2011: My year with writing

This time last year, I reviewed where I was in my writing career.

I thought I had written the penultimate draft of Steampunk Assassins. I was writing the first draft of The Greenwich Problem. I was planning to write a romantic comedy termed Baking Lawyer (which I abandoned due to fatal flaws). I determined that Military Monster needed a complete overall (which is still awaited.) And I put everything else on hold.

And then 2011 happened.

In January, I finished the first draft of The Greenwich Problem for the BBC’s Laughing Stock competition.

In February, Realm Pictures won the Raindance/Pepsi Max competition. This started them on the road to The Underwater Realm.

In March, I was longlisted for Laughing Stock, which caused much excitement.

In April, I attended the London Comedy Writers Festival, got some great advice and met some awesome creatives. I also wrote another feature script for Script Frenzy.

In May, Realm House hosted the first UWR big production meeting.

In July, Dave, Jon and I went on the first UWR feature script retreat.

In August, I made a wiki for Realm Pictures.

In September, I created my first storyworld.

In November, I went to the London Screenwriters Festival. I got more great advice, and met more awesome creatives, and I pitched my scripts to three producers. I’m waiting to hear back from one of them about The Greenwich Problem. I also wrote an 80K NaNoWriMo novel that I will start editing in January.

In December, Realm launched their Kickstarter. The fund is currently at 85K and climbing. An absolutely amazing response.

Wow, what a year!

So, in 2012, I will:
- Final FINAL draft Steampunk Assassins and send it to producers
- Edit my Cyber Crime Sleuth (NaNoWriMo) novel and send to publishers
- Finish my Asylum pilot, enter it in Red Planet Prize, and send it to producers
- Make a short film
- Get an agent
- See Realm Pictures take Raindance 2012 by storm
- Get married XD

The Importance of Relaxation to the Writer

I’ve done well this week.

I’m on 48K of my 80K target for NaNoWriMo, which puts me bang on track. I caught up while working night shifts, despite the upheaval of being abruptly pulled off nights yesterday and thrust back into a day shift today. The neurones don’t fire too good on four hours sleep mid-afternoon.

I’ve also heard back from one of my Speed Pitching contacts from LSF, so I know my script has safely reached the hands of a reputable production company. This gives me butterflies, but We’ll See.

So, tonight, I’m going to kick back and watch Children in Need with an extortionate pizza. Sure, I could eek out another two thousand words of novel, but I have the whole weekend to write and I’ve earned my pizza and my Doctor Who trailer.

When you work a day job, it’s easy to feel pressured to spend all your free time writing. I firmly believe you should write every day, or you should think about your writing and your future writing every day (proper thinking now, not that morning shower contemplation of ‘hmm, what if my hero fought a giant space duster?’).

It is, however, equally important to recharge. Take the evening off. Hell, if you’ve been especially awesome lately and the next deadlines are weeks away, take the whole damn weekend. You can’t write if you’re too tired to hold a pen. You also can’t write if you’re not living life.

This is my anti-guilt letter to myself when I feel bad for taking time out. Let it be yours as well, good writery folk, because we’re nervous types and we need encouragement to let loose now and then.

And who knows? Your relaxed brain may be the perfect nurturing place for that Next Big Thing idea that happens along while you’re doing that living.

Why the London Screenwriters Festival is necessary for London and Screenwriters

It’s been one week since I journeyed from deepest, darkest Wales to attend the London Screenwriters Festival. I was nervous, I was anxious – what if I forget my loglines? What if I meet proper writers and clam up? What if nobody likes me?

Thankfully, while I did ramble at one poor producer, I did meet proper writers without mishap (they had been drinking) and some people seemed to like me okay, or well enough to chuck their business cards at me.

So, why the grandiose title, London and Screenwriters? Am I being absurd to call LSF vital to the hearbeat of the city and the screenwriting community? No, and I’ll tell you why.

I can honestly say LSF consisted of the three most valuable and positive days of my writing life. I gained practical, insightful advice from writers, producers, agents and readers – from those who attended as speakers and from those who were attendees. I honed my pitch in the sunshine chatting to a group of writers at lunch. While practising in the mirror was a good plan, it was even better to talk to people other than my reflected self.

I participated in Speed Pitching, where I threw down my steampunk assassins feature and my sci fi sit com to three producer types. Despite the aforementioned rambling, I secured two script requests and one man’s useful advice on how to develop my project further. I also learned that pitching is pretty much talking – and Heaven knows I can do that!

