THE FINALISTS
Radio 2 and BBC Writersroom have now finished reading thousands of scripts which have been emailed and sent in and are delighted to annouce the overall winner is Nathaniel Tapley.
There are four finalists who like Nathaniel have also been selected to have their scripts made into Radio Dramas. These are Ann Fotheringham, Jason Harrison, Justin Rylands and Mike Wolstencroft.
We asked each of the finalists a few questions about their scripts and their writing. Click on the names to find out more.
NATHANIEL TAPLEY - Overall winner
1) Please tell us a bit about yourself - what's your day job?
I do what is pompously referred to as 'commercial journalism' or 'events reporting', which consists of attending corporate functions, transcribing what they say, and handing it back to them. I also write and perform comedy, and have appeared in sketch shows around London, as well as making odd appearances in various children's programmes.
2) What does being an Imagine winner mean to you?
Being an Imagine winner is wonderful. I thought it was a competition for which I could write something well, and I was pleased with the way the play turned out. It is very gratifying to find out that other people liked it too.
3) What made you decide to enter?
I have been interested for a long time by the way in which people feel about the music they listen to, and how possessive they become over it because of what it represents to them (or, rather, how possessive I become…). It also combined two of the things I love: music and drama.
4) How long have you been writing? Have you been published or won anything else before this?
I have been writing various things for almost ten years now. I had a play produced when I was at university in 1997. It was called Salad Daze: Socks Before Marriage, and was unutterably terrible. I won the 2003 Nisi Masa Screenwriting Award, which was a Europe-wide screenwriting competition, and the 2002 Napalm Screenwriting Competition, which was not. I also had a short play produced as part of the Hampstead Theatre's Start Night in February 2005. In May 1999 I had an article published in The Guardian's G2 magazine.
5) How did you come up with your idea and the artist you wrote about?
I have been a fan of Jarvis Cocker for a long time; he seems to be a quintessentially British musician, and Pulp's songs provided much of the soundtrack for some the more exciting parts of my youth. Seeing them play instead of the Stone Roses at Glastonbury 1995 was a great moment in a great weekend in a great year. It was whilst I was putting my CD collection onto the computer to make CDs for my upcoming wedding that I heard 'My Lighthouse' for the first time in a few years, and couldn't get it out of my head. When I began to think of Jarvis Cocker in a lighthouse the whole thing began to come together.
6) Did you attend any of the Writersroom Q&A workshops, or use any of the tools on the website, and if so, how did that help?
I used the Script Smart tool, and it gave me a lot more confidence to write what I wanted, knowing that if there was a way to format it, it would be something that could be done in production. Not having to think about formatting gave me more time to concentrate on the things that really interested me. I didn't attend the Q&As, although I had intended to.
7) How long did the whole process - from having to the idea to sending the script off - take you?
The whole process took between three weeks and a month. The idea sat and stewed for the first week or so, collecting images, then I spent about a week not writing but trying to work out what the story was, and what I wanted to say. Then I spent about a week on trains going to and from work writing as much as I could, ending up with a hugely-overlong draft. Then, over the weekend, I started typing it all up and taking most things out. I then polished it a couple of times in the next week, and sent it off.
8) What advice would you give to other aspiring writers reading this?
My advice is to enter any competition you can, or that takes your interest. They are a good way of improving your skills and making you write things you otherwise might not have written.
9) Will you carry on writing?
I will definitely carry on writing. It has long been a dream of mine to be a dramatist, so I will definitely try to keep improving and keep writing.
ANN FOTHERINGHAM
1) What does being an Imagine finalist mean to you?
It's amazing and a bit unbelievable, given that so many people entered the competition. I'm delighted. It's a big confidence boost too, because until other people read what you have written, you never really know if it's any good at all.
2) What made you decide to enter?
I heard the ad on Radio 2 and decided to give it a go! I think radio drama is very powerful when it is done well, and I've always fancied trying it.
3) Is this the first script you've written?
Yes, unless you count a rhyming version of Cinderella when I was a Girl Guide, age 12…
4) You got to the final - what happens next for you?
