SCREEN WRITING FOR CHILDREN

This year we launch a BAFTA Rocliffe New Writing Forum focusing on Writing for Children with the support of the London Book Fair. As with all our calls writers submit a ten page extract but rather than focus on a medium this call can be an animation or live action, feature film, TV series or sit-com – anything as long as the focus is screen writing for children. Read the full press release here.  

Writing for Children is a particular skill in itself. The diversity alone is fascinating – what stimulates 2 year olds may not be the same for 5-6 year olds and then let's not forget the 7-12 year olds. BAFTA Children's Event Producer Lisa Prime told me Children’s TV tends to officially end at 12. Although feature film is slightly different and aimed at a family audience. BAFTA's rules for the Children’s Awards that includes 12A films. 

My childhood TV diet in Libya in the 1970s were the imaginative adventures of Sinbad and Alaaedin – both in Arabic and English. In the summer when the weather was good, we could pick up Tunisian TV stations – which I called ‘tuna TV’. They had a better selection of westerns, musicals and more cartoons than the Gadaffi-filled propaganda and televised executions that interrupted broadcasts. The dialogue was dubbed into Arabic but the songs were always in English. I particularly loved stories or shows that included following colourful characters and quests, which on reflection were to some degree always safe jeopardies. They opened up my world and kept the dark moments of that period of my life at bay, as well as my western understanding alive. As I grew, my choice of viewing was very similar to my reading choices. I liked characters in stories who broke rules, were naughty – unlike my school reading books with the utterly mundane goody-two-shoes characters of Peter and Jane. I revelled in stories about the Knights of the Round Table, Greek Myths and Irish Folk Tales. 

The first show to turn me into a telly addict was the Muppet Show - as a teenager I even watched Fraggle Rock, although I didn't necessarily broadcast that. When Duncan Kenworthy was a guest at a forum, he and I sang the theme tune together. I was so impressed he had produced Fraggle Rock that I almost forgot his other work - Four Weddings and A Funeral, Notting Hill & Love Actually. I can still recall the anticipation of waiting to watch each episode from week to week. My school friends and I would discuss the characters, star guests and the sketches in between. I was even given the Muppet Show cook book for Christmas. 

As an adult, I no longer can claim to be an authority on the subject of children's TV other than the occasional Muppet Movie. Elly Brewer and Ben Ward are - check out their credits on IMBD. 

Rocliffe Notes on Writing for Children’s Television by Elly Brewer & Ben Ward

Know your market. Watch the output of the age group you’re aiming at and do some research to make sure your idea hasn’t been done before. Or if it has, that you’ve put a really fresh spin on it. Develop great characters. However unusual your concept or location, it’s characters the audience will fall in love with and keep coming back for. Make sure your dialogue sounds natural. Do people really talk like that? Read it aloud to see how it sounds – and if it’s easy to say. Keep the pace up. Get in to scenes as late as possible, say what needs saying and get out again. Fast. Show don’t tell. Make sure there’s plenty of action. And you don’t always have to use dialogue – a look or gesture can convey a huge amount. Number scenes and pages (or it’s an editing nightmare). Double-check for typos and spelling mistakes. Let your script lie overnight, give it one final polish in the morning, then submit. ELLY BREWER

You must be original. There are a lot of people trying to do what you're doing and comparatively few opportunities... so make sure you stand out. If you're writing for an existing show, watch everything you can. Similarly, if you're writing for a specific network, watch as much of it as you can. It helps to have the same terms of reference as your audience. Exploit your setting and theme. If you're set on a farm, try writing down 50 things about farms before you start. If it's about siblings, write down 50 things about siblings. If that's what it's about or where it's set you may as well get the most out of it. Don't just 'write for kids', write for yourself. If you don't find it funny or moving, it's unlikely anyone else will. Be open to suggestions for changing your work. Some of them will be good. Don't put all your eggs in one basket. There are a million reasons why an idea or a script won't make it so having a few scripts on the go can make the disappointment easier to bear. BEN WARD

WRITING QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“I’m not writing to make anyone’s children feel safe.” J. K. Rowling

Keep Writing!

