CONVERSATIONS WITH A STORY TELLER

Canadian J Lynn Stapleton is a writer, photographer and Geriatric Care Nurse who follows me on Twitter. She also loves to blog and interview when she can. Here is her recent interview with her friend, the American tv writer Jill Lorie Hurst.

‘Guiding Light’ was the world’s longest running soap opera until it was axed in 2009.  Jill, like so many television writers, learnt her trade and honed her craft on the show. I have EastEnders to thank for my baptism of fire.  So here, in solidarity, I post Lynn’s interview.

I particularly like what Jill says about the collaborative process of television series writing.  Thanks Lynn for a great interview and insight into the working life of a talented writer and also for allowing me to share it here.

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In the several months previous to the American soap opera, Guiding Light, being cancelled and subsequently going off the air, I made friends with numerous other fans of the show, resulting in meeting in a large fan gathering in New York City to celebrate the final official fan club luncheon with the cast. It would also be the start of a wonderful friendship with one of the head writers of the series very soon after.

Holding various positions within the Guiding Light family from Assistant to the Writers, Scriptwriter, Assistant Head Writer, Story Producer and Co-Head-Writer, Jill Lorie Hurst has won a Daytime Emmy Award for Best Writing (2007), and a Writer’s Guild of America Award for Best Writing (2004), along with several nominations in both awards ceremonies over the years.

Over the past few years, we’ve talked on-line and in person about just about anything that strikes our interest, from soaps, to photography, to life in general. For a long time, I’d felt a bit odd asking a friend for an official interview, primarily about scriptwriting, but decided just to go with it and I’m glad I did.

Lynn: What got you interested in working in television as a writer when you were starting out?

Jill: I never thought about television writing until I started working at the front desk at the studio where Guiding Light was taped. You get to know about people when you wait tables or work at a front desk. The quality of people and storytelling at GL made me want to stay forever! I’d grown up writing, loved theater and I watched the [Proctor & Gamble] P&G soaps, but had no career plan. I left college in 1982 and moved from Detroit to New York City. I waitressed for 10 years and my life was pretty full. Full of theater going, travel and friends. And it was the 80’s – NYC was crackly and crime filled. A number of good friends were dying of AIDS. There was a lot going on, but I loved the restaurant, my co-workers, the customers. Luckily, one of my customers, Grace Bavaro, loved me enough to send me across town for a tour of the GL studio. A year later I started working part time at the front desk. I was in my early 30’s then. I didn’t officially join the show til I was almost 35, and I was close to 40 when I became a staff writer! A late bloomer by TV standards. I never thought of myself as a WRITER. I just wanted to be there and be part of the storytelling process and help put out the “product” on a day to day basis. If the environment at GL hadn’t been so amazing, I might’ve gone back to the restaurant business. I like working with good people, doing work I care about. Thanks to the generosity of some terrific people I got the chance to do that at Guiding Light for many years.

Lynn: When you look for inspiration for stories or dialogue, what are things that grab your interest/attention?

Jill: I’m not a big picture story teller – I tend to think in scenes and characters. I am inspired by people I see on the street, conversations I listen to on the bus, looking in windows as people live their lives. My husband, friends and family inspire me. Sometimes a really basic challenge or thought grabs you – like when Ellen Wheeler challenged all of us to come up with stories that would use P&G products. My choice of product turned into an idea that I still want to produce. A place – like the 24 hour laundromat in my NYC neighborhood – can get things going. I think writers need to look around and listen – that’s one of the reasons I don’t wear ear buds and listen to music on the street – or watch TV on my phone – I might miss a good character or setting!

Lynn: Creating storylines for groups of characters in a soap drama involves a lot of planning, organization and development before it even gets to the writing stage. What was your favourite aspect of storylining an idea for a group or for an individual? And conversely, the worst part?

Jill: I love being in a room with a group of writers when someone first mentions a new idea for a storyline or a couple – that moment when everyone stops for a split second to take it in – and then starts talking and tossing their thoughts into the pot. Story stew! I like story boards – using different color markers and squares of paper to lay out days/weeks/months of story. There’s something kind of intoxicating about moving the people and the scenes around, then finally coming up with the day, the week, etc that you’re happy with. I like having the end of the story up there first, so that we know what we’re writing toward. My other favorite job is script editing. It’s a great job. The best part was having the opportunity to assign a day to the right script writer, cheering them on through the week as they write and then, getting a beautiful script handed back to me. I can rewrite a not so good day if I have to – but I get no thrill out of the rewrite. I think I’m kind of good at knowing who’s good at what – who’s funny, who’s heartbreaking, who’s good at killing off characters (really) – and assigning accordingly! My least favorite part of the process is breakdown writing. Glad I had to do it. Don’t like it. Not very good at it.

Lynn: Have you ever had characters that get stuck in your head, demanding their stories to be told? Or had a particular scene becoming very vivid in your head and then have to write it down?

Jill: When you work on a show, the characters live with you and they tend to be a chatty group. If you listen to them, a lot of the story will unfold. Telling a story you love is so uplifting and fun. You can’t wait to get into the meeting, or sit at the computer (or grab your legal pad in my case) or get on the phone with the other writers. It just…bubbles. And when you’re telling a story you don’t believe in – it’s very upsetting. I used to carry on conversations with characters, other writers, the network in my head as I walked to work and I’m sure my facial expressions and mumbling scared a lot of people. Once someone actually stopped me to ask me if I was okay and I blurted. “No! We’re killing Ben today and we’re doing it for all the wrong reasons”. Yikes.

Lynn: What are some favourite pieces of writing advice given to you when you were starting out, that really stuck with you throughout your career?

