This year will be the seventh year I have live tweeted and blogged from the London Screenwriter’s Festival. Over time it’s grown and expanded and each year new things are happening and new people attending but I don’t think I’ve ever walked into a room in this festival and not known at least some of the people around me. The London Screenwriter’s festival is not merely an event or a screenwriter’s conference. It’s not just industry networking. These people are my friends and even the strangers around us feel like comrades.
As I come back to the festival each year it feels like coming home to family and it’s that touchstone, reminding me who and what I am, that keeps me inspired when I return home to sit alone in front of a screen. In truth the festival isn’t just once a year deal, not only are there festival organised events dispersed throughout each season, there’s a host of people who permeate the delegates LSF Connect community and numerous online social networks as well as plenty who meet up in person. I’ve already had wonderful emails and chats, beginning new relationships and laughs and lovely encouragement from those I already know. For those of you writers feeling alone right now, the only thing you ever need to do is reach out.
This is what the London Screenwriters’ Festival is. We aim to come together year round and by encouraging good craft and diligent writing we work to improve ourselves, each other and our industry, creating opportunity for all. Our delegates, speakers, trainers and creatives, our festival staff and volunteers and support organisations come from around the world to be at this event year in, year out and year round to foster this ethos of sharing. It has been my pleasure and my privilege to share the festival with you on twitter and blog about this year’s events.
For now, I’m signing off from blogging a while to put some of what I learned into practice! The festival organisers are already working tirelessly on 2017’s festival event. I urge you to consider coming. I wish you all every success in your writing and I hope to see you in person and online next time.
Leilani is an actor, screenwriter and filmmaker and has been blogging for the London Screenwriters’ Festival since it’s inception in 2010.