I can't wait to hear my play on the radio - and I'd like to think I might be able to write another one, given the opportunity.
5) How did you come up with your idea and the artist you decided to write about?
I liked the idea of choosing an unexpected hero, and I wanted it to be an unusual pairing - teenage lad and Dolly Parton - in an unusual setting - on the space shuttle - but with a real, 'human' story behind it. And I do actually like Dolly Parton, and the song Love is Like a Butterfly, so it seemed a good starting point.
6) How many versions did you write before sending it off?
I sat down one morning when my two and a half year old son was asleep and wrote one full version, from start to finish, just in a rough draft, just to see if I had a beginning, a middle and an end! And then I went back to it a few times over the next few days, changing bits here and there, until I was happy with it.
7) Did you attend any of the Writersroom Q&A workshops, and if so did it help?
No, but I read all the advice on the website, which was really helpful.
8) How long did the whole process - from having the idea to sending it off - take you?
About a week, really. After getting that first draft written, it didn't take too long.
9) How long have you been writing and have you been published or won anything before?
I've always loved to write but although I have been a newspaper journalist for about 14 years, I have never had my own writing published before. This is the first time I have had the nerve to enter a competition.
10) What advice would you give to other aspiring writers reading this?
It sounds like a real cliché, but if you have an idea, just go for it. Write it down and send it off. What is there to lose?
JASON HARRISON
1) What does being an Imagine finalist mean to you?
It means everything. The future can be a little intimidating for a new writer - constantly wondering if you are any good or not or where a job or a break might come from. Being an Imagine finalist allows me to be a little more positive about the future (for this week at any rate)! Having the work produced and broadcast is also fantastic and a dream come true, so I don't think I have stopped smiling since I found out.
2) What made you decide to enter?
I wish I could say Barry Manilow came to me in a dream and told me to write LOLA, but alas my reasons for entering were a little more mundane. I was intrigued by the Imagine concept and knew I could have little fun with it. I had never written a radio drama before and thought I might learn a little something along the way. In the end, LOLA made me laugh so I sent it off, but I certainly never expected a play about Barry Manilow to be in the final.
3) Is this the first script you've written?
No. I have just graduated from Birmingham University with a Masters degree in playwriting and my thesis was a full-length stage play, but this was my first stab at a radio play.
4) You got to the final - what happens next for you?
I'm still trying to enjoy this final at the moment! I'm looking forward to working with the Producer and seeing the play take shape and hearing it outside of my head for the first time. Getting to the final has given me a real boost though and I'm working on some new ideas both for radio and the stage, but I am open to all suggestions.
5) How did you come up with your idea and the artist you decided to write about?
I must confess I am not a 'fanilow', but once I decided upon Barry Manilow as my artist everything seemed to fall into place. Originally, I really struggled to get inspiration. I came up with a number of different artists and even more scenarios to meet them in, but nothing seemed to work. A friend of mine has "Copacabana" as a ringtone on her phone and as soon as I heard it I kept imagining a girl introducing herself as Lola and the reactions she might get. The play pretty much wrote itself after that.
6) How many versions did you write before sending it off?
Usually, I write about 6 or 7 incomplete drafts of each draft before I'm happy, but this one went so smoothly once I had the idea, that I think draft 4 was the final draft.
7) Did you attend any of the Writersroom Q&A workshops, and if so did it help?
I tried, but I didn't get a place.
8) How long did the whole process - from having the idea to sending it off - take you?
The longest part was definitely finding the inspiration. I think the whole thing took about 6 weeks, with only about 3 weeks of writing.
9) How long have you been writing and have you been published or won anything before?
I remember telling my parents I was going to be a writer at primary school and then I went off and got a proper degree and various proper jobs. I finally decided to have a real go at writing about 4 years ago and went and did the Masters. I've had a couple of articles published, but this is the first thing I've been a finalist for!
10) What advice would you give to other aspiring writers reading this?
Don't take any notice of what other writers advise!! Everyone has an opinion on everything you write. The hardest thing is remembering that it's your play and your voice and having the confidence to keep going.
JUSTIN RYLANDS
1) What does being an Imagine finalist mean to you?
