Lowell Peterson is new WGAE Exec Director

The Writers Guild Of America East has announced that Lowell Peterson has replaced Mona Mangan as Executive Director.

Lowell comes to us from the firm of Meyer, Suozzi, English & Klein, where he has been a partner since 1995, specializing in all aspects of labor law practice. He has extensive union experience, including work with the AFL-CIO, UAW, Communications Workers of America, NABET, and Laborers, among others. Representing laid off workers in the Enron and WorldCom bankruptcies, he won tens of millions of dollars in severance pay, and in many other cases he has defended unions from attacks on organizing and other activities and successfully litigated against employers for evading contract obligations.

Lowell succeeds Mona Mangan, who has retired after many years with the Guild. The officers and council are very excited about his arrival. He's a strong union man with a keen interest in and commitment to our membership as well as a vision and mandate to help our union grow in new directions, building on our successful strike and the solidarity it helped us achieve.

Comedy College winners announced

The BBC have announced the winning writers for their Comedy College development programme. Micheál Jacob explains all on the Writersroom blog.

I suppose the most frequently asked questions are - why them, what makes them special, and what was the process.

To deal with process first, the assessment worked as an inverse pyramid, starting off with two of us, extending to a further two, and culminating in a panel of six people - including me - voting for the writers they felt impressed most. The writers with most votes were interviewed by me, Kate Rowland from the writersroom, and senior colleagues from the comedy department. Of the chosen six, I had previously met only one in a writing context.

As to the why them question, the answer is quite hard to put into words. Walter Pater, the 19th century aesthete, wrote that all art aspires to the condition of music. For me, good writing sings, and what was common to the all the work of the final six was the fact that they sang, not just to me but to people with quite diverse comedy tastes and backgrounds. Some were Martha Wainwright, some were Mahler, but they were all funny, accessible and felt like only those writers could have written them.

Michael Frayn interview

In The Times, Benedict Nightingale talks to Michael Frayn about his new play, Afterlife, that opens at the National Theatre next month.

The subject this time is Max Reinhardt, the pioneering theatre producer who also renovated the Baroque palace in Salzberg where movers and shakers now meet to debate world affairs and, bizarrely, much of The Sound of Music was shot. Afterlife itself doesn't open until June 10, but Frayn has just published his intro to the play in a collection of theatre essays called Stage Directions; and there he cites descriptions galore of Reinhardt. He was convivial, withdrawn, bountiful, hypersensitive, courageous, fearful, quarrelsome, kindly, indecisive, bold, the Jew who refused Hitler's offer of rebirth as an Aryan - and, as all this and more, a worthy Frayn protagonist.

Writing for romance

On the Guild website, Naomi MacDonald reports on the Writers' Guild and DACS getting together for an evening of romance. T

here was a real mixture of work showcased: hilarious, racy, honest, reflective, serious and touching - and obviously, romantic - in equal measure. There were songs, monologues, a script plus a very brave and hilarious account of Lauren Kemp's attempts to persuade one of her ex-boyfriends' new girlfriends to read her piece at the event. There were a lot of laughs and some really tender moments.

Just to add an extra element of fun (and risk!) to the evening, all attendees were given a badge with the name of a famous 'arty' person, or character from literature, and instructed to match up with their 'other half'. The Princess and The Pea found each other, as did Pat and Frank Butcher, Gilbert and George, Francis Bacon and John Edwards.

The sexism of Rowling-bashing

In The Guardian, Bidisha says that the latest round of attacks on J.K. Rowling are motivated by an unwillingness to accept that women can write serious "speculative fiction".

Readers who rave about the scope of Lord of the Rings, in which a club of white men flee (a) a big burning vagina and (b) some black guys in hoods, are simply unaware of the awesome complexity of Katharine Kerr's Deverry sequence of Celtic fantasy novels. They hail William Gibson's prescience, oblivious to Marge Piercy's prophetic sci-fi masterpieces Body of Glass and Woman on the Edge of Time and Liz Williams's intelligent, knotty novels like Darkland.

Speculative fiction - whether that is historical epic, space psychodrama or telepathic warrior quest - has always been about infinite possibilities. Why is it so hard to imagine a world which acknowledges the importance, multitude and sheer brilliance of its women writers?

Neil LaBute interview

In The Independent, Rhoda Koenig talks to Neil LaBute about his play, Fat Pig, which has just opened in London.

LaBute, 46, seems comfortable in his skin. He has the fluent speech, affable manner, and underlying firmness of someone good at his former occupation, teaching. The geniality cracks only when I say later, that it will be hard for me to ask my next question without being insulting. "Then don't," he says. It's a command, not a suggestion. I ask it anyway.

In the preface to Fat Pig, LaBute writes that he once lost 60 pounds, only to turn into a "preening fool" who spent his time exercising rather than writing. The anxiety that motivated his overeating – as well as his writing – had disappeared. "I'm not saying creativity is entirely linked to personal unhappiness, but..." LaBute waves away the idea that he has to be unhappy or angry to write. "I live peacefully and manufacture the anger."

BBC apology for defamatory Waking The Dead

From Tara Conlan for Media Guardian:

The BBC has apologised on air and agreed to pay legal costs over an allegedly defamatory episode of BBC1 forensic drama Waking the Dead.

A recent storyline in the hit show featured a villain who had a similar name and background to a former Guards officer, now security boss, Jonathan Garratt.

The episode of Waking the Dead, Duty and Honour, broadcast three weeks ago on BBC1, revolved around a corrupt former Guards officer called John Garret who helped set up security firm Apx Solutions – a company which specialised in working in Iraq.

As well as the Waking the Dead character having a similar sounding name and background to him, Garratt's firm Erinys is one of a just a few British security companies working out in Iraq.

Rupert Graves as the fictional John Garret in Waking The Dead (photo: BBC)

Moffat to take over from Davies at Doctor Who

Russell T. Davies, the man who reinvented Saturday night TV as lead writer on Doctor Who, is stepping down from the role, says the BBC. He will be replaced by Steven Moffat who, as well as creating comedy series Coupling and writing the screenplay for the upcoming Tintin film, has also written several award-winning episodes of Doctor Who.

Davies will work on four more Doctor Who specials to be broadcast next year, before Moffat takes over for the next series in 2010.

Steven Moffat says: "My entire career has been a Secret Plan to get this job. I applied before but I got knocked back 'cos the BBC wanted someone else. Also I was seven.

"Anyway, I'm glad the BBC has finally seen the light, and it's a huge honour to be following Russell into the best - and the toughest - job in television. I say toughest 'cos Russell's at my window right now, pointing and laughing."

Lead Writer and Executive Producer Russell T Davies says: "It's been a delight and an honour working with Steven, and I can't wait to see where his extraordinary imagination takes the Doctor. Best of all, I get to be a viewer again, watching on a Saturday night!"

Jane Tranter, Controller, BBC Fiction, says: "Scripts and writers are at the heart of what BBC Drama is all about, and especially at the heart of Doctor Who. The past four series have been brilliantly helmed by the spectacularly talented Russell T Davies.

"As Lead Writer and Executive Producer, he has overseen the creative direction and detail of the 21st century relaunch of Doctor Who and we are delighted to have his continued presence on the specials over the next 18 months."

Book launch 2.0

A YouTube video that's actually funny... (Thanks to Brantley via PersonaNonData)

Faintheart at Edinburgh

It's been announced that Faintheart, written by Guild member David Lemon, will premiere on the closing night of the Edinburgh Film Festival on 28 June.

As David says on his blog, it's great news - although a shame that the idea that the film was essentially written by MySpace users seems to be taking hold.

The truth, as David explained in an article for the Guild, is slightly different. The film was written and well developed before it won the £1 million MySpace competition.

I must admit that when we won I became worried that the interactive element would mean people I never met being allowed to change the story out of recognition. I felt that with all the extra producers now on board, I’d have more than enough script notes to be dealing with without some 16-year-old from Arkansas e-mailing me to say “U suk and so duz ur script”.

Fortunately, I was allowed to suggest the scenes which would be made open to MySpace, so the changes suggested were of the genuinely helpful dialogue polish variety rather than the sort of radical structural change that gives writers ulcers.