ROCLIFFE NOTES FROM FILM LONDON ON LOW-NO BUDGET FEATURES

Many regional bodies in the UK have low budget film schemes. Like them or loathe them, they give many first-timer feature makers a way in, within a supported network. These opportunities are available to you but the trick is to apply for them in the right way. To understand more, I spoke with the team behind the Microwave initiative and asked them for their tips on making a low budget film. 

Film London recently relaunched Microwave, their feature film training through production fund. This year the scheme has come back bigger and is better than ever with £150,000 for up to six films over three years. 

Microwave helped to produce Hong Khaou's critically-acclaimed Lilting, BAFTA-nominated Shifty and Plan B's directorial debut, iLL Manors as well as Borrowed Time, Strawberry Films and Mum & Dad.  

The scheme looks for ambitious teams driven to tell singular and authentic stories which embrace and make a creative virtue of the challenges of micro-budget film making. Their aim is to support bold and surprising cinema that will grow and excite audiences, contributing positively to an increasingly diverse landscape for British film. 

Deborah Sathe, Head of Talent Development and Production, said: 'We are hugely delighted to launch our Microwave feature film fund again – and excited to find the next generation of storytellers to follow in the footsteps of Lilting, Shifty, and iLL Manors.' 

I asked them to share their insight into things that work and to consider when applying.  

ROCLIFFE NOTES FROM FILM LONDON: 

1. One of the first questions to ask: is this a film that will compromise itself in order to be made on a low budget? If so, it’s not the right project.
2. Preparation time and development is your most abundant and valuable resource. Just because you've been funded, that doesn't mean you're ready to go shoot. Is the script the very best it can be?
3. On a low budget, the narrative has to work seamlessly on the page; the script can’t hide behind production values of a higher budgeted film
4. Do an actors read-through in advance of the shoot and incorporate changes. With a limited budget, there is no time to find the scene on set.
5. Consult with the editor during the final draft to ensure everything needed is there, and vice versa. Low budgets don’t allow for extra fat on the script; you need the most efficient ratio possible between what’s shot and what makes the final cut.
6. Make a panel of trusted readers to read at key stages to save on a script editor. Keep it small and consistent, too many voices are unhelpful
7. Have the script embrace the realities of the shoot – location, budget, schedule – and not fight against them. Has it made a virtue of them? Embrace constraint as an opportunity to make something better.
8. What is your films key location? Or are there two? Three will most likely be be your maximum, both in terms of cost, and in terms of logistics.
9. Does it really have to be at night? Does there have to be a crowd? Is there really a child there? Is there really a dog there? Does the car really need to be moving? Do you really need that song? Find the essential narrative purpose of the scene and be faithful to it, remove the extra details that will strain your budget. 
10. Choose your project very carefully. Are you prepared to dedicate the next three years of your life to it? No matter the sacrifice, no matter the lack of money, no matter the odds against it?

It really is worth understanding and following these guidelines when considering submitting a project. You don't have to lose the story just because you will not have the perfect budget to make it - in truth no film ever does have enough money - you can adapt it. You are the creator of that world so be challenged and be creative. Should you find you cannot create a world in which this story can exist at this budget level, then perhaps write a different story that does. 

Film making from script to screen will always be filled with compromise. The films that work have a a truth, a fundamental truth, at the heart of the story they tell - what's yours? Remember the script will carry the film from start to finish. I'm a firm believer that all writers and writer-directors are more than one idea - commit to a career not a screenplay and use schemes such as this to springboard you. 

The closing date for entries is 30 July CLICK HERE for more info. If you qualify, apply and see where you get to. Good luck! 

Keep writing!

