Sam and I are worried we’re neglecting the day jobs. She runs her own business and will soon be more involved in her husband’s business too, if he has his way; I’m a freelance journalist and I don’t mind admitting that there hasn’t been as much freelancing recently as there should have been. Sam and I have become a little obsessed with our comedy drama and the idea that is going to be one of six hour long episodes on a prime time TV slot on BBC2 or Channel 4.
(Who are we kidding? You think some young producer is going to ‘phone us as soon as he/she receives it and invite us out for lunch to discuss a contract?)
One of the broadsheet editors of a newspaper I have had a relationship with in the (recent) past has even sent an email setting out requirements for the coming weeks’ articles. Maybe he thinks I’ve got a thriving career with another newspaper at the moment as I usually bombard him with emails and suggestions for features, and I haven’t had time to do that in the last couple of months? Perhaps he’s desperate and just adds me on to his list of journalists scattered around the country?
Well, I’m very pleased he is still considering me a possible contributor as I haven’t been treating him with enough respect lately. I’ve been so in love with the idea of Sam and my name rolling past on screen at the end of a critically acclaimed comedy drama that I’ve thought of nothing else.
Now our bank managers are telling us loudly and clearly that we’d damn well better think of something else – QUICK.
We’re going to stick to our deadline of 31 January and get it off to someone; BBC Writer’s Room, Sam’s friend at ITV, an agent we plucked out of Writers and Artists Yearbook and Ric Michael of course – lovely, approachable, knowledgable, wonderful Ric Michael [See previous blogs] (I don’t suppose you’re reading this Ric, but if you are…) and then we’re going to have to crack on with the day jobs.
(Talking of day jobs, I did have a feature published in the January edition of Candis magazine about women of 40-something, changing their careers and making a success of it. Can’t think what gave me that idea!)
Suffice to say, we have written nearly 60 minutes of a TV programme having never done anything like it before in our lives. We’re shocked at our audacity and frankly puzzled as to where it’s all come from. No-one else has read it yet. But as Fay Weldon says in Letters to Alice on First Reading Jane Austen, there’s no point asking friends or family to read it as they simply can’t make a decision as to its future and yes, of course, they will be obliged to say SOMETHING and what if they say something we don’t want to hear?
What if BBC Writers Room says something we don’t want to hear? Or Sam’s friend, or the agent or, God forbid, Ric Michael?
What if we are met by a deafening silence?
Final read through next Thursday and then off it goes.
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