Harry Thompson Comedy Bursary

From the BBC Writersroom:

BBC Radio Comedy is offering a unique opportunity for talented people to train in all areas of comedy production during a one-year bursary named after (producer) Harry (Thompson).

Successful applicants will be given the opportunity to make their own programme ideas happen and work on a range of existing comedy programmes, with the potential to reach millions of listeners.

Full details are on the BBC Jobs website.

Silver Sony for Wyatt

Congratulations to Guild member Stephen Wyatt whose Radio 4 drama Memorials To The Missing won a Silver at last week's Sony Awards. The judges described it as:

"Powerful, moving, informative and uplifting were just some of the adjectives used to describe this beautifully assured production. The various strands of the drama were masterfully woven together, forming an utterly original treatment of an unjustly-neglected aspect of Remembrance Day."

Commenting on the Award, Stephen said:

"I'm pleased that the Sony Awards still find a place to celebrate the many achievements of radio drama. It's also good news for writers that the Sony UK Station of the Year was Radio 4. "

The Gold Award for drama went to Q & A written by Ayeesha Menon.

Amazon power could be good for authors

On Forbes.com, Sramana Mitra argues that Amazon's move into publishing (which has been criticised as heavy-handed) could help authors by cutting out the middlemen of agents and publishers.

Amazon is poised to revolutionize the book printing business through vertical integration. Let’s look at the numbers. Assuming that Amazon already pockets 50% of the retail price of a book, it could directly engage with authors and cut out the middlemen: the agent and the publisher. That would free up 30% to 40% of the pie, which can easily be split between Amazon and the author.

Let’s say, in the new world, Amazon becomes the retailer, marketer, publisher and agent combined and takes 65% of the revenues, offering 35% to the author--we end up with a much better, fairer world.

BBC drama debate continues

Following the post-BAFTA Awards criticism of BBC TV's drama output, producer Robert Cooper adds his voice to the debate in The Guardian.

There is much fine drama on the BBC. To make popular series and serials that are consistently enjoyed and appreciated by a big audience is a huge challenge. Such shows play an important role in the schedules of a public service broadcaster. But they should not be made at the expense of the kind of drama that only a public service broadcaster can nurture and fund - thought-provoking and challenging fiction that doesn't fit easily into a popular schedule precisely because it expresses a personal vision - drama that might not appeal to 7 million people but which is just as valuable for speaking so strongly to 1 million.

The reason for the much diminished opportunities for such authored drama results from a decision made around seven years ago. Mainstream BBC drama was failing to attract large audiences and ITV was cleaning up in the ratings war. So money that had been used to fund "difficult" dramas on BBC2 was moved across to fund popular drama on BBC1. Within its own terms, the policy was judged to be a success. BBC popular drama flourished and the main executive responsible - Jane Tranter - now enjoys a very special position.

£600,000 for Scottish youth arts

From The Stage:

The Scottish Government has announced a £600,000 package of funding available for arts projects that create social inclusion for young people.
Alex Norton as DCI Matt Burke in Taggart on ITV

The so called ‘CashBack’ funding will use money seized from convicted criminals and require matched business funding from the private sector - in cash or kind - to release £1.2 million over the next two years.

World Service drama

The Writers' Guild has written to Nigel Chapman, Director of BBC World Service, to complain about the recent decline in drama output.

In her letter, Guild Deputy General Secretary, Anne Hogben, says that "the decline in World Service Drama since 2005 represents a loss of over 100 hours of commissions for writers and over 600 days of work for actors."

Before 2005, she continues, "a play and two episodes of the popular ongoing series, Westway, were broadcast each week. Now it would appear that just eight plays will be made in-house and only fourteen plays in total will be broadcast per year. We are, of course, relieved that the drama slot still remains, but it is just not enough."

Urging Chapman to reverse the decline in drama and commit to producing at least 26 new plays per year, Hogben concludes that: "If you are unable to do so, we will urge Mark Thompson, the BBC Trust, the Foreign Office and Parliament to assist us."

Hollow victory for Blu-ray

Blu-ray might have beaten HD DVD in the format war but, ask Tom Lowry and Ronald Grover in Business Week, with sales sluggish and other formats emerging, will the victory prove short-lived?

The Blu-ray camp plans a mid-year marketing blitz. And the studios are pinning their hopes on a new version of the Blu-ray technology called Profile 2.0. It will allow consumers to use their players to connect to the Web and partake of movie-related bonus features. Fox is preparing to deploy a video game that viewers can play along with its Alien vs. Predator flick. Industry insiders say Disney plans a range of interactive bells and whistles tied to its animated films that may include games and social networking.

Authonomy - outsourcing the slush pile?

On The Guardian Books Blog, Jean Hannah Edelstein considers Harper Collins' new submissions site, Authonomy (which is still in private beta).

Being realistic, I think Authonomy may end up being a nice polite way for the publishers to say that they're not accepting unsolicited submissions anymore. If the launch goes well, I'd wager that anyone asking about submissions will be directed to hit the site, keeping editors' (and editorial assistants') desks clear for them to get on with the books agents have sent them, the ones they are genuinely interested in.

Though the main site isn't open to the public yet, you can read more on the Authonomy blog.

Richard Bean interview

In The Telegraph, Dominic Cavendish talks to playwright Richard Bean.

His new play, The English Game, concerns an amateur London cricket team and certain ideological fault-lines that open up during one hot Sunday afternoon match. A former part-time stand-up comedian, Bean has threaded - as ever - plenty of jokes into the all-male badinage. It's bound to knock audiences for six. But will it have a further life after Leeds and Salford - the places that pioneering theatre company Headlong is taking it to? Unlikely.
advertisement

"I've learnt not to raise my hopes," says Bean. "One review of Under the Whaleback [his Royal Court play about Hull trawler-men] said: 'This play will run forever in the West End.' Being naive, I thought, 'Excellent!', but there was nothing, not a phone call.

"These days, I suppose producers think audiences expect a West End play to mean witty lines delivered by Ralph Fiennes - they don't want five tattooed Hull trawler-men dying."

BBC Comedy College - myths and realities

On the BBC Writersroom blog, Micheál Jacob announces that writers shortlisted for interview for the BBC's new Comedy College mentoring programme have been contacted, and addresses some of the myths that have grown up around the scheme.

One, which hasn't yet surfaced but is bound to at some point, is that we are so bereft of projects that we steal ideas from new writers and give them to some mythical group of favourites who exist in a basement of Television Centre waiting to be fed. There is never a shortage of scripts of ideas. There is always a shortage of good scripts and ideas. Indeed, when I ran an online team-writing project called Cleaners, someone claimed I had stolen it which, since it was based on a format I devised at Alomo, was demonstrably untrue. It's a fact of writing life that several people will have a similar idea at much the same time. Although I have only once seen a project set in a public lavatory.

A new Court generation

As Polly Stenham's debut play, That Face (starring Lindsay Duncan, above), opens in the West End, Michael Coveney on Whatsonstage.com explains how she and other young writers are coming up through the Royal Court's Young Writers Programme (YWP).

Polly Stenham sums up the YWP experience at the Royal Court as one of empowerment. “You never feel patronised and I’ve always been treated with such respect and such grace. The level of care is considerable. They keep pulling you back for workshops and meetings. Once they’ve decided you’re one of them, you really are one of them. I feel very attached to the theatre. I think we’ve all been incredibly lucky.”

The art of titling

In The Guardian, Neil LaBute considers the tricky task of giving a work a title.

Some titles become not just touchstones in the zeitgeist, but go on to become brand names or get a trademark: by this method a Star Wars is born. This is rare: more often, an author pores over a variety of ideas, old notebooks, song titles, quotations, searching for something that captures the imagination while giving the educated uninformed (that's you, dear reader) some sense of the work. In my short career, I've used everything from song titles (Aimee Mann provided This Is How It Goes, while Elvis Costello was the inspiration for Seconds of Pleasure) to pure imagination to name a short story or a play or screenplay. Just because Edward Bond and David Mamet had both already used In the Company of Men (in a play and an essay, respectively), I saw no reason not to call my first film by the same name. It was a bit of a tribute to the writing of two men whose work I admired. It also seemed to capture the spirit of what I was doing better than anything else. For a moment I thought about going with just The Company of Men, but it was so much stronger with that little extra "in" at the start.

