Tag: script

My heartfelt thanks goes to…

Why am I practicing my Oscar acceptance speech on a cold wet April day?

Well after only reaching quarter finalist status in January, my Alpine based TV Pilot Drama – Out of the blue – is now a WINNING script, thanks to the incredible readers and judges of the Berlin Screenwriting Awards.

I try to write at least one script a year be it a TV pilot or feature and the idea for this script first emerged in June last year. I hoping it will go on to reach bigger and better heights as it has been entered into another two important festivals whose closing dates are fast approaching, so keep your fingers crossed for me!

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Continually learning…

Occasionally I’m lucky enough to have the time to dive into a quick little writing refresher course. Not only are these a great opportunity to find out how different writers approach writing, but you inevitably pick up a few tricks or techniques from each individual giving the course, and often from your fellow attendees.

Since I completed my MA, I’ve had the privilege of attending courses by Wyl Menmuir and Francesco Dimitri for Novel Writing  – because I love the way they both write. Jane Pugh for playwriting, and John Yorke (twice) for scriptwriting – because he is the king of structure especially if you are writing for TV.

My latest course is with independent publisher Indie Novella, overseen by author Damien Mosley (The Bookseller Rising Star 2023) and Literary Agent Laetitia Rutherford from Watson Little. And I’m using the course as I’ve done in the past to flush out an idea that may or may not turn out to be a novel or film. In this case, I’m working on a crime drama called The Lost Van Gogh, which is a bit like a heist movie, but so much more. Anyway, taking part in the course has freed me up to go to town with my protagonist – for which I was rewarded with some fab feedback from Indie Novella Editor Gina Adams

Your character has a unique way of expressing herself, with a very distinct style to the way you have written her, Sam. We get an immediate sense of what she is like, and also how she is likely to appear to other people. I really like the idea that your character identifies the waitress as odd, whilst she has a reaction verging on sexual to the food she has been given! We can really imagine the dynamic between the character and the waitress here as if we are sitting at a table nearby watching it unfold…

I’m not sure I meant to divulge my love of food so blatantly, but reading it back I can see how – delicately teased with whipped ricotta, burnt butter, and smoked almonds – which was gorgeous enough to successfully soothe my broken ego – could be read as slightly erotic, whoops!

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Great feedback and some helpful notes…

Every year I enter the BAFTA Rocliffe New Writing Competition (Television Drama) which involves a blind judging process, where selected script extracts are performed by a professional cast to an audience of producers, development executives, directors, actors, and literary agents. The aim of the competition is to emerging writing talent, like me, a chance to showcase their work.

It’s not free to enter, but one of the major benefits for writers who don’t get shortlisted for reading is the feedback and advice from experienced industry members.

This year’s feedback was very encouraging…

OUT OF THE BLUE…The script has vivid settings and uses strong visual storytelling. Each character has a distinct voice and the dialogue and interplay are often spiky and fun. Scenes flow together and advance the story which touches on interesting themes of loyalty, corruption, and betrayal, with hints of dark comedy. Overall the idea has been thought through in detail and has the potential to be a compelling series full of power plays….

I also received some great suggestions for improvements that would enhance the script. Thankfully, I had already identified and addressed most of these notes in my re-edited script that was submitted for this year’s BBC Writers Room Open Call earlier this month. So keep your fingers crossed for me…

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What’s new in my world

So I have been a bit quiet over the last couple of years, not surprising as most of us retreated from the real world during the pandemic. Unfortunately like a lot of other freelance writers I lost some of my regular contracts. But it’s not all doom and gloom and there was a BIG silver lining. Yes, I finally got my arse into gear and finished my first novel OWLS HEAD which is currently being sent out to competitions, publishers and agents! I also successfully adapted the book to a TV series script which has also been submitted to various competitions including the BAFTA Rocliffe Drama Comp and had some amazing feedback.

Not one to rest on my Laurels in the second three-month lockdown I wrote my second novel GAME ON and have since adapted it to a feature film script.  It’s an interesting process adapting for the screen and helps you tighten up the structure and identifies where all the holes are in the plot. Needless to say, the book needs tightening up and re-editing, so that’s next on the list! However the script has been doing well and reached the quarter-finals of the London International Screenwriting Competition, so I am super proud.

The biggest news of all though is that after finally having some success I am now on the radar and have been appointed a Screenskills Mentor to help me shape the GAME ON into something bigger and better. I’m sure to be posting a lot about this so keep your fingers crossed and follow my journey…

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