TABLE READS - A TOOL OF A WRITER'S TRADE

Writing can be a very solitary thing as much of what we do with characters are developed and exist solely in our head. So when we write, it is important that we capture all of the dimensions of these imaginery characters in the written word and get what's inside our mind, outside of our head and onto the page. One of the best ways to see if we have achieved that, is to listen to other people read our work aloud. It gives a distance and a value to each voice, in a way that reading it aloud by yourself cannot provide. For a writer, it is really important to hear how the reading sounds.

For many a wordsmith, the first time their script comes alive is magical. It is also a very, very useful tool. Intimate table reads give an understanding of how the script is working. It is easy to tell if the characters came alive. Did it make sense? Are too many characters saying the same thing? Getting feedback from actors is also helpful and can feed into the development process. I recommend that a writer or writer-director should not take part in the reading but listen and make notes.  

I would always recommend doing a table read before casting the script. It doesn’t matter if the script is a short, feature, sitcom or TV drama, hearing the work read aloud will be of enormous value and undoubtedly improve the script.

TEN SCRIPT POINTERS FOR SETTING UP A TABLE READ

1. Use the first table read as a development tool rather than a selling tool. Think of it is as a spring clean, would you invite people to watch you clean up? Probably not but you can ask people to help you out. I would advise you to keep the first reading very simple – actors, writer, director and producer and one or two trusted writer-friends.
2. Casting actors can seem like the most daunting task begin with, so start with who you know. Do you know any actors? Do your friends know any actors? Ask the actors you know if they know other actors, you can advertise for actors on Shooting People, PCR, call drama schools and ring agents, give them a cast breakdown. Be honest with actors and agents that this is a table reading to help with the development of the script and you would like the feedback of actors. I would advise you not to promise anyone a role yet, as it is very early days, what if that role gets cut? That said, be appreciative of what an actor is bringing to the reading. 
3. Divide up the roles in advance and send the script to performers so they know what roles they are reading. Assign a strong actor with the role of reading the narration – they will drive the energy. Ask them to read it in a normal voice, without affectation but to keep the energy up. Don’t worry about casting people who do not physically fit the roles, cast an actor who can bring out the personality and emotional depth of the role.  Send the script by email to each actor with a list of the parts they are playing. Rocliffe recommends using no more than 6-8 actors including 1 narrator – who only reads the stage directions/action etc. and scene changes.  If there is a clear protagonist and antagonist then assign one actor each of these roles.  Use two male and two female actors – younger and older and assign each of the roles accordingly – older female, younger female and double up.
4. Find a quiet, well lit room. Pubs with music don’t tend to work, however, many central pubs have quiet space and will give you the room. Make the location central for everyone not just central to you. Give clear instructions as to the time, the place and ask them to come 15 minutes early. Organise the reading at least 4 days in advance and confirm details before the day. You can use your home as long as it has room to accommodate everyone. 
5. Make sure to provide water, coffee, tea as reading can be thirsty work. I would also suggest sweets of some kind - chocolate dries up the throat but boiled sweets can help lubricate the voice. Also supply highlighter and pencil/pens.
6. Print out single or double-sided copies for the actors, bind it with ACCO clips (see stationers) so the pages will stay together. You will need a copy of the script for each of the actors reading and yourself. You can email this to them in advance but you not expect actors to print their own copies and they shouldn’t have to share. There is no need to print off pricey copies for anyone other than the writer, director, producers.  
7. For the first ever table read, the script should be read aloud by actors in a single sitting i.e. without interruption.  Do not stop to give notes or acting pointers during the reading. Make notes throughout. Remember to be polite, not bossy - they are there to help you.  
8. Should you wish to record the reading, always ask the actors in advance if you can record it. This should only be used for your purposes to listen again. Do not distribute this recording as a selling tool.
9. Discuss the script with the actors. Ask them what their thoughts are on the characters. They may feel a character is too thin, need more backstory; were the goals, needs, wants of each character clear enough? Does each character have an arc or disappear? Do they feel the characters are thought through enough or under or over written? Write down all the notes you get. Thank the actors in person and then send a follow up thank you in writing (by email), in the email invite them to share with you any thoughts that have occurred to them since.  
10. Write up your notes that evening or the next morning whilst they are still fresh and make revisions immediately whilst you are still fired up.

