I'm so glad I chose to take the Scriptwriting unit this semester. Colin is a wonderful mentor, he couldn't be less like a teacher if he tried. That's not to say he's a push over, or he's not competent. Colin has a wealth of knowledge and expertise in TV and film, he doesn't boast about his connections in Hollywood or Bollywood, but he has got more than a stadium full of stories to tell.
We all agree that Colin is going to be the perfect guide for us, as he understands our warped sense of humour and I can see our group producing some outstanding work together. I'm excited about collaborating with our small but perfectly formed set. Just from today's session, we've got a good idea of what we all want from the unit and there are some great ideas emerging already.
On a slightly different tip, feature writing is also turning out to be very rewarding. Although it is extremely time consuming, once I've settled into a routine and worked out time slots for each of the units, things should pan out nicely. I've just finished the first draft of a feature on freecycling, pitched at Country Living magazine. I've had a brief look at their website and I think there is a gap there for my piece. I'm going to buy a copy of the mag tomorrow, just to make sure I get the tone of voice right and to check they haven't already covered freecycling.
I need to think about what I'm going to write about next week, to save any panic this weekend. Thinking ahead is what it's all about with features. I'd love to think of something really original to write about - but I think everything has been done before. All you can do is regurgitate an old story, but with a fresh angle. Sounds ominous, but it is actually quite liberating. I'm finding out all sorts of facts and figures, on subjects that kind of interest me to begin with - but have ended up being quite fascinating afterwards.
