Riddle Me This...

2004: My short script Life 2.0 is a runner-up in the British Short Screenplay Competition.

2007: My short script You're All Going To Die doesn't even make the Second Round.

Have I regressed? Was Life 2.0 really a better script than You're All Going To Die? Personally, I think YAGTD is way stronger, but the Kaos Films folk disagreed. Way it goes. Move on, nothing to see here. If I wasn't such a self-assured type, it might slightly chip at the old confidence, coming as it does mere hours after I sent off my Red Planet Prize entry...

I'm pretty damn sure that Lucy's in Round Two, though, so congrats, Luce! Oh, and the same goes for Elinor and Christine! Hooray. Who else is ploughing forward, flying our Scribosphere flag beside them, hmmmm? Feel free to tell me. I promise not to (a) hate you or (b) turn up on your doorstep, with a garden gnome tucked under my arm.

In Other News, I interviewed Elisabeth Sladen for 90 minutes this morning, in Selfridges. As she's a childhood heroine of mine, having appeared in the classic Doctor Who series and now in her own upcoming show The Sarah Jane Adventures, it was a wonderfully surreal experience. And a damn fine chinwag.

23 comments:

Andy Phillips said...

YAGTD is a superb script. Funny, clever and gory. What more do they want? It's like English Dave said: some readers don't know shit from Shinola. You can tell by their shoes.

Elinor said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Elinor said...

Sorry jason. Ignore previous post. i misread the post and thopught you meant had two scripts in this year.Ever onward to Red Planet!

Unknown said...

Jason,
Please don't come to my place with a gnome - very scary little things they are.
I think that a) I've been VERY lucky to get through the next round or b) as Pillock suggests, they like my shit.
I'm new to the writing game and have have some splendid help from Big Lucy and the recovering Mr Carver.
At least you got to meet/interview that Sladen Goddess!

Jason Arnopp said...

Thanks Mr Pillock and Ms Elinor!

And welcome Andy! Congratulations, sir. And your day keeps getting better. Because of the alphabetical way I list my blog-links, you're now at the top! :)

Anonymous said...

Hey Jason,

I feel slightly the same way. Script-writing is a definite "confidence knocker". Similar to you, I was 1st runner-up in 2004, thought I'd give it another crack this year, and there I go...out after the second round. Having said that I didn't think my entry was as strong this time, so perhaps I am indeed regressing. Good luck with Red Planet. BTW I enjoy your blog (and many others such as Lucy, Dom, Dave Bishop, Danny Stack, etc) - but I'm nowhere near interesting enough to have one myself! :)

Jason Arnopp said...

Blimey, Frank, we're both from the BSSC Class Of 2004! Good on ya, for doing so well back then, and as poorly as me, this time. :-) Just a bit of fun there: we did well to get this far. Are you entered into Red Planet too?

martin said...

that's the way to look at it - it's one read from one reader - to show how little they know, I got through.

Can I expect a visit from you and Mr Gnome? ;)

Jason Arnopp said...

Heyyyy, Martin, nice one! Did you get through with both scripts too?

Anonymous said...

Yep. Entered Red Planet, but I have similarly low expectations, especially given the genre of my first 10 pages: Children's TV drama... although in this instance I am fairly happy with the overall script, well more happy than I was over my BSSC entry anyway :)

Jon said...

Commiserations. But onwards and upwards! Good luck on Red Planet.

And hey, Sarah Jane Smith, er, Elisabeth Sladen… what a consolation!

Frank- does that mean your script changes genre after the first 10 pages? ;-)

Children’s Ward- the Uncut Version!!!

(Does that show my age or youth?)

Jon said...

I've got a horrible feeling that made more sense in my head: I was imagining something like nice children's prog turning into Hostel.

Ignore me... I'll disappear in a puff of weird.

potdoll said...

same thing happened to me last year Jason. I had been a finalist a previous year and then last year got booted off after the first round.

it's a strange game, this writing.

Good luck with Red Planet. x

Dominic Carver said...

I made round two for the first year...is it a bad thing to gloat in your comments?

TEHE!

Lianne said...

Commiserations Jason. I got booted out as well, and was putting the finishing touches to my Red Planet entry when I got the news. What a confidence wrecker! But hey, maybe you can do as the lovely Lara is plannning, and direct that script yourself?

potdoll said...

I'd deck Dom if I were you Jase

Jason Arnopp said...

Good suggestion, Potters. I'm writing this with my Blackberry, en route to Bournemouth. A garden gnome sits next to me.

But no, that's brilliant stuff, Mr Carver. And commiserations to you too, Lianne. Clearly, our work was so sublime that it swept over heads aplenty... :-)

Lianne said...

That'll be it, Jason. Oh, and I'm with Pots ;-)

Lucy V said...

Commiserations guys but look at this way: this whole writing malarkey is a full-on crapshoot as the Americans say. It's NOT regressing Jason: if it were I peaked in Feb 2006 being a semi-finalist in Write Movies since I've never got any closer to the big one in any other comp.

I'm pleased to get through, obviously, but can't believe my script will get much further. Or maybe it's a defence mechanism. I don't even know. You just have to enjoy your successes and ignore the rejections.

And definitely deck Carver, I'll even help you Jason - pick me up on your way round, will you???

Sal said...

semifinalist in 2005, booted out after the first round this year. COngrats to the successful, commiserations to fellow-bootees.

Christine said...

Bad luck Jason and Lianne. As everyone else says, who can tell with these things? My entry from last year didn't even make the first round (unless they filed it under 'T' for 'The', which they may well have done).

Dominic Carver said...

Be nice, I'm ill.

You'll probably all do a hell of a lot better than me on the Red Planet Prize and then you can gloat back all you like. I'm just extremely happy to have made the second round for the first time ever. I cling to these small achivements, they are my lifeline. :-)

Mandy Lee said...

Commiserations. I got through, but don't tell anyone. I don't want to jinx it or find a gnome's head in my bed.