First a quick mention for my London-based readers: on Sunday (22nd April) I will be teaching an afternoon "Right-Brain Writing" workshop at Ealing Studios, from 2-5pm and the price is an amazing £12--amazing because that includes a copy of my new "Your Writing Coach" book, which sells for £9.99! For last-minute signup, enter the Living Spirit Media Group website and click on "April Seminar." I guarantee you an enjoyable afternoon full of useful innovative writing techniques (they work for writers of scripts and all kinds of fiction).
And for people living in the UK, the BBC has put out a call for applications to its Writers' Academy, which is opening to budding screenwriters for a third year.
Potential writers must already have had at least one film, television or radio drama script produced, or one theatre piece performed professionally, or be graduates of Skillset-approved screenwriting courses.
The Academy will start with a 3 month training course in writing for Continuing Drama Series, consisting of a number of workshops and lectures accompanied by intensive writing exercises and analysis. During this period, each writer will be commissioned to write a broadcast episode of Doctors.
After the initial training and the Doctors script, your work will be assessed. If you have reached the required standard for production on Continuing Drama Series you will begin the next phase of the training, writing a broadcast episode of Casualty, Holby and Eastenders in turn, spending approximately 12 weeks on each show.
The writers will be engaged by the BBC for 12 months on a non-exclusive basis, although the course will be a full time commitment.
A retainer of £400 a week will be paid during the 3 month initial training course.
Thereafter writers will be paid script fees for commissioned scripts on each of the four shows.
The application deadline is May 14. To apply, visit the BBC jobs website.
