Tag: screenplay

Freelance Journey

How to Become a Freelancer – June Update

Christy.E.SLeave a comment


Intro:
In May, I finished the first edit of the screenplay about two sisters. The title for it is still a work in progress, but think it will be a good script for competitions once these edits are complete. Plus I have finished the first draft of my screenplay about an alternative version of the Napoleonic wars where women were allowed in the Navy. However, I think that screenplay needs to be left for a while before editing, as I discovered during writing that I didn’t really know the story I was trying to tell yet. I am also up for a promotion in my day job, so have spent this weekend preparing a presentation for the interview!

So on to the update!

Scripts Update:
Am still dealing with a lot of admin tasks in all areas of my life, so the podcast drama is still on the backburner for now.

The pilot script of a re-telling of Troy is ready for submission! The deadline for the Scribe Lounge competition is the 14th of June. I always give myself a few extra days for competitions as I have a tendency to panic when I submit, so knowing I’ve got extra time calms me down! I really like how this pilot has turned out, with good introductions to the characters and the tone I want, going forward, clear from the get go. Plus, I have blocked out the plot points for the rest of the series, so if anyone was interested I can talk at length about the scripts I haven’t written yet!

Things Learnt:
Due to the busy nature of my life at the moment, everything I’ve learnt this month has been about the importance of staying on top of admin. Something which I have always struggled with! One thing I’ve found that helps is speaking through forms with people as I fill them out to make sure I’ve not misunderstood questions. What tricks for staying on top of your life admin do you find useful?

Freelance Journey

How to Become a Freelancer – May Update

Christy.E.SLeave a comment

Intro:
In April, I wrote the first draft of another screenplay. This one is about two sisters. The story for this one was relatively easy to write, so when I edit I just need to put the scenes in order, as it currently jumps around in time a lot. I also need to make sure I’ve got the timings right as the story also involves a baby. I think the baby might have become one year old in the space of six months! The two I finished in April are in the process of being edited. The Puritan England story, especially, should be ready to be read soon.

I have also rewritten various versions of my CV for editing work and freelance work respectively, as well as applied to an opportunity within the company I already work for.

So on to the update!

Scripts Update:
Still have not been able to secure a podcast studio for my audio drama, mainly because the month of April was extremely busy in generally all areas of my life, so that had to take a back seat. I’m unsure if I’ll have time to find a studio in May, but should be able to if things quieten down. Though I have started taking an Improv course in the evenings so things don’t look likely to start quietening down any time soon…

The pilot script of a re-telling of Troy is going well. I’m looking at it at least once a week at the moment. I received some feedback last week that allowed me to finally see how to write a problem scene. I can now see how to get across to the audience what I need to within that scene without having my characters say the plot out loud to each other!

Things Learnt:
Have written a draft query letter and found various resources online of good query-letter examples, such as this one on writersstore.com. However, I am currently trying to decide if I want to wait a few months before sending the letters until I hear back/get rejected from the various competitions I currently have scripts in!

Freelance Journey

How To Become a Freelancer

Christy.E.SLeave a comment

Intro:
It may have been nearly two years since I last wrote something on here, but that doesn’t mean I can’t start up again now.

I am not a freelance writer. Yet. But it is where I would like my career to get to. I have a special interest in scriptwriting and can also do proof-reading, fact-checking and general feedback.

Wanting to be a freelancer is all well and good, but it’s a difficult thing to actually get there. The idea of not making the exact same amount of money each month so as to adequately budget and not starve/get evicted etc. is a frankly terrifying one.

So what is the best way to go about it? Right now. I don’t know, but I am trying my best to walk towards it and a monthly update post on what steps I’ve made towards that goal seems like a good way of keeping track of those steps and keeping this blog updated at the same time.

Each month I will write an update of where I am at with each of the scripts I am working on, what I have submitted in places, things I have learnt that others may find useful and other (AKA things I can’t fit in the other three categories).

Scripts Update:
Currently I have six finished episodes of an audio drama, that I am working towards making as a fiction podcast this year – children’s medieval fantasy is the genre. I just need to work out how to book a podcast studio and pay some actors and I’ll be off on this one!

Not currently submitted anywhere ( but has been in competitions in the past) is my screenplay about actors in the 1665 plague lockdown.

My pilot scripts of a re-telling of Troy, and time travel are both submitted into a competition and waiting to hear any news.

The time travel one is submitted into another competition also.

I am currently working on my draft 0 of three different screenplays: One about a con-artist in the Californian gold rush. One about the Puritan witch trials and one about an alternate re-telling of the Napoleonic Wars where women were allowed in the army and navy in the 1700’s.

I am editing another screenplay about two actors both up for the same role and another pilot script about vampire highwaymen.

I have also written a short (3 pages) for an evening class I am taking in film-making. Where I should get to make the short as part of the course. This script is about a spider.

Competitions:
Haven’t heard back from any competitions I’ve submitted to in the first two months of this year, but I am taking part in the Scribe Lounge Elevate competition where the deadline for submissions is June.

Things Learnt:
Have learnt the importance of budgeting, but am not yet very good at actually doing it…

Plus as I mentioned before, am taking a short course in film-making, and though I do have some knowledge of editing, I didn’t have any knowledge of actually recording film. The course has been fascinating from this aspect thus far. I have learnt that technically, film isn’t really moving – it’s just a bunch of photographs taken really really close together and then put next to each other, which our brain interprets as movement because of how we see – this can be demonstrated by just waving your arm up and down in front of a mirror, you see your arm at the top and at the bottom, but not really in the middle; in the middle, it’s a blur and your brain fills in the gaps, creating movement where it can’t see it.

So my scripts currently submitted to competitions might be creating movement that I just can’t see yet.