Yay! You’ll all be pleased to know that I’m back on track. Well actually I doubt any of you care in the slightest, but I’m very excited to be back on track.
I have got my “Persuasion” obsession out of my system by writing at high speed, with numerous spelling errors, a first draft of it. First draft is perhaps over-egging it a bit. I just wrote it all down and printed it. I haven’t even read it through and I don’t intend to- that will just drag me back into the abyss of obsession again, I know it. This way every time I look at at it with its nice neat title page winking up at me I get a deep sense of satisfaction usually followed by a sigh of contentment. Amazing how these things clear the brain and allow the focus to return back on my sensible project on which the inspiration stream seems to flowing pretty well on at the moment.
So all good on the land of the Himalayas at the moment. Except…well except for a little, niggling, ethical issue I have that keeps nagging away at me.
The sensible project happens to be based on the stuff I write about as a journalist- which is social work in case any of you are interested. It’s not a secret amongst work colleagues that I write screenplays in my spare time but none of them know that I have since embarked on this particular project (do you think it’s a problem that none of them have even asked??).
So when a retired social worker rang up saying she’s written her own script about social workers she was immediately referred onto me to offer advice and help and tips. I began feeling a mite uncomfortable. She and I are on the surface writing very similar scripts. I haven’t told her that and I don’t really feel inclined to. But it’s kind of compromising my ability to offer her any feedback.
My good and bad angels are at it over it. It’s a dog eat dog world out there they whisper. Why should I give her any tips that might mean she has a better chance of getting her script looked at over mine? Don’t be silly, they chide, the actual scripts are markedly different and if you have confidence in your own script you should believe that yours is better than anyone else’s anyway, besides where is your sense of the brotherhood of the aspiring screenwriter….and so it goes on.
I’ve already tried directing her to some professional script readers but she doesn’t want to pay and to be fair, she doesn’t know why I am reluctant to offer any critique myself.
Do I give her some surfact comments but say she’s better going to the professionals? Do I be as honest as I can, as helpful as I can and neglect any self-interest? Am I that worthy and selfless?
Hmmmm…..
Leave a comment