Writing quote of the week

"The inner life of the [imagination], and not the personal and tiny experiential resources of the actor, should be elaborated on the stage and shown to the audience. This life is rich and revealing for the audience as well as for the actor himself" ~ Michael Chekhov

Keep Writing!

Watch more films to make a change in the films you want to see - gender & diversity balance in film & TV

This week I have paraphrased the famous Mahatma Gandhi quote be the change you want to see in the world.

Having recently been asked about the BAFTA Rocliffe New Writing Forum approach to diversity, I answered that the Rocliffe part of the partnership is run by an Irish-Libyan. I expanded by stating that our selection process rests purely with the voice of the writing. When we select scripts the panel have no idea of the writer's gender, or what their experience is, age, race if they write alone or part of a team. Their selection is based purely on the panel member’s connection to the work. Interestingly, we’ve seen a balance shift from mostly male to an equal gender footing. As a result in 2013 all our TV writers were female, the comedy writers were predominantly female (5 female and 3 male), and the film writers were all male. The work was selected purely on the strength of the writing – gender or race did not (and could not) play a role in the selection process.

I’d like to think that the jobs I’ve got to date were down to my ability to do the job, rather than my race or gender. Besides, I’ve yet to see a diversity form with the option of Irish-Libyan, and I rarely see a tick box for Arab, MENA (Middle Eastern North Africa) or North African. We come under OTHER.  I do believe that when Andrea Arnold, Aisling Walsh, Amma Assante, Clio Barnard and Kirsten Sheridan wrote and then directed their films, they did so as storytellers just like every other filmmaker. Getting a film made is hard, no one doubts that, but I'm sure they want us to choose to see their work to be entertained, not because they are women making films.  

That said, there is a justifiable debate underway about gender and a strong argument about increasing the low percentage of female directors and writer-directors and whether that boils down to women not being given the opportunity to direct. A lack of opportunity creates a lack of visibility that in turn causes a lack of demand. We can laud and applaud people and we can lament the lack of prominence and breaks, but the question I ask myself is how do I make a change in the system?  The only way I know how is by watching their films and encouraging others to do so too. Draw your own conclusions about their voices – become a fan (or not), engage with their work (or not), support them (or not), but by acknowledging women’s contribution to this industry, by watching their work and creating a demand, we can begin to tackle this dearth of women. This requires familiarising ourselves with their body of work, and, if we think it is good, recommending others to watch it too.

Several years ago, I had a conversation with the owner of the flower stall beside Angel tube station comparing the films at the Vue Islington and the Screen on the Green. He felt that the Screen was like supporting local business. I asked him which films he had seen there that he had liked. He told me that was where he had first seen Andrea Arnold’s work and now he watches all her films. He felt her characters were real, and clicked with them.

For my part I’m using this blog to spotlight, the feature debuts by first time writer-directors, I’ve really loved, both female and male. This is my utterly subjective list of first films. I selected some because they have moved me, because I saw their shorts and have followed their careers, because I feel a personal attachment to the films and some purely for the film themselves. So if you feel there’s someone to flag up – go shout it out… make your own lists - word of mouth is a powerful tool.

MY TEN WRITER-DIRECTOR DEBUTS FILMS TO WATCH:

32A by Marian Quinn

This story is set in the 'in-between' time of a girl's life, when she is no longer a child and not yet a woman. We open on our heroine, Maeve, putting on her new snow-white bra and stepping out into the world as a young woman. Her world revolves around her three best friends who despair of her ever getting a boyfriend. But what no one expected, least of all Maeve, was that she would snare the local 16-year-old heartthrob.

1982 by Tommy Oliver

Timothy (Hill Harper), a man struggling to raise his young daughter Maya (newcomer Troi Zee) in the midst of his wife Shenae’s (Sharon Leal) growing drug habit. 

