Posts Tagged ‘feedback’

The Commuters and other anonymous adventures

Thursday, September 3rd, 2009

Packed house for this London Comedy Writers meeting and for good reason.  A new dawn is indeed dawning, but I will get on to that in a bit.

The main feature saw Jeremy Davies return with a new version of his script “The Commuters”. When originally read in the group 2 years ago the idea got the thumbs up for a great idea, but there was criticism that it didn’t use the setting to its full potential.  The audience was desperate to see their experiences immortalised in script form, but felt these opportunities had been missed. So what good has 2 years done?  Well the version read out tonight was a cut down version for the Sitcom Trials and although Jeremy had planned to extend and tighten the deadline came around much quicker than he expected and was forced to hand over the script as was.  The result was a script that was not too dissimilar from the last. Again the majority saw the promise and the possibilities in the idea and credited some of the comic characters such as the happy train driver and gossiping ticket inspectors.  Jeremy himself admits it may be time to bring on a co-writer to help formulate the idea further and give himself more time.  Send me a message if you are interested.  Or you can swing by Jeremy’s blog “The Happy Commuter”.

Controversy followed after the break with a sketch entitled “I thinking of writing a script”, anonymously submitted.  Well I say anonymous, but that is my fault because after the sketch was submitted the author wasn’t sure if it should go in.  I maintained it should and so I forced it in under the protection of anonymity.  Although slightly mental towards the end the script tapped into ideas that many members of the group have considered writing themselves. Like schools or workplaces the London Comedy Writers is full of characters, some crazy, some withdrawn, some opinionated and some just wrong. Anonymous may have opened the doors to something.  Already lined up for next week’s Sketchageddon is another anonymously submitted script “I was also thinking of writing a script.”

We also had the announcement of a partnership with ComComedy and London Comedy Writers.  You can read more about that here and I will discuss it more next week.

Feedback received – thank you very much

Wednesday, August 19th, 2009

Lest my last comments stand alone as testament to my frustrations, I thought I better update with the results of said feedback.

As it happened we both had the same concerns, although the solutions differed somewhat.  My instant reaction was to cut the first half of the script, but writing partner, script reader and all round wheat intolerant demi God said, “no, refocus on this character.”  Oh, it makes sense when you say it, but this character was hardly in the storylines, so I blame that, rather than myself.  This character is the audience’s eyes and we want people to discover our world through her.

Great I can finally get back to work, but the play station is looking at me. Damn it, it is much easier to procrastinate when you can blame it someone else. So now I am off to the park with a print out to look at this character’s journey to see what I can do to make it more interesting.

Waiting for Feedback – The problem with writing partners

Tuesday, August 18th, 2009

So you slave on writing a draft and hand it over to your writing partners for feedback. The next day I get the thumbs up and thumbs down on a selection of first draft jokes – I’m sure it would have been more in depth but performance and a holiday got in the way for more detailed feedback.  But hey, that’s why we have three of us… oh, she didn’t get the script and is living it up in Bristol.  Damn it!  I need to write.  My fingers are itching and for once I’m not looking up from my laptop towards my Playstation, but up from Playstation towards my laptop.

So here in lies the problem with writing partners. You rely on them.  Sure there are lots of good things about writing with others and I promise I will get to those eventually, maybe even by the end of this blog.  But right now all I need is someone to say “right track there buddy” or “abort abort” and no one is around.

I am alone in the wilderness. My concern (not really a concern, more of a suspicion) is that the first 50% of the script goes nowhere fast.  It is lots of great character stuff, the odd joke and more character stuff.  It is not my fault the substance seems to be missing I used the storylines we slaved over for months and months. You know if this was my script, that I had toiled with for months I would have no problem scrapping huge chunks to drive the story, but damn it, those storylines are there for a reason and I can’t just abandon them.  If I do when they finally read the script they will say…

“but what happened to xyz”.

To which I will reply “oh, you have to kill your darlings.”

To which they will reply, “but xyz”

To which I will reply “You should have a read the damn thing.”

Then we will fist fight till dawn.

The script is now being read, so stress over… at least until I hear the feedback I have been dreading – “right track there buddy” or “abort abort”.


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