky heart’.
Can sympathise on the duff idea. Just binned mine a couple of days ago. High drama turned into slapstick farce!
Had a cry, got lovely sympathy from Dave, Elinor and Caroline and started again. It’s behaving itself for the moment.
Happy to do a swapsy when I get to the end of mine if you’d like.
Maybe your short could feature line dancing cats with attitude. Ninja siamese maybe?
ET – it was one of those off/outline things that *could* go somewhere maybe… not for this tho.
Girls – sounds great! Ta!
Everyone else: thanks but I now have a 3, Chip emailed off the blog wanting to do a swap. You’re all very quick off the mark for a sunday! And thanks x
Sharps seems to be causing us all anguish at the moment. I can’t get started on my draft yet cos my idea still doesn’t work. Must do it this week. Perhaps a talking cat is what mine needs 🙂
Arghhh is how I’m feeling about it.
Good luck with your next try Lucy.
I’m glad to say that I’ve progressed with my very first script which I plan to enter into Sharps (that competition title, am I missing something?)
Whether it’s any good or not – I have no idea, having little or no sense of structure, pace, realism, etc. However, I’m up and running on my writing career – which is good.
I guess I should start knocking out spec scripts now? Any advice for an ingenue writer would be grateful.
Don’t feel “Argh” Caroline, these things are sent to try us, etc etc (insert platitude). You’ll be getting over that hill Kate Bush style before you know it.
Wyndham – welcome! And well done on completing your very first script. And yes it probably would help to write some more ; ) Shorts are a good practice route I think; lots of my Bang2writers like to write a good half dozen between 5 and ten pages before even thinking of a feature… Though I started on features and worked backwards. So really it’s up to you!
Don’t be too hard on yourselves.
Nothing you write could be worse than Admin.
Thanks, Lucy – by feature do you mean a film script? To be honest, I’ve little interest in writing film scripts, having watched way too much television – my plan was to write a number of hours/half hours in different genres and then… um.
cheers J&C. Don’t think I’ve seen that one though, is anyone from Torchwood in it by any chance? 😉
Rosamund/Wyndham: features is just short for “feature length” which is 90-120 mins ish, but basically films yes (though you can get “feature lengths” on TV). If you’re not interested in film though, no reason at all why you shouldn’t concentrate on TV… Though selling TV specs seems even more difficult than selling film specs, though of course you can use TV specs to get jobs on existing series.
I’ll try and keep it as wyndham!
I appreciate, from both your own and Danny stack’s excellent blogs, that it’s a long haul but hey, you got to give these things a go. The aim was indeed to try and write for existing series but there seems a lot to learn. Stand by for more stupid questions in the future.
Onwards!
NEWSFLASH:
I was so absorbed by my Sharps entry I FORGOT to pick up my kid from school!
Outrageous.
I’ve got him now, don’t panic. And I was only half an hour late and he was on the computer so hardly noticed. But I got told off by the teacher!!! Well deserved, bloody scriptwriting parents.
Wicked Lucy! (as in BAD)
ARGH! I hate half hour drama, blinking effing blinking crud! Grr!
My sorry attempt ain’t going so well. I shall sulk for a bit while I do some editing on a different project then try again.
Grrrrr!
Guess I’m in good company. 🙂