Having never won so much as a bottle in a tombola, losing and I had learnt to live relatively comfortably with each other. Now I have to completely review my whole outlook.
2) What made you decide to enter?
Hope springs eternal plus the subject matter was right up my street and I like Mark Radcliffe's show anyway.
3) Is this the first script you've written?
I've had a go at a couple of other things but am fairly new to it.
4) You got to the final - what happens next for you?
Just looking forward to hearing it when it's produced and encouraged to have a go at the next implausibly daft idea that pops into my head.
5) How did you come up with your idea and the artist you decided to write about?
I wanted to try and make it funny so Nick Cave was an obvious choice for me. I love his stuff but at the same time I find the melodrama and intensity about him funny somehow. Having never met him I'm sure he's nothing like the image that comes across (he was wearing a yellow v-neck last interview I saw) but it's more fun this way. He also comes across as slightly untouchable so putting him alongside ordinary people was interesting. Then I just put him in the most uncomfortable situation I could imagine for him - I'm well versed in uncomfortable situations.
6) How many versions did you write before sending it off?
I tweaked it a couple of times but no major changes from the first draft.
7) Did you attend any of the Writersroom Q&A workshops, and if so did it help?
I didn't but I'm sure they would have.
8) How long did the whole process - from having the idea to sending it off - take you?
It was probably a month or two from making a start to finishing but there was an awfully long gap of utter inactivity in the middle.
9) How long have you been writing and have you been published or won anything before?
I've only had a go at plays, sketches, stories etc in the last couple of years but before that I wrote songs and lyrics for a long time so I suppose that's writing as well.
10) What advice would you give to other aspiring writers reading this?
I'm probably more in a position to receive advice than give it, but if this experience is anything to go by, make sure:-
a) You receive plenty of interruptions from your children.
b) You have a totally unsuitable laptop that burns your privates.
c) You leave the bulk of the writing so late that you barely remember to include your name in your rush to meet the deadline.
d) You stay away from the evils of sobriety.
MIKE WOLSTENCROFT
1) What does being an Imagine finalist mean to you?
It means a great deal. It means that experienced BBC professionals have read my work and judged it good enough to broadcast. It also means they thought it had the edge over a lot of other work sent in by talented writers. It's a great feeling.
2) What made you decide to enter?
I'm naturally competitive & I daydream a lot. Custom-made for me.
3) Is this the first script you've written?
No. I've sent scripts in to other competitions & open-door shows like Parsons & Naylor.
4) You got to the final - what happens next for you?
A day out at the BBC watching talented professionals turn my script into sound, and feeling great. Then not-so-great as its weaknesses start to appear. And then great again as they plaster over the cracks. Then squirming, waiting for it to be broadcast.
5) & 6) How did you come up with your idea and the artist you decided to write about? How many versions did you write before sending it off?
I admire many musicians, singers & composers. But for me Bob Dylan stands out head & shoulders above them all. You write about things that mean something to you - even if the treatment is light-hearted. I did 3 drafts. The first one in longhand, sketching things out. Ideas dropped in as I went along. Then I typed it up & one idea took over from all the others. Then I did the final draft centred around that idea.
7) Did you attend any of the Writersroom Q&A workshops, and if so did it help?
Not this time, but I have before & found it very useful - not just because of the advice you get from the professionals, but also from meeting other entrants & comparing notes & experiences.
8) How long did the whole process - from having the idea to sending it off - take you?
About 2 weeks.
9) How long have you been writing and have you been published or won anything before?
The very first script I wrote, I sent in to the Sports Shorts competition (2004). It was chosen as a finalist. 2 years later, I've proved to myself it wasn't a fluke (or flukes come in 2s) Either way, a result.
10) What advice would you give to other aspiring writers reading this?
Write the stuff you like writing. If you think it's good, keep sending it off. They'll either like it too or they won't.
We asked you to turn your dramatic ideas into a radio drama between three and ten minutes long and it could be broadcast on the Mark Radcliffe show in the autumn! The competition closed at midnight Friday 2 June. Also, check out our FAQs for all the help, and advice you need to write a drama.