Jill: Here are a few –
“When you’re writing the emotional/relationship stuff, keep it tight, contained. If the show is long and those scenes take up too much time they will be the first scenes cut and often that means losing the best stuff in the day. Protect those moments”. – From actress/director Lisa Brown

“There is no such thing as a stupid question. Ask the question.” – From producer Mary O’Leary

“Can we tell that story (write that scene) in 9 lines?” – From actress/executive producer Ellen Wheeler

“Don’t tiptoe into your scenes. Walk in, you have the right to be there.” – From writer/producer Claire Labine (when I asked for breakdown writing notes)

Lynn: Following Guiding Light’s cancellation, you had joined up writing for former GL actress, Crystal Chappell’s two-time Daytime Emmy Winner, ‘Venice the Series’ web soap for seasons three and four – and currently fifth season – of the series. What’s it been like switching from writing for a network soap opera to writing for a web platform soap opera?

Jill: Network vs. the web – It’s still serial storytelling, which is the great thing. I love the Venice characters. I’m more of a writer on this show and not part of the rest of the production team, which forces me to use different muscles. I’ve learned to collaborate on the phone, which has always been hard for me! I’m still wrestling with technology and realize how spoiled I was at GL, when I could scribble a scene on a legal pad and stand there looking crazy til Amanda took it away from me and said “That’s okay, Jilly. I’ve got it.” I’m glad our characters can swear and kiss and make love if the story calls for it! I love the freedom, but I miss some of the checks and balances that come with working for the network – they force you to try harder and find different ways to tell the stories you care about. Life is all about picking your battles. When I was on GL and we were answering to both P&G and CBS, we won some important battles, which was great – and we lost some fights that broke our hearts, both as writers and people. I learned a lot from all of those experiences.

Lynn: Are there any other series, either television or web, that you’d love to work on/ work with? Or have you any of your own projects that you’d love to start/continue with?

Jill: We just sent Venice 5 to Crystal and will start the edit as soon as we get her notes this week. I love working with Penelope [Koechl, co-writer] and we have a few ideas we’re discussing. I have to finish my book and there’s another project that needs to be attended to! I don’t think about writing Guiding Light any more – but the Guiding Light actors are so talented and inspiring that whenever I am working on anything, their beautiful faces and voices float through my head. I’d like to write them in very different roles. They are a great rep company. Mostly, I’m looking to tell stories that mean something and work with people I enjoy. That’s the plan. Hey, you made me come up with a plan! Thanks, my friend.

Well, I wish I had a lofty answer, but truth be told, we are sitcom junkies at our house. Modern Family saved our lives this year, along with Frasier, Roseanne and Cosby Show reruns – but sitcoms are serials too – family relationships, overcoming obstacles, love stories! I also love Orange is the New Black, The Good Wife and I think House of Cards is fascinating. Still like Grey’s Anatomy. Catching up on Parenthood, Last Tango in Halifax. I miss Friday Night Lights and Gilmore Girls. I like to think, but I like to laugh and cry and connect when I watch a show.

If you would like to see the interview on Lynn’s blog here it is and a couple of lovely pics to boot of Jill and Lynn in NYC Central Park. http://celtic-dragon.me/2014/08/03/conversation-with-a-storyteller/

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF …… A SCRIPT EDITOR ON EMMERDALE

Regular readers of my blog and readers of my book; Writing For Television Series Serials and Soaps  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Writing-Television-Yvonne-Grace/dp/1843443376/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1400840643&sr=1-7&keywords=writing+for+television – will know how that I started my long career in television drama production via the script editing route.  My baptism of fire was on EastEnders, but here I talk to a busy script editor, working on Emmerdale.

Donna Metcalf’s route to script editing was not a straight forward one. Like anything worth having in life, she had to work hard to get the gig. But as I point out in my recent blog about making connections in the Television Industry – only-connect-making-contacts-in-the-television-industry – every one needs a champion, and once you find that person, you will find doors open easier. Be ready to take the opportunity that arises for you.

Here Donna shares her thoughts about working on the show, her specific role within the production process and tells us how she got in to the business in the first place.

How did you get into script editing for series drama‭; ‬was there anyone in particular who you feel helped you to get to this stage in your career‭?

Getting into script editing was a long hard slog‭!‬ I first heard of‭ ‬it by seeing a job description,‭ ‬and thought it was perfect for me‭ – ‬I wanted a job where I could use the analytical skills I learnt during my English Degree,‭ ‬whilst working in a fun and creative environment.‭ ‬As I had no previous media experience,‭ ‬it took a great deal of hard work and persistence to get my foot in the door.‭ ‬I started off by working as a runner and doing bits and pieces of work experience‭ ‬-‭ ‬I took anything from audience runner on Jeremy Kyle,‭ ‬to script development at Lime Pictures.‭ ‬As these jobs were few and far between and mostly unpaid,‭ ‬I worked as a waitress and receptionist to pay my way.‭ ‬I also volunteered to script read for as many groups as possible,‭ ‬widening my skillset to radio,‭ ‬animation and TV.‭

I found it difficult to find out about script editor training,‭ ‬so did a script reading course at The Script Factory in London,‭ ‬and script reading and script editing courses at North West Vision,‭ ‬where I later became one of their script readers.

My first big break was a short contract at Emmerdale covering the Script Secretary role,‭ ‬however,‭ ‬this was only temporary and I was soon back to temping.‭ ‬After a pretty fruitless year,‭ ‬the assistant Producer,‭ ‬Tony Hammond asked me to come back and I’ve stayed ever since‭ – ‬starting as script secretary,‭ ‬then Emmerdale archivist,‭ ‬assistant script editor‭ (‬a role which I created‭) ‬and then Script editor.‭ ‬I have so much to thank Tony for,‭ ‬because he was always willing to give me a chance‭ – ‬and eventually,‭ ‬it paid off.‭

To be a good script editor,‭ ‬you need to genuinely love writers and working with them.‭ ‬How many writers do you work with regularly on the show,‭ ‬and what,‭ ‬from your experience,‭ ‬could you say are the best sort of writers to work with‭?