Likely Lads on stage

In The Times, Chris Ayres talks to Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais about why they're bringing their 40-year-old sitcom, The Likely Lads, to the stage.

The plot follows that of Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?: acts I and II are condensed versions of each season. Terry has come back from seven years in the army to find Newcastle changed beyond recognition. Bob is becoming ever more middle-class, while Terry tries to cling on to his youth through beer, birds and football. La Frenais says that the play remains set in the Seventies (“there won't be any mobile phones or Blackberries, none of that bollocks”) and has endured because “Bob and Terry are now considered part of the North East's culture”.

The Likely Lads runs at The Gala Theatre, Durham, from 11 June.

Moffat wins Best Writer BAFTA

Guild member Steven Moffat won Best Writer at the BAFTA Craft Awards last night for Blink (above), his episode of Doctor Who.

The other nominees were:

• Tony Marchant– The Mark of Cain
• Jimmy McGovern – The Street
• Heidi Thomas – Cranford.

A Special Award was given to writing duo David Croft and Jimmy Perry, whose work includes Dad's Army, It Ain't Half Hot Mum and Hi-Di-Hi!

Jeff Nathanson interview

For the Writers Guild of America West, Matt Hoey talks to Jeff Nathanson about writing the new Indiana Jones movie.

Working on an Indiana Jones movie might be a daunting prospect for any writer. But only to a certain degree, says Nathanson. At least for him. “Luckily, just being a screenwriter, in general, you're used to being slightly uneasy and uncomfortable and nervous and petrified,” he says. “So I was no more uncomfortable writing this than I am writing any other movie. At some point it could be any movie you're working on.”

Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull (screenplay by David Koepp, story by George Lucas and Jeff Nathanson, based on characters created by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman) will open worldwide on 22 May.

Writers' Guild and DACS event

You are invited to a private view of the Romance exhibition at the Kowalsky Gallery, London EC1, hosted by the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain and the Design and Artists Copyright Society (DACS).

Thursday 15th May, from 6.30 – 9pm
Readings will begin at 6.45pm

Tickets: £5 in advance or on the door. Book a place in advance by emailing naomi@writersguild.org.uk

Celebrating the season of spring in leap year, the Romance exhibition brings together sculptures, ceramics, paintings, prints and photography by over 30 artists including Sir Peter Blake, Rose Hilton, Tom Phillips RA, Shani Rhys James, Stuart Semple and many more.

At the private view, there will also be chance to hear readings by six selected writers on the theme of Romance:

Gabriel Bisset-Smith is one of the core writers at the Soho theatre. He is a member of the BBC writers' room and the SPARKS radio scheme. He has been on attachment at the Royal Court and had plays produced at the Hampstead Theatre. He took part in this years 24 hour plays and he is currently writing new projects for Teatro Vivo.

Paul Boakye is an experienced professional writer, broadcaster, and creative project manager. He is the recipient of myriad business and writing awards and prestigious accolades including advising the Power Inquiry and a recent invitation to meet The Queen. While currently writing his first novel, Paul will also start a Creative Writing MA at Goldsmiths College in September, and is on the lookout for a new agent to help him market his work. See the author’s blog at www.paulboakye.net

Guy Ducker worked as assistant editor on hit movies like Calendar Girls, BAFTA winners like The Warrior and many more. Between these jobs Guy started writing feature film scripts and making short films. So far he has written five full-length scripts, one of which is in development and another of which recently earned him a place on the prestigious TAPS course. Guy’s short film Telling Mark has played international film festivals and has been shown by the BBC, HBO and Sky. He has directed a section of a film called “Nineliveslondon” – a multiple director feature about the July 7th bombings.

Lauren Kemp is an editor at KnockBack magazine and a leading mouthpiece of British feminism. She has featured in the Guardian and Observer magazines and also runs a very successful sideline editing texts, emails and wall posts for hapless friends in romantic quandries.

Claire Wilson currently has a Teen Thriller called Back To Jack under option with Element Films, a drama short called Birthday Girl in development with Orange Wasp Productions and a dark comedy series under option with the BBC. Her family drama script Re-Posession was awarded Runner-Up 2008 for the Tony Doyle Scholarship and she was also short-listed for the UK Film Council's 25 Words or Less competition.

Jake Yapp has written for Never Mind the Buzzcocks on BBC2, and his series Pleased To Meet You on BBC7 last year was nominated for the Sony Award for Best Comedy. He's currently preparing a one-man show for Edinburgh. You can watch him mucking about at www.youtube.com/jakeyapp

More information about the Kowalsky Gallery and the current exhibition can be found at: www.kowalskygallery.co.uk

Gender roles in Hollywood films

In The New York Times, Manohla Dargis wonders whether women will ever get the chance to take the lead in Hollywood movies.

Nobody likes to admit the worst, even when it’s right up there on the screen, particularly women in the industry who clutch at every pitiful short straw, insisting that there are, for instance, more female executives in Hollywood than ever before. As if it’s done the rest of us any good. All you have to do is look at the movies themselves — at the decorative blondes and brunettes smiling and simpering at the edge of the frame — to see just how irrelevant we have become. That’s as true for the dumbest and smartest of comedies as for the most critically revered dramas, from “No Country for Old Men” (but especially for women) to “There Will Be Blood” (but no women). Welcome to the new, post-female American cinema.

Elsewhere in the NYT, A.O. Scott asks why men in Hollywood must always be boys.

The attachment to the emotional world of childhood and adolescence — along with the fetishistic, fake-ironic clinging to tokens of that world — is so widespread that it almost escapes notice. Impulsive, self-centered, loyal to our pals, anxious about women, physically restless, slow-witted and geeky: that’s just what we’re like, isn’t it? John Updike once remarked that in America “a man is a failed boy,” but it increasingly seems that a man is, at last, a triumphant boy, with access to money, sex and freedom but without the sad grown-up ballast of duty and compromise.

Skins and IT Crowd win at Rose d'Or

Channel 4 series Skins (created by Bryan Elsley and Jamie Brittain) has won Best Drama at the Rose d'Or TV Festival in Switzerland, reports BBC News.

The IT Crowd, written by Graham Linehan and also shown on Channel 4, was named Best Sitcom.

Self-published book on O'Conner longlist

A self-published collection is on the longlist for the €35,000 Frank O'Connor international short story prize, it was announced yesterday.

Gilded Shadows by Mary Rochford joins works by authors including Anne Enright, Roddy Doyle and Jhumpa Lahiri.

Scripting the future?

An invitation from the Writers' Guild to an event in Birmingham on 18 June.

The Writers' Guild of Great Britain invites you to a meeting on 18 June to discuss the future of new writing in the West Midlands following the Arts Council’s decision to cut funding to Script, the agency for developing writers in the region.

The meeting will be opened by a panel discussion between Nicholas McInerny, chair of Script, Caroline Jester, Literary Manager of the Birmingham Repertory Theatre and Jonathan Davidson, Director of Midland Creative Projects Ltd and the Birmingham Book Festival, chaired by David Edgar, president of the Writers’ Guild.

Representatives of West Midlands theatres, television, radio and film producers and arts agencies will be at the meeting. All writers are welcome to this FREE event.

Following the success of our first meeting in March, the West Midlands branch of the Writers’ Guild will be officially launched, and celebrated with a glass of wine. Venue: The Birmingham Rep (St Paul’s suite), Wednesday 18 June, 7.30pm

Our last meeting was oversubscribed so please RSVP as soon as possible to WMWritersGuild@aol.com

Amazon and independent publishers

Following the recent controversy about Amazon insisting that print-on-demand books must use its Book Surge system if they are to be listed, Lloyd Jassin for the New York Center for Independent Publishing argues that the situation should be a wake-up call for the industry.

It strikes me that from Amazon's large and powerful river might flow not just POD books, but e-books, books disaggregated and re-purposed for mobile hand held devices, audiobooks and other digital derivatives -- whether now known or hereinafter invented. Our hope is that in the swirl of that digital river, we will see new digital revenue streams emerge for smaller and independent presses.

