Submissions & Rejections

Sent off my submission for Open Eye productions yesterday. Although I was skeptical about reducing my story to just 40 words, I enjoyed the challenge and was quite happy with the finished mini-synopsis and character description. As someone pointed out over at Writewords, it was a useful exercise for any writer to undertake, and it really helps to boil down an idea to its very essence. As with any submission, I'm optimistic about its chances but not exactly holding my breath waiting for a positive response either. I don't submit work often because I do write slowly and so I consider it an achievement just to complete something and send it out there.

Also over at Writewords, there is an interesting thread about rejection slips called the 2006 Rejection Pledge (it's in the Lounge forum though, so you have to be a member to view it). The idea is to turn rejection slips into a positive by setting a target for the year. I haven't yet 'taken the pledge' but I do love this idea. It's true that you can't get published/produced/commissioned if you don't submit work, and this is a good way of celebrating the effort and courage it takes to send your work out there, without getting too upset if you get a rejection. Every rejection is a learning curve, particularly if you get some constructive feedback with it. At the moment, I'm anticipating my first rejection of the year - at this stage I know I haven't got through, but I'm keen to get any feedback and I'll be interested to find if it tallies up with what I was uneasy about myself. There won't be too much time to dwell on it though, with Coming Up and the Kaos Short Film Script Competition around the corner, I have plenty to crack on with.

And on the subject of waiting for that big break, Writer's Room have an excellent new 'Script to Screen' with Paul Farrell, discussing the progression from a spec script to a commissioned episode of Silent Witness.