My favourite part of the job is working with the writers.‭ ‬We currently have‭ ‬25‭ ‬writers on the team,‭ ‬so we’re never short on variety‭! ‬I find it really important to have a good working relationship with our writers,‭ ‬and the best edits are with writers who embrace the notes and want to discuss how to make the note work in the most exciting way possible.‭ ‬I love a good mixture of enthusiasm and creativity,‭ ‬and work hard to ensure‭ ‬the writer still feels they have their own stamp on the episode.‭ ‬It’s always easier if the writers are open to changes and want to have a healthy discussion rather than‭ ‬dig their heels in or passively take notes.‭

Note giving is a delicate job to do well.‭ ‬What are the techniques you use to get the best out of your writers and how do you handle giving tricky notes‭?

The key for me is to know the writer,‭ ‬that way I can deliver my notes‭ ‬appropriate to each writer’s temperament.‭ ‬I fully appreciate that writing is a lonely profession,‭ ‬and pouring your heart into something just to be given notes must be a difficult thing.‭ ‬So I make sure I’m always tactful and positive.‭ ‬I try to be as honest as possible,‭ ‬but also supportive and enthusiastic.‭ ‬If there’s an issue in the script,‭ ‬it’s often because the writer didn’t quite believe what they were writing,‭ ‬so I try to locate the problem so the next draft can be as strong as possible.‭

Can you briefly outline a typical script editing day for you on Emmerdale‭?

Emmerdale works on a monthly cycle,‭ ‬so for script editors,‭ ‬our week will generally alternate between first draft edits or publishing week.‭ ‬Each week tends to consist of a reading day,‭ ‬a script meeting where we go through scripts page by page,‭ ‬then I prepare edits and get on the phone to writers.‭ ‬A typical day would start at around‭ ‬9am.‭ ‬I usually work on the train to Leeds,‭ ‬prepping my edits,‭ ‬then pretty much as soon as I get to work I’ll be on the phone.‭ ‬I chat through headline notes on story changes and character through-lines,‭ ‬then we go‭ ‬through‭ ‬page by page.‭ ‬I tend to do about three edits a day,‭ ‬and in‭ ‬between that I’ll answer my emails and get calls from set.‭ ‬When a script is filming,‭ ‬we get regular updates on timings‭ – ‬often having to look for cuts or add extra material,‭ ‬but we also have to be available for any on-set issues.

How many scripts to do edit at any one time‭?

We tend to work on a block of four scripts at any‭ ‬one time.‭ ‬This can mean having four at first draft stage,‭ ‬four at publishing stage,‭ ‬and up to two blocks in production,‭ ‬where we’re on call from‭ ‬7am to‭ ‬7pm every day for any on-set issues or queries.

How many writers do you work with‭?

25.

How many script editors are there on the show?

There are‭ ‬4‭ ‬script editors,‭ ‬1‭ ‬assistant script editor,‭ ‬and‭ ‬2‭ ‬part-time‭ ‬series script editors.

Does Emmerdale use storyliners.‭ ‬And if so,‭ ‬how is your job affected by their input‭?

Yes,‭ ‬we have a team of storyliners as well as a story producer and story editor.‭ ‬Our stories are generated at story conference every month,‭ ‬where the storyliners go away and write story strands and a storyline document is produced.‭ ‬We use their story document when reading first draft scripts‭ – ‬it’s important to see what the intention of the story was,‭ ‬as well as understanding any decisions the writer has made,‭ ‬and to check that all story beats are covered.‭

Lastly,‭ ‬can you sum up what it is like,‭ ‬working on a huge juggernaut of a show like Emmerdale‭?

Working on Emmerdale is a dream come true.‭ ‬I couldn’t‭ ‬wish to work with a better team of people‭ ‬-‭ ‬there’s a‭ ‬wonderfully friendly atmosphere here.‭ ‬It’s a very busy and challenging job‭ – ‬the hours are very long and it can be stressful.‭ ‬There isn’t a day that goes by that I’m not thankful for where I work.‭ ‬I’m very passionate about Emmerdale,‭ ‬and when you work with so many talented people,‭ ‬it’d be impossible not to give it‭ ‬100%‭ ‬every day.‭

Contact me for script editing help and editorial advice on your work here http://www.scriptadvice.co.uk
Follow me on Twitter: YVONNEGRACE1
Join my writer’s group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/237330119115/

Get in touch and happy writing!

ONLY CONNECT – MAKING CONTACTS IN THE TELEVISION INDUSTRY

Writing is a solitary exercise. But the business of getting your writing read, talked about and appreciated is just the opposite. You need to be a focussed solitary scriber, and then morph when the time dictates, into a sociable, approachable type who is more that happy to talk about your work and ask questions of those that are experienced and able to help you get in and get on in the industry.

Even if you have a writing partner; someone with whom you work to create and construct your drama scripts, there is always that point in the creation process where you must turn the collaboration switch to ‘off’ and get on with making your part in the writing process your own. You need to get your head down and start writing.

If you work solo, (like most writers in my experience do) then it can be really hard to put on a convivial face and go off to rub shoulders with, most likely, writers like yourself, who work alone and then feel they have to socialise for the good of their work.

 But I think its important that you do this.

The television industry dictates that writers be both disciplined (in terms of getting the pages done in a structured, accessible time frame) and also able to turn on the sociable charm when the time is right.

 I have had the pleasure of working with some great writers who are now at the top of their game and showing by the sheer calibre of the work they are now producing, the way forward for lesser experienced television writers, making their way up. Writers like Russell T Davies, Sally Wainwright, Jonathon Harvey and Tony Jordan. If you were ever in a position to ask any one of them if they, as they were starting out, had a champion, or if there was a person they felt they could point to that helped them, when they needed it, I believe each writer could come up with more than one name.