If Amazon remains committed to the indie press segment, and acts as a bridge not just between publishers and traditional readers, but between publishers and digital readers, it becomes an enabler, and, perhaps, the best friend an indie publisher could have.

However, Amazon's favoritism to Book Surge is a slippery slope that could easily decrease diversity. Amazon is steering consumers to books that are produced by its owned-and-operated press.

Michael Hirst interview

For the Writers Guild Of America West, Shira Gotshalk talks to British screenwriter Michael Hirst about writing The Tudors.

Having written screenplays prior to this, are you enjoying writing episodic television?

It is the most enjoyable thing I have ever done. Of course, one of the reasons is totally selfish. In movies, the writer is, beyond a certain point, incidental and a bit of a nuisance. But in series TV, the writer is God. And given the choice, I prefer to be God. Although I did say to the production team the first year, considering I was God, they'd given me a pretty crappy car to drive around in.

And the other is because you have time to develop ideas and fall in love with your characters. I just find it's very pleasurable and a great creative joy to do that.

Series two of The Tudors will run on the BBC later this year.

British Soap Awards 2008

As BBC News reports, it was a good night for Hollyoaks at the British Soap Awards last week. The Channel Four drama took six awards, more than any other show. However, the title of Best Soap went to the BBC's EastEnders.

Winners were determined by a mixture of panel and viewer voting. The ceremony will be broadcast on ITV1 on Wednesday at 8pm.

Babelgum

On The Guardian's film blog, Spike Lee heralds a new online film portal, Babelgum.

We're talking about a new era in film-making here. Babelgum is an internet TV portal and most of these films were explicitly made to be viewed online. This provides the opportunity for young film-makers to put their work in front of a global audience and to get feedback. Feedback is a healthy thing, whether its positive or negative. I can testify to that.

The six-hour scene

On his blog, American screenwriter John August outlines his approach to writing a feature film scene.

In this case, it took six hours to get one scene written. And it wasn’t, on the surface, a particularly challenging scene: Two characters in a room, talking. A very clear in and out point, with the bookending scenes already written. But it was a beast to get on paper.

Sharps

BBC Writersroom has announced a new competetion, Sharps.

This is an open call by BBC writersroom to find the next generation of writing talent. We want writers with the talent, ideas, insights, and imagination to captivate an audience. We are looking for a fresh, surprising, entertaining take on a universal theme.

To apply, send us an original 30-minute TV script exploring 'the nation's health'. It doesn’t need to be a hospital precinct drama – you can explore 'health' in its broadest possible senses.

Twenty writers will be selected for a workshop, which will involve writing exercises as part of the selection process.

Eight final writers will be selected for a week-long residential, with an intensive focus on developing their work, craft, and writer’s 'toolbox', with input from BBC Drama Production and professional writers.

Each of the eight writers will also receive a £500 bursary, mentoring from in-house development teams at the BBC, and a showcase rehearsed reading with professional actors.

The deadline is 16 June. Full details and an online submission form are on the Writersroom website.

John, Yoko and...Gail Renard

In The Times, Luke Leitch tells how Guild TV Committee Chair, Gail Renard, met John Lennon and Yoko Ono in Montreal in 1969.

When the security guards changed shift, Gail says: “We rushed and knocked on the door and Yoko answered. She was with her daughter, Kyoko, who must have been 5. I remember Yoko saying, ‘Come in' - and finding myself in a room with John Lennon. It was overwhelming. They had been travelling and he was very hungry, and for some reason they couldn't get room service. I had chocolate in my handbag, and I said, ‘Do you want the chocolate bar?' It sounds daft, but he was touched, and said, ‘Really?' We got to chatting.”

Instead of turfing her out, Lennon asked Gail if she wanted to conduct a radio interview with him. The problem, he said, was that it wouldn't be until that evening: could she stick around? “I had to ring my mother. She ended up speaking to John. You wouldn't want to cross my mother - a tough little lady.” Permission granted, Gail joined the entourage and ended up staying for the week-long bed-in, going home only at night.

Update: One other minor detail, Lennon gave Gail the handwritten lyrics of Give Peace A Chance...

Guild publishes online guidelines

The Writers’ Guild has produced new guidelines to help members writing online drama and other content. While some online content falls within existing minimum terms agreements, much does not, and the guidelines will provide a benchmark for both writers and producers.

The introduction to the guidelines states that:

The Writers' Guild is aware that its members are increasingly being commissioned to write online drama and other literary content for ‘new’ or ‘non-traditional’ media, particularly as part of initiatives like the BBC’s ‘Multi-platform Commissioning’ drive.

This content may be developed to compliment existing radio or television programming or as standalone new media content. It can be almost anything ranging from fixed diary entries, interactive blogs, daily character blogs, biographies, single voice ‘vox pops’, audio diaries, in-vision blogs, online games and a myriad of other types of short-form audio, audio-visual or literary content intended as existing programme support material or as standalone on-line only propositions.

We hope that these guidelines will give members some idea of how they might be approached, contracted and paid for this kind of work. As with all our rates, these are minimums and members may be able to negotiate upwards of these. As with any commission, the writer is at liberty to accept the fee and terms offered, or not. If you are a Guild member and you need further advice as to a particular commission or deal you are offered, please contact the Guild office.

The full text can be downloaded from the WGGB website.

Is drama safe at the BBC?

In The Guardian, Gareth McLean asks if BBC drama's poor performance at this year's BAFTAs is indicative of a serious malaise.

"There are so many cooks involved in any new project now that any distinctiveness is being throttled," says another, Bafta-winning writer. "Such is the lack of courage of commissioners and the climate of fear in which they operate, the commissioning process is ossifying."

The only opinion that these writers and producers say matters is that of Jane Tranter, the BBC's head of Fiction. One writer, who like the rest asked to remain anonymous, claims that trust between the BBC and writers and producers who deliver the goods has evaporated.

"They commission an episode, you write seven drafts, probably with input from four different BBC producers - all of whom contradict one another - and then, instead of making a decision, they commission a second episode and then often a third, even for a second series. They're so scared of getting it wrong, they'd rather play it safe. There is only one question in everyone's head, whether it be writer, independent producer or BBC exec - what would Jane think?"

McLean puts these concerns to BBC Ben Stephenson, head of drama commissioning.

"Ultimately the decision on what is made is made between me, Jane and the channel controller, but in terms of what's developed, there's a genuine diversity of voices which there wouldn't be if Jane and me developed things ourselves ...[Jane] isn't the taste-maker, she really isn't. My feeling is 'thank God we have a lot of commissioning editors' because that genuinely means that one person doesn't rule."

Quiet times on this blog

...but not in my household!

Apologies for the recent blog silence - a new arrival has been somewhat distracting, but in a very good way, obviously.

Normal service will be resumed shortly.

Moving from long running series...

Moving from long running series to taking the next step - Thursday 24 April 2008, arrive at 6.45pm for a 7pm start

Following the success of the Guild event on long running BBC series last year, we’re delighted to announce a sequel from John Yorke: 'Moving from Long Running Series to Taking The Next Step'

John Yorke is Controller of Drama Production Studios for the BBC and over the last three years, has been committed to putting writers back at the heart of EastEnders, Holby City and Casualty. He has also been responsible for introducing and implementing the new BBC Code of Conduct, in response to our members’ complaints and suggestions about long running series.

We are pleased to announce that John will be accompanied by a cornucopia of BBC production talent. Members will be able to get advice from:

Hilary Salmon - Executive Producer, Drama Production. Hilary has Exec Produced some of BBC drama's most prestigious recent dramas including Criminal Justice, House Of Saddam, Five Days, Silent Witness, Soundproof, The Line Of Beauty, The Long Firm, Babyfather, Nature Boy, Gormenghast and Madame Bovary.

Claire Armspach - Producer, Waking The Dead. Claire also helped set up the writing team for BBC Scotland's River City. Produced for Holby City and assistant produced Rough Diamond for World.

Ellen Taylor - Development Executive, Drama Production. Ellen has produced and written for Casualty and Dream Team. Currently developing two new teen dramas for BBC3.