As if I’m Not There by Juanita Wilson

Samira is a modern schoolteacher in Sarajevo who takes a job in a small country village just as the war is beginning to ramp up. When Serbian soldiers overrun the village, shoot the men and keep the women as labourers (the older ones) and sex objects (the younger ones), Samira is subjected to the basest form of treatment imaginable.

Eamon by Margaret Corkery

A family holiday brings to a head the destructive love triangle between Eamon, a little boy with behavioural problems, his selfish mother Grace and his sexually frustrated father Daniel.

I am Nasrine by Tina Gharavi

Free-spirited 16-year-old Nasrine is arrested by the Iranian police – for riding on the back of a boy's motorcycle – and sexually assaulted in prison. She flees to the UK with her older brother Ali and moves into a Newcastle council estate that's a far cry from their comfortable middle-class existence in Tehran.

My Brother the Devil by Sally El Hosaini

Two teenage brothers must face their own prejudices head on if they are to survive the perils of being British Arabs growing up on the streets of gangland London.

Sixteen by Rob Brown

An urban thriller about an African former child soldier called Jumah was brought to London by Laura, an aid worker who he now lives with. Jumah is about to turn 16 in two days and wants to leave his violent past behind him. Things seem to have taken a turn for the better with Jumah now; he has a sweet but tentative romance blossoming with a girl at school. But then Jumah witnesses a stabbing and the people involved want to make sure that he says nothing to the police about what he saw that night. Pressure mounts as violence forces it's way back into Jumah's life.

The Other Side of Sleep by Rebecca Daly & Glenn Montgomery

A sleepwalker. A body. A family. A small community. Arlene is like a ghost in her life. She lives in a small town in the midlands – surrounded by field after field, woodlands and laneways to disappear down and never come back… One morning Arlene wakes in the woods beside the body of a young woman. Someone watches from the trees. The body is soon discovered and suspicion spreads through the community. Increasingly drawn to the girl’s family – her grieving sister and accused boyfriend, Arlene barricades herself in at night, afraid to sleep. Haunted by grief buried and delayed, Arlene’s sleeping and waking realities soon blur. And all this time someone is watching her.

The Rise (Wasteland) by Rowan Athale

A young Englishman recently released from prison recruits his three best friends and to rob the local drug kingpin who is responsible for his incarceration. Can he get revenge and win back his fed-up girlfriend?

Wreckers by Dictynna Hood

A married couple move back to his childhood village to start a family but a surprise visit from the husband's brother ignites sibling rivalry and exposes the lies embedded in the couple's relationship.

And I can't wait to see what they do next. 

Watch out for the the forthcoming films from directors, whose work I can't wait to see, Paul King, Amma Assante, Ron Scalpello, Susan Jacobson, Niall Heery, Sarah Gavron, Lisa Barros D’Sa, Tom Harper and writer Jack Thorne as well as the feature debuts of Nick Ryan, David Leon and Claire Wilson.

My quote:

Today's news was published by word of mouth in the streets of ancient Athens. ~ Anonymous

Keep writing!

WRITING TV EPISODE OUTLINES & STORY LINES

Writing a storyline is great fun. You are creating characters that you make do whatever you want. Hanging out with pretend people, in a pretend world is or should be like child's play, but sometimes it is not. There are a few basic rules to it. When writing an episode for TV, you have to think about the length. An hour on screen has to fill the time with something that drives it, sustains our interest and not just the long story narrative. Storylines need to be threaded through, and you need to know what structure that will take.

William Goldman said in Adventures in the Screen Trade 'the essential opening labour a screenwriter must execute is, of course, deciding what the proper structure should be for the particular screenplay you are writing.' This, he believes, is 'the single most important lesson to be learned about writing'. He continues to hammer home the point by stating 'nifty dialog helps one hell of a lot; sure, it's nice if you can bring your characters to life. But you can have terrific characters spouting just swell talk to each other, and if the structure is unsound, forget it.'  

