Do I qualify to enter?
A few thoughts this week on what kind of writing experience will qualify you for the course...
You are able to apply for the Writers Academy if you can prove you have a "professional drama commission". In other words we want you to show us that you have been paid to write drama. It does not have to be for television - film, radio, theatre would all qualify.
The reasons for this are two-fold. Firstly, it keeps application numbers down to a manageable level. If we got several thousand scripts, instead of several hundred, we would not have enough people to read them and make a meaningful selection. But secondly, and more importantly, it shows us that you have had some experience of a collaborative production process. This is crucial, as television writing is all about working with others, and if you are unhappy writing to a brief, taking notes from others, or writing several drafts of your script, you are unlikely to thrive on or enjoy the course, and ultimately, the process of writing for television.
Here a list of examples of what I mean. I'm sure it's not exhaustive, and I'm always happy to consider others on a case by case basis:
Things that will qualify you to enter...
- A professional drama script commission in television, radio, theatre or film.
(This includes comedy, sit com, dramedy, comedy drama, drama with laughs etc...)
- Payment for a rehearsed reading of a drama script.
- A profit-share from a theatre production of your work.
Things that will not qualify you to enter...
- Completing a screenwriting course.
- Work done as part of an unpaid student film or theatre production.
- A commission in anything other than drama, e.g. a novel, article, factual programme, poetry.
What is "proof of commission"?
- Anything that shows that you were paid to write a piece of drama.
Examples: Writer's Contract, Letter from your agent, Letter from a production company or theatre company.
Any questions?