Patterns in Writers

Not patterns in writing, but rather traits in writers themselves, taken from Julie Gray’s experience as a scriptreader. I’ve picked out a few below, and you can read the full list here:

• Most beginning writers have no second act
• First time writers usually tell biographical stories
• Structure is confusing for the first three scripts – then something clicks
• Writers who can’t articulate a quick logline have sprawling, confusing scripts
• Good writers never include pictures, maps or music with their script
• Most fresh ideas are in fact not fresh at all
• Most writers have not built up a good arsenal of scripts; all eggs are in one basket
• First scripts suck
• Second scripts suck
• Third script suck a little less
• Talent is delightful and easy to spot on page one
• A bad script is a bad script from page one

(via)

Introducing Characters

As I sit here re-reading some of the screenplays I’ve written, I’m struck by how often I singularly fail to introduce the characters for the audience. Especially the protagonists (pretty important, Shirley?). In reading scripts from my peers on recent courses, I’m not alone in missing this.

Obviously, this is down to forgetting to read the script as though I was the final audience. Not the producer, or director, or whoever, but someone sitting actually watching something I’ve written. As a result, I’ll introduce the character in the scene description, and that’s it. I never refer to them by name in the dialogue. Or even in any other way, such as a name badge, a massive banner celebrating their birthday or a “Wanted” poster.

That’s not really very clever of me, so this is a blog-as-external-brain post. Hopefully it will serve to remind me to not be so forgetful in future.

Also, I must stop calling characters “Tom”.

And in fact, writing this post has made me think that we’re forgetting to introduce the main character in the game I’m working on. I’ll just go and check that…

Red Planet Prize Info

Nowt official yet, but The Stage reports on the prize:

Writers wanting to enter this year’s competition are asked to submit the first ten pages of a one hour pilot script that has series potential.

Entrants should also include a page submission about how it could work as a series and the writers that impress [Tony] Jordan and his panel of judges the most will be asked to submit a full one hour script.

Application forms can be downloaded from www.redplanetpictures.co.uk. Deadline for entries is September 30.

I don’t see the form available on the website yet, but expect it will be updated shortly. Update: The Red Planet site is all nice and shiny now, and the application form is right there.

The fact that they’re looking specifically for something with series potential is interesting (I think I’m right in saying that’s different from last year?), and does in fact alter my decision on what to write.

There were over 2,000 entrants last year, and I’d guess there might be double that this year. Scary odds, but it’s too good a prize to waste energy thinking like that.

Red Planet Prize 2

As expected, the second Red Planet Prize will be announced at the Screenwriters Festival on Wednesday. They have a blog for it this year too.

I think I know what I’m going to write for it, but I’m going to wait for the actual announcement before I make a final decision.

Blunted

As expected, I didn’t make it to the shortlist for Sharps. Apparently, 100 scripts were longlisted from the near 600 entrants, and the writers of those that didn’t make it through will be told such and get some feedback. So now I cross my fingers that I somehow made it to that stage.

Given that I’ve spotted all sorts of problems with the script, I’m not going to hold my breath.

On a positive note, I now have a 30 minute script which I can work on and polish up. I’ll be getting some imminent feedback from my current writing class, which is always useful, before I make any changes though. I’m always curious to see if readers point out the same things that I already know are problems.

Tomorrow, it’s off to the Traverse for the BBC writersroom Roadshow. Should be fun!

Web Tools for Writers

Just passing on this list of 100 Useful Web Tools for Writers

What's Next?

So after submitting for Sharps, what’s next on the writing front?

Well, I may now have a 30 page script, but I’ll definitely need to work at it some more to make it a good script!

I have an outline for a 60-minute drama. It has some good bits, and a lot of not-so-good bits, so that needs to be worked on. I think I might use this for the Red Planet Prize (on the assumption that it will run again, of course).

