Quote: SlagA @ June 28 2008, 9:52 PM BSTThen you should have gone to Specsavers?
...my son. 
Measuring Success, or The Lack Of It. Page 2
Go along with Griff's assessment to an extent, but then also agree with Seefacts. If somebody paid me for a script that's never shown I would be devastated. The whole point of me writing is so that people can see my work. For it not to be shown but getting paid defeats the whole object.
I think most writing projects have an element of success in them, as long as you learn from your mistakes and each subsequent project is all the better for it.
On a commercial level, I'd judge a project's success by the audience's reaction to it. A critic really can't argue with the point that millions of people tune in to your show every week. I'm sure Sue Nickson wipes her arse on bad 2 Pints reviews. I know I would.
being a writer isnt easy, first of all you have to be able to write (duh) and then take it from there. if writings what you really want to do dont give up as thats the difference between a real writer and someone who's going through a phase. i think feeling confident at every little thing helps and like someone above said take it in stages.
1) getting, expanding and planning an idea
2) writing it and rewriting it
3) getting it noticed
4) getting it published/produced
its easy to think you're no good or being disheartened after rejection, i know cos it happened to me with my novel and then i turned to scriptwriting and had a positive response from an agent and am now writing a film script for a competition. dont give up!
Thanks for the insight.
Like many others, success to me is finishing something and knowing I've done the best I can with it. I enjoy rewriting, improving, strengthening a script - I get a tremendous buzz from it.
I've had a number of years of writing scripts and later realising they simply weren't good enough. It's all a learning process, and I think you know in your heart when something is really good. I used to kid myself that my writing was good when it wasn't - but I now feel successful because I'm working on a script I'm truly happy and excited about.
'Success part one' came when I finally understood the art of script-writing.
'Success part two' will be when I've finished my current script.
'Success part three' will be when I pop it in the postbox to the appropriate production company.
Then it'll be time to start the process over again with the next script... baby steps...
In broad agreement with mmost of this. I have set myself goals to achieve within certain time limits.
When i sent off my first sitcom script last August my aim was to try and generate some interest in my work from someone in the industry. My goal was to achieve this within a year.
As soon I sent out the first script, whilst waiting I started on the second pilot and started putting together a portfolio of sketch material.
The first script got some interest and led to a couple of meetings. The second led to a nice meeting at talkback Thames, by which time I had started on my third sitcom idea.
Now nearly a year on, my first script is now poised to go through the murky commissioning and development process. My second script has led to the hope of some sketch show work at talkback. My third script is (via Caroline Leddy at C4) with a big comedy producer, with (hopefully) a view to getting a paid pilot commission. I have established a strong relationship with a more indenpendent producer who has helped me get to this stage (the Slags will know who) and thanks to his help I also have potential stuff going on at E4/4talent. I also may have an agent soon.
Before anyone starts to think this is all smug gloating, the point I'm making is that I feel incredibly fortunate to actually have exceeded my initial goals for the year. I would have been quietly happy just to have established one positive contact within the comedy industry.
Whilst waiting to see how things are going to go, I'm about to start a fourth idea (and dreading, as I also do initially, having to actually sit down and start writing the damn thing). My goal for my second year is to get an agent, get one or more production credits, get a filmed pilot commissioned and - oh yeah - start seeing some cash for my efforts).
My end goal, like everyone else I guess, is make a career in the TV comedy industry. I think you need to set yourself career goals and success deadlines, just as you should try and impose deadlines on yourself with your actual writing. Start off with modest goals for each year you write. Take immense pleasure if you exceed those goals. If you don't achieve you goals for a year of writing (and everyone's will differ) then re-evaluate what it is you actually want from this writing lark.
(Phew!)
Typical NHS - loads of targets.
Have I done that gag before?
Quote: Tim Walker @ July 6 2008, 6:11 PM BSTIn broad agreement with mmost of this. I have set myself goals to achieve within certain time limits.
When i sent off my first sitcom script last August my aim was to try and generate some interest in my work from someone in the industry. My goal was to achieve this within a year.
As soon I sent out the first script, whilst waiting I started on the second pilot and started putting together a portfolio of sketch material.
The first script got some interest and led to a couple of meetings. The second led to a nice meeting at talkback Thames, by which time I had started on my third sitcom idea.
Now nearly a year on, my first script is now poised to go through the murky commissioning and development process. My second script has led to the hope of some sketch show work at talkback. My third script is (via Caroline Leddy at C4) with a big comedy producer, with (hopefully) a view to getting a paid pilot commission. I have established a strong relationship with a more indenpendent producer who has helped me get to this stage (the Slags will know who) and thanks to his help I also have potential stuff going on at E4/4talent. I also may have an agent soon.
Before anyone starts to think this is all smug gloating, the point I'm making is that I feel incredibly fortunate to actually have exceeded my initial goals for the year. I would have been quietly happy just to have established one positive contact within the comedy industry.
Whilst waiting to see how things are going to go, I'm about to start a fourth idea (and dreading, as I also do initially, having to actually sit down and start writing the damn thing). My goal for my second year is to get an agent, get one or more production credits, get a filmed pilot commissioned and - oh yeah - start seeing some cash for my efforts).
My end goal, like everyone else I guess, is make a career in the TV comedy industry. I think you need to set yourself career goals and success deadlines, just as you should try and impose deadlines on yourself with your actual writing. Start off with modest goals for each year you write. Take immense pleasure if you exceed those goals. If you don't achieve you goals for a year of writing (and everyone's will differ) then re-evaluate what it is you actually want from this writing lark.
(Phew!)
I always set myself goals and targets at the start of the year, mainly to keep me focused on achieving things, and to also keep me away from having another 2006, when I did absolutely nothing with my life (EDIT - yes I did, I met my girlfriend 
). In January my main goals were to...
a) get writing credits for three different sketch shows on either radio or television
b) have a sitcom script of mine enter paid development stage/be optioned
As things have turned out so far, I have gained two radio sketch show credits, and I've been part of a separate writing team that got a Sony Nomination (and then an award on the night) but I've made no progress whatsoever with my sitcom scripts, so there's still some way to go.