A WARNING: Dear Guest! Don't gnash your teeth everytime you meet a spelling or a syntax mistake! English is not my first language! So, please, be clement and keep in mind that, beyond the form, it's the content which truly matters!
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[Sheri - A Brief History]
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Reconsidering my prioritiesNot that I have been idle for the past two months, no. But I had to reconsider my priorities in terms of carreer. You all know that I desire to be a script writer and -- be sure of it -- one day I will be! Fact is, I need time to stomach my current setback (see previous entry). A setback, I said. Not a step back. Nor a defeat. As they say, I lost a battle, NOT the war. I swear, the 'system' will not bring me down. I know that if I persist and keep improving, it will finally pay off...!
Which makes me think of my next script: My Grandfather's Diary. I have a few questions for you, my British friends, regarding the framework. The story is about a 14 year old boy who attends class in a French lycée in London. So far, nothing improbable. There are indeed French schools in England. But I would like him to fall in love with a girl of approximatly his age, a girl who's the granddaughter of a French notary, named Duby, practicing in London. Duby would work in collaboration with the French embassy and his clients would be French nationals living in the land of Shakespeare (and mint jelly) mostly for professional reasons. How does it sound? Is it plausible ? Are French notaries allowed to practice in England? Or is it too complicated? I'd like to have your opinion on that.
Otherwise, I carry on with my studies. If you don't know yet, I'm studying to be a landscape architect. It's much more thorough than I thought, as I will be expected to work in a firm, behind a drawing table and a computer, in collaboration with topographers, civil engineers and other architects. If everything goes well, I should have finished by August, next year. Then... then the gods shall decide !
Oh, and one last thing, Christelle is expecting another child. I am overwhelmed with joy, naturally...! Overwhelmed, though I cannot refrain from feeling a bit anxious. I'm so immature, you see.
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At last, a reply from the Writersroom...!
Here is the letter I received from the script assistant of the Writersroom. (I thought it proper not to mention the full name of the assistant in question)
Dear Donald
Thank you for sending us you script The Syrian Summer, which we have now read and return, enclosed. I include below our reader's comments, which I hope may be of some use to you.
This is an intelligent screenplay that attempts to contextualise the political thinking of pre-war youth in light of our more contemporary understanding of cultural diversity. It also provides conflicting voices representative of many of the original justifications for the situation in Europe and the Middle-East as it is today.
However, the three elements of this script, the political polemic, the drama and the romance, do not mesh as integrally as they need to in order for this to work as a film. The script is in places, too verbose, too sentimental or too melodramatic. Though the characters are strong the structure of this screenplay needs work, as does the narrative style, though in light of the fact that this is the writer's first script I suggest that these skills can certainly be developed with practice.
I'm sorry we aren't able to discuss your script in any more detail. Good luck with your writing.
Yours sincerely
S. P.
Script Assistant Writersroom
Perhaps you'd like to know that my script went up to step 4 (which is, if not a great achievement, at least encouraging).
Step 3 - Script sifted
Our readers sift all eligible scripts by reading the first ten pages in the first instance. If the script shows potential, it will be given a full read. If not, it will be returned to the writer without any comments - this tends to be the case with a substantial proportion of unsolicited scripts.
Once scripts are returned we cannot enter into further discussion with the writer.
Step 4 - Script read
When a script is given a full read, it is assessed by our readers for the potential of the writer. If a script doesn't merit further attention at this stage, it is returned to the writer along with the reader's comments.
Step 5 - Invite Next
When a script shows promise but the writer isn't yet ready for further development, we may ask the writer to send in their next original script and their progress will be monitored.
For more details click here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/writing/writersroom_flow.shtml
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