There’s the Summer Challenge from Rise Films – write a feature film by September. Any genre, and apparently the budget is around £7m for the winning script. I have a couple of ideas for a feature, but not much beyond that. There’s time to spare for now, but I’ll need to get my thinking shirt on.

I have a few more ideas for 10 minute shorts as well, one of which I may just write up for the BSSC (although I may hold off for the animation contest instead).

I’m toying with developing a web series too, and actually making it, somehow. That might be fun.

But actually, what I really need to do is polish what I’ve written already and see how good it can get. Not as exciting as working on something fresh perhaps, but definitely necessary. Although I’ve written scripts, I wouldn’t really claim any of them were finished as such.

Sharps: Lessons Learned

My entry for Sharps (On The Treadmill), it is sent. Now I just need to suffer the usual paranoia of whether it will get there in time and if I actually packaged it up properly. The shortlisted writers are informed on June 23, which seems like a crazy short period of time given the closing date of noon on June 16.

As is the norm with these things, no sooner had I sent the script than I thought of about 8 things I would have liked to change in the final 4 pages alone. I always feel that there’s something I can do better, something that could be revised to improve the script (or whatever it is I’m working on – this blog post included).

This perfectionism is tempered by a degree of pragmatism, though. I’m well aware of at least some of my limitations as a writer, and as a result my entry to Sharps is not far off the best I’m capable of at this moment in time. I’m all too aware from my career so far that sometimes “good enough” is just that, and you have to just stop – otherwise you won’t get paid. I suspect that’s a useful ability in all creative endeavours.

Anyway, here’s what I’ve learned from working on this project:

• Deadlines from all aspects of my life cluster together;
• I have a tendency to end my stories too soon – a few more twists keeps it interesting;
• Speed up the beginning – this script in particular took a while to get going;
• I can so write stories that take more than 10 pages to tell.

Interviews

A couple of good interviews for you to have a gander at:

Cory Doctorow (author, pundit)

One of the things I’ve noticed about writing every day is that there are days when writing that page feels like flying. Like the hand of God reached down and touched my keyboard, and every word is just pure gold. And then there are days that I feel I’m writing absolute, totally forgettable junk that shouldn’t have been committed to phosphors, let alone saved to disc. The thing is, a month later, you can’t tell the difference. The difference between a day when it feels like you’re writing brilliantly and a day when it feels like you’re writing terribly is entirely in your head, it’s not in the prose.

(via)

Jack Thorne (TV and theatre writer, just announced as a judge for the BBC Sharps contest)

And just write anything. Paul Abbot said if you can get anyone to pay you to write a menu then take that job.

I’m currently rewriting my entry for Sharps (the deadline’s Monday!). It’s the first time I’ve written a script longer than 10 pages, so it was a bit intimidating aiming for 30 (How am I going to fill all that time?!) but then I started and suddenly there it is. I’m not going to claim it’s any good, obviously, but I do think it has potential even if I don’t get anywhere with the contest. More importantly, I feel like I’m improving and learning, and that’s very much why I wanted to enter something.

Pharoah & Graham Interview

BBC Writersroom has an interview with Ashley Pharoah & Matthew Graham, co-creators of Life on Mars & Ashes to Ashes. It’s a short but good read. Their partnership doesn’t quite work the way I thought it would though:

We don’t co-write scripts. We devise shows together but we write individual episodes on our own. So we had three or four ideas that we’d come up with over a weekend, and one of them was Life on Mars, and we just divvied them up.

48 Hour Film Project

This weekend I’m taking part in the 48 Hour Film Project as it visits Edinburgh for the first time. As the name suggests, we (as in, the team I am part of) must make a film within 48 hours. We’re given a character, prop and a line of dialogue, and we draw a genre at random on Friday evening.

I’m part of the writing team, and will also be helping out generally over the weekend. I’ll be twittering as we go along and no doubt hit various states of panic.

I’m part of the Water of Leith team, and you may still be able to get tickets for the screening at the Cameo on Tuesday May 20th at 9pm.

Should be fun!