Monday 18 June 2007

Slight Return

Apologies for the break in transmission; unfortunately, this is not because I’ve been on holiday like some other folks out there in Blogland (chance would be a fine thing!) but because I’ve been tremendously busy. Which is nice. Things what I have been doing:

Having meetings. I have been lucky enough to have three meetings in the last week. Two were for short film projects that now seem to be a definite go. The third meeting was for a feature, and I’m keeping everything crossed. I’m too superstitious to add anything more at the moment.

Preparing for the Screenwriter’s Festival. I’m going for the second half. I’ve entered a script into the market, and I’ve submitted a pitch (if it makes the final ten, I can go for the first two days as well – if the Day Job lets me have the time off).

Getting the best rejection I’ve ever had. The BBC Writers’ Room got back to me about my radio play. It got two reads, and I was given some very positive feedback. They don’t want to develop that idea, but they want to follow my progress and have solicited my next script, as and when I can send it in. As far as I can tell, this is as far as I can go through the system without being put in touch with a producer. So, I’m happy, and raring to go on my next spec radio play.

Watching last Saturday’s Doctor Who every (thirty-something, male) writer seems to be blogging about it, and with good reason. It was a very good show in a long recent run of quality episodes. And it had the return of a character from the series past that made my inner-fanboy do cartwheels. If none of this means anything to you, then you’re probably a grown-up. How does that feel?

Preparing for the Script Factory Storylining course this week. It’s tomorrow and Thursday, and Sir Jason of Arnopp will also be there. It involves breaking down the story beats for the first 8 episodes of “Harkness Hall”, a fictional soap opera developed by the tutor Yvonne Grace. I have received the series outline document, and am currently getting to know the central characters, and working out ways to melt them.

Things what I haven’t been doing:
Writing the – hilariously delayed – third part of my Digital Shorts diaries. But it will come. I predict another week of quiet, and then I’ll be blogging every day again. TTFN.

9 comments:

Jason Arnopp said...

See you tomorrow, Sir! Am really not sure if I've come up with enough storyline ideas, but... what the hell. We'll soon find out...

DAVID BISHOP said...

The workshop is great fun. You don't need to turn up with an entire slate of ideas for every character. You can suggest changing sets or dumping whole characters, if you want. It's all about coming up with the best storylines...

martin said...

congrats on the meetings and feedback and owt, hope yr enjoying the workshop - I like the idea of melting soap characters! Very Saphire and Steel!

Look forward to seeing you at the SWF. BTW, did you no that the guy yr working with is described by Doctor Who Monthly, no less, as Russell T Davies' "resident film expert"

But I'm sure he's too modest to tell anyone that himself... ;)

Stuart Perry said...

Thanks all, I ended up having great fun getting Harkness Hall characters into bed together, killing them off, blackmailing them, burning down their vet's surgeries, and so forth.

Martin - cheers for the nice comments, and thanks for the details of competitions on the post below. Apologies for not replying sooner.

You're right - Jason is far too modest. I had read the expert tag in last months DWM, and gave him the necessary worshipful veneration ;-)

See you, and him, at Cheltenham in - eep! - ten days.

Frances Lynn said...

Hey! Congratulations for being a short list winner on the Euroscript Screen Story Competition 2007 - it is you, isn't it?!

Frances

potdoll said...

Hello duckie,

I was about to say the same thing as Frances!

Well done me owd mukka!

Stuart Perry said...

Frances, potdoll,

Ta both, it is indeed the same Stuart Perry. I'm bowled over to be shortlisted. They announce the winners at Cheltenham on Tuesday (before I get there) so keep a few things crossed for me!

P.S. for pd - what's the weather like where you are? Are you getting a tan yet?

potdoll said...

the weather is SCORCHING.

I think I've got a bit of a tan - can't you tell?

:)


hope you're enjoying your buzz of shortlister.

DAVID BISHOP said...

Hearty congratulations! Bask, I tell you, bask in the glory!