In case you’ve been hiding under a rock: I’M DOING A CLASS AT EALING STUDIOS TOMORROW. 10 – 5. It’ll be hosted by Chris Jones of Living Spirit
We’ll be looking at feedback – how it affects us as writers, how we can sort the wheat from the chaff, how to deal with rejection, why a writer’s voice is important, plus much more… INCLUDING A LOOK AT YOUR COMPETITION IN THE SPEC PILE.
The ash cloud has meant a couple of cancellations… If you’re in London, why not sign up?
CLICK HERE for all the details & booking. REMEMBER: ALL TRAINING IS TAX DEDUCTIBLE!!!
BREAKING NEWS — if you sign up today, Chris will give you a free DVD of his fab, mega award winning short GONE FISHING. Can’t grumble, can you?? Sign up now.
When it comes to feedback, I wish just once I would receive a letter that said 'seriously, stop wasting your life and do something you might be talented at instead' rather than some obviously insincere form-puff about 'keep trying' or 'we wish you every success with your writing'.
Just once, be honest. Editors, I dare ya.
I'll take that dare, SK —
— if a writer doesn't realise that writing is all about the JOURNEY in which you HAVE to keep trying (and not the destination), they probably should stop bothering 'cos all they will ever get is disappointment!
: )
I like the BBC feedback. The actual feedback, I mean — the form letters have the standard puff on them, but the actual feedback pulls no punches. I'll take honesty over encouragement any day.
I see your 'JOURNEY', and raise you that if a writer is put off continuing by being told straight-out that they have no chance, then they never would have had the resilience to rejection to have made it anyway.
Except being a writer is PRECISELY about resilience. You have to keep going, no matter what. Regardless of what happens, what people say or don't say, the long radio silences, whatever. THAT'S the journey and the whole point. But it takes time to learn that… and time to get good. Everyone writes shit scripts when they start out; end of. It's not possible to launch straight into brilliant work; screenwriting is a craft and it needs to be honed.
Also worth remembering: Newbies are more touchy and believe everything they're told (I know I did); it takes time to develop the confidence to believe in YOURSELF and your own ABILITY. So if we tell people they're shit when they start and they shouldn't bother, then I guess we would have no writers left!!!
It comes down to this: if a writer wants to write – and I mean REALLY – they will. Regardless of anything. So for a writer to want editors to tell "the truth" of whether they're "shit or not", it's actually redundant. So stop wondering and start writing. Or stop writing. It's the writer's choice, no one else's.
'No writers left'? That sounds like another way to say 'less competition'.
Sign me up!