Radio 2 and BBC Writersroom have now finished reading thousands of scripts which have been emailed and sent in and are delighted to annouce the overall winner is Nathaniel Tapley. There are four finalists who like Nathaniel have also been selected to have their scripts made into Radio Dramas. These are Ann Fotheringham, Jason Harrison, Justin Rylands and Mike Wolstencroft.
We asked each of the finalists a few questions about their scripts and their writing. Click on the names to find out more.
Nathaniel Tapley | Ann Fotheringham | Jason Harrison | Justin Rylands | Mike Wolstencroft
NATHANIEL TAPLEY - Overall winner
1) Please tell us a bit about yourself - what's your day job?
I do what is pompously referred to as 'commercial journalism' or 'events reporting', which consists of attending corporate functions, transcribing what they say, and handing it back to them. I also write and perform comedy, and have appeared in sketch shows around London, as well as making odd appearances in various children's programmes.
2) What does being an Imagine winner mean to you?
Being an Imagine winner is wonderful. I thought it was a competition for which I could write something well, and I was pleased with the way the play turned out. It is very gratifying to find out that other people liked it too.
3) What made you decide to enter?
I have been interested for a long time by the way in which people feel about the music they listen to, and how possessive they become over it because of what it represents to them (or, rather, how possessive I become…). It also combined two of the things I love: music and drama.
4) How long have you been writing? Have you been published or won anything else before this?
I have been writing various things for almost ten years now. I had a play produced when I was at university in 1997. It was called Salad Daze: Socks Before Marriage, and was unutterably terrible. I won the 2003 Nisi Masa Screenwriting Award, which was a Europe-wide screenwriting competition, and the 2002 Napalm Screenwriting Competition, which was not. I also had a short play produced as part of the Hampstead Theatre's Start Night in February 2005. In May 1999 I had an article published in The Guardian's G2 magazine.
5) How did you come up with your idea and the artist you wrote about?
I have been a fan of Jarvis Cocker for a long time; he seems to be a quintessentially British musician, and Pulp's songs provided much of the soundtrack for some the more exciting parts of my youth. Seeing them play instead of the Stone Roses at Glastonbury 1995 was a great moment in a great weekend in a great year. It was whilst I was putting my CD collection onto the computer to make CDs for my upcoming wedding that I heard 'My Lighthouse' for the first time in a few years, and couldn't get it out of my head. When I began to think of Jarvis Cocker in a lighthouse the whole thing began to come together.
6) Did you attend any of the Writersroom Q&A workshops, or use any of the tools on the website, and if so, how did that help?
I used the Script Smart tool, and it gave me a lot more confidence to write what I wanted, knowing that if there was a way to format it, it would be something that could be done in production. Not having to think about formatting gave me more time to concentrate on the things that really interested me. I didn't attend the Q&As, although I had intended to.
7) How long did the whole process - from having to the idea to sending the script off - take you?
The whole process took between three weeks and a month. The idea sat and stewed for the first week or so, collecting images, then I spent about a week not writing but trying to work out what the story was, and what I wanted to say. Then I spent about a week on trains going to and from work writing as much as I could, ending up with a hugely-overlong draft. Then, over the weekend, I started typing it all up and taking most things out. I then polished it a couple of times in the next week, and sent it off.
8) What advice would you give to other aspiring writers reading this?
My advice is to enter any competition you can, or that takes your interest. They are a good way of improving your skills and making you write things you otherwise might not have written.
9) Will you carry on writing?
I will definitely carry on writing. It has long been a dream of mine to be a dramatist, so I will definitely try to keep improving and keep writing.
ANN FOTHERINGHAM
1) What does being an Imagine finalist mean to you?
It's amazing and a bit unbelievable, given that so many people entered the competition. I'm delighted. It's a big confidence boost too, because until other people read what you have written, you never really know if it's any good at all.
2) What made you decide to enter?
I heard the ad on Radio 2 and decided to give it a go! I think radio drama is very powerful when it is done well, and I've always fancied trying it.
3) Is this the first script you've written?
Yes, unless you count a rhyming version of Cinderella when I was a Girl Guide, age 12…
4) You got to the final - what happens next for you?
