As Chris Jones opens the 2014 London Screenwriters’ Festival I once again begin to bring you just a small portion of the seminars, screenwriting wisdom and atmosphere here in Regent’s Park University. Here we gather with some 800 attendees who form our screenwriting community. For us, this community is our second home, reminding us that as we write for hours on end during the rest of the year that we are never truly alone. In the same way that stories don’t exist in isolation but are part of our communal human experience LSF is part of the screenwriting experience. It reminds us that we come from and are a part of something greater than ourselves, that the work we produce is for an industry that exists outside of our computer screens and touches people we will never meet.
The festival has grown so much since it’s beginning just five years ago, each year broadening it’s horizons and building on experience, a bit like the process of becoming a seasoned writer in fact. Chris’ opening is always an exciting intro to energise everyone for what will be a very long and busy three days of fun. Momentum is important because here we have the opportunity to grow from other people’s experiences. But really, all that you need to get the maximum from the London Screenwriters’ Festival is to show up, really show up and be present, involve yourself, stick out your hand to people and say hi, or join the discussion online, be part of the community. You don’t have to be the best writer, or vastly experienced or even sold to belong here. What we all learn in these halls is that each of us has our own unique experience of the world that hopefully finds it’s way into the stories we share. So whether you’re at the festival or joining us online, dive in, enjoy, enthuse and above all allow yourself to have fun. It’s not called a festival for nothing you know!
Posted by a member of the London Screenwriters’ Festival team.
