Comments on: A LIKELY STORY http://www.youdothatvoodoo.com/2008/03/28/a-likely-story/ Thoughts on screenwriting and creativity from a UK based writer, trainer, and script editor Sun, 23 Nov 2008 15:15:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Adrian Reynolds http://www.youdothatvoodoo.com/2008/03/28/a-likely-story/#comment-208 Adrian Reynolds Sat, 29 Mar 2008 18:28:11 +0000 http://www.youdothatvoodoo.com/2008/03/28/a-likely-story/#comment-208 Paul Campbell of http://scriptuality.blogspot.com/ wrote a post to the effect that I should include the name of the author of <em>The Bill</em> episode in question. All very well in theory, but I didn't catch it when it flashed up, since I was engrossed in making a cuppa at that point. However, a quick hop to www.radiotimes.com reveals that the episode was written by Chris Oulds. Apologies Paul for the no-show of your post: I think I did something silly which let it get mistaken for spam. Paul also queried the placement of <em>Holby Blue</em> at the precise same time as <em>The Bill</em>, both going out at 8pm on Thursday. It does seem a curious strategy, and I wouldn't want to go head to head with <em>The Bill</em>, particularly against the second part of a story that had already built up an audience the night before. Paul Campbell of http://scriptuality.blogspot.com/ wrote a post to the effect that I should include the name of the author of The Bill episode in question. All very well in theory, but I didn’t catch it when it flashed up, since I was engrossed in making a cuppa at that point. However, a quick hop to http://www.radiotimes.com reveals that the episode was written by Chris Oulds. Apologies Paul for the no-show of your post: I think I did something silly which let it get mistaken for spam. Paul also queried the placement of Holby Blue at the precise same time as The Bill, both going out at 8pm on Thursday. It does seem a curious strategy, and I wouldn’t want to go head to head with The Bill, particularly against the second part of a story that had already built up an audience the night before.

]]> By: Griff http://www.youdothatvoodoo.com/2008/03/28/a-likely-story/#comment-195 Griff Fri, 28 Mar 2008 10:56:16 +0000 http://www.youdothatvoodoo.com/2008/03/28/a-likely-story/#comment-195 Thanks Adrian! Yes, very exciting to get my first radio sketch broadcast. All serving to demonstrate the value of persistence. I've submitted material to five open-access radio comedy schemes in the last 18 months - "Recorded for Training Purposes", "Play and Record", "Parsons & Naylor", an un-named project by Angeleye Media, and finally last night's "Tilt" (which you can hear at http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbc7/listenagain/thursday/rams/2330.ram). In fact the "Tilt" sketch they used (my contribution is Gorgoth the newsreading space monster) was a rework of an earlier sketch I sent to Angeleye. Hopefully this also means my writing has improved over that time-frame. Certainly writing regularly for live sketch shows NewsRevue (www.newsrevue.com) and The Treason Show (www.treasonshow.co.uk) over that time, and watching how sketches go down with audiences, has taught me a few things. Sketch writing isn't rocket science - keep it short, and try and have a high ratio of punchlines to setups - but it's all too easy to write something far too long with not enough jokes. As always, I guess writing is rewriting. It's also worth sharing the other piece of advice I got given when I started at NewsRevue by one of their long-term regulars. "Write loads." Obviously this doesn't mean "send in any old rubbish". But if you send two good sketches, you're twice as likely to get a sale than if you just send one. Thanks Adrian!

Yes, very exciting to get my first radio sketch broadcast. All serving to demonstrate the value of persistence. I’ve submitted material to five open-access radio comedy schemes in the last 18 months - “Recorded for Training Purposes”, “Play and Record”, “Parsons & Naylor”, an un-named project by Angeleye Media, and finally last night’s “Tilt” (which you can hear at http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbc7/listenagain/thursday/rams/2330.ram). In fact the “Tilt” sketch they used (my contribution is Gorgoth the newsreading space monster) was a rework of an earlier sketch I sent to Angeleye.

Hopefully this also means my writing has improved over that time-frame. Certainly writing regularly for live sketch shows NewsRevue (www.newsrevue.com) and The Treason Show (www.treasonshow.co.uk) over that time, and watching how sketches go down with audiences, has taught me a few things. Sketch writing isn’t rocket science - keep it short, and try and have a high ratio of punchlines to setups - but it’s all too easy to write something far too long with not enough jokes. As always, I guess writing is rewriting.

It’s also worth sharing the other piece of advice I got given when I started at NewsRevue by one of their long-term regulars. “Write loads.” Obviously this doesn’t mean “send in any old rubbish”. But if you send two good sketches, you’re twice as likely to get a sale than if you just send one.

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