Great expectations: Mike Cooper

Mike Cooper's credits include The Skewer, Breaking The News and A Comedy Of Gamers.

I've just received an email from those fine folks at BCG Pro which started with the following: "Thank you for entering the Expectation 10-Page Call Out. Your entry has been successfully received."

I won't lie to you reader; I was bloody chuffed reading that.

The email then went on to say: "You have 48 hours to submit any edits before your entry is locked and added to the reading pile."

Rest assured; I will not be returning to it in the next 48 hours. In fact, I probably won't be returning to it in the next few weeks- well certainly not the first 10-pages anyway.

I have genuinely lost count of the number of times I have read and re-read this script, and it has gotten to the point recently where I've hardly made any changes to it at all. In fact, on my last pass of the first 10-pages, all I did was add one word. So, I'm confident it is there. (CUT TO: Mike screaming after realising he's made a glaring error, 48 hours and 1 minute after submission.)

This uncharacteristic confidence isn't borne out of any sort of kamikaze bravado, it just so happens that I have been working on this particular script for quite some time, and it has gone through quite the few iterations. (Usually following having had feedback from some excellent people; the most recent of which was fellow BCG Pro member, Vicky Richards. Thanks again Vicky!)

And, yes, even though I thought the script had been 'finished' a few times previously, it is now at a point where it needs to be set-free and be seen by people other than me or a very select few. Additionally, although its original intention was never meant for entry into this competition, the timing of it gave me a deadline to finally get it 'finished'. Again.

As for the rest of the script, that is also there. Almost. If I'm honest with myself, I know that there is definitely one scene where the dialogue isn't quite there yet. It is a page/page and a half at most, but it is quite a pivotal scene and if we upgrade that honesty level to completely honest, that particular scene has never quite been right throughout any of the script's many iterations.

But, when there are words on the page, it's hard to let go of them - especially when you're not entirely sure what you intend to replace them with. So, there they have stayed. And it is only in the last month or so that I've finally plucked up the courage to keep my finger held down on the backspace key.

And I've certainly improved it, but it's still not there yet. And I'm loathed to return to it at the moment. It's silly that having one page to finish out of a script of 36-pages should feel that daunting, but it bloody does!

Deep down I do know why of course. The truth is that as soon as that page is finished then that's it. I'll have no more excuses not to try and do something with it. And that to me is a far scarier prospect than actually finishing the thing.

As I've mentioned in previous articles, I'm somewhat lacking in the confidence department and certainly not the best at selling myself. So, the prospect of finishing a script and then having to send it to people in the industry fills me with absolute dread. Something I know I need to overcome very quickly if I truly ever actually want to get anywhere in this business - and the older I get, the more certain I am that I do.

So, getting the entry successfully received email is a very good start. Now I just need to buckle down and write 'Fade Out' followed by 'The End' for the actual last time. Wish me luck!