I can't wait to hear my play on the radio - and I'd like to think I might be able to write another one, given the opportunity.
5) How did you come up with your idea and the artist you decided to write about?
I liked the idea of choosing an unexpected hero, and I wanted it to be an unusual pairing - teenage lad and Dolly Parton - in an unusual setting - on the space shuttle - but with a real, 'human' story behind it. And I do actually like Dolly Parton, and the song Love is Like a Butterfly, so it seemed a good starting point.
6) How many versions did you write before sending it off?
I sat down one morning when my two and a half year old son was asleep and wrote one full version, from start to finish, just in a rough draft, just to see if I had a beginning, a middle and an end! And then I went back to it a few times over the next few days, changing bits here and there, until I was happy with it.
7) Did you attend any of the Writersroom Q&A workshops, and if so did it help?
No, but I read all the advice on the website, which was really helpful.
8) How long did the whole process - from having the idea to sending it off - take you?
About a week, really. After getting that first draft written, it didn't take too long.
9) How long have you been writing and have you been published or won anything before?
I've always loved to write but although I have been a newspaper journalist for about 14 years, I have never had my own writing published before. This is the first time I have had the nerve to enter a competition.
10) What advice would you give to other aspiring writers reading this?
It sounds like a real cliché, but if you have an idea, just go for it. Write it down and send it off. What is there to lose?
JASON HARRISON
1) What does being an Imagine finalist mean to you?
It means everything. The future can be a little intimidating for a new writer - constantly wondering if you are any good or not or where a job or a break might come from. Being an Imagine finalist allows me to be a little more positive about the future (for this week at any rate)! Having the work produced and broadcast is also fantastic and a dream come true, so I don't think I have stopped smiling since I found out.
2) What made you decide to enter?
I wish I could say Barry Manilow came to me in a dream and told me to write LOLA, but alas my reasons for entering were a little more mundane. I was intrigued by the Imagine concept and knew I could have little fun with it. I had never written a radio drama before and thought I might learn a little something along the way. In the end, LOLA made me laugh so I sent it off, but I certainly never expected a play about Barry Manilow to be in the final.
3) Is this the first script you've written?
No. I have just graduated from Birmingham University with a Masters degree in playwriting and my thesis was a full-length stage play, but this was my first stab at a radio play.
4) You got to the final - what happens next for you?
I'm still trying to enjoy this final at the moment! I'm looking forward to working with the Producer and seeing the play take shape and hearing it outside of my head for the first time. Getting to the final has given me a real boost though and I'm working on some new ideas both for radio and the stage, but I am open to all suggestions.
5) How did you come up with your idea and the artist you decided to write about?
I must confess I am not a 'fanilow', but once I decided upon Barry Manilow as my artist everything seemed to fall into place. Originally, I really struggled to get inspiration. I came up with a number of different artists and even more scenarios to meet them in, but nothing seemed to work. A friend of mine has "Copacabana" as a ringtone on her phone and as soon as I heard it I kept imagining a girl introducing herself as Lola and the reactions she might get. The play pretty much wrote itself after that.
6) How many versions did you write before sending it off?
Usually, I write about 6 or 7 incomplete drafts of each draft before I'm happy, but this one went so smoothly once I had the idea, that I think draft 4 was the final draft.
7) Did you attend any of the Writersroom Q&A workshops, and if so did it help?
I tried, but I didn't get a place.
8) How long did the whole process - from having the idea to sending it off - take you?
The longest part was definitely finding the inspiration. I think the whole thing took about 6 weeks, with only about 3 weeks of writing.
9) How long have you been writing and have you been published or won anything before?
I remember telling my parents I was going to be a writer at primary school and then I went off and got a proper degree and various proper jobs. I finally decided to have a real go at writing about 4 years ago and went and did the Masters. I've had a couple of articles published, but this is the first thing I've been a finalist for!
10) What advice would you give to other aspiring writers reading this?
Don't take any notice of what other writers advise!! Everyone has an opinion on everything you write. The hardest thing is remembering that it's your play and your voice and having the confidence to keep going.
JUSTIN RYLANDS
1) What does being an Imagine finalist mean to you?
