It's true- the BBC will very shortly be looking for short story writers to take part in an interesting project. Check it out at news at http://www.writewords.org.uk/news/430.asp
and bookmark the bbc site- more announced shortly.

This looks like terrific fun! Wouldn't it be great if several people from WriteWords got involved????

Ani

You could be one of them, Anisoara...

Oh I'll certainly give it a go!

Ani

Sounds interesting, though I doubt, once interviewed, anyone would want to allow my face on national television or anything.

Having some politically extreme, over-opinionated psycho rant on about how he writes between binges of suicidal depression and longs for the destruction of mankind doesn't inspire great ratings.

Oh, I don't know IB. Eastender is pretty popular.

Sorry, couldn't resist that.

Darryl

Yeah, IB, I was thinking that could be pretty interesting too!

Ani

I went to the London audition last night. If anyone else is thinking of going - get there on time. I was a few minutes late for the 6:30 slot and had to wait until 7:30 just to go in (although this was more the fault of the guy on reception than the EOS team, who were very friendly indeed).

What happens is everyone who's booked for the 6:30, 7:30 or 8:30 slot gets taken into a waiting room, where you get the chance to have a cup of tea and ask some questions. There's a copy of all the unfinished shorts stories, but you don't get a chance to have a read. One by one you get taken into a side room and interviewed on camera. Questions were general things likes "tell me about yourself", "who do you like to read", "where and when do you write" etc etc. It's not a test as such, more to set a profile so that later they can get a good mix of people for the video diaries. Of course you don't have to be recorded to enter the competition, just keep an eye on their web site for that.

I didn't understand that there were auditions. Where are they? I looked at the site and thought we were supposed to put our email address in some nonexistent block on the page of the writer whose story we wanted to finish. (Can anyone else find this block for typing your email address into?)

Help!

Ani

I got all my info from here. They're all around the country over the next three (I think) days.

What I meant to say and forgot (duhr) was that they asked about writing groups and were very interested to hear about WriteWords.

yet another wonderful countrywide opportunity from the BBc a litte like the Hustler opportunity. ( whose workshops were equally selective)

Fine providing you don't live in The South West The North East, East Anglia, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. Ok we can all take part but not attend the audiotions. Wouldn't it be nice if the BBC remembered that the first B stands for British not London The Midlands and some times the North West

Ok I know it is nothing to do with write words but I get a bit fed up with these so called opportunities being heralded as the greatest thing since sliced bread and in fact they are very parochial and almost discriminate against most of the country

This does sound good, but have a phobia about anything photographic i.e. I don't want to be on telly, or in front of a camera of any sort.

Does anyone know if it can be done and you don't go on telly?

Olebut -

I also feel marginalised by the choice of audition sites. Living in the southernmost finger of Britain, I simply can neither afford nor justify a trip to the backbone of Britain for an audition like this. I expect that a large part of Britain will not be represented. As usual.

Ani

The BBc is currently asking for views on their service

www.bbccharterreview.org.uk

but I think they have to be in quickly

So my "all over the country" wasn't entirely accurate then? Feeling a bit guilty now because I work 20 minutes from Broadcasting House. If I get selected, and have to keep a video diary, you can all come and sit in my kitchen and do it too. My kitchen will be visiting Berkshire, Berkshire, and Berkshire over the next few months.

You don't have to be on TV to enter. In fact they are expecting something like 40,000 entries (there are 20,000 books being published) so the chances of anyone winning who's doing the video thing are slight.