Not in the way I expected, and not in this of all years, but I did it. I achieved that most treasured of prizes:
I'm now a represented writer!
The man to whom I now am merged with is Andy Townsend of The Galton Agency, an agency best known for wild comedy writers and performers like Tom Mayhew, Sam Avery and Red Bastard (yes). They've been increasing their screenwriter roster and, thanks to a referral, got myself a meeting and we hit it off like rats in a pack, lunch in a sack (cookies if you get the reference).
And that's not all: just before I netted an agent, I also placed on one of CBBC's most prestigious and fruitful schemes, BBC New Voices. I'll let them explain it:
New Voices will be a six-month long professional development programme which will give writers the training and tools to create and sustain a long-term writing career within the Children’s sector. It will launch with a two all-day online festival on 12th and 13th Nov, giving valuable insight into the Children’s landscape. After the festival attendees will be given the chance to pitch and apply for commissions and paid work placements at CBeebies, CBBC, and with Independent production companies, to help build stronger relationships, attend story conferences / workshops and follow the process of creating Children’s television more closely.
Now, I'm not here to gloat, and I mean that - this has been a turbulent and testing year for many out there, many not as lucky as myself. I've lost work, been unable to see family and suffered terrible anxiety, but I also still have a roof over my head, and paid work on the horizon. I acknowledge how fortunate I am and thank everybody who's supported me and helped me get better as both a writer, and as a person.
To Dominic Carver and Michelle Goode, who helped hone the scripts that got me this far; to Toby Bruce at Dancing Ledge Productions for setting this up; to Andrew Brenner, Helen Stroud, Barry Ryan and David Walton, who gave me breaks; to my friends and family who've cheered me through highs and lows these last seven-odd years.