 I had my champions too.

 We all need at least one.

 So where do you find your champion? The person(s) who may turn out to be the people you, when asked the question, sometime in your future you happily name as the individuals that helped you most?

 There are many ways you can potentially meet like-minded writers and also connect with professionals that can either champion your work themselves, or suggest others that can.

 I suggest you spread your area of connection wide.

 Initially, I would encourage you to join a good writer’s group. I run a very good one on Facebook. My members come from all over the globe and represent all levels of writing experience. Many are professional writers who, like myself, genuinely enjoy sharing their knowledge of the industry. It’s a great place to start.

 The Script Advice Writer’s Room:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/237330119115/

Another good way of opening up communication with others in your chosen field, is to use online forums. Phil Gladwin runs a great one here. His organisation the Screenwriting Goldmine also runs writing competitions and workshops:

http://www.screenwritinggoldmine.com/forum/

 In general, the BBC website for writers is a good place to bookmark. You can download scripts and keep up with the initiatives they run.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/about/the-writers-academy

 Attending workshops on writing and those that teach the skill base needed to work in television as a writer is a good way of making contacts and building useful friendships with other writers.

 I run workshops for the Indie Training Fund regularly and throughout the year.

http://www.indietrainingfund.com/courses/production/how-to-storyline-a-series-for-television/

 Euroscript is very good for writers wanting to connect with others and they also run courses throughout the year:

http://www.euroscript.co.uk/

 Engineering meetings between writers and Producers, Commissioners and key players in the Industry is a central aim of the Rocliffe Forum:

http://www.rocliffe.com/index.php

 Attending festivals and specific events aimed at networking and sharing of information related to screenwriting is a great way of building your connections and making potential key connections with useful to know people.

The London Screenwriters’ Festival is a brilliant, exciting, informative and genuinely friendly event run by people passionate about the business of writing for the big and small screen. This link takes you to the page showing some of the speakers of this year’s event. You will notice I am there and very pleased to be so!

Speakers

 Raindance run both a film and television festival:

Home

My book attempts to bridge that gap between you, the solitary writer who wants to get in to Television and stay there, and the Industry itself; comprising of important people you need to get to know and to make them aware of your existence.

Here’s a lovely review on Amazon by writer Mark Davies. I add it here because he highlights my intention when writing it, which was to metaphorically hold the writer’s hand through what can be the labyrinthine nature of the Television Industry.

 ‘Rather than a dry how-to style text book, reading this book is like being invited to spend the day with an expert and having her take you by the hand for a tour of Television Centre, and being introduced to everyone you could ever need to know in the process. Then imagine someone following you the whole day with a camcorder and giving you all the footage afterwards so you can rewind to your favourite sections and live them all again. And again!’

Follow me on Twitter: YVONNEGRACE1. Here too, it is almost too easy to hook up (in cyber space) with a whole new strata of writers, producers, script editors and agents who may well take up a big space in your future.

 You don’t know who’s out there till you get your sociable coat on and venture outside…..

 Check out my website for my script reading and script development services and to access my blog and find out what I am up to over the year.

Home

 I hope to be able to help you in the future.

 Good Luck and Happy Writing.

 

TV STORY STRUCTURE – HOW TO CREATE STORY LEGS….

Here I am guest blogging for writer/director Charles Harris.

Part One: I delve into the story structure we use in television and show you how you can create the longer run story line.

The Structure of Story. Creating Story Legs Part 1

 

 

Confessions of a First Commission

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM SCRIPT ADVICE TOWERS….

I thought to herald in the New Year, I would give you a new blog. A new style. George the Blogging Writer lives in my head mostly; she does have a blog on my website www.scriptadvice.co.uk but I haven’t written a George Blog for a while.

Here, she is struggling with the concept of being a commissioned writer. It’s a tough call. You have struggled for so long and believe maybe, that your day will never come and then it does. Here is how George copes with the pressure…..

Enjoy. If you need help with your writing, get in touch: yvonnegrace@scriptadvice.co.uk

EXT: BROCKWELL PARK – SE LONDON – 11am

There’s nothing wrong with a brisk walk in the morning. Am just getting some air. Lovely. Oh look, a Blackbird. No, it’s a Crow. Raven?  It’s looking at me now. I hate birds that don’t hop. They have a horrible mechanical walk and this one’s coming right for me. Bastard. Just pecked my fake Uggs. Gave it a swift kick. Missed obviously.

I’m on this bench because I am panicking.

Two days ago I was over the moon. June, my (am practising sounding casual when I say this) Agent…has landed me a commission on Westenders. I did the leg work to be fair. Smoozed Scary Producer Paula Tether and then did a stint at the Story Conference, wrote some story ideas, another script about Vaginas, (not the biological ones, mine are metaphorical) and with Hope the Nice Script Editor on the show doing her bit to smooth the way for me, I have landed my first professional gig.

So with all this help, all this good will, all the legwork done and a fair amount of dignity lost I should be happy right? I should be diving in and getting my hands dirty – crafting my first draft of episode 2,257 of Westenders.

But I can’t do it you see. I don’t have it in me.

INT: BREAKFAST NICHE – MY FLAT SE LONDON – 2 hours earlier.

I was ready. Primed. Laptop balanced and ready on Breakfast Bar, coffee in lucky Eyore mug ready. Ping. There, email received as promised. (They get up early in Westenders world.)

‘Hello George, Thank you for attending our recent Commissioning Meeting. I have pleasure in attaching the storyline document that covers your block of episodes. Your number is 2,257. I also attach notes from the Commissioning Meeting to use as a reference and our Bible of the show. Let me know if you need anything else. Regards Kath.’

