If you had only ever done Freelance work, how does one go about becoming a proper writer?

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You guys might know. Have been scribling down ideas for lines of dialogue, potential scenes, funny crap etc. for about 3 years now. This is probably not the best way to start being a proper creative writer, and obviously i need to channel it, and decide if i want to TV or whatever. Anyone on here ever try writing TV Drama/Comedy? I think i have a very good ear for good/great dialogue, but my structure is hopeless. Which is the best way to get into collborative work? I don't actually know anyone i'd want to write with, although i do know lots of writers!

Am i making sense?

Mister Writer, Tuesday, 9 March 2004 13:07 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't know much about the TV business, so I can't help with anything practical: but you're going to want to learn structure, sooner rather than later. I'd start there -- or more broadly, I'd start with writing whatever final product (a script, I guess?) it is you want to end up with, because it sounds like you've just been working on bits and pieces. You need to get good at the whole picture.

Tep (ktepi), Tuesday, 9 March 2004 13:14 (twenty-one years ago)

From an agent's point of view, I'd guess that any collaborative writing you do now is likely to be with another newbie - unless a friend of yours is a career writer who wants you to write with them, no professional writer is likely to agree to collaborate with a beginner (I'm using that word to differentiate, though obviously you're not a "beginner" as such).

An agent won't touch you until you can demonstrate that you can put together a decent script - simply having good ideas is unlikely to be enough. A lot of agents do read unsolicited scripts, in the UK at least, but you'll probably have to slog through a lot of submissions before you get the kind of response you're after.

Avoid adaptations - there are always going to be copyright issues, and they don't demonstrate as clearly your ability to come up with original ideas and stories.

If you're part of any kind of writing group or community, the best thing to do is search it for people who you think you could work well with, then try tossing some ideas around. Make sure any collaborator is at least as enthusiastic as you are, and serious about making it.

Markelby (Mark C), Tuesday, 9 March 2004 14:03 (twenty-one years ago)

TV is a hard one because you basically have to live in LA for meeting and shit. That said, they say your best bet is to write a script for an existing program and pitch it instead of developing a pilot which will probably never get read.

I always wonder why people forget about children's programming.. alot of it is quite high quality now, and it might be a little less dog-eat-dog than trying to write primetime network.

andy, Tuesday, 9 March 2004 17:58 (twenty-one years ago)


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