Hi There,
I hope you’re on, or are about to have, a good break, a chance to recharge your creative batteries!
In this newsletter I’m focusing on my website – script-consultant.co.uk – and some recent additions / initiatives.
THIS NEWSLETTER
https://script-consultant.co.uk/blog/
I have now been writing these regular newsletters (every fortnight, previously every week) for well over 12 years (the time I have been running the CHANNEL 4 SCREENWRITING COURSE.)
I’m enormously grateful to all of you who subscribe to or read the newsletter and particularly for the feedback and responses I receive and the conversations that the newsletter leads to (excluding my one troll).
Because I’ve been sending these newsletters for so long, there is a substantial archive and I’d like to encourage you to enjoy it! Just recently I was talking to one of this year’s 4screenwriting writers about aspects of CHARACTERISATION and referred him to these old newsletter / blogs –
https://script-consultant.co.uk/characterisation/
https://script-consultant.co.uk/matt-haig-character-development-masterclass-part-2/
https://script-consultant.co.uk/matt-haig-character-development-masterclass-notes/
https://script-consultant.co.uk/stealing-characters/
I was then reminded of another old newsletter from some time ago because a literary agent had told her client, a writer I know, to read it – about general meetings (which I’d completely forgotten that I’d written!)
https://script-consultant.co.uk/story-ideas-pitching-part-2/
Some of my personal favourites are the very many guest newsletters –
Screenwriter Anna Symon interviewing director Richard Laxton about telling stories on screen –
https://script-consultant.co.uk/anna-symon-interviews-richard-laxton/
Screenwriter & former BBC development executive Cat Moulton on ‘The Dark Art Of Giving & Receiving Notes’
https://script-consultant.co.uk/cat-moulton-the-dark-art-of-giving-receving-script-notes/
Screenwriter / playwright Ben Weatherill on what he wishes he’d known when he started out in the industry –
https://script-consultant.co.uk/script-development-ben-weatherill/
A guest blog by writers Charlotte Essex, Charlotte Thompson, Lisa McMullin & Amanda Duke about their WRITERS GROUP – and how writers groups can be such a vital lifeline in your writing career –
https://script-consultant.co.uk/writing-groups/
I won’t go on but you get the point. This is the tip of an enormous iceberg – literally hundreds of articles about screenwriting – and now on my updated website laid out in a much more user-friendly way. The search facility on the NEWSLETTER page of my website is useful in helping you find newsletters about the subjects in which you’re particularly interested.
**No pressure – but I’d be delighted if you would like to spread the word on social media about these FREE newsletters and the extensive archive – https://script-consultant.co.uk/blog/
SCRIPT MENTORING
https://script-consultant.co.uk/script-mentoring/
More about this in a fortnight’s time – which will be a guest blog written by one of the current mentees.
This part of what I do has grown in the last 2 or 3 years and I’m delighted to be working with fellow mentors KITTY PERCY (4screenwriting alumna, gifted screenwriter & hugely generous, perceptive mentor); JAMIE HEWITT (Jamie has been a script editor on 4screenwriting, is an outstanding script editor with huge experience, currently head of development for Tiger Aspect drama), LILY SHAHMOON (one of the best readers I’ve ever had on 4screenwriting, on which she was also a shadow script editor. Extensive experience as a script reader, also an excellent dramatic writer, whose last play was on at Southwark Playhouse), LAURA TUNBRIDGE (the newest mentor, another super-talented 4screenwriting alumna, excellent script editor and in 2022 a BAFTA nominee for her animated short film).
https://script-consultant.co.uk/script-mentoring-post/
COURSES
I hope soon to resume running in-person courses in screenwriting but am still a little wary, covid-wise, of inviting 22 people into a smallish room together for 2 days. Watch this space.
In the meantime I have been running and will continue to run SCRIPT READING & DEVELOPMENT Q&A SESSIONS roughly monthly for 2 ½ hours on a Sunday morning on zoom for a maximum 8 people. These are designed for those interested in working as script readers, script editors and development executives. The next one is on April 24th (sold out) and then on May 22nd.
https://script-consultant.co.uk/script-reading-development-qa/
One of the benefits of the course is that it puts you in touch with 7 other like-minded people with whom you can share information etc in the future. To facilitate this I have set up a dedicated facebook group exclusively for people who have done the course so that you can carry on the conversation after the session. I also do my best to post any opportunities I hear about to this facebook group.
I’m thinking of running a semi-regular SCREENWRITING equivalent – a 2 ½ hour Q&A session to answer any of your screenwriting questions – whether that’s about craft or career; and to put you in touch with fellow screenwriters. (See the previously mentioned newsletter about writers’ groups!). Please let me know if such a course / meet-up might be of interest to you.
One of the biggest parts of the SCRIPT DEVELOPMENT conversations has been about CVs – and so discussing and analysing your writing CV on the SCREENWRITING sessions may be helpful.
SCRIPT LIBRARY
https://script-consultant.co.uk/script-library/
I have made several recent additions to my SCRIPT LIBRARY –
TRIBUTE – SERIES 2
Like series 1, http://tributepodcasts.co.uk/ TRIBUTE series 2 is a collection of 8 short audio dramas, this time around the theme, LOVE – FIRST CONNECTIONS. Sadly I never got round to recording these scripts – but I’m delighted to be able to showcase them here – outstanding, distinctive monologues by some very talented writers…
GREEN & PLEASANT by Katy Walker
…one of whom is KATY WALKER, and I have added another audio drama script by her to the script library – a lovely, thoughtful and compelling read.
2 scripts by writer / actor SAM HOARE – the stage play DIMINISHED, which had a production at the Hampstead Theatre Downstairs and FUNDUM HALL, a strange and wonderful screenplay.
OUTLINES
I am particularly pleased and grateful to the writers of the 12 outlines that are now in the Script Library. These are an invaluable resource and guide to writing outlines for TV projects. I think all 12 are outstanding and they will be really helpful in informing you about how these sorts of pitch documents work at their best.
I was also reminded recently that my script library is one of the few places where you can read UK drama & comedy drama pilots specifically written for the commercial channels – ie scripts broken down into 4 parts. These scripts can be really helpful if you’re writing commercial channel 1 hour pilots (46 minutes with 3 ad breaks) as opposed to BBC style pilot episodes (59 minutes with no ad breaks)
For example –
The Ballymuck Tumblers – written on 4screenwriting
The Women In My Office – ditto
Dan After Life – ditto
Boomerangs
Jailtown
Apologies for this extensive blowing of my own (website) trumpet but I hope this will be helpful. The next newsletter will be on Friday April 29th.
Until then,
Happy Writing
Phil
PHILIP SHELLEY
Twitter: @PhilipShelley1
April 15th 2022