Ok time to print. Storyline document. Not sure what all this means. Hold on. So according to this, I have an A story, a B story and a C story. My A is ‘Trisha suspects she is being followed’ – doesn’t sound very A to me. What if I think the B is the A? ‘There’s problems at Soapy Suds’ Really? That’s a B storyline? What’s my A again? O God, that’s just typical. I wanted the episode where Trish confronts her stalker but that’s gone to 2,260 – who’s writing that ep? Arse. Letty the new girl. She’s got the juicy ep. I get the set up ep. I’m beginning to feel panicky again.

Better print off the Bible. It’s huge. Page after page of back story, character profiles, current character arcs, long and short running storylines, info about the sets, the exterior and interiors of the show, the tone, the ethos, the blah blah blah, I was scouring the flat for more paper and only just stopped myself feeding kitchen roll into my printer before I realised I was losing it.

Deep breath. Start again.

INT: BREAKFAST NICHE – MY FLAT SE LONDON – 1 hour earlier

So now I am writing. I have decided not to stress about the document, I have my own notes that I took at the Conference I am doing fine so far. I know I need to write three main storylines, with the centre of my episode being the A story. I’m still using their storyline of Trisha and how she suspects she’s been followed, but I’ve relegated that to a B status and I’ve come up with a totally independent, one-off story idea for my A story; am betting Paula Scary Producer will admire my ingenuity.

Then the harp music. No, not Celestial script help – my mobile ringtone.

That was June, checking up on me. I know she’s trying to help but she mentioned the fact that I need to do an episode outline before I do the first draft. I had forgotten that. Hope, my Script Editor suggested I do this, to ‘ease me into the process’. And Hope is obviously trying to help as well, but that means that the two weeks I thought I had to write my episode, is split in half and now I have to get my head around the outline before I write the episode.

June said she’d take a look at it for me before I send it to Hope. Oh crap. All this help just makes me feel worse. What if my outline stinks and both June and Hope see me for what I really am? A talentless documentaphobe?

I get off the phone sharpish from June. She’s given me the deadlines I have to meet and told me my first payment won’t be paid until I’ve signed the Contract. Followed by another payment when I deliver my first draft.

Dry mouth panic. Can’t find the Contract. June said I had to sign it pronto and email it over. Frantic seconds pass whereby I literally throw the contents of my bag all over the flat. Found it. Emailing it took longer. This is because I had to unplug the microwave so I could use my printer to scan the contract and in the process managed to knock my mug tree (complete with mugs)to the floor smashing them all.

Suddenly, creativity seems a long way away from what I’ve signed up for.

INT: BEDROOM – MY FLAT – SE LONDON – 1 hr 30 mins earlier

Am now under the duvet. I know I’m being pathetic. Sod it. Sometimes, a duvet-hide is all I can manage.

I had another phone call. This time, from Letty Leadbetter, the writer who is even newer than me, and who has the best episode in our block of four. She’s so insufferably perky. I loathe perky. I never do perky. She’s also rather nice actually, which makes it all much worse. She wanted to know how I ‘was getting on.’

Letty at school would’ve been the girl who said ‘oh, me, I never do revision’ and then proves to be the only one in the class who got straight A’s. She’s like that. She passes exams like most of us do figs.

‘Oh, it’s going really well thanks’. I pipped back at perky Letty. ‘loving the process’. (like I do smear tests)

 I got rid of her quick. Then an email pinged in to my inbox.

‘Hiya, Carol here, thought you’d appreciate my cliff hanger. Here it is. Good luck, have fun!’

Again, she’s being really helpful. She’s an old hand is Carol. The cliff (or pick up point) from the previous episode, is noted in the Story Document, so technically Carol didn’t need to do this but it was nice of her to offer me the human touch.

Perhaps I should get back to the document. Try again. My A story doesn’t look so good now. Would Paula Scary Producer appreciate my introducing a totally new character for one episode? And would the fact he was in a wheelchair smack of tokenism?

Then the bloody phone. This time a text.

Hello. Steve here. What’s your cliff going to be? I need to know because I’m cracking on here and may even get my draft in before the deadline if you are able to send me the pick up point of your ep? Cheers!

EXT: A PARK BENCH – BROCKWELL PARK – 11am

So I went for a walk. And I found this bench. And so now, has this tramp.

INT: BREAKFAST NICHE – MY FLAT – SE LONDON – 12 noon

I am amazed at Pete’s philosophical frame of mind. Pete is the tramp I met. He was ever so helpful. (Another one.) But this time, I didn’t feel worse, I felt relaxed and inspired at the same time. He told me he’d been a Life Coach years ago. But his drinking took it’s toll on him and his wife, and now he’s here and she’s in Wanstead with a Central Heating Engineer. Which he said was a good choice on her part, because her new hub would never be out of work as our Winters are getting colder.

He said I was my own worse enemy and offered me a can of Special Brew.

INT: SITTING ROOM – MY FLAT – SE LONDON – TWO WEEKS LATER

Well that’s that. Just emailed my first draft to Hope.

June did have to threaten to tie me to my laptop and I had about a million more nervous breakdowns before I finally ditched the A story I was trying to force into my episode and use instead the A story they had given me in the first place.

As soon as I stopped trying to fight it, the storyline document helped, not hindered me writing my outline and then the first draft of my episode.

And now I expect clarion calls from above and a rainbow outside my window and Mr Cumberbatch to deliver my pizza which I’ve just ordered as a treat.

But of course, non of these things happen. I do get a short but friendly email from Hope saying thanks for my ep and she will be in touch regarding my first edit session with her.

I look out of the window.

Pete is on his bench. I am a writer. All is well with the world.

WRITING FOR TELEVISION: WHAT TO EXPECT

Those charming folk at the KFTV website; (use this to search for companies/agencies/individuals in the writing and film making business) link to a blog I wrote about what to expect as a writer, going into television writing for the first time. http://www.kftv.com/guides/2013/10/17/Tips-on-writing-TV-drama

INT: SCRIPT EDITOR’S MIND – HQ – SCRIPT ADVICE TOWERS – DAY

I have a steady stream of writers coming through the Script Advice portal via my website http://www.scriptadvice.co.uk. I read a lot of scripts.

