Our new Writers Area - ideas please!

Evening everyone,

As you may have noticed there's (finally) more activity happening in regards to the new website now. I will soon have lots more info about everything, and will also be sending out an update email to those who have kindly offered to write guides for the new site.

First though, I wanted to talk a bit more about the comedy writing side of things. Without going into the boring nitty gritty, the basic plan is to extend the comedy writing community, services and info on this website into something even bigger and better on the new website.

As a result, a new writers area is currently being formulated behind the scenes. It will be focusing on sitcom, sketch and stand-up. Lots of advice articles from the experts and insight from those working in the industry.

Although we've got lots planned. I'd be interested to hear your ideas...

Here's the question then... what, in terms of comedy writing / performing, would you like to know more about or like us to provide more of?

All ideas or requests considered so please post away!

p.s. Please also see this thread about a writers conference idea: https://www.comedy.co.uk/forums/thread/10083

London Comedy Writers send out a newsletter about current opportunities. They seem to know what's going on. Maybe you could get them involved.

Quote: Griff @ November 5 2008, 9:55 PM GMT

I'd like to see the BCG making contact with prodcos and producers to get the industry news hot off the press.

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We already do, but there's only so much we can make public.

BSG needs to give away free money to writers.

Thanks!

Quote: Griff @ November 5 2008, 9:39 PM GMT

Who's looking for what right now. Maybe somebody out is there is just putting together the perfect sketch show to match my back catalogue of crap, if only I knew about it. Ditto for sitcoms. If ITV or Paramount or whoever decide they want to put a call out for sitcom scripts, maybe they could do so via the BCG website.

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Amen to that!

Quote: Griff @ November 5 2008, 10:02 PM GMT

I know. That's a conundrum I've already discussed with Mark. The solution seems to be a halfway house which isn't entirely "public" but just goes out to writers. How that works in practice is a tough one.

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I guess it would probably have to work on a paid subscription model with membership screening of some variety.

Well, quite, yes. Charging people isn't something we're setting out to do specifically. It'll always be a last option, if all else fails kind of thing. (And before anyone insinuates, it'd be for BCG investment, not to line our own pockets!) It's a tricky balancing act between all parties. The prodcos certainly want to get the word out if they're in such a position, but probably not to the extent where they're literally flooded with script submissions. As you say, the devil's in the detail, so it's all stuff we'll be looking at over the coming months as the revamped WA is fleshed out.

Tricky, innit.

Quote: Frankie Rage @ November 5 2008, 10:07 PM GMT

BSG needs to give away free money to writers.

Thanks!

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I thought that was worth echoing.

I know opportunities are few and far but maybe a section where open submissions are listed and even projects that BSGers are working on that require extra help/resources etc?

What might be useful is a more friendly upload facility - whereby people can upload a whole sitcom script as it is, without having to reformat etc. Bit like the writersroom or scriptreader do. Maybe 2 sections one for broadcast scripts and one traditional critique section. Scriptreader allows you to upload in RTF.

Basically everything I just noted in my response to the 'Comedy Writing Forum' thing in the other thread would be nice to have written somewhere.

If could flip it around for a second, maybe it could be what the BCG could do for the industry insiders. i.e. provide them with a list (or just a cross-check) of people who have had a little success already in comedy writing so they know which 'non-open' submissions to consider. It'll involve a little of putting your own writing CV together that can be looked up by whichever producer, so see what you've done so far. Kind of like a ICWdb.com

That way they may be able to sort the wheat from the shite in a way that suits them, rather than complaining they're constantly inundated with rubbish.

I'll admit that's probably no use to the absolute beginners though. Hopefully there would be open doors policy still for those peeps.

Dan

I agree with most of the above, plus more space dedicated to stand up and live sketch groups.

Thanks for all this feedback - all really good ideas (well, apart from the free money one ). Keep it coming! Obviously it's not going to be possible to put all this into action overnight, but I'll aim to provide everything that's wanted after a bit!

Mmm, not sure how this sounds, but what about a private 'members only' type forum, where writers and producers, etc can post (now you're going to all tell me that there already is - and I don't know about it)?

Maybe producers and companies would be more likely to post in a more private forum?

Quote: Dolly Dagger @ November 6 2008, 11:47 AM GMT

Mmm, not sure how this sounds, but what about a private 'members only' type forum, where writers and producers, etc can post (now you're going to all tell me that there already is - and I don't know about it)?

Maybe producers and companies would be more likely to post in a more private forum?

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Sounds a bit like apartheid to me, Dolly. You'll be wanting different buses for some of us next.

Who or what dictates 'membership'? Will you have to pay? Or will the decision rest with the BSG Inner Guard. An initiation ceremony of memorising every sketch Sootyj has put up in Critique, similar to London cab drivers 'The Knowledge'.

Hmmm.. I can see how more 'professional' writers would welcome this but a hierarchical system takes the fun out of the site a bit. That said, the idea does have its merits.