Ben Evans - Exec Producer with special responsibility for BBC 4. Ben Exec Produced the recent BBC4 Curse of Comedy season and also produced Frankie Howerd: Rather You Than me, Most Sincerely: Hughie Green. Also produced Fear of Fanny and Kenneth Williams: Fantabulosa! for BBC4.

Ceri Meyrick - Producer. Ceri runs the BBC Drama Writers Academy and other Training Academies for Directors, Scripts Editors, Producers and other writers' schemes.

This is a golden opportunity to speak to the powers-that-be of the TV industry. Please come along and join us. This can be just what your career needs.

The event will once again be chaired by Gail Renard, Chair of the WGGB TV Committee.

Tickets for this event will be £5 for Guild members and £7.50 for non-members. If you would like to book for this event, please email moe@writersguild.org.uk or call the Guild office on 0207 833 0777.

South Park and the internet

In The L.A. Times, South Park co-creator Matt Stone talks to the Web Scout blog about the show's ongoing relationship with the internet.

Among "South Park's" oft-cited strengths -- and no doubt a reason for its popularity online -- is the show's perpetual relevance. "The Internet and YouTube change the way you think about your characters interacting with the world," Stone explained. "If our characters don't live in that world, all of a sudden it's like, 'What are they, in the 90s? What is this show? Is this "Happy Days"?' "

Earlier this season, Stone and Parker took on another headlining topic with their episode about the writers strike, in which a misguided Canada fights an ultimately losing battle against the rest of the world, its main demand being "more money." The Internet made another cameo here, as the most ridiculous YouTube stars (Star Wars Kid, the Chocolate Rain Guy, the Sneezing Panda, etc.) were waiting in line at the Colorado Department of Internet Money, which pays in large denominations of "theoretical dollars."

Kenneth Ewing 1927-2008

Kenneth Ewing, a leading agent with Fraser & Dunlop (later Peters, Fraser & Dunlop), died on 14 April at the age of 81. There's an obituary in The Times.

By the mid-1960s many of his clients were providing the bedrock of ITV comedy and drama. Vince Powell and Harry Driver, Roy Bottomley and Tom Brennand were the men behind such huge (and in retrospect less than politically correct) situation comedy hits as Bless This House, Love Thy Neighbour and Never Mind the Quality, Feel the Width, while other clients, Peter Eckersley and John Finch, were members of the powerful Group North writing team that provided Granada Television with some its most enduring drama series, including Finch’s A Family at War and Sam.

The torrent of situation comedy classics continued into the 1970s with another Ewing-nurtured team, Johnnie Mortimer and Brian Cooke, whose many series for Thames Television included Man About the House, George and Mildred and Robin’s Nest — series that dominated the British ratings for a decade. And Ewing was instrumental in negotiations to make American versions of all three series — if not the first, certainly the biggest “format” deal of its kind and a coup that made a substantial contribution towards Thames Television’s Queen’s Award for Export.

Writers complain about crowded British Library

Leading authors are complaining that the British Library's new admissions policy - far less stringent than in the past - means that it's increasingly difficult to find peace, quiet and place to sit down, reports Dalya Alberge in The Times.

Although there are 1,480 seats in the library, the author Christopher Hawtree was last week forced to perch on a windowsill while the historians Lady Antonia Fraser and Claire Tomalin have swapped horror stories of interminable queues. Library users complain that the line to enter the new building in St Pancras, central London, has recently been extending across its enormous courtyard.

Speaking to The Times yesterday, Lady Antonia said: “I had to queue for 20 minutes to get in, in freezing weather. Then I queued to leave my coat for 20 minutes [at the compulsory check-in]. Then half an hour to get my books and another 15 minutes to get my coat. I’m told it’s due to students having access now. Why can’t they go to their university libraries?”

In The Guardian, however, Stuart Jeffries argues that things might not have been much better in the past.

Novelist AS Byatt recalls working at the library in the British Museum, which housed part of the collection until 1997. "In the afternoon, there was no oxygen. Everyone fell asleep. It was the haunt of mad old women. Angus Wilson [novelist and superintendent of the reading room] once told a woman that it was forbidden to eat oranges. 'Mr Wilson,' she replied, 'I'm not eating oranges. I'm squeezing them into the books.'"

The 50 greatest crime writers

The Times has compiled a list of the 50 greatest crime writers, with Patricia Highsmith coming in at number 1, followed by Georges Simenon, Agatha Christie, Raymond Chandler and Elmore Leonard.

There are several articles published alongside the list, including Jeanette Winterson on why crime fiction needs a sense of morality.

Let's say there are only three endings to any story, discounting happy endings as too Hollywood: Revenge, Tragedy, and Forgiveness. Crime writing feeds our feelings for tragedy and revenge, and we can fool ourselves that there is also such a thing as justice - that the end is just or that justice has been done, or that justice has been avoided, but we know what it is.

BAFTA TV Awards winners

The official writing award might have been shifted to the lower-profile BAFTA Craft Awards, but writers were, nonetheless, very much to the fore at the BAFTA TV Awards in London last night.

Writers Peter Kosminsky (Britz - Drama Serial), Tony Marchant (The Mark Of Cain - Single Drama) , James Cordon and Ruth Jones (Gavin & Stacey - Audience Award), Tony McHale (Holby City - Continuing Drama), Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong ( Peep Show - Sitcom) and Jimmy McGovern (The Street - Drama Series) all accepted awards.

Ruth Jones, co-writer (with James Cordon) of Gavin & Stacey

It was a good night for Channel 4, picking up awards in categories including Single Drama, Drama Serial and Sitcom.

The full list of nominees and winners is on the BAFTA website.

Lee Mason joins Shed

Lee Mason has joined Shed productions to head up its development slate, reports Leigh Holmwood for Media Guardian.

The Shed managing director, Brian Park, said: "We are looking to expand our development slate and there are new opportunities arising all the time.

"Lee will bring experience in children's and youth drama and will be involved across the board.

"We have developed a lot in-house but we are looking to develop new relationships with writers and that is where Lee will be taking a key role."

Mason added: "My job is to come in and build on what Shed already have and develop relationships with new and establish writers."

HBO under fire

In The L.A. Times, Mary McNamara evaluates the state of pioneering cable channel, HBO.

David Milch's "John From Cincinnati" wasn't just irritating and bewildering, it was also seen as an inferior replacement for his cultishly adored "Deadwood" (and, for some, the even more abruptly discontinued "Carnivale"). Final seasons of "The Sopranos" and, on a smaller scale, "The Wire" naturally evoked doomsday predictions of a Downward Spiral. Never mind that "Big Love," though ruptured this season by the writers strike, is both a critical and ratings hit or that people still love "Curb Your Enthusiasm." Never mind that "John Adams" has done well, especially considering that it's a historical drama composed, mostly, of men in waistcoats talking politics. HBO is perceived as being in full-blown midlife crisis, with the recent decision to replace Carolyn Strauss with Sue Naegle as chief of entertainment as its attempt at marriage counseling (the inexplicably low numbers for "In Treatment" notwithstanding).

London Book Fair round-up

All the big deals and debates summaries in Publishing News.

At the end of a busy but rewarding Fair, Group Exhibition Director Alistair Burtenshaw told PN: “The last three days have been action-packed - from a hugely busy International Rights Centre to a sizzling Cookbook Corner to a fantastic seminar programme. As if that weren't enough, we were also delighted with the presence from our Arab friends celebrating our Market Focus on the Arab World this year.

Moving from long-running series: new speakers

A guest post from Gail Renard, Chair of the Guild's TV Committee:

Not only will the Guild be welcoming John Yorke, Controller of Drama Production Studios for the BBC to this event at 7pm on 24 April, but John also will accompanied by a cornucopia of BBC production talent. Members will be able to get advice from:

Hilary Salmon - Executive Producer Drama Production
Ellen Taylor - Development Executive Drama Production
Claire Armspach- Producer Silent Witness
Ben Evans - Executive Producer with special responsibility for BBC 4

This is a golden opportunity to speak to the powers-that-be of the TV industry. Please come along and join us. This could be just what your career needs.

