right, well that's that sent.
Good luck all.
BBC Drama academy Page 20
I've applied and I have frig all to my name really. A £1 option on an episode for a drama and a very minor payment from a local radio station for a monologue.
My 'writing Cv' is embarrassingly weak but I attended a seminar in Belfast by Ceri Meyrick and they did say they wouldn't be complete Nazis about what your evidence of commission was and how much you got paid. So feck it. I'm in.
I've tweeted at a few successful academy alumni on Twitter and they all tend to be seriously more established before even applying (with most of them already having TV series work commissioned) but were all very encouraging and said the most important thing was the piece you sent with your application.
Anyway. It's in now. They might think the whole application is a work of absurdist genius.
Good luck everyone.
I'd heard about these legendary £1 options, but just like fairies, goblins and womens' football, I didn't think they actually existed. 
But still, it's a paid commission.
It's the script they'll be more interested in.
It's usually when they want a re-write but can't afford it.
So you get a quid for the option and whatever they can muster for the re-write.
Often as not you have written in to the contract a more substantial sum for re-optioning.
A sort of 'piss or get off the pot' clause.
LATEST BBC DRAMA WRITERS ACADEMY NEWS:
156 writers have been longlisted (out of 495 applications) and are through to the next round.
I'm one of the 156.
Did anybody else apply?
Nice one, Mikey...
Well done , Sir.
Thank you.
But there's a long way to go yet.
Next stage: Full reads of scripts.
Then: 156 applicants whittled down to about 30.
Workshop for the 30.
Then 30 down to 15.
Interviews, then 15 down to the final 8.
Phew! I'm so happy I'll not be putting myself through any of that.
*slashes wrists and sprays blood across the borstal visiting room*
Quote: Mikey Jackson @ May 23 2011, 6:14 PM BSTLATEST BBC DRAMA WRITERS ACADEMY NEWS:
156 writers have been longlisted (out of 495 applications) and are through to the next round.I'm one of the 156.
Did anybody else apply?
Brilliant. well done Mikey.
I still despair of how to get a break when it seems all it takes for an actor is to jot an idea down on the back of an envelope, hand it to a producer and presto. You get a series commissioned on ITV1 on Sunday night. (Okay someone else writes it but its one less chance for a newcomer to break through). Or you decide that you'd like a change from comedy and put yourself through a course in writing and bingo you get an afternoon play produced. (Bet Lenny Henry didn't have to go through writer's room.)
Riley grumbles off into the distance to brush up the submissions for tomorrow's deadlines. 
Quote: KLRiley @ May 31 2011, 8:47 PM BSTI still despair of how to get a break when it seems all it takes for an actor is to jot an idea down on the back of an envelope, hand it to a producer and presto. You get a series commissioned on ITV1 on Sunday night. (Okay someone else writes it but its one less chance for a newcomer to break through). Or you decide that you'd like a change from comedy and put yourself through a course in writing and bingo you get an afternoon play produced. (Bet Lenny Henry didn't have to go through writer's room.)
Riley grumbles off into the distance to brush up the submissions for tomorrow's deadlines.
This is how it works.
Quote: Marc P @ May 31 2011, 10:32 PM BSTThis is how it works.
S'not fair! 
Quote: KLRiley @ May 31 2011, 8:47 PM BST(Bet Lenny Henry didn't have to go through writer's room.)
No he went through New Faces, but the principle is probably the same...