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Cover Letters: The Write Way And The Wrong Way

The marvellous Becky asks my thoughts on cover letters today. I’ve read a lot of cover letters over the years that accompany scripts. I know a lot of agents’ assistants, readers, etc don’t bother but I’ve always found them very illuminating. What a writer does (or doesn’t) put in their cover letter can say A LOT about the script’s quality, believe it or not, in that the weirder or more badly written a cover letter is, *generally speaking* the weirder and more badly written the actual script is. A simple equation, really. So here’s a quick breakdown of my thoughts… Read More »Cover Letters: The Write Way And The Wrong Way

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Head Exploding. Back… Later.

I feel at the moment as if my head is beset with stories. On the one hand, I have my RPP entry. It’s going pretty well: I have a full draft, I’ve had lots of feedback and yesterday I had a read-through with some lovely actors. They offered me lots of great suggestions, thoughts and points of view for improving the script, though they did suggest I might need to re-align the beginning. I actually agree with them, but of course I’ve already sent my ten pages off. However I couldn’t have had this epiphany BEFORE this point and it’s… Read More »Head Exploding. Back… Later.

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Novel Update # 1: Profanity, Character Creation & Baked Beans

In a week where I found myself writing the term “spunk vampire” in a Bang2writer’s development notes (hi Allen), I have discovered my novel so far is full of profanity as well. That won’t come as a surprise to those who know me in real life. As my own mother points out, I have “a gob like a sewer”. She had hoped I was one of those teens who would grow out of it in time, but sadly she’s had to give up: f*** this s***! What did surprise me was the word that has popped up most consistently –… Read More »Novel Update # 1: Profanity, Character Creation & Baked Beans

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Ready… Set …. Go!

Okay, so after many, many months of supposed research, general panic, swearing, avoiding phone calls from my agent about it, internet surfing and talking about starting I have, finally, started my novel. And when I say started, I mean I started yesterday. But I have actually written five thousand actual words. And they’re actually good. Alright, semi-good. I’m pretty certain I’ve ripped off my beginning by accident (don’t you just hate it when that happens?) and that my character is named after someone in a bloody band (I must figure out which one), but otherwise I think it might actually… Read More »Ready… Set …. Go!

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All About Dramatic Irony And Twists In The Tale

All About Dramatic Irony Dramatic irony is a tool I see often in produced and published works, but hardly ever in spec scripts or unpublished novels. Recently I was talking with Uber-Agent Julian Friedmann and mentioned how much I love Yves Lavender’s book Writing Drama. Segnor Friedmann replied how much he loves the book’s section on dramatic irony, lamenting the fact that so few screenwriters actually use this fantastic device. His comments really struck a chord, so I think I’ll have a good look at what makes dramatic irony so great. What is Dramatic Irony? First off however, what is dramatic irony? Well, this… Read More »All About Dramatic Irony And Twists In The Tale

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Adaptation, Pt 4: Bye-Child And The Butterfly Tattoo

We’ve heard about what an adaptation entails, adapting true stories and what publishers think of the process, so now is the right time I think to take a look at two specific adaptations. Watch out for spoilers. First up is Bernard MacLaverty’s Bye-Child (2003). An award winning short film (part funded by long term Bang2writer Scottish Screen), Bye-Child is taken from the poem by Seamus Heaney. This was of particular interest, since adapting from poetry – bar the usual suspects like Homer -had not really occurred to me. But why not? Poems are just as rich in visuals and offer… Read More »Adaptation, Pt 4: Bye-Child And The Butterfly Tattoo

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Adaptation, Pt 3: What A Publisher Says

Apologies for the delay on this article, an MTC (that’s a Minor Tidying Calamity) occurred and my notebook with my course notes in somehow ended up in the outhouse with the washing machine and freezer. I blame The Husband…———————————————————————— A recent conversation thread on the Shooting People Screenwriters’ List revealed that it is considered pretty bad form to adapt material without having the rights to it. This is not a problem when certain stories are already in the public domain, but what if it is protected by copyright? We hear a lot about producers acquiring the rights to certain books… Read More »Adaptation, Pt 3: What A Publisher Says

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The First Person: Your Thoughts, Please…

So I thought I could do with a new challenge, so I’ve decided to write a novel. I’ve written one before (even though it was many years ago, long story what happened to it, move along now), but I figured it would be like riding a bike in that “you never forget” and all that. It so isn’t. Do you know how long the average spec is? I’m not talking page count. That’s 90 – 100 pages if you’re sensible, any more makes script readers want to stab themselves in the leg with a fork (honestly). That extra twenty or… Read More »The First Person: Your Thoughts, Please…

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This Is Very Important

There are going to be new characters in the Mr. Men and Little Miss! Very excited. I know. I should get out more.

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Speakers Confirmed for Mead Kerr Course

THE ART AND BUSINESS OF ADAPTATION As 80% of last year’s new film and TV projects were adaptations this course is a must for all writers and producers. For those of you’ve who’ve already booked, and those of you still thinking about it…here are the speakers and panel members we have lined up so far – more to be confirmed later this week. BASED ON A TRUE STORY. Peter Broughan (Bronco Films) Producer of “Rob Roy” and “The Flying Scotsman” on working with true stories and real characters. MAKING THE PERFECT SQUARE. Hugh Taylor – MD of Birlinn Publishers and… Read More »Speakers Confirmed for Mead Kerr Course

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Contest Opportunities

Here’s a couple of interesting looking contests to get you into gear in the new year… Not entered them myself and doubt I will have time for the first one (I’m not eligible for the second), but they seem pretty good opportunities. As ever, keep us posted if you enter and tell us how you get on!—————————————————PATRICIA CORNWELL “BOOK OF THE DEAD” COMPETITION How to Enter: Always thought you could do better than those highly-paid advertising executives?Now’s your chance to create a TV advert for number one crime writer Patricia Cornwell’s Book of the Dead. One of the bestselling fiction… Read More »Contest Opportunities

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