That’s what television and film production is all about. What it boils down to. It’s all about the script. At the end of the day.

You have sent your work to a reputable, professional person; you need feedback to feel confident to proceed, but it’s daunting. Like leaving your child at the school gates; his coat unzipped, no hand to hold. But it is ok. Your ‘child’ will be fine.

So here then, is what goes on in the mind of a Script Editor/Development Producer like myself when I get one of your scripts.

Firstly. I check the page count. You don’t need to be over prescriptive at this stage about length, but if a client has said they are writing a series for television and the first episode comes in at 100+page count, I know something has gone wrong somewhere with the story telling. A standard television hour is 60 pages. Rule of thumb; a page a minute.

Then I check the layout. I am not one of those people who eschew a script typed in anything other than 12pt Courier; I see this font more often used in film scripts than television anyway; but I am keen on keeping to a standard length. So, if your font is too small, or too large, it not only looks unprofessional, it also adds drastically to the over all length, or in the case of small font, cheats the real length of the script.

Then I take an overall view; flicking through the pages, so that I can get a sense of what the text looks like on the page. If it is overly blocky; too dense, over-long passages spoken by one character; static and verbose; warning bells begin to ring. Not loudly. But I do hear a distant peel.

This is because over wordy exchanges, or (heaven forfend) large passages of exposition are not only the narrative form of Strychnine, they are also extremely dull to watch on screen.

When I see passages in a script like these, I know the writer has forgotten the visual aspect of the medium they are writing for. And worse than that, they have forgotten the audience.

Then I read it all the way through, only stopping briefly to make what I call ‘a big note’. I only stop reading for those.

Once read, I allow myself an instinctive reaction to the script.

This, time and again, will prove to be the correct conclusion of the script’s strengths and it’s current weakness.

Then I go back and make detailed notes page on page.

On the front cover of your script, after I have finished reading it, there will be lots of scrawled notes (I understand my jottings; like a doctor of scripts; the prescription is often only legible to me). They can differ from a note about structure: ‘we have forgotten all about X’ or about dialogue ‘no subtext here’ or even just a ? which can mean many things.

I don’t transcribe my rabid jottings in the report I send to the writer – I translate them. Into legible, acceptable, understandable comments that I know the writer will be able to use and apply to their own work.

The key to being a helpful, as well as professional Script Editor is diplomacy and kindness.

I am not setting myself out to be the Mother Theresa of Script Development, but a sensitive approach to giving notes reaps greater rewards for all concerned. I focus on the strengths first and tackle the weaknesses later.

To be given the opportunity to help improve and hone the creative spark of a writer, is a responsibility and I am always mindful not to knock confidence. This goes for experienced writers, not just those starting out. I read work for all levels of expertise.

The years I have accumulated, script editing and developing the scripted word of writers; so many hours of script reading, has meant that often I am instinctive, almost knee jerk, about some aspects of the writing I read on the page.

If the flow of the storyline is not controlled sufficiently; if the structure of the script is undermined by poor choices regarding the shape of the script, then as I read it, something will snag; stop me turning the page. I always then refer back to the structure of the work.

I know it’s not fashionable and I know it may seem I am hampering a writer’s creativity when I write this note on their work, but structure really is the beginning, the middle and the end of truly good writing.

Text (the plot; what is happening, what is action) and Subtext (the motivation: what drives a character, what is suggested, not stated) are the dramatic siblings I will look at next.

This is because my analysis of the structural issues will inevitably over-lap in to considering text and subtext.

As I am reading the script, I will be aware of the storyline, noting how it is being pushed through the script, but keeping a tab on the subtext; what is essentially the motivational force through a scene.

Subtext and Text will have a dramatic impact on the next area I need to address;
another often warring coupling; Dialogue and Characterisation.

When addressing the dialogue in a script, my knee is already jerking if I see the subtext poking through the spoken word on the page. When a character literally speaks their subtext example:

‘Being here like this, with you, makes me feel uncomfortable’, the phrase ‘on the nose’ always comes into play.

Overused no doubt, in script reports, but it does describe well, what is happening in a scene when there is now no subtext, because it is being forced into the role of text; of something being stated.

Overall pacing in the script is also important to handle from scene one through to FADE OUT. There is a natural flow to storylines if handled correctly; and scripts that stand up to the description ‘page turner’ do not need to contain high octane, high impact action scenes from beginning to end. There needs to be something going on, obviously; the storyline needs to be impactful on one or more levels, but action doesn’t have to come in the form of stunt.

The script needs to answer to the internal metronome of the storyline. Some have a gentler beat than others. The key is to mix it up a bit and not allow your work to level out or flat line.

There is more to say on this subject; there’s lots a Script Editor thinks about when reading your work, but I will do another blog another day.

I have scripts to read.

Enjoy your writing and contact me http://www.scriptadvice.co.uk if you are not.

SCRIPT ADVICE NEWSLETTER 17 – CRITICISM – HOW TO TAKE IT

WHAT THE SCRIPT FACTORY SAYS ABOUT SCRIPT ADVICE:

“We can heartily recommend Yvonne’s workshops – she unravels television like no one else! www.scriptfactory.co.uk

Find out if I can help you with your current project@http://www.scriptadvice.co.uk offering writers mentoring, training and script editing services in order to develop their work and talent.  Please pass on this link to your fellow writers.  Or you can join SCRIPT ADVICE WRITERS ROOM@http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=237330119115&ref=mf SAWR is all about writing and writers. Here you can share your thoughts about writing, the creative process, the highs and lows of it all. You can also access this group for information about writing workshops that I am currently running, also script editing and mentoring services that I offer. My expertise lies in Television drama but any writer is welcome to share their experiences and their aspirations here.  I am on TWITTER here: https://twitter.com/YVONNEGRACE1 Or to see my newsletter online, access my Blog here: https://scriptadvice.wordpress.com/

 * HELLO AGAIN

* CRITICISM AND HOW TO TAKE IT

 HELLO AGAIN

Well it’s still not quite Spring yet, so am following my Nanna’s maxim; ‘don’t cast a clout till May is out’ and putting on a cardi.

