Sunday 19 December 2010

Red Planet Runner Up!

Got some great news this weekend;

My script Starfall has been chosen as a runner up in the 2010 Red Planet Prize. The scheme, run by TV legend Tony Jordan and screenwriter Danny Stack aims to encourage new writers and is among the best competitions in the country.

Over 1500 people entered so I am hugely honoured to have been selected and am really looking forward to joining the winner and the other runners up at the workshop next year - where we will be mentored by executives from Red Planet and Kudos, two of the UK's top TV companies.

It means a lot to me for Starfall to have been so well received. I had the original idea back in 1999 (while I was still in high school!) and it's been ticking away at the back of my mind over the years. It's quite a complex piece and so it wasn't until 2007 that I really felt ready to develop it into a script. I've done about 15 drafts in that time so I've certainly worked hard at it! It's mad to think my classroom daydreaming 11 years ago is now opening doors for me into the professional TV world.

The Red Planet Prize is an amazing opportunity - and allows finalists to learn from and pitch to some of the best TV talent in the country. Now it's up to me to make the most of the chance I've been given and keep putting in the hard work. I've still got a way to go until I can make my living from my writing but that dream is looking just that little bit closer...