I also took advantage of Euroscript’s advice session to talk about my Asylum pilot. We went through my two-page treatment, working out how to reflect a three series plan in a spec script and what plot threads were necessary to set up the series. Amazing experience – and all for the ticket price.

That was all on Friday.

It just got better from there, really. I can’t begin to describe the surprises I had as I learned about my craft and my place in the screenwriting world. If you’re serious about being a screenwriter, you need to be at LSF.

And what about London? Well, guess what, we can make films. We can make damn good films, if that little Oscar hoarder “The King’s Speech” is anything to go by. Film is a big industry and one in which we should take advantage. We have hungry screenwriters, we have a rich oral tradition, we have gorgeous natural sets from mid-Wales to Scottish Highlands to inner city Manchester. London needs the film industry and LSF is just one way we can demonstrate that we’re here and ready to take on the challenge.

Now that I’ve rambled out my manifesto, I will share my top tips gleaned from the sessions I attended at LSF:

1. “If you haven’t written a screenplay, you’re not a writer you’re a fantasist” – Vadim Jean

2. “Write what you know – about the human condition” – Danny Stack

3. “In the end, it’s as basic as ‘do I want to know what happens next? Am I excited?’” – Vadim Jean

4. “If you don’t have that thing in you that makes you love the cinema, stop now” – Martin Gooch

5. “Great endings are inevitable and shouldn’t be predictable while you’re on the journey getting there” – Paul Ashton

6. “Yesterday’s no may be tomorrow’s yes” – Lucas Webb

7. “The script must be able to stand on its own two feet and be sensational” – Lucas Webb

8. “What you can’t fix is someone who doesn’t write well” – Julian Friedmann

9. “If I’m not gripped and impressed within the first two pages, I won’t read anymore” – Julian Friedmann

10. “If I get a feature script that’s 90 pages, I’m impressed. If it’s over 120 pages, I won’t read it” – Julian Friedmann

11. “If you’re blocked, going and writing in someone else’s house is the best thing” – Richard Tierney

12. “People don’t live their lives in satisfactory three-act structures” – Christian Routh re: Biopics

13. “The fear of the the unknown is what drives horror” – Christian Routh

14. “Bring them back to ‘what are the problems?’. Don’t just take their solutions” – Emma Frost re: notes

15. “I always explore a note fully before I turn around to somebody and say ‘I think you’re wrong’” – John Griffin

16. “You’ve got to go down all your blind alleyways and try everything, otherwise you won’t know if you chose the right route” – John Griffin

17. “Telling your story out loud to something is an incredibly valid exercise” – Olivia Hetreed

18. “Drama is about character fighting their way for something” – Kate Leys

19. “Why should I pay attention if you’re not being attentive to what you’re telling me?” – Olivia Hetreed

20. “I’ve found something that I’m passionate about and that I would die for and is commercial!” – Rob Thorogood

21. “The difference between a good writer and a great writer is how to take notes” – Tony Jordan via Rob Thorogood

22. “Survival is the only success you can hope for in series television” – Rob Thorogood

23. “You should never, ever get put off by rejection” – Roland Moore

24. “If you’re a writer, it’s an illness you’ve lived with all your life” – Rob Thorogood

25. “An idea is an idea is an idea – it can be any kind of thing” – Tony Lee re: picking a medium

A Whole New World

I’ve been knee-deep in development work for my projects this past month, responding to some thought-provoking notes on Steampunk Assassins from Ste Russell at Loves Me Not Films and attempting to whip The Greenwich Problem into shape before sending it out to producers.

However, three opportunities came along this week that had me dusting off old projects and exploring their potential.

The first was a call for feature screenplays based in and around Europe, which required writing a treatment for said screenplay. This seemed like a perfect fit for The Local, my Script Frenzy screenplay about an English doctor joining Welsh villagers in their fight against a construction company. A very “local” European story!

Unfortunately, I loathe treatments and I haven’t done a pass on The Local for about four months, so I needed to re-familiarise myself with the ins-and-outs of Act 2 to try and sell my story. Still ongoing, but my personal editor is on it.

The second is news of a relaunch for a new media series for which I was going to write before it got shelved. I had to flick through all my old e-mail correspondence from January (neatly filed, thank God) before I remembered what the script was even meant to be about!

And the third is a brilliant competition from The Immersive Writing Lab through Circalit – creating a storyworld.

Until today, I had little idea what I storyworld was but: think Star Wars. Think The Matrix. Think Battlestar Galactica. It’s a whole societal concept suitable for a multi-media platform.

