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Writing For EastEnders - Richard Lazarus Interview
RichardLazarus85x115.jpgEastenders is one of the three most popular television dramas in the UK. In this special, extended length, audio interview, Richard Lazarus talks about his journey from own label baked beans to being a core writer on this four times a week slice of urban naturalism. (Er... that's a technical term for "kitchen sink drama" - the sort of thing that we Brits do so well.) He gives the inside story on how the whole writing process works. Serial dramas like this, with their 200 + episodes a year and their constant hunger for new writers, often act as the gateway to the industry, so if you have any ambition to work as a screenwriter you could do worse than to put aside an hour and listen to this in depth analysis of how he does what he does.

Did you ever think that writing for a soap can't be that hard?

Listen to this audio interview and think again. This is the most extensive interview we've run to date. In this hour length discussion, RichardLazarus gives us a totally in depth account of what it's like to write on one of the biggest, best loved dramas in the UK.

Over the hour you will hear:

  • How rejection isn't the end, not by a long way. The show rejected Richard first time round and nearly broke his confidence - the second time he tried he very quickly became a staff writer
  • How you need to walk a fine line between the voice of the show and your own voice
  • Full details on the shadow script scheme - the gateway to writing on Eastenders
  • How your ability to take notes is a critical part of commissioning process
  • Amazing thoughts on how far you should commit to your avowed intent to be a writer - Richard has been through bankruptcy and beyond....
  • What you get when you get commissioned - what the story document is like, how long, how many stories an episode
  • How you work the raw story document up into your own script; how you make choices about the spine of the episode, which is your A, B, C story, how you identify  themes in the document - and the benefit of a title as a controlling idea.  
  • How the availability of the actors and the sets on a show like Eastenders becomes a critical factor in your storytelling
  • A simple trick to let you know whether the balance of your scenes in your script is correct
  • How do you write for all these established characters' voices
  • How you can work with, and push, the dramatic conventions of the shows
  • What is the single most necessary virtue for up and coming writers? How do you survive what can be years and years of struggle?
  • The one thing you absolutely need to be able to show to people as a novice writer...

And much, much more!

Listen to the interview.

 

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Keith Stevenson  - producer - writer     |2009-06-01 04:43:48
Thank you for letting Richard tell his story and give us his views, it was most
interesting. It always amazes me Richard was interviewed while he was in Paris.
Here I sit in out back Australia listening to great advice and ideas. As an
independent producer Richards ideas and advice are invaluable especially his tip
on persistance it certainly can be a long time between drinks.

Thank you
Richard thank you Gold Mine
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Jordan Hal Mosman   |2009-10-01 05:04:24
After seeing the episode of East Enders which aired Monday morning on CH2

in
which Lisa takes Louise and goes to Portugal, I was so turned off that I may
cease to continue watching The East Enders. I found it so disgustingly
dustasteful to write any scenario in which someone Like Phil is allowed to
attack someone like Sonjia and Gus has his heart-broken. It was painful to watch
this episode and it was an entirely wrong sequence of events except for Lisa
getting away with Louise. I found myself wanting to dive into the inside of my
TV and beat the shit out of Phil.

Personally, I think whoever wrote this
episode was a moron. I am an up and coming web publisher and i am going to mega
blog this message up all over the web until it reverberates through-out the
internet
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0 0
maria   |2010-05-20 22:27:58
I would love to write a story line for some of those charaters on eastenders, as
my mind is creative and full of ideas. I personally think eastenders needs a
real boast and some of he characters need a more of an interesting part. like
heather, She is lovely. ad real life issues on her weight fact should be a
topic, as big ppl are viewed more differently. than a girl of normal size. and
emotions that goes in with that. Theres so much you can do with these
characters which can be linked in with real lif situation,issues..
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