Emerging: How to Eventually Make it in Film & TV

Being confident is such an important part of being a writer, but most of us will struggle to say a nice thing about a script we're currently working on. So how do we find that inner confidence and back our own work? How many times have you read or re-read one of your own scripts and in that moment, actually been your own favourite writer for a change?

All this and more, as the deadline gets closer and we crack on with our drafts...

As deadline season approaches, we're kicking off a new run of (slightly) shorter episodes focussing on productivity, accountability and the brass tacks of actually getting down to writing, as opposed to just talking about it. So what does one week into our new productivity goals look like? What excuses are we making for ourselves already?

Within this week's more relaxed chat, there's a whole bunch of helpful (and hopefully inspi...

If it's one thing a lot of writers aren't great at, it's keeping track of their progress and setting realistic writing goals. It's a fickle process - we've lost count of the amount of times we've failed to deliver on a personal target. So let's talk about it - not just how to set realistic goals, but how to hold yourself (and others) to account for the work we say we're going to do.

And with both the new school year and deadline...

It's one of the hardest questions in writing - when is it time to give up? On a script, on an agent, or even on writing altogether? None of us are about to throw in the towel completely, but it's a punishing business filled with rejection; the question's bound to pop up every now and then. Or in Tray's case, weekly apparently.

When is quitting okay? When do we know it's time to walk away from a script (at least for now)? When d...

A special little bonus this week - fresh from a 4 day trip to Edinburgh, Martin breaks down his main industry takeaways from the Edinburgh TV Festival. Including some sneaky little tidpits, some thoughts on diversity and a real first, a panel focussing on ESEA (East and South East Asian) lead stories.

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As festival season well and truly kicks off with the Edinburgh TV Fest, we're looking at all the many different kinds of events, both big and small, and our top tips for getting the most out of the entry fee. Whether that's how you plan your time around the festival programme, the appeal of attending an industry focussed event (like Edinburgh) and why sometimes, going to a more local short film fest might actually serve your career...

If writing is hard, rewriting can be even harder - especially if you're working on someone else's draft. But we're in luck, as this week we're joined by our first ever returning guest, fountain of industry knowledge Mr Mike Powell. A successful working screenwriter, Mike helps us understand the ins and outs of not only the most effective way to redraft your own work, but what it's like when you're brought in as a professional to re...

Whether it's just studying screenplays you stole off the internet, or writing your own one man show, or even being taught how to write by the pros at Harvard, there's no one right way to learn the craft - and our guest this week would know, because he's done literally all of those things. 

The sensationally lovely Thomas Burr is a writer, actor, dear friend and Harvard graduate (despite being from the Welsh valleys!) with a...

Networking networking networking, all everyone ever talks about is networking. Everyone hates it, it can be pretty scary if you're not partiuclarly social, but it's very much the life blood of making it in this industry. So learning how to make it work for you is one of the most important skills you can build as a writer.

And you're in luck - in this very advice heavy episode, we're pulling together all of our (and some of our g...

Trying to 'emerge' as a writer is tough enough, sometimes you just need a shoulder to cry on or a bit of lasting encouragement to just keep going, so having a community of supportive, likeminded people around you is fairly vital. But communities don't just *happen* - how do we find our "tribe"? And why does it always feel so awkward? Especially for those of us who aren't the most confident socially, it can be a pretty daunting pros...

Research is both the ultimate procrastination tool, and the holy grail for making your characters and your worlds feel lived in and three-dimensional. So how much is enough? And what does meaningful research even look like anyway? Are we writing endless bulletpoints, watching stacks of movies, making stupid collages, or just cramming it into our brains in the hope that it'll all just sort of work itself into the script in the end?

One of the hardest truths about making it as a writer is that so much of your time will not actually be spent writing scripts. There's networking, building and maintaining relationships with helpful people, writing those dreaded applications and pitch documents, and obviously all the actual business stuff too - accounts, invoices, taxes...

It can be a scary leap if you've never been a freelancer before, so this episode is all ab...

It doesn't matter who you are or what level you're at, the film and TV industry feels like it's built on rejection. Every single one of us will experience it many many times. And it sucks. It hurts. It can make you question your work and your talent and your place in the world. But it's part of the process.

So with that in mind, how do we deal with the constant kick-backs? Does it ever get easier, and is there a way to turn it i...

After mentioning it in almost every episode to date, this week we finally talk openly about racism and diversity in the film and TV industry - from the uncomfortable truths everyone knows but rarely says out loud, to the internal battles we face as emerging writers navigating it all.

We actually sat down to talk about rejection (more on that next week) so this one's a little more free-form than normal, but we do pick at a lot of...

It might sound wild, but sometimes our best and most meaningful work happens completely subconsciously. How many times have we sat down to write something profound and deeply thematically powerful, only to be crushed by the weight of what we're trying to do? So this week, we're (as Tray would say) "deeping it", to dig down into the overarching themes of our scripts, the intention behind them, and how much planning actually goes int...

The age old question, I need a creative writing degree, or even a Masters to be a successful writer? Well, you're in luck because our guest this week has both and IS a successful writer, so has a thing or two to say about education...

The brilliant Hanna Tatschl, a working screenwriter and playwright from Dublin with credits across TV, theatre, and film, takes us through their unique journey into the industry - one that include...

It's a competitive industry where everyone seems to be hustling 24/7, so taking time off can often feel like a risk (or even a failure). Fear of missing out is real.

So this week, we’re talking about rest - the kind that’s actually meaningful and necessary. We dig into our own fears around taking breaks, the pressure to be constantly producing, and the myth that real writers write every single day. We also explore what proper r...

Writing can be a very solitary pursuit, but it doesn't have to be! Just listen to actor turned screenwriter turned friend of the podcast (and fellow New Writers Collective alum) Max Krupski, who's really found his feet (and a lot of success) working as part of a number of different writing teams and duos. Maybe it's because he's also objectively the nicest man in Britain, but Max has some great insight into creative collaboration, ...

Getting notes on your screenplay can be a pretty bruising experience, no matter who they're from, whether it's a friend, a loved one, another writer or a high ranking TV exec. But as you've probably heard, it's a truly vital part of the writing process, and something that everyone, no matter how emerged or successful, has to endure.

So let's talk about it - the good, the bad and the ugly of both giving and receiving notes on yo...