I’ve been reading the BBC website’s Writers’ Room again, concentrating specifically on the ‘tips for writers’ from people such as Paul Cornell and Sarah Phelps. If anyone out there is ever thinking of doing what Sam and I have done i.e. write a script for TV, then you must read their tips.
Mind you, I read them and now I feel totally inadequate.
Sarah Phelps is a core writer for Eastenders. Paul Cornell has written for Doctor Who, Casualty, Holby City, Doctors and Robin Hood in between writing a very informative blog. He started a degree in astrophysics but couldn’t manage the maths and so turned to writing instead. He writes 5,000 words a day – A DAY – and doesn’t believe in writers block.
I’m lucky if I manage 1,000 words a day.
Not only that – he writes 5,000 words in the MORNING and then goes to the cinema in the afternoon! The man’s a powerhouse.
But then I analysed a typical day in my house and realised I was pretty busy too - if you can count taking the kids to school, cooking dinner, putting the washing on (and forgetting to take it out of the machine), running one child to a hockey match and another to a football match and taking another child home because their mum is too busy working.
And that’s part of the problem – you have to be so disciplined to work at home. You have to learn to say ‘no’ because family (and occasionally friends) think you can down tools at the drop of a hat. Unfortunately, I need a good run up before the writing starts to flow and can’t turn on the creative juices like a tap. For example, I can’t sit down in my office until my kitchen is spotless. I don’t seem able to type or even answer my emails until my work surfaces are free of crumbs and blobs of breakfast cereal. Consequently, I take much, much longer than Paul Cornell to write 5,000 words. So now, if anyone ever asked me my tips for a successful writing career, I’d say ‘learn how to be selfish’, ‘learn how to be selfish so others don’t notice’ and ‘learn how to concentrate on your writing without worrying about extraneous details’.
Unfortunately, I know I will never ever master the latter. (Does that mean I’ll never be a successful writer, I wonder?)
And talking of procrastination, I nearly forgot - the BBC has responded to our script submission….at least they’ve acknowledged it. Just waiting to hear from Sam exactly what they said…
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