Structure is all about planning. With TV episodes there is no opportunity to over/under-run, so you need to plan it out carefully. The first thing to understand is that an hour-long episode on most channels will be around 50 minutes for drama and 20-25 minutes for SitCom. A full TV Drama script will be somewhere between 46-50 pages and SitCom betewen 20-25 pages. It is worth noting that some channels have longer ad-breaks and these will dictate the exact length of the script, and you will also need to allow for credits. That's a lot of pages if you are writing a six episode series. Each episode needs its own structure and story to drive it forward. You need to show you know what those stories or story lines will be, and this is where the guides come in. The treatment is an overview but the guides give us snippets of insight into how it will work and entertain. 

MY TEN ROCLIFFE TIPS:

1. These are written in the third person, present tense.  No dialogue should appear at any point.  I would suggest 50-100 words per episode - less can be more if you can entice us with the story progression. Check Rocliffe's Terms & Conditions as word counts may vary depending on each particular script call. 
2. Each episode must have vital moments, so describe the essential moments in each episode. Stay true to your story. Be dynamic - in drama significant things as a consequence of, and not merely after, what has happened before. Too often we see superfluous scenes – everything should be part of the bigger story or driving the story forward. When writing episode guides or storylines you are describing the dramatic moments within the script.
3. When you have a series arc, which is apparent in a long running story of a mini-series, remember this is the backbone of the series and we should see progression of this in each guide.  The overall structure of the beginning, middle and end is in the treatment.  The episodes must match the treatment. 
4. Remember that each episode has to draw the audience in, keep them coming back the following week whilst revealing enough of the main story and still telling single story strands within the episode. There is a complexity to this but it should be clear if you are clear what your main story arc is.
5. When creating a storyline that is contained within a single episode ensure that it has some closure, even if you continue other storylines into future episodes. Remember it is by engaging with these characters that draws an audience in and makes them come back for more.
6. Show the characters history, backstory and interrelationships/interactions with the other characters. A great example of this was the series Cold Feet, which ran for 6 series, 32 episodes from 1998 – 2003.  The bind was the ups-and-downs of 3 ordinary couples in Manchester. Good times and bad times were followed through the 32 hours, which were finally tied up in the last episode of the sixth series when all the history of the previous years’ came together.
7. Whilst we all follow the maxim of all scripts ‘show not tell’ even in guides and storylines that doesn’t mean you replace loads of dialogue with lengthy emotional description and action. Replace it with one line.
8. A good writer is a good reader.  Watch and read shows.  Assess how they end and finish stories that are interspersed within the main series narrative. This will give you a greater understanding of the structure of the show as well as a greater appreciation of what your story can be.
9. Work out your ending of each episode, right at the start, it makes it easier to know where you are driving the series rather than rambling along.  You can’t wing it.
10. Stay true to your story. Don’t self-sensor at the first draft or second-guess at the spec script stage what our panel or a commissioner will be looking for. Ensure that your characters are believable and by that I mean behave the way real people actually do today. It is crucial to reflect characters how they are.  Go out and observe the world.  Spend time in the world you are creating if you are reflecting a world you don’t know.

I've always thought everything William Goldman says is very clever. So my writing quote for this blog is a whole lot of William Goldman saying lots of things and explaining exactly what he meant by NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING. Spend the time watching this amazing youtube interview!

Research, reflect and be adventurous, who says you can’t be big, bold and challenging! Keep writing...

IT'S ALL ABOUT YOU - HOW TO WRITE A SHORT BIO & NOT A BIOGRAPHY

It’s hard to write about yourself or know what to write. The first time, I was asked for a biography, I was flummoxed. It's odd to think that writers can struggle to write about themselves, but it's true. I can turnaround a CV, pretty quickly, because it just details every job I’ve done with the dates thrown in. A bio, however, is completely different. 

