While I was recovering from an operation and under the influence of some pretty powerful analgesia, I wrote an 85,000 word novel, sent it off and forgot about it. A few months later, a raft of rejection slips arrived plus an email from an organisation I had never heard of stating that they liked the story.
It transpires that in my befuddled state, I had accidentally sent the story off to an Oscar winning movie production house. They were clear on two points. Firstly, although my writing was not bad, it was not strong enough to be a genuinely sellable novel but believed the story had potential as a movie and wanted to explore it in a number of different ways.
After a year of meetings with them and re-writing the d@mn thing as a screenplay in 50 zillion ways, the production house eventually went with a significantly more established and multi-Oscar winning author. For my pains, I received a rather nice bottle of whiskey (the best I have ever drunk) and a 'keep in touch' note.
I believed it had died a death and did not pursue.
However, I was again wrong (I am often wrong) and a second opportunity has arisen in that a producer at one of the world's largest production houses has expressed an interest in reading the screenplay. Note this is not me actively pitching my story, rather this has come about entirely accidentally although the first production house did have a small amount to do with this.
In order to make the most of this opportunity, I do not want to make the same mistake as before, in that I was constantly working to deadlines trying to write everything myself. I need help and therefore:
1. Does anyone out there know of any, strong, screenplay writing groups in London?
2. Does anyone out there know of any, strong, screenplay writers in London willing to co-operate on a Chinese-themed thriller set in London?
3. Would anyone recommend any specific screenplay writers around London who are worth paying, have a good pedigree and the kind of prices I would be looking at.
Note that I have done the usual internet search, have a couple of collaborators I am talking with, am working on creating a small film and writing group and am pursuing other avenues (e.g. shooting the story myself, bringing on board a ghost writer to improve the novel and coach me etc...). What I need now are active recommendations from anyone with experience of liaising with 1, 2 and 3 above and can make recommendations from have engaged personally with any of the above.
So anyone out there... what groups or people do you personally know that I could engage with in London?
It transpires that in my befuddled state, I had accidentally sent the story off to an Oscar winning movie production house. They were clear on two points. Firstly, although my writing was not bad, it was not strong enough to be a genuinely sellable novel but believed the story had potential as a movie and wanted to explore it in a number of different ways.
After a year of meetings with them and re-writing the d@mn thing as a screenplay in 50 zillion ways, the production house eventually went with a significantly more established and multi-Oscar winning author. For my pains, I received a rather nice bottle of whiskey (the best I have ever drunk) and a 'keep in touch' note.
I believed it had died a death and did not pursue.
However, I was again wrong (I am often wrong) and a second opportunity has arisen in that a producer at one of the world's largest production houses has expressed an interest in reading the screenplay. Note this is not me actively pitching my story, rather this has come about entirely accidentally although the first production house did have a small amount to do with this.
In order to make the most of this opportunity, I do not want to make the same mistake as before, in that I was constantly working to deadlines trying to write everything myself. I need help and therefore:
1. Does anyone out there know of any, strong, screenplay writing groups in London?
2. Does anyone out there know of any, strong, screenplay writers in London willing to co-operate on a Chinese-themed thriller set in London?
3. Would anyone recommend any specific screenplay writers around London who are worth paying, have a good pedigree and the kind of prices I would be looking at.
Note that I have done the usual internet search, have a couple of collaborators I am talking with, am working on creating a small film and writing group and am pursuing other avenues (e.g. shooting the story myself, bringing on board a ghost writer to improve the novel and coach me etc...). What I need now are active recommendations from anyone with experience of liaising with 1, 2 and 3 above and can make recommendations from have engaged personally with any of the above.
So anyone out there... what groups or people do you personally know that I could engage with in London?
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