Here we go again...
Time for me to rewrite my first draft. Although it sounds like a pain-staking task, I do enjoy it. The bulk of the script's down so it's just a case of strengthening the characters and sprinkling a bit of magic comedy dust over it. (Mind you, if it was that easy I suppose there wouldn't be a re-write... aaarrgghh!) My best inspiration for gags definitely comes from real people. Living in Costa Del Salford means I only have to hang out of the window for a bit of inspiration. It's also great when I'm stuck for character names - the amount of Levi's, McKenzies and Destinys on my street has certainly opened up my eyes.
Watching Gavin and Stacey on BBC3 has inspired me too! What a great sitcom, and the charcaters are fabulous, particularly the lovely 'Nessa. It's such a simple idea, executed brilliantly and rapidly becoming my new favourite - thank God 'cos something's got to replace Peep Show!
Comments
Rewriting is always easier than starting from the blank page, Kate. Good luck with it.
Regarding character names, I think Mr. Charles Dickens is the benchmark writer for coming up with names which really help characterise his cast. I've always said that finding the perfect name for a character is almost as important as writing a cracking script. Create a name that suggests a strong characteristic and your audience will remember you character forever.
Not comedy, but a good example is in the film Cast Away where the name of the main character who is hurled headlong from a plane onto a deserted island is Chuck Noland. Geddit?
Hello Kate.
First of all, I'm glad your head hasn't exploded yet (your previous entry)…! Certainly you cannot complain that you lead an uneventful, boring life, can you?
My nickname's Sheri. I'm a Frog from Frogland, i.e. France, Great Britain's ancestral and everlasting enemy! I'm a bit of a 'bastard', a cultural hybrid in a sense that I grew up in several linguistic backgrounds. I have three loves in my life. First one is my wife, second is Great Britain and third is writing. Script writing.
It so happens I just suffered a somewhat severe blow as I got back a second film script I sent to the Writersroom. Both scripts were given a full read. Not good enough though to arouse further interest. Ah well, I take it philosophically! What doesn't kill me gives me strenght... (where did I read that?!) As one would say in French, c'est dans l'erreur que l'on progresse.
And so I'm looking for a good book on the writing of scripts. I think I will from now on swallow my pride and abide by the rules. That is, I intend to follow your mini-courses. Better still would be attending a real course to get proper monitoring. Only it is not possible as I live in France (I'd like it to be in English). What about a correspondence course? Do you happen to know of one? Would it be possible for you to advise me on this? I can imagine you must be awfuly busy and for that reason I would be immensely grateful to you.
Kindest regards
Sheri (Ze Frog) a.k.a. Donald Sheridan. (The name conceals an outrageous French accent)
Ps.: please don't mind my spelling (or bad grammar for the matter)
Yes... err... yesterday I sent a comment. My English being far from perfect, I fear I made a major mistake. I wrote: "You cannot complain that you live a boring, uneventful life". Naturally I meant to say: " You cannot SAY that you lead a boring, uneventful life"!
My apologies.
Sheri
It's good to see some classy new comedy on TV, sure! The whole comedy scene, not just on TV, but in bars and nightclubs seems to be stagnating, however the North of England's Komedy Kollective are organising a series of madcap satirical cabaret nites combining music with comedy called "Skewed Circus", which hopefully will be a huge hit in both Manchester and Leeds.
It's possibly not the most practical of suggestions in that it takes up so much of your time and money and sanity, but having a baby is a way of ensuring you NEVER have any difficulties naming a character EVER again. Nine months of cogitation over what you're going to saddle your kid with for life means you'll explore every possible avenue and know every ironic, Faustian, Shakespearean, Greek and Roman myth name ever invented. Alternatively, you could look on my blog post, the interminably popular "Choosing Character Names" post. I think about 15 people hit it a day!
BTW: No one ever told me why my blog was taken off the blogroll... :(
Is it only me or is it beyond the concept of possibility to get anything published, produced, accepted or even respectably rejected? After 17 years writing and 21 years in London I think I'm accepting I've had enough and am looking about for ways out of,
A. London/UK.
B. The whole field of writing.
Maybe they have enough writers or are looking for writers with an element to their work that I've obviously been born wholly without. Thousands of rejections later whatever spark of literary spirit and love of the written word I originally had is fast fading. Rejections can smother even the most dedicated writer. The whole thing seems incredibly stupid and ill-advised now, with the benefit of hindsight. If i'd put the same energy (endless) and sacrifice (substantial) into any other field of human endeavour I'd be immeasurably better off in every sense. Writing obsessively can lead to poverty, debt, relationship breakdowns and despairing frustration. I wouldn't recommend it. Does anyone have a way out of this malaise? Luke McFadden.