My first came with a word count - I had to sum up my life in 25 words. So I googled my heroes - reckoning if they could do it, so could I! Many had one-line bios, I with much less achievements under my belt, replicated what they did. I began with my name and added my profession - writer, producer, founder of Rocliffe and elaborated accordingly. Since, I have adapted that same bio for the end reader - film proposals, newspaper by-lines, festivals and once for a meeting at the UN (that’s another story for a different kind of biography).  

The main thing to remember, when writing bios, is not to let your ego (or lack of) get in the way of telling the reader a little bit about you. Don't start by assuming the mindset there is nothing to say about you! Take a different approach. Think of a bio as a fun way to present yourself to someone who doesn't know you, as a writer. Some of these tips are more relevant to BAFTA Rocliffe submissions, but overall, they should relate to most short biographies. 

My Ten Rocliffe Tips:

1. Start with your name. At this point, no one knows who you are! I can't tell you how many biographies I've seen with no identifying details. On a BAFTA Rocliffe application include your application number and contact details, and submit it as a single page.
2. Write in the third person and present tense i.e. Farah Abushwesha is an Irish-Libyan writer and filmmaker. It states who I am, what I do and where I am from. I wear my dual nationality as a badge of honour and it explains my Irish accent. I used to find it funny when Irish newspapers referred to me as 'Dubliner Farah Abushwesha' but let's face it, it's not typically Irish.
3. Remember if you are uninspired reading it, so will the reader be. Don't be too dry, be a bit lively. That said, it's always advisable to maintain a certain level of professionalism and don't be over-familiar.  
4. Don't be ashamed of being new. New talent is the lifeblood of the industry. Whilst we are looking for people with potential to maintain a career, we get very excited when we find a complete newbie! If this is your first script, then say so! At Rocliffe, we have featured the work of many first time writers who have gone on to forge careers and give them their break.
5. Generally, make your bio relate to the receiver, adapt it accordingly. When asked for an industry-related bio, do not give an autobiographical account of your life or how your parents met. Tell about your writing achievements include items like whether you have a blog? Has someone famous retweeted a tweet of yours especially if it is funny? Have you written for radio, theatre or short films? Has your work been shown at a festival? Is your work being optioned? Do you have any virals and include links? Do you write video games? The video game writers, I know, are particularly good at writing visual imagery and action films. Relate it back to writing, or similarly with directing or producing. 
6. If you have written more than one script, don’t be generic IE ‘I’ve written a wide range of writing projects’. Brilliant that you are committed to writing, but what are they? What genre are they? Tell us a bit about your other projects. Are they for a particular medium? A bio can also show us if you are you drawn to a particular genre. We often get approached by people asking if we know writers who have written a particular genre, we look back through the bio, and hook them up. 
7. List screenwriting courses you attended any courses or any awards or competition have you been shortlisted for or won. 
8. Keep it positive. Include the things that make you standout in a good way. Don’t berate a former collaborator/producer. I’ve seen a bio where a writer described being ‘shafted' by someone. Another who referred to the producers he was working with as sharks. Whatever the background to the stories, valid or otherwise, it makes you standout in all the wrong ways.
9. Don’t tell porky pies or embellish. A few years ago a literary agent, in the US, contacted me to find out what I thought of a writer they were considering representing. I had no idea who the writer was. It turned out they had claimed to have won the BAFTA Rocliffe award. No such award exists. The writer had never been selected to be showcased. It's so easy to fact-check, we keep a record of all our entrants.
10. Final points, show your personality, allow us to begin to like you on paper. This can be done in very subtle ways with turn of phrase and wit. What really resonates is when a writer makes it personal to them. Please don’t use exclamation marks and proof read and spell check your work. Always!

Whilst Rocliffe sees all writer biographies, our selection panels are never told, until after the final three are selected. This way we ensure that only the voice of the work is the deciding factor and not the age, race, gender and experience of the writer.

My quote of the week: 

“Great geniuses have the shortest biographies” 
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Write, rewrite and keep writing because without screenwriters we would not have TV shows and films to make!