I've been a member of the Australian Writer's Guild (AWG) for ten years. I joined because a fellow budding screenwriter said, 'if you're serious about your writing, you'll join'.
The AWG is for writers of TV, film, radio and stage, so if you're writing poetry or prose there are more appropriate organisations for you to join, such as the Australian Society of Authors (ASA) https://www.asauthors.org or your state writer’s centre e.g. Writing NSW https://writingnsw.org.au
Joining the AWG was the head-start and heads-up I needed and continue to need. This is especially important for me, as my role here at the WRITERS' BOOT CAMP is to inspire writers to start and finish their work and I’ve noticed an interesting irony. It seems I’m similar to some plumbers, car mechanics and others – we’re often busy fixing other people’s taps, tyres or text and don’t get around to fixing our own.
Every time I attend an AWG event, I leave feeling motivated and inspired to take the next step with my own writing – in essence my AWG membership ensures I ‘walk my talk’.
The first time I attended an AWG event I had a deeply moving experience. Sitting in a spacious room surrounded by writers, it felt like I’d finally found my ‘kind of people’. I felt like I was in a sacred place – almost church-like. I felt I shared something in common with everyone in the room – something deep – at a cellular or soul level. And this is something I’ve tried to replicate in my Wednesday Writing Havens in Helensburgh and Sutherland – a place to come and write, an almost sacred space https://writersbootcampotford.squarespace.com/wed-writers/
Last Tuesday 10 July was the AWG's latest WRITE NIGHT event and again I left feeling joyously uplifted.
This WRITE NIGHT event was an opportunity for 36 (associate) members like me to ask questions of 12 senior members i.e. those with serious TV, film and stage credibility.
First of all, I must note how I followed my instincts about signing-on for this event. I really didn't have time in my week to attend but when I saw it advertised I had an instinctive feeling I needed to be there – even though I had absolutely no idea what questions I'd be asking.
So, a timely reminder to follow our instincts, our first initial gut reactions and not our thoughts or the over-rated thing called logic.
We were assigned ten minutes (one-on-one) with two different writers. For my first ten minutes, I was assigned to a playwright and my immediate reaction was 'oh no, what a waste, I don't write plays', however I needn't have worried. The playwright happened to be one of the narrative writers employed by the Royal Commission into Child Sexual Abuse https://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/sites/default/files/narratives_frequently_asked_questions_and_search_tips_v1.pdf, meaning this writer was in a unique position to encourage me to persevere with the darker elements of my current script – a fictionalised political drama dealing with the subject of abuse. My script has the tagline – a politician who does make a difference.
My next ten minutes were assigned to a TV/film writer and the time just flew by.
Here's a summary of the five things I wish to share from my Q & A with the two senior writers from this WRITE NIGHT:
Question 1: Do you use a formalised structure or step-by-step formula to write?
Answer: No not really, it’s much more organic than that, almost like making it up as I go along.
Question 2: What do you think about paying to have a manuscript assessed?
Answer: It depends, if there’s no other option then ‘yes’ but the thing about paying for a manuscript assessment is you’re paying for just one person's opinion.
Question 3: What are your thoughts on Australian funding bodies like Screen Australia/Screen NSW?
Answer: Funding bodies have money to give away, and it’s their job to assign this money the best way possible but you have to remember that they are not the enemy (even if they do like to make you write more drafts of your script than you probably need to), so don’t be afraid to apply for their grants. The worst thing they can do is to say ‘no' and even if they do, you’ll learn something in the process.
Question 4: What are your thoughts about finding producers?
Answer: Find out which TV and movies are similar to yours – make a note of the production company and approach them. Again, the worst they can do is say 'no' and even if they do, you’ll learn something in the process.
Question 5: Do you have other advice?
Answer: Don't take your medium or form for granted – if it's TV or film then use less dialogue and use more visuals i.e. be more cinematic. If it's a play, then of course the emphasis is on the dialogue and being clever with set design.
