Giving new writers a chance - Radio 4 should help us

Posted by Ray Schaufeld on Sun, 14 Jan 2018

Radio 4 is our only well-known channel which is about words not music. Where do they get their material from? The formats often feel 'tired' and threadbare. How do 'us lot' get in there? I suspect unless we are very lucky or a known name our work sinks to the bottom of a barely glanced at submissions pile.

Could one of our editors approach them and get a regular half hour, call it 'easy as Abc?' or something. It would be win-win because Radio 4 needs to bring something new to the table. The average age of a radio 4 listener, myself included is 55+ and when we pop off that could be the end of Radio 4.

Answers on a scrap of paper and do not write on both sides of the question at the same time. Or do, maybe that is what Radio 4 needssmiley

Comments

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

They do run various things Elsie - here, look:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/about

 

Submitted by celticman on

bbc do try, I guess. Your forgetting the power of numbers Elsiie. When they open there doors to scripts they get between 10 and 20K. I know, I've tried my luck a few times. To be an unknown writer is to be invisble. To be a known writer is to have more leverage. It's all tied in with the idea of class. As you know with the recent Kit de Waal hoo-ha. She has leverage. ABCtales, our ganghut, has none. 

 

Submitted by airyfairy on

I miss the Morning Story (you have to be a certain age to remember that!) when they would do work from established authors but also read short stories from unknown writers.  Years ago they ran their own writing website, which was the first online thing I ever tried.  I'm on the Writer's Room mailing list, and some interesting stuff does come up on there.  Short stories haven't been 'fashionable' for a long time now, but there are signs that is changing, so fingers crossed there will be more opportunities.  

Submitted by Ray Schaufeld on

Thanks for the info. I feel that sending work into orbit to a big organisation as a complete unknown - the odds are agin me. However back in 2007 I sent a piece to BBC Radio Scotland  I got a friendly letter back from a Suzanne Logue who appeared to have at least glanced through it. but who said 'it is not clear from your letter which department or programme these diaries are addressed to'.

I still have 'Who's Birthday is it Anyway? Diary of a Presiding Officer at Edinburgh Cowgate Polling Station for the brand new Scottish Parliamentary Elections, 6 May 1999.'

The title is a bit Marina Lewycka. I have the job in the polling station in the oldest part of Edinburgh and there is also a longish timeline with more thaan one thing happening.

Might type it up from the pages onto Word and post it here sometime, it is longer than 800 words and would maybe fit as Part 1, Part 2.

Wouldn't it be great if Abc could bag a regular half hour radio  showcase somewhere. If not Radio 4, maybe Radio 6.

Submitted by airyfairy on

Local radio is sometimes open to a pitch from local groups, or possibly individuals.  A friend of mine does a monthly Book Club slot, with members of her reading group, on our local BBC station.  Although it isn't directly related to her own writing, she's linked in her social media to tweets etc about the broadcast, so there's a bit of a ripple effect.  She's a children's writer, and I think they covered the launch of her last book.  Having a radio showcase would be brilliant, but short of setting up our own radio station, I'm not sure it's likely in the forseeable!  

Submitted by Ray Schaufeld on

You've got me thinking. A lot of people listen to Radio Devon, then there's the local one it's either called Bay Radio or Radio Exe... I run writers nights every 3-4 months in my local library where about 12 of us read aloud and my friend Cally performs her songs on guitar, sort of open mic without a mic. The next session will be different. We are having an afternoon session Wednesday 10 March and I told them we are having a 'working tea break' where we all come up with new ideas. In addition to a slot at Exmouth Festival and afternoon workshops - another person suggested this and I'm up for it, I shall flag up Radio.