Strike Two

It's not just fluke - I may well be able to pass myself off as a freelancer!

About the same time as making my final arrangements for the Serbian expedition I received an email from the Green Pages editor (Matilda) of the Ecologist, saying she was interested in my idea for a profile on my fashionista sista (see Fashionista Sista blog entry). She wanted 1000 words in the first person, and I quote her here, "and we would write 'as told to Holly Wicks' as the by-line, I think that would be more powerful." Which all sounded bloody great to me! Writing about my sister, without having to leave the comfort of my own home! Bonza!

How wrong could I be.

Firstly, my sister was away in Devon on an animation course when I completed my first draft, so I had to email her the copy to check, and wasn't sure how easy it would be for her to find time/computer to read it. Then she read it and was not a happy bunny. I quote here here, "It makes me sound pretentious and naive, and some of it isn't true." Well, I didn't agree. I was only using stuff from the transcript from our interview after all. But, I didn't want to hurt her feelings, or create a monster.

However, I was on a deadline and sent the copy to the ecologist before Lilli read it - thus making things worse. I felt terrible. I waited till Lilli came home and we had a good chat about what to do next. We agreed that certain things needed changing and we went though the first draft together and altered it to make her sound less 'pretentious'. I sent Matilda the second draft and she said she'd look at it.

We then went to Serbia both feeling happier about the situation. There was a Internet cafe at the EXIT campsite, and I thought it best to check on developments with the piece. Matilda wanted more. We sat in the sweltering heat of the day, beside an archaic, dusty computer and added loads more copy. Then the next day (even more hung-over and hotter) we checked again, and Matilda wanted captions for the photos (which they never used) and spent more time on that.

Two weeks ago, Mum picked me up from the train station after an appointment I'd had with my script supervisor in Falmouth and told me the Ecologist had arrived at home. Then she dropped the bomb. "Oh, it's great - except your name's not on it..."

I was angry, especially after Matilda's promise that my by-line would be 'more powerful'. I stewed about it for a couple of days, and tried to get hold of my tutor to ask for advice. In the end I phoned a journalist friend of my parents' and he said there wasn't much I could do about it, as "yesterday's news in tomorrows chip paper", too true.

So, baring in mind that I would like to work for the Ecologist again, I thought it best to approach Matilda with a more subtle tone. I let her know that I was disappointed, but that I hoped this would not jeopardise our working relationship. She wrote me an apologetic reply, blaming the mistake on a sub-editor who missed it and proofed it whilst Matilda was away. They are (hopefully) going to print an apology in next month's edition, which is a slight consolation.

I've already got another idea to pitch to Matilda, so I hope this one will escape any major editorial glitches. Considering I was writing about my sister and I didn't need to go anywhere to research it, this piece was a hell of a lot easier (apart from the emotional sibling strain) than the McInnerny piece, and for the same price too! I will not dwell on it now, and I can always get busy on Photoshop to correct their error myself...

**************************************************************

Now that the MA is out the way, I actually have time to write for pleasure rather than necessity. Not that writing a screenplay isn't pleasurable. It's just learning a whole new (visual) literary world and writing the full shebang in three months was challenging to say the least. I will give it some space now, and go back to it next month, the ending still needs a lot of work. I think I will work on a radio play next, and also short films, because I feel like I need to go back to basics again before I attempt another screenplay.

I am now thoroughly enjoying some leisure time, thinking about life and my place in it. I have four or five feature ideas bubbling away, ready to pitch now I have the time, and now that my bank balance is threateningly low! I will be updating my website (www.hollywicks.co.uk), and looking for jobs, as well as catching up on some reading and exercise...

What a fabulously productive year I've had so far - I honestly cannot believe how much my writing has improved, and the amazing amount of industry information I have absorbed. I will miss my college clan, and my Three Mackerel co-workers in Falmouth, but this is the season for change, and I'm ready to embrace it now!