For the past few days I’ve been challenging myself to come up with a script idea a day. The outline is as follows:
So I thought I’d try and get up to speed and stretch myself a bit so I set myself a challenge to write an idea a day.The criteria is as follows:
- The idea must be vaguely unique to ones you have created before.
- The idea must be in the form of an elevator pitch of one to two paragraphs of three lines each minimum and five lines each maximum.
- The idea must fit one of three genres that you have pre-chosen.
- It must have a name.
For some reason I was stuck on a National Express coach from hell going to Liverpool on Monday and in the end my 4th script idea was a bit late.
Traitors Den
Rajesh* is enjoying life as a Police officer for the police in Nottingham when he gets a shocking and chilling phonecall that his wife of fifteen years has been brutally murdered in Northern Ireland. He takes the trip to Belfast to identify the body and recover her personal effects when he finds out what she had been investigating: people trafficking and complicity by a range of terrorist groups.
Rajesh immediately sets out to find his wife’s killers and blow open the lid on one of Ireland’s biggest ever corruption cases in a land where the rules and people can easily be disposed of.
Some thoughts as I’ll be less scathing about my own ideas from now on:
- A bit of a State of Play theme going on here mixed with Red Riding (which if you haven’t read the book or watched the superb drama series you have simply been missing out) but this kind of gritty crime-meets-political-conspiracy kind of thriller is in vogue.
- Northern Ireland, like the North of England or Scotland has that kind of mystique for those not familiar with the territory which means basically anyone born south of Watford or most Americans. Again going back to Red Riding but the opening slogan “To the North: where we do what we want!” with all the seedy backstabbing and corrupt double dealing that goes with it I want to replicate with Traitors Den.
- The added racial element with Rajesh going into a world that barely accepts cross-sectarian marriage let alone such revolutionary 20th century ideas as basic immigration within Europe adds extra spice and fire to the storyline. Looking forward to dyed in the wool Protestant PSNI officers who wear the badge on weekdays and the orange sash on weekends treating our hero roughly.
- To date probably my bravest idea yet.
Anyway if you like it or not please comment and say why! Thanks to those who have commented (hat tip Brian Black).