Having never won so much as a bottle in a tombola, losing and I had learnt to live relatively comfortably with each other. Now I have to completely review my whole outlook.
2) What made you decide to enter?
Hope springs eternal plus the subject matter was right up my street and I like Mark Radcliffe's show anyway.
3) Is this the first script you've written?
I've had a go at a couple of other things but am fairly new to it.
4) You got to the final - what happens next for you?
Just looking forward to hearing it when it's produced and encouraged to have a go at the next implausibly daft idea that pops into my head.
5) How did you come up with your idea and the artist you decided to write about?
I wanted to try and make it funny so Nick Cave was an obvious choice for me. I love his stuff but at the same time I find the melodrama and intensity about him funny somehow. Having never met him I'm sure he's nothing like the image that comes across (he was wearing a yellow v-neck last interview I saw) but it's more fun this way. He also comes across as slightly untouchable so putting him alongside ordinary people was interesting. Then I just put him in the most uncomfortable situation I could imagine for him - I'm well versed in uncomfortable situations.
6) How many versions did you write before sending it off?
I tweaked it a couple of times but no major changes from the first draft.
7) Did you attend any of the Writersroom Q&A workshops, and if so did it help?
I didn't but I'm sure they would have.
8) How long did the whole process - from having the idea to sending it off - take you?
It was probably a month or two from making a start to finishing but there was an awfully long gap of utter inactivity in the middle.
9) How long have you been writing and have you been published or won anything before?
I've only had a go at plays, sketches, stories etc in the last couple of years but before that I wrote songs and lyrics for a long time so I suppose that's writing as well.
10) What advice would you give to other aspiring writers reading this?
I'm probably more in a position to receive advice than give it, but if this experience is anything to go by, make sure:-
a) You receive plenty of interruptions from your children.
b) You have a totally unsuitable laptop that burns your privates.
c) You leave the bulk of the writing so late that you barely remember to include your name in your rush to meet the deadline.
d) You stay away from the evils of sobriety.
MIKE WOLSTENCROFT
1) What does being an Imagine finalist mean to you?
It means a great deal. It means that experienced BBC professionals have read my work and judged it good enough to broadcast. It also means they thought it had the edge over a lot of other work sent in by talented writers. It's a great feeling.
2) What made you decide to enter?
I'm naturally competitive & I daydream a lot. Custom-made for me.
3) Is this the first script you've written?
No. I've sent scripts in to other competitions & open-door shows like Parsons & Naylor.
4) You got to the final - what happens next for you?
A day out at the BBC watching talented professionals turn my script into sound, and feeling great. Then not-so-great as its weaknesses start to appear. And then great again as they plaster over the cracks. Then squirming, waiting for it to be broadcast.
5) & 6) How did you come up with your idea and the artist you decided to write about? How many versions did you write before sending it off?
I admire many musicians, singers & composers. But for me Bob Dylan stands out head & shoulders above them all. You write about things that mean something to you - even if the treatment is light-hearted. I did 3 drafts. The first one in longhand, sketching things out. Ideas dropped in as I went along. Then I typed it up & one idea took over from all the others. Then I did the final draft centred around that idea.
7) Did you attend any of the Writersroom Q&A workshops, and if so did it help?
Not this time, but I have before & found it very useful - not just because of the advice you get from the professionals, but also from meeting other entrants & comparing notes & experiences.
8) How long did the whole process - from having the idea to sending it off - take you?
About 2 weeks.
9) How long have you been writing and have you been published or won anything before?
The very first script I wrote, I sent in to the Sports Shorts competition (2004). It was chosen as a finalist. 2 years later, I've proved to myself it wasn't a fluke (or flukes come in 2s) Either way, a result.
10) What advice would you give to other aspiring writers reading this?
Write the stuff you like writing. If you think it's good, keep sending it off. They'll either like it too or they won't.
We asked you to turn your dramatic ideas into a radio drama between three and ten minutes long and it could be broadcast on the Mark Radcliffe show in the autumn! The competition closed at midnight Friday 2 June. Also, check out our FAQs for all the help, and advice you need to write a drama.
