The Show What You Wrote Page 18

Quote: golfer @ April 23 2013, 9:47 AM BST

I'd love to get a rewrite email, but would imagine lots of sketches get straight through, so hope is still there!! For those that have had rewrite requests, have they asked for major changes or is it just: 'can you add a funny line here/can you write a better punchline' type thing. Thanks

Pretty much the above, a few lines with specific suggestions.

Thanks Ash. I'm sure most of mine required a tweak/major rewrite [which dawned on me minutes after they were sent], but it's hard to know exactly what they're looking for.

Quote: StephenM @ April 22 2013, 11:16 PM BST

Congratulations!

And does that mean 4 of the 5 episodes have been covered? Or more likely it's not quite as ordered as all that.

Cheers. I suspect it's probably all a bit ad hoc and not set in stone.

I didn't write any documentary (did 14 sketches in total) strange that that's the one that everyone says probably got the most.

I sent loads of thriller and horror. Only two for History, so bit of a surprise that one got through to the next stage. I only sent a few for Documentary as well, mainly because I couldn't quite figure out what they wanted.

My request definitely had the feel of 'this does require a rewrite' rather than a couple of tweaks the script editors could have made themselves. So there may well yet be hope. (That said I've not read a sketch yet that I didn't think could be improved with a re-write!).

For those who might be kicking the wall/cat don't give up hope. (And none of us are guaranteed anything yet so there could be a lot of kicking yet to be done.) Not for this show yet as think some requests must still have to go out but also in general. I have written about 20+ sketches I'd not have written otherwise and they're going to stay written. For non-topical stuff it can lie in the drawer for a few months, then you can go back to it with a fresh-ish mind and improve it further. There'll always be chances to use it again such as sketch groups, self-made podcasts or even another series of TSWYW.

Lack of feedback is tough but I imagine they'll have been sent hundreds, if not thousands, of sketches to read through and it's just not feasible to feedback on all but a few sketches. However I'd recommend getting feedback via other ways - get someone to perform it (it'll be a lot less competitive than this opportunity!), record it yourself or show it to friends who'll be properly critical. There's even critique here for the very brave but I'll admit I'm not normally that brave.

Maybe after this we need to do a non-topical Kirrin Island...

I've heard there is to be a blog this week about Show What You Wrote, I think it is by one of the script editors so I'll keep an eye out for it and post a link if I come across it first. It should answer a few questions we've all got about the process and whether or not some sketches have gone straight in or not.

Also I've been thinking about what to do with my unsuccessful submissions once tthe show goes out, and I think a non topical Kirrin Island style show would be great. Definitely want to hear my stuff recorded in some form even if I have to do it myself with my cat playing the difficult roles.

Quote: StephenM @ April 23 2013, 11:58 AM BST

My request definitely had the feel of 'this does require a rewrite' rather than a couple of tweaks the script editors could have made themselves.

Not sure I could tell with mine if that was the case but I did make the changes they asked for, of course having to rejig bits and think up some new lines. Now there's the wondering if the rewrite was the improvement they wanted..

15,000 sketches have been sent in.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01r1s2h/features/what-happens-next

To put that into context, if all sketches were printed out and made into a papier-mache likeness of Terry Wogan's head, that head would be 3.5 miles high and 2.5 miles wide.

Quote: StephenM @ April 23 2013, 11:58 AM BST

Maybe after this we need to do a non-topical Kirrin Island...

I'd definitely be interested in this. I don't think the topical stuff really suits my style, plus I wouldnt be as aware or up to date with all the goings on in the British media.

Still havent heard a word from TSWYW but as others have said it may not necessarily a bad thing(yet anyway).

Lets hope the forthcoming blog will reveal lots.

Or if the average sketch is 2 minutes long, that's 500 hours (nearly 3 weeks) of sketch. I dare say it's easy to whittle that down to 2hours 20min. :S

Quote: Judgement Dave @ April 23 2013, 3:46 PM BST

Or if the average sketch is 2 minutes long, that's 500 hours (nearly 3 weeks) of sketch. I dare say it's easy to whittle that down to 2hours 20min. :S

Whittling it down to five hours was probably quite easy - it the last stretch that's the hardest.

Just in case you couldn't be bothered clicking on the link above here's the key bits. In summary:

- Rewrites are going out and are still being sent out
- A few sketches will go straight in the show without a rewrite request (tweaked by script ed)

So there is hope even if you didn't hear anything about a rewrite.

And just to put those odds into context one show will have about 15 sketches so that's 60 out of 15,000 will make the cut.
---------

From the BBC website:

You can rest assured that any pieces of work that arrived before the deadline have been considered, but you won't get an email from us about your entry UNLESS:
We really like your idea but we think you might be able to tweak it. In this case you'll be sent some edit notes to the email address the sketch was sent from, along with a new deadline to submit your rewrite. A re-written sketch still might not make the final programme, but it does mean that we really like the idea and think we might be able to use it. Some rewrite suggestions have already gone out, but we'll be sending lots more requests over the next couple of weeks, so do keep an eye on your inbox.
OR, your sketch has been used in the recording as you sent it to us and we need you to send us your payment information.

In a few cases it might be that the edits we need to make to your sketch are very minor and will be done by the script editors here. If that happens and your sketch is in the final programme, you'll get an email from us letting you know and asking for your payment details in the same way as anyone else who's been asked to make a rewrite themselves. We won't know exactly which sketches are going to air until the programme is recorded and edited, so you won't get an email confirming your work's inclusion until a few weeks from now.

Quote: StephenM @ April 23 2013, 4:22 PM BST

And just to put those odds into context one show will have about 15 sketches so that's 60 out of 15,000 will make the cut.

Aren't there 5 shows?

If so, 5 x 15= 75.

That's exactly a 0.5% chance of getting on.

Quote: StephenM @ April 23 2013, 4:22 PM BST

From the BBC website:

You can rest assured that any pieces of work that arrived before the deadline have been considered, but you won't get an email from us about your entry UNLESS:
We really like your idea but we think you might be able to tweak it. In this case you'll be sent some edit notes to the email address the sketch was sent from, along with a new deadline to submit your rewrite. A re-written sketch still might not make the final programme, but it does mean that we really like the idea and think we might be able to use it. Some rewrite suggestions have already gone out, but we'll be sending lots more requests over the next couple of weeks, so do keep an eye on your inbox.
OR, your sketch has been used in the recording as you sent it to us and we need you to send us your payment information.

Shame there isn't a comment section on that page as the bit I've emboldened seems ambiguous.

It says you'll get an email if the sketch is used in a recording as they'll need payment info, but if it's done like NJ payment info is only needed for broadcast material.

So will TSWYW be emailing people in the recorded but cut category, as per NJ, or just recorded and broadcast?

Quote: Jinky @ April 23 2013, 5:23 PM BST

Aren't there 5 shows?

If so, 5 x 15= 75.

That's exactly a 0.5% chance of getting on.

Yes - though there's not that much practical difference between 0.4% chance and 0.5% chance. And that's only if all the sketches of of equal merit or selected at random. When they do the NJ webcasts they're always saying they get a lot of material that's patently unsuitable for BBC radio - the sketch equivalents of fledgling standup's paedo-rape gags (oh - they were the teacher!).

I'd guess that this show will have had thousands of equally unsuitable sketches - so any broadcast able sketches are probably already at least 0.8% chance :P