Writing stuff that has already been done and not knowing.
There's so much out there that I can't possibly know what's already been done. A year ago I started defining three characters in preparation for a proposal, then I discovered it was almost exactly the same as The Big Bang Theory. I had to abandon it of course.
[i now love BBT of course, superb writing]
How do we cope with that? I don't suppose there's anything except suck it up and start again
It's easy. Just watch everything. This has the added bonus that you can call it "research" and pretend you're working while not actually leaving any time to write your own stuff.
It's what I do, anyway.
Quote: Kevin Murphy @ June 27 2009, 2:40 PM BSTIt's easy. Just watch everything.
Not always as easy as that though, unfortunately. I recently had a script about ready to hand in to a producer, then something with the same central concept appeared on TV. At the moment I have a script in limbo at the BBC whilst a pilot that has a similar tone and theme is completed. Even if it hasn't been done when youy start work, it may be in the process of being done by the time you're ready to hand it in! There isn't really a lot you can do about it, other than to swear a terrible and bloody vengence on those involved in the other show, and move onto the next script.
And rewrite it completely!
Quote: Matthew Stott @ June 27 2009, 5:53 PM BSTNot always as easy as that though, unfortunately. I recently had a script about ready to hand in to a producer, then something with the same central concept appeared on TV. At the moment I have a script in limbo at the BBC whilst a pilot that has a similar tone and theme is completed. Even if it hasn't been done when youy start work, it may be in the process of being done by the time you're ready to hand it in! There isn't really a lot you can do about it, other than to swear a terrible and bloody vengence on those involved in the other show, and move onto the next script.
It's handy if you're on speaking terms with people in the know like producers etc, then you can just ask them direct "Do you know if there's anything like this already in the pipeline?" before you go ahead and waste months of your life writing it.
Also you can just adapt or salvage. I wrote a script set in a high rise block of flats and was very annoyed indeed when 15 Storeys High appeared on the telly. However I took at least three characters from that script and transplanted them into other projects, one of which has just been picked up. So yeah, it's a ball-ache when it happens but all is not necessarily lost.
Quote: Lee Henman @ June 27 2009, 7:17 PM BSTIt's handy if you're on speaking terms with people in the know like producers etc, then you can just ask them direct "Do you know if there's anything like this already in the pipeline?" before you go ahead and waste months of your life writing it.
True, but it doesn't always help; my producer had no idea about any similar show to one I've got cooking at the moment, and when told by the channel about it, still don't know exactly what it is! At the end of the day it's just one of those things; if you can come up with the idea, then someone else can too.
Like Lee says though, it doesn't always mean that you have to throw the whole thing out, it just means you may have to tweak it, or take elements you can still use out of it and craft something new.
Aye. Repurpose stuff.
It's really tricky.
Especially as every 'How-to' book tells you to only send things out when they're absolutely ready.
I think that's a valid advice for the 'spec' piece that you hope to get an agent with (same for a novel) - you want that to be the best you can do, otherwise you won't get that agent in the first place.
After that,though,I reckon you should kick things into shape as quickly as possible and get it out there.
If you sit on a piece long enough it WILL get done by someone else.