Tickets for this event will be £5 for Guild members and £7.50 for non-members. If you would like to attend this event please send a cheque payable to the ' Writers' Guild' to, Television Event , Writers' Guild of Great Britain, 15-17 Britannia Street, London, WC1X 9JN. Or please email: moe@writersguild.org.uk or call 0207 833 0777.

Sofia's Diary bought by Five

From Chris Curtis in Broadcast (free registration required)

Teen drama Sofia's Diary will become the first major web show to air on British television after being snapped up by Five in a ground-breaking deal.

The broadcaster has bought the show from rights owner Sony Television Pictures International (SPTI) and will screen it on the soon-to-launch Fiver, formerly Five Life.

Sofia's Diary debuted on social networking site Bebo in March, racking up five million views in its first two weeks, and now averages around 500,000 views per episode.

Harry Potter copyright case

Lots of coverage of the Harry Potter copyright case this week - J.K. Rowling and her publishers are seeking to block publication of Steven Vander Ark's The Harry Potter Lexicon and are seeking damages for copyright and federal trademark infringement.

Rowling says she'd planned on writing a similar book herself, with the profits going to charity.

BBC News has a report on Vander Ark's turn in the witness box.

Update: In another high profile copyright case, BBC Worldwide has today seen off a challenge to its use of the Daleks in books, reports Paul Lewis for Media Guardian.

The Daleks, famous for their "exterminate!" catchphrase, were the creation of the late Terry Nation, who wrote the second Doctor Who serial, The Daleks.

Paul Fishman, the son of one of Nation's friends, had claimed at the high court in London that his company, JHP, held the book copyright to dalek stories and that a new publication about the characters by BBC Worldwide had infringed that copyright.

But a judge ruled today that although JHP held a licence to publish several books by Terry Nation about the daleks in the 1960s, it did not own the copyright.

Hollywood and Silicon Valley

In The New York Times, Laura M. Holson wonders whether the movie business could learn lessons from the high tech industries.

A particularly salient difference, of course, is how each culture approaches failure. Silicon Valley, to a point, celebrates it, while entertainment creators in Southern California cannot distance themselves fast enough from anything that might be a bomb. And Hollywood talent likes a success story; but only if it is their own.

“If a successful director has a flop, his peers and colleagues question whether he has lost his touch,” [venture capitalist] Mr. Kvamme said. “By contrast, in the Valley, if you have a failure, that usually means that you have learned something. There are very few successful serial entrepreneurs. Failure is almost a rite of passage.”

The struggle to get published

On The Guardian Books Blog, Jean Hannah Edelstein reports from a masterclass at The London Book Fair on 'How to get published'.

The masterclass might have been more accurately entitled, "You Will Probably Not Get Your Book Published: Writing Is More Difficult Than You Think and Publishing a Capricious, Cruel Industry (Unless You Pay Author House to Do It For You, Representatives of Our Kind Sponsor Are Standing By"). Or perhaps "Publishing: A Defensive, Crumbling Industry (We Hate E-books)". But I guess that's not a brilliant way to sell tickets.

Ashley Highfield moves to Kangaroo

Ashley Highfield, one of the BBC's new media pioneers, has left his job as Director of BBC Future Media and Technology to become chief executive of Kangaroo, the working title for the new video on-demand service from BBC Worldwide, ITV and Channel 4 that's set to launch in the UK later this year.

Ashley Highfield said:

"This is a fantastic opportunity. Kangaroo is a historic partnership with a combination of innovative technology and terrific content and I’m looking forward to transforming the way audiences watch television."

Armstrong & Bain

BAFTA Academy Television Screening and Q&A: PEEP SHOW followed by Q&A with writers (and Guild members) Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain

Tuesday 22 April @ 20:00
Princess Anne Theatre (BAFTA)

20:00 Drinks reception
20:30 Screening of Peep Show episode 1, Series 5 followed by Q&A

The BAFTA-nominated and critically acclaimed comedy starring David Mitchell and Robert Webb returns for a fifth series.

Mark (David Mitchell) is the conventional one seething with inner rages and desires. Jeremy (Robert Webb), the loose cannon full of expressed rages and desires, but seething with even more rage on the inside.

Series four left Mark having just gone through with a disastrous marriage ceremony to Sophie (Olivia Coleman), after all but jilting her at the altar. Now, Mark faces the horror of having to face his estranged wife at work. Meanwhile Jeremy has a rude awakening when the money he's been subsisting on finally runs out and he's forced to try and find a new source of income.

This series sees Mark and Jeremy still sharing the same flat, but both entering their 30s with failed marriages behind them, few prospects, and a sense of impending crisis. Time is running out for them to sort out their lives. Jeremy's mother appears on the scene and it soon becomes clear why he's ended up as he is. Mark goes speed dating, and discovers money can buy you love. Jeremy and Superhans (Matt King) play at a Christian Rock Festival; the flat suffers multiple burglaries and the boys endure their worst ever night out - at the theatre.

The screening will be followed by a Q&A with writers Jesse Armstrong & Sam Bain, chaired by Andrew Newman, Head of Entertainment & Comedy, Channel 4.

Booking: Tickets can be booked online via www.bafta.org.

Academy Members: Free
Non Members: £10

Guild AGM

Motions for the Guild's AGM must be received by the Guild office before Friday 18 April. Motions for debate at the AGM, including proposals to amend the Guild rules, may be tabled by any two Full Members who are in benefit. Please contact Anne Hogben, the Deputy General Secretary, if you have any queries about this: anne@writersguild.org.uk.

The AGM will take place on Wednesday 4th June from 10.30 am to 5.00 pm at the Writers’ Guild Centre, 17 Britannia Street, London WC1X 9JN. Closest underground station: King’s Cross. All members are welcome to attend. A light lunch will be served, free of charge. Please contact the office to let us know if you will be staying for lunch: 020 7833 0777 or email erik@writersguild.org.uk

Alan Davey interview

In The Guardian, Charlotte Higgins talks to new Arts Council England chief executive, Alan Davey.

Davey, speaking in his first major press interview, naturally denies that the winter's funding settlement, in which 185 companies lost their entire grant, was a mess - though he admits the "timing could have been better", and has asked Labour peer Genista Mackintosh to look at what lessons can be learned from the debacle. He says senior staff have been "laying bare our souls" to her. He was evidently taken aback by the force with which the arts world turned on the council. "One of the things that shocked me about that was how little credit we had in the bank [with arts practitioners]. We've got to rebuild our credit," he says. "One of the things that hurt me a bit was that we were portrayed as a lot of faceless bureaucrats."

The 100 Most Powerful People in British Culture

These 'Most Powerful' lists are always pretty dubious, but it's good to see two Guild members near the top of the Daily Telegraph's rankings - Sir Tom Stoppard is the highest ranked writer (eleventh) with Richard Curtis one place behind.

BBC Drama Writers Academy

The BBC is inviting applications for its Drama Series Writers Academy 2008.

Entrants must have already had at least one professional drama commission in film, television or radio drama script produced or one theatre piece performed professionally.

The closing date for applications is May 12th 2008.

Full details are available from the BBC Jobs website.

MySpace commissions online drama

By Leigh Holmwood in Media Guardian:

Social networking website MySpace has signed up the producer and director team behind Bebo's hit online drama KateModern to create a series of its own.

MySpace also announced today at the Mip TV programme market in Cannes that it had signed an agreement with Elisabeth Murdoch's ShineReveille International to develop new TV projects from the original content created for its website.

Big Balls Films and Pete Gibbons will make a pilot of the UK-set I Love Chieftown drama this month, with a full 60-"webisode" series launching in mid-September.

BadAss Wombles

As part of their campaign to "Save British Kids TV", producers' organisation Pact has produced a video, BadAss Wombles.

Screenwriters who direct

On the Guild website I've posted a report on the event earlier this week where a panel of writer-directors discussed taking on that dual role.

Asked about what technical help they had received, [Debbie] Isitt said that when she started she tried to keep things as simple as possible and rely on common sense. “There’s so much mystification of the process,” she said. “It’s hard work, but so are lots of jobs. Directing is about whether you’ve got the mettle to do it. If you’re a wuss, stay at home.”

Talkback signs deal with Street producer

From Jane Bainbridge in Broadcast (free registration required):

Talkback Thames has signed the latest in its talent partnership deals with John Chapman, producer of award-winning drama The Street.

