Rollem

People often ask me for advice on being a writer, and about the way that I like to work. So, here are a few of my thoughts on writing for television…

Being a writer is the best job in the world but it is not easy. You must always be prepared to work hard and change things. I don’t find writing easy, I just work incredibly hard.

How I like to work:
I write down first of all what the central story is and then go back to add the detail around this. Working quickly can help make you concentrate on exactly what the energy is driving your story forward. I tend to follow the 3 act structure: act 1 – establish what you’re going to do, act 2 – how you are going to complicate this, act 3 – the end, resolving it. This works as a basic map for the drama. It can stop you meandering when you write and prevent big cuts at the end. Also, before I begin I always ask myself – what is my opening and what is my cliff-hanger? The opening has to be dramatic so that your audience wants to keep watching.

I think the Greeks had it right in their storytelling: sunrise to sunset. The shorter the better. I like to compress time as much as possible and am always looking to do this – to tell a story over a day or a day and a night, rather than drag it out. The longer the time, the more problematic it can be.

Writing on an established series:
Make sure you know the world you are writing for. When I was first approached to write for Brookside I said no for five months until I was sure I could hear the Liverpudlian voices in my ears. If you are struggling to hear it, you are not ready to write it. You need to show that you are immersed in the world of the drama, in the characters.
Although they aren’t your original characters, you still need to be bold - to have a sense of ownership and authorship of the episode, to show your voice as a writer. Show originality and imagination in your episode - but don’t take it somewhere that makes it difficult for the next episode to be picked up.

Original work:
I am greedy viewer. I want to laugh, be moved and filled with a sense of anticipation. You are working in a competitive market, so make sure your script sparkles. And never forget how smart your audience is – don’t underestimate their intelligence.
When I write, I write what I want to see. Write who you want, where you want them and when – your job is to play with the characters and make them do and say what you want. Make sure you know what your characters want from a scene - if they want the same thing then you don’t have a scene.

You must show a good sense of drama. You are either a dramatist or a social worker. If you are trying to fix tricky situations or solve confrontations then you are a social worker; a good dramatist will put things together to cause maximum drama, conflict and humour. It is, however, very very important for drama to be truthful and real. Use your acting skills, have empathy with your characters. Always put yourself in the character’s position – don’t be the social worker.

With comedy drama, don’t just write gags. The comedy has to come from the characters.

Don’t be afraid to re-write, right up to the last minute things can change if this makes the script better. You as writer are ultimately responsible for what goes on the screen, remember it is your name on the programme so if it can be better – change it.

Remember, the writer is God - it can be a complete power trip, but you must be proud to see your name in the credits and you need to work to earn this.