Go Forth and Procreate

..in the next county!!!

...only I just missed it....

...but it is an annual event!!!

Here is the link http://www.screenwritersfestival.com

And some tips for new writers...

So you want to write screenplays?

Screenwriters' Festival Director David Pearson offers some advice:

• Write about something you know about, but remember you have to make what you think is interesting into a compelling story that will interest a wide paying audience.
• Write and rewrite and rewrite.
• Make your characters interesting and believable.
• Keep going and complete the screenplay to the end of a story (people often start to rewrite before they found the ending which can cause problems).
• Make sure the first 10 pages of the script are strong and enticing (typical full length film scripts are between 90 and 120 pages long).
• Consider writing short film scripts first i.e. a ten minute film is 10 pages long using standard conventions. You may find it easier to get someone to make a new writers' short script.
• Read other screenplays of films you admire (you can download them free on the internet) and follow a common format for layout - you can get a template from the BBC Writers’ Room or buy industry standard software packages.
• Be prepared to write several screenplays without payment to demonstrate you have the ability and talent - if you want to make a career of screenwriting.
• Follow Richard Curtis' advice to aspiring writers and use your knowledge of a subject in a popular genre e.g. thriller, action, horror, comedy, sci fi etc. That way it is easier to define your story and explain to producers and others what kind of a story it is.
• Learn about genres and the way the industry takes a script into development before going into production.
• Films stories are mechanisms for delivering emotional experiences, and they cost a lot of money to make, so ask yourself:

• Does my story offer an audience an emotional experience?
• Is it a strong story? Don't confuse a strong subject with a good story.
• Can you summarise the story in a few key lines? E.g A man fights his greatest fears to confront a huge fish that can eat him. Jaws.
• That sounds more compelling than "the story is about a fisherman in trouble".
• Is it clear who your main characters are and have they had to undergo a personal change during the course of the story?
• Is there conflict for the main characters and do the difficulties facing them increase as the story progress'?

• Remember making films is a team activity (and films cost a lot to make - so directors, producers, script editors, actors and financiers etc will want to have their points considered), so if you want complete control of your work you may be better suited to another form of writing e.g. poetry, novels, travel writing etc.
• Be resilient, listen to constructive criticism, but follow your own instincts.
• If you do want to write scripts study the industry, read other scripts, watch films and do training sessions, and come events like the new writers day at the Screenwriters' Festival.