Robin Hood, Robin Hood...

Well, I had an excellent time yesterday. The event I spoke of in my last posting, and which I attended yesterday afternoon, was exceptionally good. Lisa Holdsworth is both a gifted writer and a wonderful human being (not always an accepted combination in a writer, believe me). Lisa has written extensively for some of the most popular British television shows - her credits include Fat Friends, New Tricks, Emmerdale and Waterloo Road, but today's event was focussed on her contribution to the BBC series Robin Hood because Nottinghamshire is celebrating what it has called 'Robin Hood Month' to coincide with the release of Ridley Scott's latest blockbuster film about our own local legendary folk hero.

Yesterday's 'Audience With Lisa Holdsworth' was organized and presented by scriptwriter Stuart William Hosker and turned out to be a slick and professional event of great interest for all of us who attended. Stuart's consummate questioning tapped just the right vein of Lisa's experience, and her many anecdotes from the world of TV were both edifying and humorous. She's a lovely, warm and funny individual - self effacing, modest (and goodness, she shouldn't be - not with her achievements), generous with her advice, and totally totally professional. It was a delight to meet her and to listen to her talk about the fascinating script-to-screen process and the many-a-slip that features between cup and lip therein...

It must be great fun writing for television, but I'm not sure that I'd want to do it (even if I had the opportunity). Sure, the money is great - but it's a bit like writing for film where the writer usually becomes invisible. In film, all the publicity and interest is centred on the director and the leading actors; in TV it's really more about the cast and the characters than anything (even the director gets ignored in TV). And yes, I suppose it really shouldn't matter that the writer gets no recognition from the public, because a writer's only motivation should be that he/she wants to write, and nothing more than that. But it's also nice to be noticed, and if you're a novelist or a playwright, your name features much more strongly than in these other media, and you get the recognition that I suspect we all narcissistically crave. On the other hand of course, most jobbing writers would say this: Which is more important - massaging the ego, or paying the mortgage?

I can't really speak for Lisa in respect of her own motivation, but my guess would be that for her, writing is just a job - but it just so happens that it's a job she loves, and a job she does well. Good for her, I say.

And talking of jobs, I have to report to you that I'm still required at the salt mines each day, so I'd better make a start on the ironing before tomorrow's alarm clock comes calling all too soon. At the thought of that, all the motivation that I gained from yesterday's event has quite suddenly evaporated. Oh, sod the ironing - let's have another Bloody Mary!