The Brief

So I've just been sent a brief for a series of single dramas. Basically briefs can be very prescriptive or very open in that stories have to be either be tailored to a specific theme or about whatever you want. Both have their problems.

A very prescriptive brief might be a turn off straight away because you have no affinity with the subject matter. A very open brief can leave you floundering as to tone and content.
This one is very open. It basically requires ''big ideas and themes'' - but looking at the budget, not all that big! I kid - big ideas and themes are not necessarily expensive - but it means my ''Moby Dick in Space'' is probably a non starter.

So I'm going to play golf. A lot of people will say that writing is more perspiration than inspiration. And that is true while you are in script. But while I'm trying to create something new I find time away from the computer much more productive than sitting staring at a blank screen. In fact some of my best ideas have come when I'm in the shower. Don't know why, it just happens that way.

I have a few days free so I'm just going to be idle and let the ideas come when they want to. [I should mention that none of my existing ideas quite fit this brief, otherwise they'd be going in pronto]

This way doesn't work for everyone, but it's what I've always done and don't feel the need to change. Actually I've done it once, for a police procedural set in Manchester. It was a rush job and I didn't have the luxury of time. So I sat down with pen and paper and forced out a story that involved Manchester's gay villiage. I thought it was pretty good, lots of twists and red herrings and sent it off thinking it was a shoe in. I was told it was too gay! Don't suppose they could really have put that in the brief!