Following on quickly from my last newsletter of March, I felt the need to write to you all about criticism and how important I think it is in the development of any creative individual.

CRITICISM AND HOW TO TAKE IT

Those of you who are members of my group on facebook The Script Advice Writers Room will know that I started my career in television as a Script Editor on Eastenders and that I am passionate about the job that got me there in the first place.

Talking to writers via my job at Script Advice Towers and on Facebook and Twitter I often declare Script Editors to be the unsung heroes of drama and at every turn will champion their place on any drama project.

 Those of you that have used my Script Editing, reading and report services via http://www.scriptadvice.co.uk will also be familiar with my approach to this delicate, taxing, rewarding job of helping you write better scripts, one draft at a time.

 The process of working with a Script Editor should never be:

Negative.

Scary.

Depleting.

A waste of time.

Lousy value for money.

 Of course, non of the above apply to working with me(!) I enjoy the work and that comes across to my clients. They enjoy the process of having their work analysed by someone who clearly gets a kick out of bigging up the great bits of their script and sorting out the not so great. And they know they are in safe hands because I have done this before and know what I’m doing. This is key. You have to trust the person script editing your work. They must come up to scratch in your view too. This is a symbiotic relationship – it should never be toxic and never be parasitic.

 And I am not talking exclusively here about the script editor/writer relationship; when I talk about criticism I also mean all criticism. Any criticism. The feedback that you get from having your script read by a professional reader, or the opinions you garner from having your script read by someone close to you, or a friend of a friend who is somehow connected to the industry. However you chose to expose yourself to criticism, when it comes, (which is most certainly will) you must be prepared for it.

 This whole business of combing through a body of creative writing ultimately aimed at a critical, savvy audience; of pitching your lot into an already teaming pool of writer talent, can be and often is, very galling. So it is not lightly that I say, if you want to be a happy, productive, successful writer, start growing a second skin. Now.

 Taking criticism is a really hard thing to do well.

You need broad shoulders. Strong chin. Thick skin. Not a good look, admittedly, (unless you’re Robert Downey Jr’s understudy) but still, those qualities will hold you in good stead when you have opened your work up to scrutiny from the outside world, and are standing on the crumbly bank of the River Criticism as it flows swiftly by.

 Come to criticism in the same way you came to the writing process in the first place. Open minded. Without agenda. Positively. Ready to do good work. With a smile. With a bucket of energy. And take the highs with the lows. Always remain open to suggestion and when you don’t agree with the opinion/note (which will most certainly happen) do not take personal offence.

 Hard not to. I know. I have been on the receiving end of good and bad criticism in my time both as a Producer and as a Script Editor. And believe me, when you have a body of people decrying the work you put your spine and most of your blood count into, (whom you are never likely to meet, but who still feel they have the right to get personal about your abilities) it’s a tough call. It’s also quite difficult to find your ‘happy place’ when you have a disgruntled, sleep-deprived writer querying whether you have a brain at all between those ears – but taking it personally never works. Get clever instead. Get critical. Get tough on your script and on yourself. Get up, keep doing it and firmly request clarification on what you don’t agree with from your reader/script editor. Without swearing. (Not always possible.)

 Why open yourself out in this way? Because it is a necessity for all creative types to have at least another opinion on the work they produce. Look at the work of now famous writers and performers that has been allowed to go unchecked. Uncriticised. The work suffers. Ego takes over. The craft of what they once did, is lost in a destructive sense of ‘knowing’ that dulls the original wit and drive of what they used to stand for.

 Most of us don’t have this problem. We are not surrounded by yes men but are struggling on a daily basis with this ‘stuff’ this writing business, that needs sorting. So you need someone to fight your corner or to face you with some criticisms.

 Without this un-biased eye, this un-emotional, critical pass over the work you bled for, you will never know if it is truely what you meant your work to be. Because you wrote this script to communicate something – didn’t you? And by definition, this script needs another (several others in truth) opinion to get it right for what it is intended to be for.

 A commissioned television script will have to go through several layers of criticism, opinion and ultimately, drafts,  before it becomes the ‘thing’ you envisaged when you started your outline all those months ago. You may fear it will not be what you set it out to be, but if you want to get your work seen, appreciated, talked about, you need to be open to all that criticism and that change.

 Your spec script, the one that isn’t commissioned, but may get you through Producer doors, is also open to criticism. There will not be as many critical layers here – money, in this case, is not the issue – but your voice is. Here again, you may find you have to listen to someone young enough to be your off spring say something nebulus like ‘I’m just not feeling empathy here’ and bite back your knee-jerk response; ‘give it time, you’re still growing’.

 Criticism can be direct and personal (see above). Can be general, unfocussed, and faceless (see above). It can be well-intentioned, it can be down right bitchy. Negative and positive. But in all cases, criticism is what makes you grow as a writer, as a creative individual and ultimately into someone who can not only take criticism well, but give it too.

All thanks to your kind heart, your writing talent and of course, your thick skin.

 Join me on Facebook at the Script Advice Writers’ Room; http://www.facebook.com/groups/237330119115/

Here’s what Phil Gladwin of http://www.screenwritinggoldmine says about it:

‘It’s run by Yvonne Grace, a seasoned BBC producer, and her … incredible energy, passion, and dedication (in true, old school BBC style) means new links, new resources, and a very nice community  of like minds on a daily basis.’

