Benefitting from the very generous guidance and financial support of the LEAP programme, I was able to attend an Arvon script writing lab in Devon. One of my hopes is to write for film and television, and to this aim I was given the chance to work along with industry professionals and to discuss what it is like working in such a challenging but often highly rewarding environment.

During the week, I got involved with a number of table readings which was a really great and practically helpful step in the editing process. I got to hear back my work in real time and find out what my writing sounds like when it is actually being performed. Hint: possibly rather different than expected!

Furthermore, I got a lot of personalised feedback from my tutors, which was useful in the long run. On the first full day I worked through a sample of a film script that I hope to pitch and received some constructive criticism on the tone and structure. Midweek I got talking about a throughline for an anthology series and got a variety of comments on how I could distinguish my work from other serials, as well as the intricacies and latest developments in the pitching process. I didn’t realise just how visual it had become in the last few years. It was really useful to go over key terms in the industry that, if I’m honest, I didn’t know all that well beforehand.

Here are some examples:

• The treatment (prose writing that summarises your plot points)
• The spec script (non-produced and potentially unsolicited screenplays)
• The bible (reference document for contextual information on characters, settings, and any other appropriate info)
• The logline (quick synopsis possibly and hopefully a hook)

I really enjoyed pitching a comedy drama to my group. It was really enjoyable to hear so many encouraging comments and also to realise a sense of direction in my writer’s journey. Looking at some of the agencies who represent new writers and the different kinds of producers and commissioning executives today with different interests, slants, backgrounds and approaches was invaluable. Hearing directly about how to pitch your work from the initial stages to production was somewhat challenging but invariably useful. It certainly gave me pause for thought!

Part of the gig was that I had to be chef for a day. I was a bit nervous because I don’t usually cook for that many people. But it was actually really fun to help out in the kitchen and I have certainly added chocolate mousse to my list of go-to recipes.

The fact that there was limited WiFi was, let’s say, a little…interesting…at first. As a writer I often use the internet to research different topics and technical/scientific facts. While there were times when WiFi would have been useful for sure, a positive was that it allowed for a lot of time dedicated to writing and study!

The atmosphere was especially friendly and warm. I spoke to everyone from civil servants to musicians, to a woman who had been involved in the making of Bridget Jones! We all got to know each other fairly quickly and all had really interesting stories worth sharing and listening to. I hope, sincerely, that we all get a chance to see our stories being translated from page to screen.

There was even a little library of plays and film scripts from Aaron Sorkin to Bluestockings and Shakespeare. I spent some time leafing through anything and everything to help push forward and activate my ideas.

My tutors were Claire Bennett (Doctors) and Lisa Holdsworth (Midsomer Murders, A Discovery of Witches). I also worked alongside and heard materials and insights from figures such as John Fox (Hope Street.)

As somebody who was not especially connected to the industry, it was great to start networking with some of the experts. I took part in classes and workshops such as mock writers’ rooms, lessons in character, structure and plotting. Some specific roles have included production and set designs with script development and edits. One highlight was a very funny and memorable writers’ room in which we were asked to put our fears aside and come up with some of the most unrealistic, cliched or outlandish pitches imaginable. There was, perhaps, a tidal wave of evil twins involved – I can neither confirm nor deny anything.

We also did come up with some more realistic ideas fitting for a cosy crime drama. Wearing my production hat, I had to take into account ideas such as budgeting, legal clearances and copyright, continuity and welfare. I focussed on developing consistent aesthetics and workable methods for how to mock up and safely blow up an antique gate.

We had some meaningful and in-depth discussions as a group about issues facing writers today from salaries to the advantages and disadvantages, threats and ethics of AI. We were introduced to ways in which writers can legally and morally defend themselves against miscarriages of justice and sometimes less than “perfectly scrupulous” members of the film and television industry. It wasn’t all doom and gloom though. I would like to say that even though there obviously have been and still are issues with this industry, I have met many kind, generous creatives who care about people and are there to make art. I have listened to the highs and lows, the challenges and rewards of such a job. The path isn’t always easy, in fact it almost never is, but as a determined writer with a visual imagination and a real passion for bringing stories to life, I feel confident that this is something I want to pursue. Being at Arvon undoubtedly helped to accelerate and streamline my writing and further gave me a grounding in the industry side of things and practical essentials that I will need to make a career out of my longstanding creative interests. I would certainly recommend this week to anyone curious about writing for film and TV!