Screenwriting

It’s harder than it looks, screenwriting. You don’t just put two people nose-to-nose, let fly with elegant repartee and then start planning your Oscar night frock.

Which is a shame.

Still, having learned, more or less, how to do it, I sent off a 60-minute script pilot to the BBC’s ‘Scotland Writes’ screenwriting competition – and won.

‘THE LAW ACCORDING TO JAMIE GRANT’ is a six-part serial, the story of James McAvoy – oops – I mean the story of a young lawyer, returning from London to his Highland roots to take over the family firm. Of course, it’s not going to be a permanent thing for him. Is it?

The plot structure is pilfered from Thomas Hardy’s ‘’The Return of the Native”, but the bad jokes are all mine.

Meanwhile the BBC has given me a shot as a new writer on its popular weekly drama RIVER CITY, and following a successful script trial I have my fingers crossed that they will commission me to write a real one soon. James McAvoy may rest assured that there’ll be a small cameo role for him in that one…