I hope I can help you with your writing; be it a television script, short or full length film or screen play, treatment or outline, novel or radio play, I read and script edit them all and can definitely help improve yours.  Drop me an email@Yvonne.grace@scriptadvice.co.uk and let’s get working!

 BYE FOR NOW AND HAPPY WRITING!

YVONNE GRACE APRIL 2013

10 MISTAKES WRITERS MAKE WHEN WRITING FOR TELEVISION

 1/ Believing you, the writer, are bigger than the sum of the show’s parts.

If you are part of a writing team on a series or serial, you are an essential, but expendable element of the scripting process. The script is essential but the writer of that script is not. Without the script, there is no drama but a budget and time strapped Producer can and will make the changes necessary to get the script camera ready within the time and budget restrictions.

 2/ Viewing your script edit sessions as a potential battle ground.

Your script edits with your script editor should be mutually respectful areas of time in the scripting schedule where you have the right to defend notes given but do not have the ultimate sign off on any decision.

 3/ Hiding behind your agent.

Everyone needs a solid professional to fight their corner should a problem with contract, fee, delivery dates, or a personal issue arise during your commission period on a tv show. But be visible and approachable during these times as the production team want to feel they have a champion of their show in you, not an adversary.

 4/ Straying too far off the script document pertaining to your script.

On most long running shows, the script document has been painstakingly produced via a series of Story Conferences and meetings with the Producer and the script team. It is the skeleton, the blueprint and the reference document that the production follows to keep the episodes coherent and cohesive.  Keeping to the brief this sets out when writing your script, ensures an easy, and enjoyable writing experience on the show.

 5/ Being a slave to the script document!

This sounds unfair I know, but the other mistake is often made to the detriment of the writer’s time on the show and to the show in general.  A slavish adherence to the drama beats outlined by the storyliners in your script document will make a rather dull and predictable episode. The Producer hired you for your voice – so do, please, use it!

 6/ Bringing the party to the table.

Believe it or not, there’s many a Series Story Conference been ruined by too much fun and games in the lunch breaks! Keep a sober and level head – even, as the adage goes, when those about you are losing theirs.

 7/ Not listening to fellow writers.

Story Conferences are sometimes rather political elements of the story production process. An oft made mistake is when writers (maybe through their own enthusiasm and keeness to impress) do not listen or take on  board the input of fellow writers when discussing storylines.

 8/ Consistently missing deadlines.

It’s hard, being expected time and again to deliver to a time deadline. But on a long running drama series it is essential that the script arrives when the schedule demands and if you consistently miss this date, it puts huge pressure on every member of the production team.

 9/ Once you’ve delivered, then you are done.

On a series that is often not the case! On a show like Eastenders for example, you will be expected to be available for notes and for consultation with a member of the script team about your script, right up to the point of shooting and in some cases be expected to attend the actual day’s shoot.

 10/ Giving storylines away.

An absolute no no but sometimes, this still happens. Sometimes the Production might welcome a leak, for publicity purposes, but in the main, the writer should most definitely leave any story give aways to those that make the show.

10 MISTAKES PEOPLE MAKE WHEN WRITING FOR TELEVISION

1/ Believing you, the writer, are bigger than the sum of the show’s parts.

If you are part of a writing team on a series or serial, you are an essential, but expendable element of the scripting process. The script is essential but the writer of that script is not. Without the script, there is no drama but a budget and time strapped Producer can and will make the changes necessary to get the script camera ready within the time and budget restrictions.

 2/ Viewing your script edit sessions as a potential battle ground.

Your script edits with your script editor should be mutually respectful areas of time in the scripting schedule where you have the right to defend notes given but do not have the ultimate sign off on any decision.

 3/ Hiding behind your agent.

Everyone needs a solid professional to fight their corner should a problem with contract, fee, delivery dates, or a personal issue arise during your commission period on a tv show. But be visible and approachable during these times as the production team want to feel they have a champion of their show in you, not an adversary.

 4/ Straying too far off the script document pertaining to your script.

On most long running shows, the script document has been painstakingly produced via a series of Story Conferences and meetings with the Producer and the script team. It is the skeleton, the blueprint and the reference document that the production follows to keep the episodes coherent and cohesive.  Keeping to the brief this sets out when writing your script, ensures an easy, and enjoyable writing experience on the show.

 5/ Being a slave to the script document!

This sounds unfair I know, but the other mistake is often made to the detriment of the writer’s time on the show and to the show in general.  A slavish adherence to the drama beats outlined by the storyliners in your script document will make a rather dull and predictable episode. The Producer hired you for your voice – so do, please, use it!

 6/ Bringing the party to the table.

Believe it or not, there’s many a Series Story Conference been ruined by too much fun and games in the lunch breaks! Keep a sober and level head – even, as the adage goes, when those about you are losing theirs.

 7/ Not listening to fellow writers.

Story Conferences are sometimes rather political elements of the story production process. An oft made mistake is when writers (maybe through their own enthusiasm and keeness to impress) do not listen or take on  board the input of fellow writers when discussing storylines.

 8/ Consistently missing deadlines.

It’s hard, being expected time and again to deliver to a time deadline. But on a long running drama series it is essential that the script arrives when the schedule demands and if you consistently miss this date, it puts huge pressure on every member of the production team.

 9/ Once you’ve delivered, then you are done.

On a series that is often not the case! On a show like Eastenders for example, you will be expected to be available for notes and for consultation with a member of the script team about your script, right up to the point of shooting and in some cases be expected to attend the actual day’s shoot.

 10/ Giving storylines away.

An absolute no no but sometimes, this still happens. Sometimes the Production might welcome a leak, for publicity purposes, but in the main, the writer should most definitely leave any story give aways to those that make the show.