Chapman is leaving his role as executive producer at ITV Productions to set up his own label, 152 Productions, which will now come under the Talkback Thames umbrella

Stoppard on Hapgood

With Hapgood about to be revived by Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Tom Stoppard tells Sam Marlowe in The Times about how he came to write the play.

Stoppard's obsession was particle physics, which his son Oliver was studying at PhD level while the play was being written. (Stoppard has four sons, two by his first marriage to Josie Ingle, two - including the actor Ed - by his second, to Dr Miriam Stoppard, née Moore-Robinson). Stoppard saw in physics a metaphor for human nature. Does light operate like a bullet or a wave? The answer is, both - depending on whether it's being observed or not. So too people, who have different selves sharing the one body, which appear or disappear depending on who's looking.

Stoppard alighted on “the world of John le Carré” as the form to accommodate these ideas, he says, “because both quantum physics and espionage relate to the ultimate impossibility of observing the truth of a situation; of ever knowing what's truly happening.” The result was a play that constantly confounds the viewer's expectations, and whose mix of physics and spying achieves what Michael Frayn later took two separate plays (Copenhagen and Democracy) to cover adequately.

WEbook's colloborative approach

From Heather Green in Business Week:

It works for Wikipedia, but can the power of the crowd extend to writing books? A new startup called WEbook is tackling that very question with a new service that's open to anyone who wants to help write a book. Like the open-source software movement and Wikipedia's collaborative encyclopedia entries, WEbook is betting that the "all contributors welcome" approach can bring more creativity and innovation to a book project than an individual or a small group of experts.

If the notion of teamwork sounds a bit counterintuitive when it comes to writing books, WEbook President Sue Heilbronner agrees. That's why the service is emphasizing nonfiction—anthologies, self-help, and essay collections, for example—more than novels, where a consistent author's voice matters more.

Writing, the no-money game

On The Guardian Books Blog, Jean Hannah Edelstein considers the merits of the Macmillan New Writing Scheme, now in its third year.

Macmillan is giving unpublished new writers the opportunity to see their books in print if they are willing to sacrifice the traditional advance. (Does anyone know if these writers still get other perks? Fancy lunches?) When the scheme was launched, there was plenty of frowning, especially among the publishing establishment who assumed that the list would be composed of the stuff we shed from our slush piles. In fact the list is still on the go two years later, with 30-odd titles, which is nothing to sniff at in this precarious industry.

Macmillan New Writing, to which anyone can submit a novel, runs as follows:

Our terms are standard and straightforward: we pay a royalty of 20% on net sales; we retain world rights and share any rights revenue 50/50, and we reserve the option to publish the author’s second novel under the same terms as the first.

The end of the critic?

In The L.A. Times, Patrick Goldstein ponders the future of film critics.

For a generation that lives on the Web, even the most eloquent critics are distant thunder, rarely promoted well on newspaper websites and often reluctant to use blogs as a platform to spread their gospel. Even among savvy journalism students, it's hard to find anyone who knows any critics by name.

So you want to be a playwright?

Slightly delayed, but I've put a report on last month's Guild event, So you want to be a playwright?, on the website.

The next questioner wondered, “Writing aside, what do you value in a playwright in order to build a working relationship?”

“Initially it is the work,” said Sudha Bhuchar. “Then it’s being open to changes in the rehearsal process.” Purni Morell [Head of Studio at the National Theatre] said that she had a similar outlook. She wanted writers who accept “the idea that we’re embarking on a joint endeavour [with the directors, actors, designer etc] for the benefit of the audience.”

David Edgar argued that this approach represented a huge change from the post-war tradition of British playwriting. The near-contempt for audiences expressed by certain writers in the past might have been excessive, he said, “but there is a danger that the pendulum has swung too far the other way and people are now scared of audiences.”

Martin McDonagh and Colin Farrell

Colin Farrell in In Bruges

Martin McDonagh's first feature film as writer-director, In Bruges, opens in the UK this month, having already attracted attention in the US. In The Times, he and one of the film's stars, Colin Farrell, talk to Ed Caesar.

EC: Brendan Gleeson, who plays Ken, says you’re a genius, because you won an Oscar for Six Shooter without having the first idea what you were doing as a director. How has your education progressed since then?

MM: With the short, I didn’t take control over many of the aspects of film-making that I should have done. I didn’t get involved with the director of photography, or the costume designers, or the production people ... All of those things I really needed to do. If your name is on it as the writer/director, you need to make sure it’s your statement. So I didn’t learn as much as I should have done. I was terrified going into the feature. What made a difference was the three-week rehearsal period. That felt more like what I was used to: analysing a script, people talking about character and getting at the truth of something.

EC: Did the script change much during that rehearsal period?

CF: Not a word.

EC: That’s unusual. Scripts normally change dramatically during a rehearsal period.

MM: That’s a description of a shit script, although it’s probably arrogant to say that.

August Wilson's legacy

In The Guardian, John Lahr considers the life and legacy of American playwright August Wilson.

August Wilson liked to say his plays were "fat with substance". And he was right: his 10-play cycle - Wilson wrote one for every roiling decade of the African-American experience in the 20th century - transforms historical tragedy into imaginative triumph. The blues are catastrophe expressed lyrically; so are Wilson's plays, which swing with the pulse of the African-American people, as they moved from property to personhood.

Kimberley Peirce interview

Stop-Loss trailer


For the Writers Guild Of America West, Tara de Bach talks to Kimberley Peirce about her new film, Stop-Loss.

How difficult was it for you to get this very action-oriented, war genre film made, given the fact that a) you're a woman, and b) this is such a departure from Boys Don't Cry?

Well, I come from the indie world. [Mark Richard and] I decided to essentially do the film on spec. All of the research and development we paid for ourselves. That way you don't have to justify anything. If you feel it's worthwhile, you do the interview and make the effort because it's coming out of your own pocket. We began writing on weekends, and when that wasn't moving quickly enough, Mark quit his job [laughs] against my advice, and he moved in with me for a short time. We literally wrote day and night.

When we were happy with the script, I then cut together a video of many of the soldiers -- truly profound and moving images of what's going on over there -- on missions, in alleys, in Humvees, just an assortment of images. At the end of the day, we had four studios that wanted to buy the script. So when students or aspiring filmmakers ask me for advice, I tell them, “Write a script that moves you, shoot it, and create your own calling card. Just do it.”

If the script or concept had been an open assignment for this film, I think [my credits or being a woman] might have been an obstacle, but after the film clip, script, and presentation, people were confident I could deliver the movie.

NBC buys Merlin

American TV network NBC have announced that they have bought the new BBC family drama Merlin and will run it at peak time in their 2008 schedule, reports Leigh Holmwood for Media Guardian.

NBC have already commissioned another British-made series, Crusoe, to run in prime-time.

Merlin is being made by Shine, with Julian Jones as the lead writer.

Jane Tranter [Controller, BBC Fiction] comments: "The writer Julian Jones and award-winning team at Shine have delivered scripts which are bold and original, entertaining and enchanting, and director James Hawes's bravura vision for this piece is perfectly suited to the adventure we are all embarking upon. Merlin is a wonderfully ambitious and beautifully crafted series which we're sure will enchant families later this year."

Leonard Barras 1922-2008

In The Guardian, Peter Mortimer has written an obituary for Guild member Leonard Barras who died in January.

The Guardian once called Leonard Barras, who has died aged 85, "a disgracefully neglected comic writer", while the Stage referred to him as "a Geordie Ionesco". Yet his talents were little appreciated. This was down to his total lack of ego. He had no desire for publicity and resisted being photographed. His work was also impossible to categorise - a homespun Geordie humour mixed with fantastical flights of fancy and surrealism (surrealism not being that strong on Tyneside). His unusual imagination contrasted with the mild-mannered, quiet man who spent his entire working life at Swan Hunter shipyards. He never lived outside the region.

Kids panel assessing CBBC shows

From Katherine Rushton for Broadcast (free registration required):

CBBC is using weekly feedback from a panel of 1,000 children to help it measure its shows' success based on value, instead of ratings or share.

