Friday, November 27, 2009

Scotland Writes gets 150 entries

Went to the Scotland Writes session at Pacific Quay in Glasgow last night. BBC Scotland Head of Drama Anne Mensah talked eloquently and candidly about what the BBC's looking for, opportunities for writers and ways to get on the radar of her department. With any luck I'll blog my notes more fully this weekend, but the headline above tells you an illuminating fact that emerged last night.

BBC Scotland ran a competition inviting aspiring TV drama writers [from absolute beginners up to those with less than two hours of broadcast credits] to submit a 60-page pilot script for an original series or serial. No entry fee, three months writing time, a perfect opportunity to make your mark. I guessed 100-200 people would enter, and about 150 people did. Results are due next month.

The winner gets £1500 and development opportunities with the TV drama department at BBC Scotland. One runner-up gets £500, and 20 people will be invited in for a one-day workshop. The odds of a cash prize are long, but I always felt anyone who entered had a decent shot of making the workshop. Turns out the odds are 1 in 7.5 - and probably far better for anyone with some training.

Fuller notes to follow this weekend, all being equal. Onwards!

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