Competition Rules
SUMMER COMPETITION 2010
Theme
TURNING POINTS
Brief
Write a short stage play, suitable for low budget / fringe theatre production.
It must adhere to all the following criteria.
Run time: 15 minutes.
Time span: Your action should take place over one day (ie 24 hours).
If you want to write one 15-minute scene in real time that's fine, otherwise the action must take place in full within a 24-hour period.
Location: One location - maximum one location, maximum one set.
Characters: No more than four in total, including non-speaking parts / mimes / dancers.
One character is fine - monologues are permitted.
First line: "In the beginning ..." must be the first line of your play.
Dramatic content: Over the course of your play, something needs to change.
It can be a subtle Joycean epiphany, it can be the end of the world, it can be comic or tragic, realist or fantasy, or it can be anything in between. But something tangible needs to change.
Judge
Edel Brosnan
Edel is a screenwriter with credits for the BBC, ITV and RTE film writer and editor. She is also a film writer for print magazines including UK Writer, Film Ireland and The New Statesman as well as being Managing editor for UK Writer and for the website and blog of the Writers' Guild of Great Britain.
She is a Former English-language editor for the Croatian Audiovisual Centre's website and artistic advisor for the Council of Europe's Eurimages script production fund.
Click on this link to see Edel's CV.
Timetable
Administrator Mike Pearcy
Deadline - Monday 20th September 2010
Results - Monday 8th November 2010
Prizes
- A trophy, held for one year, will be presented to the winner.
- Cash prizes will be awarded to the winner, second and third.
Notes and Tips
Read your piece out aloud and time it.
Remember: Action is character and drama is conflict.
Layout. How you layout your script is entirely up to you. The judge will not be judging the pieces on presentation only on content.
Though saying that, a well presented script, where it is clear who is saying what, where and when is always advisable.
To help you here are two types of acceptable script layout you might want to look at and use.
There is a Basic Script Layout that requires no styling and really takes all the worrying out of layout and then there is a more Standard Script Layout for those who want to experiment a bit with their layout.
You may have your own style, so please feel free to use that, but please remember you won't be marked down or disqualified if your layout isn't correct. Don't let layout hinder your decision to enter. It's what's on the page, not how it's put on the page, that wants to impress the judge.
Any questions . . . ASK!
Entry Rules
- Open to Slough Writers members only.
- One entry per member.
- Write on only one side of A4 paper.
- Manuscripts must be typed and lines must be double-spaced.
- Title of work and page number to appear on each page.
- No author's name to appear anywhere on the manuscript.
Submission Rules
- Your completed manuscript must go in a sealed envelope.
- On the front on this envelope write the name of the competition and the title of your manuscript.
- Inside a second, sealed small envelope, place your name on a piece of paper/postcard.
- On the front of this envelope put the title of your manuscript and 'Authors Name Enclosed'.
- Attach this envelope with a paper clip to the one containing your manuscript.
- Hand both to the administrator of the competition, on or before the deadline.
See Timetable above for details.
Failure to comply with any of the rules will result in your manuscript being withdrawn from the competition.
Good luck.