The panel, which began piloting in February, uses questions such as "Would you recommend this to your best friend?" to find out which programmes its audience feels most passionate about.

The initiative anticipates the shift away from timetabled broadcasts on linear channels to on-demand platforms such as BBC iPlayer.

Children's controller Richard Deverell predicted that audiences will be more discerning. "As you shift from a linear model to an on-demand model, you will depend more and more on viewers actively seeking content out, instead of just bumping into it.

"Increasingly share doesn't tell you that much. We need to shift the emphasis to value as a key measure of success. [Early feedback shows] only a modest relationship between the size of the audience and the number of people who really, really love those programmes."

Hollyoaks competition

Thanks to Danny Stack's ever informative blog for the tip-off about a competition run by Channel 4 open to writers of all levels of experience.

As part of Channel 4's new talent month, we're offering you the chance to write an episode of HOLLYOAKS.

But this isn't a fan-fic initiative, this time it's for real.

For the very first time, this is your chance to put words into the mouths of the HOLLYOAKS cast and see your work come to life on screen.

This competition is designed to seek out the best new writers in the UK. To do that, we're asking you to script four scenes, based on an old storyline. From this, we'll pick out our favourite. The winner will then be given exclusive access to HOLLYOAKS' storylines, be commissioned to write an entire episode and work with the production team to see this magically transformed on TV.

Whether you're a fan, an established writer or just looking to take your first tentative steps into the TV industry, this is a unique opportunity to make a name for yourself.

The closing date for entries is 11 April 2008.

Is Kevin Spacey right?

Following Kevin Spacey's criticism of the BBC for promoting West End musicals through talent shows, in The Guardian, Mark Lawson asks whether we really should be harking back to The Play For Today (PFT) as Spacey suggests.

It ...[became] clear that many writers were equivocal about the single, one-off play. Many PFT alumni - Potter, Bleasdale, Stephen Poliakoff - wrote serials as soon as they could, and the major TV dramatists of the last decade - Jimmy McGovern, Paul Abbott, Debbie Horsfield, Russell T Davies, Kay Mellor - have also preferred the longer form. Thirty years ago, Abbott's State of Play or McGovern's The Street might have been one-offs rather than multi-part dramas. Surely the fact that they're not is our gain rather than our loss.

Personally, I would rather have The Street - six or eight politically and psychologically complex dramas written or encouraged by McGovern - than one McGovern in a run of 25 plays of variable quality. If Kevin Spacey wants to see more new plays by young British writers, perhaps he should commission them for the Old Vic.

Moving from long running series - Guild event

"Moving from long running series to taking the next step" - Guild television event: 24 April, WGGB, 15-17 Britannia Street, London

Following the success of the Guild event on long running BBC series last year, we’re delighted to announce a sequel from John Yorke: "Moving from Long Running Series to Taking The Next Step."

John Yorke is Controller of Drama Production Studios for the BBC and over the last three years has been committed to putting writers back at the heart of EastEnders, Holby City and Casualty. He has also been responsible for introducing and implementing the new BBC Code of Conduct, in response to our members’ complaints and suggestions about long running series.

John was Executive Producer/Commissioning Editor of The Street (Series 1), Life on Mars (Series 1 & 2), Shameless (Series 1 & 2), Robin Hood (Series 1), Waterloo Road (Series 1) and New Tricks (Series 3) amongst many others. He’s well placed to give a talk on a subject important to many TV writers: how to progress from scripting long running series to the great television writing world beyond.

The event will take place at the Writers' Guild (15-17 Britannia Street, London) and will once again be chaired by Gail Renard, Chair of the WGGB TV Committee. Early booking is advised for this sure-to-be popular event.

Tickets for this event will be £5 for Guild members and £7.50 for non-members. If you would like to attend this event please send a cheque payable to the ' Writers' Guild' to, Television Event , Writers' Guild of Great Britain, 15-17 Britannia Street, London, WC1X 9JN. Or please email: moe@writersguild.org.uk or call 0207 833 0777.

Gail Renard adds:

Back by popular demand, not to mention too kind for his own good, John Yorke will present a second event for the Guild, "Moving from long running series to taking the next step."

John’s first event on writing for long running BBC series was forthright and informative, answering all the questions writers had been burning to ask. Here’s another chance to find out about how to progress in your career. How does one get from Doctors to Silent Witness? And to writing your own original works?

John will explain the ropes and also be happy to answer any questions in a Q & A session afterwards. For those of you unable to attend, questions can be submitted in advance to the Guild office and I’ll do my best to read them out. Come and join us at this unique TV event!

(New) science for writers

Guild member Doug Iles contacted me via the Guild office about a report in the New Scientist that anaesthetics could be used to block the formation of harrowing memories.

If you don't read the New Scientist magazine, you just might be missing a wonderful source for believable ideas. The one here just cries out to be used by writers of the crime genres. My writing partner and I are useless at those genres. If we were any good at that kind of stuff, we would hug it to our breasts and hope that no other members of the Guild would find it. So, I've pointed the way to the breadbin. It's up to you to make your own sandwich(es).

You need to be a subscriber to read the article online, but Channel 4 News has a good summary.

Understanding how the process works could lead to a therapy for flushing out distressing memories before post-traumatic stress disorder sets in.

Dr Michael Alkire and Dr Larry Cahill at the University of California say low doses of anaesthetic can impede memory while leaving patients conscious. "One popular misconception about anaesthesia is that unconsciousness occurs immediately," Dr Alkire says.

ITC rates increase

Rates paid to writers under the agreement between the Independent Theatre Council and the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain have increased by 4.1% it was announced this week. From 1 April 2008 the fees under this agreement shall be not less than:

• £6,861.25 for a play over 70 minutes
• £4,574.50 for a play between 30 and 70 minutes
• £2,287.30 for a play under 30 minutes
  

The full list of rates, including for royalties and allowances, can be downloaded from the Guild website.

Hollywood's buying frenzy

From Jay A. Fernandez for The L.A. Times:

For a while there, the spec market was starting to look as undernourished as your average Hollywood starlet. Well, the industry's body of original work seems to be upping the carbs. When Sony picked up Roland Emmerich and Harald Kloser's apocalyptic "2012" right after the Writers Guild strike ended in February, it was a good, but unsurprising, sign.

But when 27-year-old unknown Brad Ingelsby recently sold his revenge thriller "The Low Dweller" to Relativity Media for $650,000 against $1.1 million (if it is produced), it announced in flashing neon that Hollywood buyers were still very interested in spending big money on original material.

Arts Council grants ask about sexuality

From Dalya Alberge in The Times:

Theatreland will have to give up its bedroom secrets in the quest for funding, under new Arts Council requirements. Organisations applying for grants are being asked to state how many board members are bisexual, homosexual, heterosexual, lesbian or whose inclinations are “not known”.

Audrey Roy, the director of grants, said that the council needed to understand who its audience was and to whom its funding was going. “We see diversity as broader than race, ethnicity, faith and disability,” she said. Question 22 of the Grants for the Arts forms, relating to sexual orientation, was not compulsory, she added, although the form states that it must be answered.

Meanwhile, in The Guardian , Mark Ravenhill wonders whether the focus on sexuality, race and disability means that the biggest diversity issue is being overlooked.

A few days ago, I introduced the subject of diversity into a dinner party conversation. "Let's be honest, darling," a friend said. "There isn't any particular issue to do with diversity in the arts, other than the age-old problem of class. As long as you're from a middle-class background, you're fine."

Wine and privacy had loosened her tongue - I suspect it's not a view that many people would align themselves with publicly. But I realised that I almost entirely agreed with her.

New drama coming to Xbox

From Michael Cieply for The New York Times:

Microsoft, seeking to expand offerings on its Xbox 360 console, has reached an agreement with a company headed by Peter Safran, the veteran Hollywood producer and talent manager, to produce original shows for distribution on the system....

...Mr. Safran said his first round of programs would all be scripted, as opposed to reality shows, and would probably run under 10 minutes. He said he planned initially to focus on genres, like comedy and horror, that appeal to the Xbox 360 audience, which is heavily concentrated from the ages of 14 to 34, and tends to be more male than female. The first shows are expected to be available to viewers by the fall.