Hello everyone. Just wanted to introduce myself as a new member of the writewords. My name is Jane McNulty and for the last five years I have been a freelance TV scriptwriter with credits for episodes of (most recent first) EastEnders (7), Doctors (4), Crossroads (6), Heartbeat and Peak Practice, plus a short film for BBC2. I've also won a few prizes for for short stories, dramatic monologues and poetry - never attmpted the novel yet, though (too many words!) I got into scriptwriting almost by accident - I only ever really wanted to tutor in creative writing (I've done that for about ten years now)and run workshops and courses. (You can see me on www.castleofpark.net where I'm running a course on writing TV drama in a couple of weeks time.) I'm looking forward to some good debate on this forum.

Welcome Jane,

I am sure your expertise will be very welcomed by Members. I look forward to reading some of your writings.
Len

I put this on your other posting, Jane - wanted to make sure you don't escape, so have copied it here too!


Hi Jane,

Welcome to the site.

For everyone else, I'd just like to say that Jane is not only a regular scriptwriter on many popular TV shows, she's a first-rate tutor/editor. She was my senior tutor when we were both tutoring for the Open College of the Arts and often went out of her way to give tutors like me encouraging feed-back (against the policy of the College, I might add), and to fight for better pay and conditions.

For all you TV writers out there, let me tell you that she really knows her stuff. Recently, she wrote a report for me on a couple of my sitcoms and it was outstanding. She highlighted the elements that worked and put her finger on everything that didn't – explaining exactly why and giving me great suggestions for fixing it. I was smiling as I read that report, simply because it was so refreshing to have one's work given such a thorough going-over by someone who clearly knows what she's doing. For a writer, that kind of report is gold dust. It can save you years of writing up blind alleys and help you take great leaps forward.

If anyone's thinking of attending that course Jane mentions, I'm sure you'll get a huge amount from it. I know Jane's prepared a really great course, not only on the writing side but also providing experience of different stages of the script-writing process, like script conferences.

Okay, I'll stop embarrassing you now. Just to say it's great news for the site that you've joined.

Terry

P.S. Why 'Red Monkey'?

Hi Terry - you've got me blushing! Thanks for the recommendations - nice to be amongst friends. Red Monkey? Well red for the hair as well as the occasional political stance. Monkey - as in 'cheeky'?

Thanks Len.

Hello Red Monkey!
Nice to see a screenwriter with so much experience on the site.

I wonder if Anna will propose you an interview. I'd be interested in hearing about your career.

Regards
Elspeth

An interview would perhaps be interesting. Thanks for your welcome.

Welcome, Jane!

Frances

Welcome echoed, Hello, Jane , have fun!
x
tc

Hello Jane,

My God, you're in the North West! You'll have to pop round and have a look at my screenplay!

We are forever going on about new members who only want to take advice, but you're a new member who's going to end up getting battered for advice!

Shay

Hello and welcome.

JB

Yeah thanks eveyone for the welcome - I feel at home already. Nice to meet a fellow scriptwriter, Shay - there are a few of us around the North West (I'm NW rep for the Writers' Guild, too, by the way) but we tend to keep our heads down - maybe we think we're somebodies? Ha! Tough life being a TV writer - and comedy is the toughest. BUT ITV are desperate for a new and brilliant sit com (obviously) so don't give up: it could be yours.

Hi RM,

Sadly I haven't written a sitcom! It's a one-off comedy drama. I did have part of it uploaded here, but it's been rewritten about eight times since. I did write to Nick Elliott about it, but he said they had closed their book on one / two parters for the year.

yeah, one offs/two parters aren't currently what the industry is looking for, more's the pity. Still...it's always worth thinking in terms of 'what are they looking for?' and 'can I write that?' when doors keep closing on one's project. Case in point: I've got a great little 6x60 minute series treatment - sent it off to someone I met last week (no names) she loved the idea but thought it would fit the 90 - 120 minute feature slot they were lookig to fill on their slate. So today I'm going to re-write my lovely series as a 120 minute screenplay outline: life's tough but if you want to work in TV you have to be prepared to go with what is likely to get commissioned. It's a question of soemtimes looking at things from another angle, isn't it? But I do know that ITV would kill for a good (stress) GOOD sit com right now. And as a term 'sit com' is less rigid and formulaic nowadays - you might find the challenge interesting?

Best of luck anyhow.

Thanks RM. Good luck with the screenplay outline. BTW would you not think of an independent film company if it is going to be a feature? Or are you dyed in the wool TV?