Sharps Diary - Terri-Ann Brumby

Monday

All arrived Brief Encounter style under the clock at Charing Cross station. Short sweaty journey to Seven Oaks, where we taxied to Bore Place. All mesmerised by the Darling Buds of May farmhouse and beautiful gardens. Usual AA nervous meeting type introductions round the circle and then Paul Ashton and Katherine Beacon chucked us into some ice breaking exercises with a doh-se-doh type Barn Dance with words.  Dances included: What makes us happy? Sad? Angry? How we would change the world? I loved one response to the latter – "Food should be made cheaper, as everyone deserves a fancy bun now and again". We then did a quick pitch round of ideas we may want to work on this week. Followed by a Radio Writing session from Katherine where we listened to some fabulous contrasting plays. The first five mins being crucial in grabbing the listener. We retired to watch the last episode of The Street by Jimmy McGovern. Very excellent. Hope I wake up tomorrow with half as much talent. Think big Terri.

Tuesday

Woken up at 7:08am by a man strimming relentlessly in the gardens outside my bedroom window. 28 cups of coffee later we are all back in the swim. Ceri Meyrick from The Writers Academy comes down to discuss John Yorke's 25 tips for soap writers and looking at classic examples. Great to see Den and Angie again. My favourite rule was "Deferral of Gratification" as it has a ring of filth about it. Delighted but surprised to note how long some of the scenes were in Tony Jordan episodes. Amazing to hear the success stories of The Writing Academy. Paul Ashton likened it to a Routemaster Bus - if you can jump on it, it’s the beginning of a magical journey into TV writing. But there are other buses too if you can get on them… or something like that? Paul Campbell joined us, a recent prodigy of The Academy. He has just finished his first EastEnders, which he liked, and a Casualty, which he found hard. More importantly the group wanted to know how much he got paid. He knows, we know, I know, but you’ll have to ask him yourself. Kathleen McLynn joined us from EastEnders. And we got individual feed back on our Sharps scripts, which was invaluable. Really encouraged by Kathleen being so positive about my script. More pitching and I actually wrote something new to add to our pot!  Trivial Pursuit until 1am. The answer to everything was: Michael Palin.

Wednesday

Feeling a bit Soap on a Rope this morning. Not helped by Man with Big Strimmer. First thing, five min pitches strictly timed. Everyone's ideas and some new ones have really come on overnight. Extraordinary how succinct everybody has become at it. Real melting pot of ideas, being pitched for radio, one-off TV, and Serials. I have got some real work to do today, which actually makes me feel more confident. Decided to hot seat my characters and speed write monologues for my main character. This is a technique I have used a lot in the theatre as an actress working on new plays, where the cast will fire questions at the actor and the actor will answer back in their character, making it up as they go along. In the afternoon Comedy, CBBC, and Drama Serials went to great length to give us background information about each department. Advice was to hear it, digest it and forget about it - concentrate on writing.  I am keen to get on with my new idea. Paul Ashton did a group check list on what a pitch is. Biggest don'ts are: don’t be boring, don’t plead, and don't repeatedly use the phrase "and then" (and then this happens and then this happens…) We all did a very quick five min pitch on a TV or Film we love. Have to say every one was brilliant and I actually was convinced from the pitch to see Mamma Mia. Managed to write a monologue for my central character today, which inspired two more scenes and I have now written the first nine scenes of my first telly apart from my Sharps entry. Cooking on gas!

Thursday

Up late last night watching The Curse of Steptoe and then I stayed up to watch the last episode of Marion and Geoff which was so brilliant I had to watch it again. Where does the time go? Thursday already, hopefully will crack the story of my Telly today. This morning we discuss with Paul what makes a reader, listener, or viewer stick with it, want to carry on. My favourite point: write something only you could write. We re-pitched our ideas again to Paul. Even better today, with loads of progress overnight. Brian Fillis came to talk to us, he wrote the marvellous Curse of Steptoe and Fear of Fanny. The latter was his first TV commission and was a single drama which is highly unusual but inspiring, as it started life as an Edinburgh Fringe play.  He had loads of advice about pitching. Top tip: don't say to them "Who are you again?" Got to pitch to Kate Rowland tomorrow the ideas we have developed this week. Very confident and in love with my characters but still no story arc! Watched Marion and Geoff again and played Trivial Pursuit. I thought I won but next morning was convinced I was delusionary. The answer to everything was Prince Philip.

Friday

Can’t believe it has gone so fast. Everybody nervously awaits the arrival of Kate Rowland and has pitch fright. The usually bustling kitchen is more like a dentist's waiting room this morning. I feel slightly sick, partly because of the amount of amazing food I have managed to put down my neck this week, partly because I have not worn my new wellies that I bought especially and partly because I know my pitch is totally character-based with not much story. But I did it and so did everyone else and we were all glad we did. Everyone's style and ideas completely different. Fantastic honest feedback from Kate. Realise how important it is to pitch ideas for the right slot or medium. Feel very elated with what we have all achieved. I have had a brilliant week, in fact one of the best ever. The answer to everything now is: hard work.