Do I have something that might fit those requirements? Step in, Overambitious Island. There’s a reason I labelled the project with that daunting title and it’s because it’s a novel concept for which I developed not only an entirely new society but also a language. Yes, I decided I wanted to play Tolkien and have a go at amateur linguistics.

Remarkably, I can still wax lyrical about their education system, their core religious beliefs and their extensive martial arts. I can even remember the reasons the more right-wing elements of London hate their guts.

The lesson is this: if you were once enthusiastic about a project, you may set it to one side, you may even despair of it ever being worthwhile, but you should always keep an open mind about its future.

Except if it’s about dream heists. I mean, you could develop that thing for ten years, and nothing would ever come of it…

Darling Goals of May

Having returned from a relaxing break away from my day job and my tech, it’s time to knuckle down and return to work.

Script Frenzy and Realm Production Meeting are over. The screnzy script is in a drawer and I’ve knocked together some audition sides for the Underwater shorts.

So, what now?

These days away have been great for percolating ideas and five brand new plots sprung fully-formed from my thigh…I mean, brain. But, like fine wine and decent cheese, these ideas need some time to mature.

Therefore, my goals for this month are:

- Final draft of The Greenwich Project, ready for sending to a comedy prodco
- First draft of new children’s tv project Origami Stories
- Penultimate/final draft of horror short

And now I’ve declared them, so I’m trusting the internet to hold me accountable.

Finally, one more May resolution: do not attend production meetings before drying hair. Especially around sneaky DOPs. Evidence in video below:

[Also, there are some awesome people talking about a breath-taking series of shorts - let them distract you from my dreadful hair.]

No longer a Laughing Stock

I didn’t get through to the masterclass stage of Laughing Stock 2011.

Le sigh.

BUT the lovely people at BBC writersroom said they might consider me for their workshops in the future, which would be awesome.

This is still one big step forward for my writing career.

Waiting for Go

I hate waiting.

I am an extremely impatient person. The acquiring of a smartphone was such a blessing because I finally had something to do while waiting for appointments, friends to show, trains to arrive.

Right now, I’m waiting to hear back from six different writing opportunities. Two – Laughing Stock and Phill Barron – have graciously kept me updated at regular intervals.

Another is one of my friends, who I know has started a new job. One month of waiting down, probably another one to go.

There’s a competition I submitted for that I haven’t heard a whisper from, so I’m assuming a silent rejection on that front.

And then someone I hit up for a short collaboration and an answer to a Mandy.com ad, which left my inbox barely two days ago. Obviously, I’m not expecting a response to those just yet, but they’re adding to my pile.

Surely, someone wants to e-mail me!

Then I remember that it’s Saturday and normal people have lives.

Time to make more product then!

An octopus in a pie factory

You remember that New Years Resolution to concentrate on one thing at a time?

Yeah, guess how well that’s going.

Still reeling from my Laughing Stock second round status (unbelievable squee), I ran straight into a horror short about the Tube. Which is perfect for creepiness.

Oh, and I’m working on a webcomic idea with an incredibly talented artist. More on that when we’ve decided on Strip #1. For now, I’ll say three words: Victoriana. Spirits. Steaaaaam.

And there’s that other horror short? Why am I so in love with horror shorts? Horror films make me freak out.

I should probably actually finish Steampunk Assassins off, yeah?

Also, sticking my nose into my friends’ script will probably just end up in more work for me – though there may be a whiff of a credit.

I need to make like squash and CONCENTRATE.

Laughing Stock Update!

Just got an e-mail to say I’m in the second round of Laughing Stock 2011!

Only the top 10% made it through, so I’m the top 180 of 1800.

Still reeling. And giggling a bit.

Okay, calm. Focus.

*squees*

A million different doors

Firstly, congratulations to the exceptionally talented team at Realm Pictures for winning the Pepsi Max It competition. You can see their award-winning entry here and the production blog for their next project here.

So, with all this talent exploding just down the road, surely I should be drawing some inspiration and cracking on with my Next Big Thing?

Obviously. Which is why I’m updating my blog.

I finished my entry for Laughing Stock and then…what? There’s my Baking Lawyer rom com feature that I started to plot – then realised it was only half-baked (*groan*). I struggle with the “Fun and Games” parts of the scripts – the fun, trailer set pieces. I much prefer my turning points and my dark times.

Then there are a couple of short to medium length shorts that I have brewing in my brain. I wonder if they might be a better use of my time – and have a little more flesh to them already.

There’s also a novella and a comic book that I’ve sounded out to a couple of people, as well as doing a final pass on Steampunk Assassins.

In short, I have absolutely no idea in which direction to run.

So I’m standing still.